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Project Initiation Document (PID)

Project Number:

Project Name:

Approved Date:

Author:

Version:

Strategic Goal ID:

Business Plan ID:

PROJECT INITATION DOCUMENT Project Initiation Document
TEMPLATE for [enter project title here]

Document History

Document Location
This document is only valid from the day it was printed and approved. The electronic copy of this document is stored in
[insert location details]

Revision History

Version Revision Date Summary of Changes Prepared By Approved By

V0.1 First Issue

Distribution
This document has been distributed to:

Name Title Date of Issue Version

Related Documents
Other internal and external documents relevant to this document:

Title Author Date of Issue Version

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PROJECT INITATION DOCUMENT Project Initiation Document
TEMPLATE for [enter project title here]

Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................4

Project Definition........................................................................................................................................4
Background.....................................................................................................................................................................4
Project Objectives............................................................................................................................................................4
Project Scope and Exclusions...........................................................................................................................................4
Project Deliverables.........................................................................................................................................................4
Critical Success Factors....................................................................................................................................................4
Project Constraints..........................................................................................................................................................4
Project Assumptions........................................................................................................................................................4
Project Tolerances...........................................................................................................................................................5

Project Governance.....................................................................................................................................5

Role Descriptions........................................................................................................................................5

Business Case..............................................................................................................................................5

Project Approach........................................................................................................................................5
Approach.........................................................................................................................................................................5
Benefits Review Plan........................................................................................................................................................5

Monitoring and Control...............................................................................................................................5

Quality Management Strategy.........................................................................................................................................5
Risk Management Strategy..............................................................................................................................................6
Issue Management Strategy............................................................................................................................................6
Version Management Strategy........................................................................................................................................6
Organisational Change Management Strategy................................................................................................................6

Project Planning..........................................................................................................................................6
Project Plan.....................................................................................................................................................................6
Project Schedule..............................................................................................................................................................6
Project Controls...............................................................................................................................................................6

Glossary......................................................................................................................................................7

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PROJECT INITATION DOCUMENT Project Initiation Document
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Introduction
The Project Initiation Documentation (PID) is used to define the project, in order to form the basis for its management and
an assessment of its overall success. The Project Initiation Documentation gives the direction and scope of the project and
forms the ‘contract’ between the Project Manager and the Project Board.

The Project Initiation Documentation is a living document in that it should always reflect the current status, plans and
controls of the project. Its component parts (or documents) may need to be updated and re-baselined (as necessary) at the
end of each stage, to reflect the current status of its constituent parts.

The Project Brief should form the basis for this document. The Project Manager should seek advice from the Business
Sponsor, Senior Supplier, Executive and other project stakeholders when developing the PID.

Project Definition
Describe what the purpose of the project is and what the desired end result is.

Background
Provide a brief explanation of the background and/or context of the project.

Refer to the Project Brief.

Project Objectives
Describe what outcomes will be achieved and how these will be measured. The objectives need to be specific and
measureable.

Project Scope and Exclusions

A description of what will be included in the project and what will be excluded. This should provide the reader with a
general understanding of what the project will be expecting to deliver and what it is not expecting to deliver.

Project Deliverables
Detailed description of the major deliverables/outputs of this project.

Critical Success Factors

Describe the critical success factors/outcomes for this project.

Project Constraints
Provide detailed descriptions of any known constraints for the project (dates set by legislation or directives from senior
management, budget limitations, technology limitations, etc.).

Project Assumptions
Provide detailed descriptions of the major assumptions being made for this project.

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PROJECT INITATION DOCUMENT Project Initiation Document
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Project Tolerances
Describe the permissible deviation (tolerance) above and below a plan’s target for the below categories. Tolerances can
also be applied to scope, quality, benefit and risk. Tolerances are set by the Project Executive and are applied at the project
level but can also be applied at a stage or work package level. This is the responsibility of the project manager.

Budget
+/- amounts of planned budget.

Time
+/- amounts of time on target completion dates.

Project Governance
Insert a chart showing the structure for this project and who will be involved with the project.

Role Descriptions
List the project team members and any other key resources along with their roles.

Business Case
Describe the reason/justification for the project, including estimated costs, risks and benefits. This may refer to an external
document or appendix.

Project Approach
Define the choice of solution that will be used in the project to deliver the business option selected from the Business Case;
taking into consideration the operational environment into which the solution must fit.

Approach
The decision on the project approach (i.e. staged approach) is the responsibility of the project manager.

Benefits Review Plan

Describe how the benefits will be tracked and measured, post project completion. If a business case exists, this should
address the outcomes.

Monitoring and Control

Quality Management Strategy

Describe the quality techniques and standards to be applied, and the responsibilities for achieving the required quality
levels. This may refer to an external document or appendix.

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Risk Management Strategy

Describe the specific risk management techniques and standards to be applied, and the responsibilities for achieving an
effective risk management procedure. This may refer to an external document or appendix.

Issue Management Strategy

Describe the specific issue management techniques and standards to be applied, and the responsibilities for achieving an
effective issue management procedure. This may refer to an external document or appendix.

Version Management Strategy

Describe how and by whom the project’s deliverables will be controlled and protected. This may refer to an external
document or appendix.

If an external vendor is providing software for a project and/or carrying out the configuration of an application, the Project
Manager will need to agree the method of version control with the vendor and document this here.

Organisational Change Management Strategy

Define the parties interested in the project and the means and frequency of communication between them and the project.
This may refer to an external document or appendix.

Project Planning

Project Plan
Describing how and when the project’s objectives are to be achieved, by showing the major deliverables, activities and
resources required on the project. It provides a baseline against which to monitor the project’s progress stage by stage.

Project Schedule
If the Project is being managed in stages, separate Stage Management Plans may be required. If Stage Plans are being
used, a high-level representation of the schedule for each stage should be included here.

If Stage Plans are not being used, details of the project schedule should be included here. Depending on the audience and
nature of the project, the following suggestions can be incorporated:

 Gantt or bar chart

 A list of deliverables and any sub-component deliverables (breakdown structure)
 Relationship flow diagram (showing the relationship between deliverables, e.g. which deliverables are inputs to other
deliverables)
 Activity network (a diagram of the relationship between high level activities)
 Table of resource requirements – by resource type (e.g. four engineers, one test manager, one business analyst)
 Table of requested/assigned specific resources – by name (e.g. Nikki, Jay).

Project Controls
Summarizing the project-level controls such as stage boundaries, agreed tolerances, monitoring and reporting.

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PROJECT INITATION DOCUMENT Project Initiation Document
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Glossary

Term Definition

Table 1. Project Initiation Document Glossary

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