A Project Manager's Book of Templates

1Starting the Project

There is no doubt that starting a project off right is the first step in delivering a successful project. Because projects vary greatly in size, methodology, criticality, and stakeholders, there are several ways you can compile and document the initial project information.

The templates in this section document high‐level information that is later elaborated in project plans and project documents. Templates that are commonly used to document the initial project information include

• Project proposal
• Business case
• Project startup canvas
• Vision statement
• Project charter
• Project brief
• Project roadmap

The project proposal, business case, and project startup canvas are usually developed prior to a project being formally approved. They have information that helps relevant stakeholders determine if the need for and benefits of the project justify the investment of time, budget, and resources. These templates may be developed by a project sponsor because the project has not yet been approved and a project manager has not been identified.

The vision statement, project charter, and project brief templates are typically completed once a project has been approved. They provide a high‐level view of the project. They may be developed by the project sponsor, the project manager, or by both of them working together.

A project roadmap takes information from the previous documents and creates a summary level graphic display of information. It is developed by the project ...