LO2: High level project definition

and SMART goals

Learning Steps
2.1 Describe high level requirements.
2.2 Recognize why planning starts at a high level.
2.3 Discuss the importance of creating SMART goals.
2.4 Explain the creation of SMART project goals.
OK! So, what is pre-project work?

PMBOK 6TH Edition

What is pre-project work?

”
Needs Assessments: The
needs assessment involves
understanding business
goals and objectives, issues
and opportunities and
recommending proposals to
address them. The results of
the needs assessment may
be summarized in the
PMBOK 6TH Edition

business case document.

– PMBOK 6TH Edition
Why perform need assessment?
It helps the organization to:
 Establish gap analysis between organizations’ actual and desired performance
 Identify and investigate situation with challenges and opportunities
 Gather data to evaluation the situation and draft a situation statement
 Assess organizations’ goals and objectives
 Establish SMART goals and objectives
 Recommend actions to address business needs and
 Recommend the most viable options (weighted-ranking matrix)
 Requirement elicitation and analysis (high level)
What are SMART goals?

Source: Business Analysis for Practitioners, A Practice Guide by PMI

What is weighted ranking matrix?

Source: Business Analysis for Practitioners, A Practice Guide by PMI

Requirements life cycle?

Source: Business Analysis for Practitioners, A Practice Guide by PMI

What is pre-project work?

”
Business Case: A
documented economic
feasibility study used to
establish the validity of the
benefits of a selected
component lacking sufficient
definition and that is used as
a basis for the authorization
of the further project
PMBOK 6TH Edition

management activities. .

– PMBOK 6TH Edition

Introduction to Project Constraints

Source: Fundamentals of Project Management by Shelly Morris

Starting at a high level What do you
think
happened
• In order to present a solid business case you need here?
to do enough work to define the project that you
are proposing at a high level, but not digging too
far into the detail.
• Think of this phase as the large rocks in the jar, if
your project is approved to move forward you will
begin to fill in the rest.
Group Exercise
• The instructor will break you into groups
• Each group will select a simple project to practice high level definition
• Make sure your chosen project meets the definition of a project
• As we cover each of the following slides, your group will apply the
learning and then report back your result.
TITLE OF PROJECT
• This should be a descriptive title. This title will be used to refer to your
project over and over again so be thoughtful when naming.
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
(PURPOSE AND SCOPE)
• This should be a short and concise description of your project. Try to limit to 1
to 2 paragraphs if possible.
• This description will be used in many other documents and will most likely be
copied and pasted into other documents.
Bre
ak i
nto
g rou
ps a
Creat nd
e a pr
oject prac
title a
d desn
criptio
ti c e.
n
HIGH LEVEL BUDGET
• You should have some order of magnitude estimates for your proposal.
• If there is any pre-approved funding you should document it here.
• This might be just a simple one line estimate with a listing of funding
sources.
• NOTE: If you are a vendor submitting a proposal to a tender you would be
required to have more detailed budget in your proposal.
Bre
ak i
pra n
ctic to gr
e. oup
s a nd
HIGH LEVEL
TIMELINE/MILESTONES
• These are high level dates that are either known, or that you are
estimating.
• These could be dates such as the proposed end date of the project.
• Example milestones that you might want to propose dates for include:
• Planning begins
• Planning complete
• Plan approved
•BProject
rea kickoff
k inend
• Project
to g
rou
ps a
nd
What
are th pra
e key
mile
stone
cti c e.
sa nd d a
tes?
HIGH LEVEL RISK
A risk is defined as “An uncertain event or
condition that, if it occurs, has positive or negative
effect on one of more project objectives.”
Source: PMBOK pg 720

• This is an early look at what the risks to the project will be. It
is not a full risk assessment.
• You should state the main risks that decision makers need to
be aware of when considering the project.
Bre
ak i
nto
g rou
ps a
Creat nd
e a lis
t of th prac
e key
ri
sks to
the p
ti c e.
roject
HIGH LEVEL
REQUIREMENTS
A requirement is defined as “a condition or capability that is
required to be present in a product, service, or result to
satisfy a contract or other formally imposed specification.”
Source: PMBOK pg. 719

• This is an early look at what the requirements for the project

are. It is not detailed requirements gathering.

• You should state the main requirements so that decision

Bre
makers understand what the project is intended to produce
when considering the project. ak i
nto
g rou
ps a
Creat
e a lis n dp
t of th
e key rac
requi
reme
nts
ti c e.
NAMES OF KEY Stakeholders can be
internal or external
STAKEHOLDERS to the organization

PMI defines a stakeholder as “An individual, group, or organization

that may be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a
decision, activity, or outcome of a project, program, or portfolio.”
Bre
ak i
nto
g rou
ps a
Who nd
are th
e key pra
stake
holde
rs?
cti c e.