Project Initiation

Initiation Missteps

Unclear expectations

Unrealistic expectations

Miscommunication

Lack of resources

Scope creep

Components

Key Components of Project Initiation

Goals

Scope

Deliverables

Success criteria

Stakeholders

Resources

Stakeholder = people who have interest in, and are affected by, the completion and success of a project.
Use Project Charter to document the details about a project. Charter is reviews by stakeholders, once approved, move to execution phase.

Active listening to the stakeholders.

Slow down and look at the landscape before you.

Project Goal = the desired outcome of a project, the clearer and more specific the better
Setting SMART goals.
OKRs

Scope = Project boundaries (budge, timeline, etc.), what is included and excluded from the project.
In-scope vs out-of-scope tasks.
Scope Creep
- Changes, growth, and uncontrolled factors that affect a project’s scope at any point after the project begins
- External vs. internal creeps
- Solutions
  - Define your project’s requirements.
  - Set a clear project schedule.
  - Determine what is out of scope.
  - Provide alternatives.
  - Set up a change control process.
  - Learn how to say no.
  - Collect costs for out-of-scope work.

Monitor your project scope and protect it at all cost!

Triple Constraint Model = Time, Budge, and Scope, changing one impacts the other two.

Project Launch (delivery) vs Project Landing (actually put the deliverable to test)
Determining Project Success
- Identify the measurable aspects
- Get clarity from stakeholders on the project requirements and expectations.
Business metrics (revenue) and customer metrics (Adoption and Engagement)
Alongside the metrics, also document:
- How is it measured?
- How often is it measured?
- Who measures it?
Use OKRs as success criteria.

Considerations
- Required roles
- Team size
- Necessary skills
- Availability
Roles
- Sponsors (director)
- Team Members
- Customers
- Users
- Project Manager
- Stakeholders (primary and secondary, all of the above)
Stages
- Forming: members feel tentative and unsure about their project roles
- Storming: members assert their positions and jockey for power
- Norming: working practices are established
- Performing: team works positively and productively to achieve project goals