Politeknik

Sultan
Salahuddin
Abdul Aziz Shah
CC 603 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT 1

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QUESTION 1:

Initiation Phase Overview

The Project Initiation Phase is the conceptualization of the project. This section describes the
basic processes that must be performed to get a project started. Accordingly, the purpose of the
Project Initiation Phase is to specify what the project should accomplish. The caution in this
purpose is if the customers needs are inadequately articulated, then poorly formulated goals and
objectives will stand out as a significant source of concern. This starting point is critical because
it is essential for those who will deliver the product/process, for those who will use that
product/process, and for those who have a stake in the project to reach agreement on its
initiation. Shown below in Figure 2.1.1 are the relationships between the various project phases.
The Initiation Phase is the first project phase and is the predecessor to project planning.
Activities conducted during the Initiation Phase will eventually be integrated into the various
planning documents and will drive planning elements such as schedule and budget.
Defined in this methodology section are general guidelines to assist in defining the overall
parameters of the project during the Initiation Phase. The sub-sections have been organized to be
consistent with how a project might progress through the Initiation Phase. It must be stressed that
the recommended methods in this section are standard steps for project efforts, since it is here
that agreement is reached on what the projects end product(s) will be. The basic processes for
the Project Initiation Phase are:
Creation of a Product Description Statement
Development of Project Feasibility
Development of a Project Concept Document
Creation of Project Charter

I.

PROJECT DOCUMENT

The importance of an effective document management strategy for project success.

The life cycle of a typical project manager can produce up to fifty different types of documents
to facilitate the planning, tracking and reporting of the project. Documents range from feasibility
studies, resource plan, financial plans and project plans, to supplier contracts, postimplementation reviews, change request forms and project status reports. The fact is, the manner
in which project documents are managed by project leaders can either be the driving force
behind a projects success or the bottleneck that often places a project in despair resulting in its
failure to meet its time line, budget and scope.
An effective document management strategy for project managers and its pragmatic impact on
improving your visibility into a projects status to better respond to the inevitable reality of
change occurring in your day-to-day work.

The Role of the Project Document

The primary role of a project manager is to manage the unexpected. The concept of planning by
its very nature is designed to mitigate and manage the unexpected. As a part of the planning
process, most project managers would agree that the project document plays a central role in
strategically developing the best possible plan and to effectively communicate progress and
status updates to all stakeholders. More importantly, the manner in which the project document is
managed will determine a project managers effectiveness in responding to the unexpected.
Prior to discussing the management of the project document, let us define the "Project
Document" and how it fits within a typical organisation's project management workflow. The
project document is a self-contained document that details your organisation's unique steps in
initiating, planning, executing and closing projects. In fact, the chosen project document types,
the format they are produced in and the manner in which they are organised, in their very
essence, is what makes your organisation different in delivering projects. Experienced project
practitioners are excellent in "Templatizing" their project documents. The reuse of successful
project plans, complex business-case documents, standard contracts, detailed specification
sheets, and project status reports are necessary for a project manager's effectiveness in balancing
the evils of unmanageable paperwork that can impede their ability to focus on their core
competencies of managing the project and the involved stakeholders. However, a project
template is only as good as the individual managing its use. What sets apart great project
managers from good project managers is their ability to minimise their administrative role in
producing project documents while maximising their strategic role in managing the people that
will deliver a successful project. In order to achieve this, project managers must follow some
basic rules in developing key project documents covering all phases of a project's life cycle.

Although the project document workflow will vary from organisation to organisation, good
project managers will develop a number of basic project documents in order to maintain high
standards in the delivery of projects. A standardisation of the documentation is typically seen in
the following project phases:

1. Project Definition or Conception: In this phase the project charter document is at the
heart of initiation. Defining the charter and the details surrounding the project's objectives
are key drivers in building the project's road to success.
2. Project Planning: In this phase, the project leadership plans for the unexpected. The
documents detailing the project plan, scheduling of resources, client agreements, and risk
management, house the strategic details of the project.
3. Project Execution: In this phase, tracking and reacting are the name of the game. Here the
project documents are delivering the actuals and updates to the project plan. Tracking
cost, time, physical progress and emerging issues are documented in this phase.
4. Project Closure: In this phase, documents will detail outstanding issues and/or
deliverables, review of project outcome, and best practices project management processes
to be utilised for future use.

II.

PROJECT FEASIBILITY DOCUMENT

The Project Feasibility Document is the tool Project Stakeholders use to seek funding for
feasibility studies after a Client Brief has been approved by the Capital Expenditure Review
Committee (CERC). The Project Feasibility Document is the responsibility of the Faculty
Operating Officer (FOO)/Support Services Head of Division (SSHoD). The FOO/SSHoD can be
assisted by the Project Manager and any other individual such as the College Stakeholders to
complete the document.
The Project Feasibility Document once endorsed by the Project Champion, Project Director,
User Coordinator, Senior Supplier, Project Manager with Facilities and/or ICT Directors
(dependent on project) can then be submitted for approval by following the Capital Project
Funding Approval Process. Documents are to be submitted one week prior to meeting to Project
Planning Manager.

Feasibility Studies for Construction Projects

Feasibility studies are preliminary studies undertaken in the very early stage of a project. They
tend to be carried out when a project is large or complex, or where there is some doubt or
controversy regarding the proposed development. If an environmental impact assessment (EIA)
is required, this may involve assessments best undertaken as part of feasibility studies.
The purpose of feasibility studies is to:

Establish whether the project is viable.

Help identify feasible options.

Assist in the development of other project documentation such as the business

case, project execution plan and strategic brief.

On large or complex projects, there may be a number of different feasibility studies carried out,
sometimes requiring different skills, and considering issues such as:

Planning permission.

The likelihood that an environmental impact assessment will be required.

Other legal / statutory approvals.

Analysis of the budget relative to client requirements.

Assessment of the potential to re-use existing facilities or doing nothing rather than
building new facilities.

Assessment of any site information provided by the client.

Site appraisals, including geotechnical studies, assessment of any contamination,

availability of services, uses of adjoining land, easements and restrictive covenants,
environmental impact and so on.

Considering different solutions to accessing potential sites.

Analysis of accommodation that might be included or excluded.

Assessment of the possible juxtaposition of accommodation and preparing basic stacking

diagrams.

Assessing operational and maintenance issues.

Appraisal of servicing strategies.

Programme considerations.

Procurement options.

Various stakeholders, statutory authorities and other third parties may need to be consulted in the
preparation of feasibility studies.
The assessments carried out should be presented in a structured way so the client can decide
whether or not to proceed to the next stage. Wherever possible, any information prepared or
obtained should be in a format which can be readily shared and used, and should be stored and
named in a way consistent with the long-term project and operational needs.

III.

PROJECT CONCEPT DOCUMENT

While the Project Description Statement (part of the Project Concept Document) and Project
Feasibility are key support elements in project implementation, the Project Concept Document is
the foundation for making a decision to initiate. Projects will vary in terms of complexity, but all
should have some level of initial concept definition. For some projects, it may take only a few
hours or days to complete this document; for others it could take months. This document is
critical to guaranteeing buy-in for a project.

Elements of the Project Concept Document

One of the most important tasks in the Project Initiation Phase is the development of the Project
Concept Document. To develop this document, the following should be identified:

Project Manager - The Project Manager will define the project purpose, establish the
critical success factors, gather strategic and background information, determine highlevel planning data, and develop estimated budgets and schedules for the life of the
project.
Project Team - As appropriate, depending on the size of the effort, to perform the initial
concept study.
Concept Participants - Organizational entities and individuals that need to provide input
to the Project Concept Document to clarify project direction.
Stakeholders and Customers - Individuals and entities that could be actively or passively
involved in the project and may be positively or negatively impacted as the project is
completed.

During this stage of the Initiation Phase, the project team defines:

Project goals and objectives

High-level approach and project strategy
High-level disaster recovery methodology
Success factors for the project

The project team will also review information and conduct meetings. At this stage, items to be
considered are the:

Appropriate methods for application and deployment of technology

Resource requirements

The real issues during the Initiation Phase are not the written documents, but the processes that
occur to truly evaluate the appropriateness of a specific project and whether it can be started. The
material generated as a by-product of these processes will be reviewed to make those business
decisions. The goal during this phase, and specifically with the Project Concept Document, is not
to generate a 200 page document, but rather to provide a concise summary of information
necessary to review and thus determine if the project should be initiated and carried into the
Planning Phase.

Developing the Project Concept Document

There are various methods for developing the needed concept information that the project team
may wish to use, including:
Brainstorming sessions
Formal executive meetings
Stakeholder or customer meetings
Product Description Statement
Project Feasibility determination
Interviews with Subject Matter Experts
All of these methods should be aimed at defining the project at the highest conceptual level that
provides the necessary responses to business needs and strategic objectives.

Timeframe for Completion

The timeframe for a project team to complete the process to generate a Project Concept
Document varies widely according to project size, and is driven by unlimited factors. Each
project is unique and will require different levels of detail, research, and development.
Consideration should be given to all levels of review that may be required as well.

Project Concept Document Review

There may be times when actual reviews need to be scheduled with the project team and external
entities to review the Project Concept Document. These reviews would provide a forum for
information exchange and would be timelier than written question and answer sessions. The

materials generated during the initial statement and analysis processes will drive the contents and
structure of the meeting. Most likely a decision to proceed or not to proceed with the project will
be a result of these meetings. If the Project Concept Document is agreed upon and accepted then
the team should move to the next step of the Initiation Phase and create the Project Charter.

Project Concept Document Template

A general format template can be found in the template section of this methodology. If it is
necessary to create a Project Concept Statement other than the one furnished in the template, the
statement should include the following general information categories. Use of the categories
should result in a valid project concept definition.
General Information
Project Purpose
Success Factors
Strategic Background Information
Financial Planning and Schedule Information
Disaster recovery methodology
Signatures

IV.

PROJECT CHARTER

A Project Charter is created to formally communicate the existence of the project. The Project
Charter is issued during the Project Initiation Phase and is looked upon as the beginning of the
Planning Phase of a project. It is used as the basis to create the Project Plan. Inputs to developing
the Project Charter are the Project Feasibility Document and the Project Concept Document.
These documents identify a need and establish senior management commitment. The Project
Charter contains the following attributes within it:
Project Scope
Project Authority
Critical Success Factors
Project Scope
Project Scope is documented at a high-level in the Project Charter. The level documented must
be sufficient to allow for further decomposition within the Project Plan. For example, the
requirement for training may be identified within the Project Charter. Decomposition within the
Project Plan will document the types of training to be delivered, procurement or development of
course materials, and so on. Project Objectives within the Project Charter are executed to meet
the strategic goals of an agency or multiple agencies. Objectives are communicated in the Project
Charter to ensure that all stakeholders understand the organizations needs that the project
addresses. Consequently, project objectives are used to establish performance goals planned
levels of accomplishment stated as measurable objectives that can be compared to actual results.
Performance measures can be quantified to see if the project is meeting the agencys objectives.
Project performance can then be traced directly to the agencys goals, mission, and objectives;
enabling participants to correct areas that are not meeting those objectives.

Project Authority
Because of a projects complexity, many difficult decisions must be made to keep it on track. For
this reason the Project Charter defines the authority and mechanisms to resolve potential
problems. Three areas must be addressed:
A level of management is required that can provide organizational resources to the project and
have control over the elements that impact it.
The Project Charter must establish a Project Manager who is given authority to plan, execute,
and control the project.

 The Project Charter must establish a relationship between the project and senior management
to ensure that a support mechanism exists to resolve issues outside the authority of the Project
Manager.

Critical Success Factors

To ensure the project progresses satisfactorily, Critical Success Factors or High-Level Milestones
should be clearly defined with planned dates to measure progress. These can be used to approve
the completion of a phase or milestone and as a go/no-go decision point to proceed with the
project. These Critical Success Factors ensure that the products and services delivered meet the
project objectives in the time frame established in the Project Charter.