Project initiation
Starting Up a Project
Get enough clarity to decide whether formal initiation is justified.
What this helps you do
Move from idea to a controlled start without building heavy documents too early.
Use this when
- A sponsor has an idea
- A mandate is vague
- A project request needs triage
What good looks like
- Sponsor named
- Outcome clear
- First decision explicit
Minimum viable version
- Project brief
- Initial business case
- Project diagnostic
Stronger version
- Option summary
- Initial governance view
- Stakeholder map
Step-by-step
- Clarify mandate
- Confirm sponsor
- Draft brief
- Check viability
- Request initiation decision
Inputs needed
- Mandate
- Sponsor conversation
- Known constraints
Outputs produced
- Project brief
- Decision to initiate or stop
Common mistakes
- Starting delivery as a substitute for clarity
- Skipping user or operational context
Tailoring notes
- Use a short brief for small work
- Add policy and assurance checks for public-sector ideas
Related templates
project-brief, business-case-lite
Related tools
Project Diagnostic, What To Do Next flow
PRINCE2 mapping
Operational translation of PRINCE2 starting up a project.