Initiation Stage Plan – what to consider?
The minimal number of stages in a PRINCE2 project is two, and the first stage is always called the initiation stage; therefore, you will need to create an initiation stage plan.
All the following stages are called delivery stages because the specialist products are produced within them. PRINCE2 states that the project can have as many delivery stages as is appropriate.
The primary purpose of the initiation stage is to create the project initiation documentation (PID) and use the process of ‘managing a stage boundary’ to create the next stage plan.
The initiation stage plan must therefore contain the information to develop these. These are the two main deliverables of the initiation stage.
This is quite normal within a PRINCE2 project because at the end of each stage, a plan for the next stage is created and used as part of the evidence for the project board to decide whether or not to continue with the project and authorize the next stage – and so it is for the initiation stage plan.
It makes sense to create the plan for the next stage at the last possible moment before the current stage completes, as this will ensure that the next stage plan contains the latest knowledge and information.
But the first process used in PRINCE2 is the starting up of a project process, which takes place before the project formally starts, and hence it is not a stage, but there is still a need for the initiation stage plan creation for that following stage.
Nevertheless, as this pre-project work draws to a conclusion, the initiation stage plan is still required for the initiation stage so that the newly formed project board can decide on whether or not to start projects in the first place.
The other main product created here is the project brief and your sponsor, which contains vital information to help the project board make an informed choice as to whether or not the project should proceed.
You need to understand the contents of the project initiation documentation (as well as that for a next stage plan) before commencing to create the initiation stage plan, as this will lead to containing all of the above activities for these two essential documents to be completed.
The project brief is refined and expanded so that it is developed into a more detailed project initiation documentation (PID).
As we shall see, the PID contains vital approaches, the business case, the project plan and its controls. Since this information will be used to deliver the project, such information within the initiation stage plan must include any work to create baseline measures.
As an example, the business case may include improvements to those currently in force, and so baseline information, such as operating costs, process delivery times, and the efficiency and effectiveness of current procedures, may need to be collected so that the benefits outlined in the business case can be proved. It is vital to include these in the initiation stage plan.
Initiation Stage Plan – the Project Brief Input
The information in the project brief will act as a critical driver for the content and direction of the project plan. So let us quickly look at some of the information driving the range of the initiation stage plan that will be contained within the project brief:
- The project product description
- The acceptance criteria
- The outline business case
- Objectives, scope, exclusions, constraints, and assumptions
- The project approach
All the above will affect the amount of information within the PID, and the project approach will lay down exactly how the business, management and specialist direction should be taken.
Initiation Stage Plan drivers.
The Project Product Description will advise you of the end product, and its complexity will directly affect the content within the project plan and the approach documents within the PID.
The acceptance criteria for the end product may be simple to achieve or complex and challenging – therefore also having a bearing on the content of the project plan.
The project scope will outline what is to be included within the project plan, while the constraints and assumptions may contribute to known risks.
The risk register will also be set up in the initiation stage, followed by sufficient risk analysis. The project’s riskiness will determine how much effort will be needed within the initiation stage.
The nature of the project will determine the standards needed for quality, and these, too, need to be considered for planning such quality into the project plan and creating an acceptable quality management approach document.
Another of the documents contained within the PID is the change management approach which also covers change and version control. Consider the number of project products and their versions to consider the manner and complexity needed for configuration control.
An aspect that needs to be addressed is project filing. Setting up a filing system and some form of library must also be considered.
The initiating stage plan may consist of a timescale, budget, and named resources for a smaller simple project, but anything other than that will need careful thought. Just like any other PRINCE2 stage, the initiation stage will be authorized by the project board and tolerances set.
All of the above information must be included in the initiation stage plan.
In summary, when creating the initiation stage plan, remember that it should include all of the products and activities needed to develop the project initiation document, the next stage plan, and sufficient resources for management and specialist purposes.
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