Project brief

The project brief is a short, high-level overview of the project, created during the starting up a project process by the project manager. It is primarily written for the project board and provides a firm foundation for initiating the project. The project brief ensures that everyone — especially the project board — has a shared understanding of the project’s background, objectives, scope, constraints, risks, stakeholders, and outline business case before committing resources to the initiation stage.

The contents of project brief are reviewed and refined during the initiating a project process, where its content is expanded into the more detailed project initiation documentation.

Timeline

The project brief is developed early in the project lifecycle and plays a key role in shaping and authorising the project’s formal initiation.

• The project brief is created during the starting up a project process.
• It is based on the project mandate, which may contain limited or detailed information depending on the source.
• It is used by the project board to make the first key decision: whether to authorise the initiation stage.
• The approved project brief then serves as a key input to the initiating a project process.
• Most of the effort typically goes into the project product description, which defines the scope of the project.
• Once the project initiation documentation (PID) is created, the project brief is no longer used in project management activities.

Source data

The project brief is compiled using a combination of early inputs and contextual information gathered during the starting up a project process.

• A project mandate is provided by programme management or senior management, often containing the initial scope, objectives, and justification.
• If part of a programme, the mandate may already include most of the information the project board needs, reducing the project manager’s workload at this stage.
• The project manager should also verify:
  • Alignment with corporate strategy, policies, and standards
  • Operational and maintenance arrangements post-project (via discussions with support teams)
• Supplier input for any specialist product development or delivery.
• Relevant entries from the lessons log to ensure key learning is carried forward.

Quality criteria

The project brief should be short, focused, and provide a firm foundation for initiating the project:

• Keep it concise — its purpose is to support the decision to authorise the initiation stage.
• It will be expanded and refined during the initiation stage and included in the project initiation documentation (PID).
• Ensure it reflects the project mandate, and captures the needs of the business and users.
• When defining the project approach, consider multiple delivery options (e.g. for software: off-the-shelf, outsourced, in-house development, upgrade existing, or build new).
• Clearly state the project objectives, ensuring they align with the organisation’s strategy, standards, and policies.
• Make sure the project brief follows the SMART criteria: Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

Tips

Here are some practical suggestions to help you create a clear and useful project brief during the early stages of a PRINCE2 project:

• Follow up on the project mandate by speaking directly with the people who provided it — interviews can help clarify intent and fill in gaps.
• Facilitate or get help facilitating a workshop to define the project product description (PPD) — it’s a critical part of establishing scope.
• Invite team managers to the PPD workshop early — they can give technical feedback and begin building strong communication with users.
• Don’t rush the creation of the project brief — it underpins the entire initiation stage.
• Avoid excessive detail — if the project is not authorised, unnecessary work will be wasted.
• In the PPD, also note what the project will not deliver — this helps define scope boundaries and manage expectations.

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Written by Frank Turley.

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