Resources
Framing a project before launching it
Framing produces a note that fits on two pages: the need, the scope, the stakeholders, the success criteria and the initial budget. That note heads off most of the difficulties met later.
Five headings, two pages
The need is written from the point of view of the person carrying it, with the current situation and what makes it costly. The scope lists what the project delivers, which is enough to bound it. Stakeholders are mapped with their interest and their decision power. Success criteria are quantified, in a unit the sponsor already tracks. The initial budget is set as an owned order of magnitude. Those five headings are enough to launch, and to decide to stop.
- The need, written in the sponsor's own words
- The scope, listed through the expected deliverables
- The stakeholders, with their interest and decision power
- The success criteria, quantified in an already-tracked unit
- The initial budget, set as an owned order of magnitude
The project management certificate
Four blocks, from framing to closure, for a professional in post. Total volume and credits read from the table, and the fee is on the programme page.
| Teaching block | Year | Hours | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Framing and stakeholders | 1 | 40 h | 4 |
| Planning and estimation | 1 | 50 h | 5 |
| Delivery and risk management | 1 | 50 h | 5 |
| Agile methods and closure | 1 | 40 h | 4 |
Mapping the stakeholders
The sponsor
The one who holds the budget and arbitrates scope. One named person: the condition for fast decisions.
The users
Those whose work changes. Involving them in framing makes adoption far simpler than any later communication.
The contributors
Those whose time the project consumes. Their availability is negotiated with their managers, before launch.
The control functions
Compliance, security, procurement: consulting them early turns a late opinion into an integrated design constraint.
Project managers' questions
How much time should framing take?
The time to assemble the five headings and have the sponsor approve them, which is a few days on a project running several months. The framing block builds that note on a real case brought by the participant.
What do I do when the scope moves?
You quantify the impact on schedule and budget, and the sponsor decides. The framing note makes that decision simple because it provides the reference: you always compare against a written, approved scope.
How do I set useful success criteria?
By taking an indicator the sponsor already tracks, and giving the value to reach with its date. A criterion expressed in a new unit first requires installing the measurement, which rarely pays as well as the project itself.
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