Page 83 - Project+

disparate systems that handle these functions.

Identifying your stakeholders for this project turns out to be a daunting task.
Within each of the departments, there are executives with their own ideas
regarding the system requirements, and there are also functional managers who
are much closer to their processes and business unit functions on a day-in and
day-out basis. For the most part, their requirements match those of the executives,
but you are having some difficulty reconciling the day-to-day processing
requirements with some functionality the executives have requested.

Project success or failure can rest on any one of these stakeholders. As the project
manager, your best course of action is to meet individually with each stakeholder
and understand their individual requirements and concerns about the project.
Next, you’ll document those requirements and concerns and then bring the key
stakeholders together to discuss where they agree and gain consensus regarding
the differences.

Receiving a Project Request

Most projects start with an idea. The idea generates a project request, which typically
starts with a business case, and the process to review and authorize the project begins.
You’ve already learned about identifying the project, developing the business case,
validating the business case, and using project selection techniques in Chapter 1. Now

you’ll learn about the project request process and documenting the high-level scope
definition and the high-level project requirements.

The Project Request Process

The project request process can be formal or informal, depending on the organization.
You may have a process that requires a formal written document describing the project
goals and justification, or you may experience what I like to call drive-bys—the project

your boss tells you about in the 30-second elevator ride to the lobby. Regardless of who
initiates a project request or how it’s initiated, the organization must review it and
make a decision on a course of action. To do that, you’ll need to gather enough
information to adequately evaluate the request and determine whether the project is
worth pursuing.

After receiving a request, your next step involves meeting with the requestor to clarify
and further define the project needs, identify the functional and technical

requirements, and document the high-level requirements.

Several needs or demands bring about the reasons for a project. Refer to
Chapter 1, “Initiating the Project,” if you need a refresher.

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