The goals of this process are to:
- develop an outline of the project or programme and assess whether is it likely to be justifiable;
- determine what effort and investment is needed to define the work in detail;
- gain the sponsor’s authorisation for the definition phase.
| Indicators | Level 2 attributes |
On smaller projects the ‘identification team’ may simply be the project manager (applicable to level 2 or 3). It is not necessary for the name ‘identification team’ to be used as long as there is a team that has responsibility for the goals of the process. At level 2 the identification team may be appointed based more on availability than technical competence. |
Description | A separate identification phase is recognisable and there is an identifiable mandate that triggers the start of the phase. | |
Appoint identification team | Responsibilities for achieving the goals of the process are included in management team roles. | |
Review previous lessons | The manager or identification team access informal sources of information to identify lessons that may be relevant. | |
Prepare brief | A document is prepared that is sufficient for the sponsor to reliably judge whether or not the project or programme will be desirable, viable and achievable. | |
Prepare definition plan | A document is prepared that is sufficient for the sponsor to understand the scope and timescale of the definition phase. | |
| Indicators | Level 3 attributes | |
Description | A process for the identification phase is centrally defined. This is tailored to suit the context of projects and programmes. | |
Appoint identification team | Resources with the necessary technical competencies are made available to join or advise the identification team. | |
Review previous lessons | The organisation’s records enable the manager or identification team to research lessons learned and capture relevant lessons, which are then documented in a lessons log. | |
Prepare brief | The brief conforms to organisational standards with adaptations appropriate to the context of the work. There is evidence that the decision to manage the work as a project or programme has been made rationally and objectively. | |
Prepare definition plan | The definition plan conforms to organisational standards with adaptations appropriate to the context of the work. | |
