EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
INFORMATICS
Information systems Directorate

European Commission

<Project Name> Vision Document

Date: 38491.92
Version: 0.0
Authors: admin
Revised by:
Approved by:
Public:
Reference Number: MAP-2005-008 rev2

Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.

Commission européenne, L-2920 Luxembourg. Telephone: (352) 43 01-1.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................5

1.1. Purpose......................................................................................................................................................5
1.2. Scope.........................................................................................................................................................5
1.3. Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations..............................................................................................5
1.4. References.................................................................................................................................................6
1.5. Overview...................................................................................................................................................6

2. POSITIONING...........................................................................................................................................6

2.1. Business Opportunity................................................................................................................................6

2.2. Problem Statement....................................................................................................................................6
2.3. Information System Position Statement...................................................................................................7
2.4. New or updated Business Processes proposed for automation................................................................8

3. PROPOSED APPROACH........................................................................................................................8

4. STAKEHOLDER AND USER DESCRIPTIONS...................................................................................8

4.1. Organisation goals.....................................................................................................................................8

4.2. Stakeholders..............................................................................................................................................9
4.3. User Environment.....................................................................................................................................9
4.4. Key Stakeholder or User Needs................................................................................................................9
4.5. Alternatives.............................................................................................................................................12
4.5.1. <Alternative A>...................................................................................................................................12
4.5.2. <Alternative B>...................................................................................................................................12

5. INFORMATION SYSTEM OVERVIEW.............................................................................................12

5.1. Information System Perspective.............................................................................................................12

5.2. Assumptions and Dependencies.............................................................................................................12
5.3. Cost and Timing......................................................................................................................................12
5.4. Quality Ranges and Information System requirements.........................................................................13
5.4.1. Availability...........................................................................................................................................13
5.4.2. Usability...............................................................................................................................................13
5.4.3. Maintainability.....................................................................................................................................13
5.4.4. Applicable Standards...........................................................................................................................13
5.4.5. System Requirements..........................................................................................................................13
5.4.6. Performance Requirements..................................................................................................................13
5.5. Licensing and Installation.......................................................................................................................14

6. FEATURES...............................................................................................................................................14

7. PLANNED RESSOURCES.....................................................................................................................16

8. CONSTRAINTS.......................................................................................................................................16

8.1. Security constraints.................................................................................................................................16

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 2 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
8.2. Data protection constraints.....................................................................................................................16
8.3. Other constraints.....................................................................................................................................16

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 3 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
1. INTRODUCTION

[The introduction of the Vision document provides an overview of the entire document. It
should include the purpose, scope, definitions, acronyms, abbreviations, references, and
overview of this Vision document.]
[The introduction could per example be :]
The purpose of this document is to collect, analyse, and define high-level needs and features of
the <<System Name>>. It focuses on the capabilities needed by the stakeholders, and the target
users, and why these needs exist. The details of how the <<System Name>> fulfils these needs
are detailed in the use-case and supplementary specifications.

1.1. Purpose
[This paragraph is optional] - [Maximum length : 5 lines]
[Specify the purpose of this Vision document.]

1.2. Scope
[Maximum length : 1 page]
[A brief description of the scope of this Vision document; what Project(s) it is associated with
and anything else that is affected or influenced by this document.]

1.3. Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

[Maximum length : 1 to 10 lines per definition]
[This subsection provides the definitions of all terms, acronyms, and abbreviations required to
properly interpret the Vision document. This information is a subset of the project's Glossary
and/or the CEAF Business Glossary. For example]
Data object Name

Description (EN)

Description (FR)
Domain1

FINANCIAL Commitment Commitment of the EU to pay an

amount.
FINANCIAL Invoice The invoice is 'any payment demand'
whatever the form of it: cost claim,
prefinancing request, invoice
FINANCIAL Legal Commitment Legal base of the obligations and rights
between the commission and another
legal entity
FINANCIAL Legal Entity Legal entity which enters in relation
with the commission: contractor (legal
entity), supplier, customer, beneficiary,
person,…

1
Domains momentarily apply to one of the following corporate domains : Document
management, Other External (policy related), Financial, Human Resources, Other Internal
(administration), Methodology (RUP), Portal (internal), Resource planning / reporting, Security,
Data Warehouse.
<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 4 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
1.4. References
[Maximum length : ½ page]
[This subsection provides a complete list of all documents referenced elsewhere in the Vision
document. Identify each document by title, report number (if applicable), date, and publishing
organisation. Specify the sources from which the references can be obtained. This information
may be provided by reference to an appendix or to another document.]

1.5. Overview
[This paragraph is optional] [Maximum length : 10 lines]
[This subsection describes what the rest of the Vision document contains and explains how the
document is organised.]

2. POSITIONING

2.1. Business Opportunity

[Maximum length : 1 page]
[Briefly describe the business opportunity being met by this project.]

2.2. Problem Statement

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[Provide a statement summarising the problem being solved by this project. The following
format may be used:]

The problem of [describe the problem]

Affects [the stakeholders affected by the problem]

the impact of which is [what is the impact of the problem?]

a successful solution would be [list some key benefits of a successful solution]

2.3. Information System Position Statement

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[Provide an overall statement summarising, at the highest level, the unique position the
Information System intends to fill in the organisation. The following format may be used:]

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 5 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
 For [target customer]

Who [statement of the need or opportunity]

The (Information System name)   is a [Information System category 2]

That [statement of key benefit; that is, the compelling

reason to realise the IS]
Has a security classification [Information System Security Classification 3]

Unlike [primary alternative]

Our Information System [statement of primary differentiation]

[An Information System position statement communicates the intent of the application and the
importance of the project to all concerned personnel.]

2
This refers to the Information systems typology in the Commission defined in the annex 2 (§ 1)
of the IT governance communication SEC(2004)1267
3
This refers to the Information System classification (Normal, High, Exceptional) defined in the
Information System Security Policy – Part I (§ 2.3 and 2.4)
<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 6 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
2.4. New or updated Business Processes proposed for automation
[Maximum length : 1 to 10 lines per process]
[IT GOV] [Identify the business processes affected by the new information system. This list is a
subset of the CEAF Process Glossary. For example:]

Description (FR)
Description (EN)
Domain4

Name
ID

FINANCIAL 1 General ledger  

FINANCIAL 1.1 Payment The operational payment process
flow covers the payment process
starting from receipt of cost
statement, invoice or request for
payment or other supporting
document, until payment execution
FINANCIAL 1.2 Recovery Order The operational recovery order
process flow covers the receivables
process starting form forecast of
revenue, creation of recovery order
until effective recovery of the
principal amount and interests for
late payment if applicable

3. PROPOSED APPROACH

[Maximum length : 1 to 2 pages]

[IT GOV][Summarise how the business problem will be solved]

4. STAKEHOLDER AND USER DESCRIPTIONS

[To effectively provide Information Systems and services that meet your stakeholders’ and users'
real needs, it is necessary to identify and involve all of the stakeholders as part of the
Requirements modelling process. You must also identify the users of the system and ensure that
the stakeholder community adequately represents them. This section provides a profile of the
stakeholders and users involved in the project, and the key problems that they perceive to be
addressed by the proposed solution. It does not describe their specific requests or requirements
as these can be captured in a separate stakeholder requests artefact. Instead, it provides the
background and justification for why the requirements are needed.]

4.1. Organisation goals

[Maximum length : 1 page]
[Summarise the key organisation goals that motivate your Information System decisions.
Estimate the organisation’s size and growth by using the number of potential users, or the
amount of money/time users spend trying to meet needs that your Information System or
enhancement would fulfil. Review major industry trends and technologies.
Answer this strategic question:

4
Domains momentarily apply to one of the following corporate domains : Document
management, Other External (policy related), Financial, Human Resources, Other Internal
(administration), Methodology (RUP), Portal (internal), Resource planning / reporting, Security,
Data Warehouse.
<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 7 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
 • How does this Information System or service support your goals?]

4.2. Stakeholders
[Maximum length : ½ page per stakeholder]
[There are a number of stakeholders with an interest in the development. They are the future
users but also non-user stakeholders. Present a list of all stakeholders.]
Name [Name the stakeholder type (e.g. DG representative, Project Owner,
Production Manager, Designer, Citizen, employee, accountant …)]
Description [Briefly describe the stakeholder.]

Responsibilities [Summarise the stakeholder's key responsibilities with regard to the

project and /or the system being developed; that is, their interest as a
stakeholder. For example, this stakeholder:
- ensures that the system will be maintainable
- ensures that there will be a demand for the Information
System's features
- monitors the project's progress 
- approves funding
- and so forth]
Success Criteria [How does the stakeholder define success?
How is the stakeholder rewarded?]

4.3. User Environment

[Maximum length : 1 to 2 pages]
[Detail the working environment of the target user. Here are some suggestions:
 User population (DG, COM, INST, EU&MS or ROW)? 5
 Number of people involved in completing the task? Is this changing?
 How long is a task cycle? Amount of time spent in each activity? Is this changing?
 Which systems platforms are in use today? Future platforms?
 What other applications/IS are in use? Does your application/IS need to integrate with
them?
This is where extracts from the Business Model could be included to outline the task and
business workers involved, and so on.]

4.4. Key Stakeholder or User Needs

[Maximum length : 1 to 10 lines per need]
[List the key problems with existing solutions as perceived by the stakeholder. Clarify the
following issues for each problem:
• What are the reasons for this problem?
• How is it solved now?

5
The user population may be DG (internal to the DG), COM (several DGs of the Commission),
INST (internal to the Institutions), EU&MS (INST and the Member states) or ROW (particular or
general public outside the Commission). It is assumed that these populations are nested, DG being
the innermost and ROW being the most peripheral level. Indicate the outmost level.
<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 8 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
 • What solutions does the stakeholder or user want?]
[It is important to understand the relative importance the stakeholder or user places on solving
each problem. Ranking and cumulative voting techniques indicate problems that must be solved
versus issues they would like addressed.

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 9 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
Need Priority Concerns Current Solution Proposed Solutions

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 10 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
4.5. Alternatives
[Maximum length : ½ page per alternative]
[Identify alternatives the stakeholder perceives as available. These can include buying a COTS
(Commercial Off-the-Shelf) product, building a home-grown solution or simply maintaining the
status quo. List any known alternatives that exist or may become available. Provide the major
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each alternative as perceived by the
stakeholder or end user (SWOT).]

4.5.1. <Alternative A>

4.5.2. <Alternative B>

5. INFORMATION SYSTEM OVERVIEW

[This section provides a high level view of the Information System capabilities, interfaces to
other applications, and systems configurations. This section usually consists of five subsections,
as follows:
• Information System perspective
• Assumptions and dependencies
• Cost and Timing
• Quality Ranges and Information System requirements
• Licensing and Installation]

5.1. Information System Perspective

[Maximum length : 1 to 2 pages]
[This subsection of the Vision document puts the Information System in perspective to other
related Information Systems and the user’s environment. If the Information System is
independent and totally self-contained, state it here. If the Information System is a component of
a larger system, then this subsection relates how these systems interact and identifies the
relevant interfaces between the systems. This could be a schematic representation]

5.2. Assumptions and Dependencies

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[List each of the factors that affects the features stated in the Vision document. List assumptions
that, if changed, will alter the Vision document. For example, an assumption may state that a
specific operating system will be available for the hardware designated for the software
Information System. If the operating system is not available, the Vision document will need to
change.]

5.3. Cost and Timing

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[For Information Systems developed in-house or purchased as a commercial package, cost and
timing issues can directly impact the application's definition and implementation. In this
section, record any cost and timing constraints that are relevant.]
[IT GOV] [This section should also describe the financing structure: budget lines, headings and
amounts. Provide the total cost of ownership of the Information System (i.e. development,
installation/deployment, operations, maintenance, training, support, etc.). Calculate the cost for
all stakeholders (including costs – if any - for other DGs and/or external stakeholders)]
[Provide an indicative timing e.g. the milestones]
<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 11 / 15
Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
5.4. Quality Ranges and Information System requirements
[Maximum length : 2 pages]
[Define the quality ranges for robustness, fault tolerance, usability, and similar characteristics
that are not captured in the Feature Set. For Information Systems that wish to be hosted at the
Data Centre: make sure that the availability constraints and constraints related to the operation
of the Information System can be met. Get advice and an opinion from the Data Centre and
ensure that the ‘Information System Hosting Services – Guidelines’ are taken into account]

5.4.1. Availability
[Define the required level of availability. For example:]
The System shall be available during working hours (7.00 AM to 21.00 PM) including
weekends. However, scheduled maintenance in weekends is acceptable. All maintenance
activities shall be planned and announced well in advance.

5.4.2. Usability
[Define the required level of availability. For example:]
The System shall be easy-to-use and shall include search and on-line help facilities.

5.4.3. Maintainability
[Define the required level of maintainability. For example:]
The System shall be designed for ease of maintenance. All data should be table-driven and
modifiable without recompilation of the System.

5.4.4. Applicable Standards

[List all standards with which the Information System must comply. These can include legal,
regulatory, communications standards (TCP/IP, ISDN), platform compliance standards
(Windows, UNIX, and so on), and quality or other standards (ISO, CMMI).

5.4.5. System Requirements

[Define any system requirements necessary to support the application. These can include the
supported host operating systems and network platforms, configurations, memory, peripherals,
and companion software. For Information Systems that wish to be hosted at the Data Centre:
make sure that the constraints can be met. Get advise and an opinion from the Data Centre and
ensure that the ‘Information System Hosting Services – Guidelines’ are taken into account.]

5.4.6. Performance Requirements

[Use this section to detail performance requirements. Performance issues can include such
items as user load factors, bandwidth or communication capacity, throughput, accuracy, and
reliability or response times under a variety of loading conditions. For Information Systems that
wish to be hosted at the Data Centre: make sure that the constraints can be met. Get advise and
an opinion from the Data Centre and ensure that the ‘Information System Hosting Services –
Guidelines’ are taken into account. For example :]
The system shall support up to 2000 simultaneous users against the central database at any given
time, and up to 500 simultaneous users against the local servers at any one time.
The system shall provide access to the database with no more than a 10 second latency.
The system shall complete 80% of all transactions within 2 minutes.

5.5. Licensing and Installation

[Maximum length : ½ page]

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 12 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
 [Licensing and installation issues can also directly impact the development effort. For example,
the need to support serializing, password security or network licensing will create additional
requirements of the system that must be considered in the development effort.
Installation requirements may also affect coding or create the need for separate installation
software.]

6. FEATURES

[Maximum length : 1 to 10 lines per feature]

[List and briefly describe the Information System features. Features are the high-level
capabilities of the system that are necessary to deliver benefits to the users. Each feature is an
externally desired service that typically requires a series of inputs to achieve the desired result.
A CEAF Business Function is a feature. For example, a feature of a problem tracking system
might be the ability to provide trending reports. As the use-case model takes shape, update the
description to refer to the use cases.
Because the Vision document is reviewed by a wide variety of involved personnel, the level of
detail needs to be general enough for everyone to understand. However, enough detail must be
available to provide the team with the information they need to create a use-case model.
To effectively manage application complexity, we recommend for any new system, or an
increment to an existing system, capabilities are abstracted to a high enough level so 25-99
features result. These features provide the fundamental basis for Information System definition,
scope management, and project management. Each feature will be expanded in greater detail in
the use-case model.
Throughout this section, each feature will be externally perceivable by users, operators or other
external systems. These features should include a description of functionality and any relevant
usability issues that must be addressed. The following guidelines apply:
• Avoid design. Keep feature descriptions at a general level. Focus on capabilities needed
and why (not how)  they should be implemented
• If you are using the Rational RequisitePro toolkit, all needs in the following table must
be selected as requirements of type “Need” for easy reference and tracking.
• Use the ‘Planned Release’ column to indicate which feature will be included in which
release of the System hence determining the precedence and priority of the features to be
provided]

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 13 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
Need Priority Features Planned release

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 14 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92
7. PLANNED RESSOURCES

[Maximum length : 1 page]

[IT GOV] [This section describes the resources planned for development and operation.
Summarise here the numbers and type of staff required, including any special skills or
experience, scheduled by project phase.
Describe how you will approach finding and acquiring resources needed for the project: staff
and equipment]
[Include all resources required to run the project/Information System in all user/stakeholder
groups including resources required in other DGs and/or external stakeholders (if any)]

8. CONSTRAINTS

8.1. Security constraints

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[ISSP] [Provide a security statement and top level security requirements.]

8.2. Data protection constraints

[Maximum length : ½ page]
[Note any design constraints and dependencies related to the processing of personal data and
the free movement of such data as described in Data Protection Regulation No 45/2001.]

8.3. Other constraints

[This paragraph is optional] – [Maximum length : ½ page]
[Note any design constraints, external constraints or other dependencies.]

<Project Name> Vision Document - Page 15 / 15

Document Version 0.0 dated 38491.92