Discovery

The purpose of the Discovery phase is to develop the Project Charter to formalize project purpose, objectives, scope and deliverables. Key stakeholders are identified along with potential budget requirements. Project complexity should be classified to ensure the proper level of project management rigor is applied. It’s also a time to look at key resource availability. Project sponsors and stakeholders decide whether to commit to the project.

Templates & Resources	Key Activities	Notes
Project Charter*	Draft Project Charter, review with key stakeholders and seek final approval before continuing with the project.	Define a number of key project elements including a project description, scope definition, and roles/responsibilities. The documentation and review of these key project elements at the beginning of the project helps to avoid misunderstandings or confusion later on.
Complexity Matrix	Review project sizing criteria	Determine the level and type of project management most appropriate for your project.
Resource Allocation Matrix	Determine Resource Requirements	Estimate required resources by role and skill set. Discuss with the manager from each area involved to identify resource availability and gaps.
Business Case	Prepare Business Case	Provide detailed explanation of the scope, cost, and definition of the project. This information is normally required when it is necessary to provide an explanation of the benefits that will be realized as a result of the project. Larger or more complex projects usually require a Business Case.
Request for Information	Conduct Vendor Research	Conduct vendor research to see what technology is currently available in the market place. Contact the procurement office to identify vendors or to prepare a Request for Information (RFI). Consult with peers at other universities to determine potential solutions and their costs, benefits, and risks.

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Planning

During this phase, the Project Manager works with the project team to document high level functional and technical requirements. The Project Manager defines high-level resource, cost and time estimates, and begins developing a project plan. This is also the time to develop a project management plan. The project management plan defines how the project is executed, managed, and closed. The project management plan’s content varies depending on the application area and complexity, but may include plans for: scope, requirements, schedule, cost, resources, communication, risk, procurement, and stakeholder engagement.

Templates & Resources	Key Activities	Notes
Requirements Document*	Hold requirements gathering sessions	Work with project team members to document high level functional and technical requirements
Project Schedule (WBS)*	Create high level project schedule	Document project tasks, deliverables, milestones, schedule, and resources. The project schedule will be modified as more is known
Communication Plan*	Create communication plan	Establish agreement on how team will communicate important information during the project
Kick-Off Presentation	Conduct project kick-off meeting	Familiarize the project team with the project, review key elements from the project charter, review project management processes (risk, issue, change management) and receive buy-in from all project participants.
Budget Tracking Spreadsheet	Create project budget and compare the planned budget against actual costs	Compare monthly actual costs against planned budget to determine whether spending is on track
Org Chart with Roles and Responsibilities	Provide view of project team	Show who is on the team and the role they play
System Architecture Document	Define high-level system architecture plan	Prepare high-level architecture diagram showing integration with other systems and internal technical structure
Stakeholder Analysis	Assess key stakeholder groups impacted by the project	Assess each stakeholder group that will be impacted and their level of support for the solution.
Traceability Matrix	Map requirements for testing	Ensure that all requirements defined for a system are tested in the test cases.
Deliverable Alignment Matrix	Outline the project management deliverables for the project	Determine appropriate deliverables to most effectively manage the project
Technical Architecture Committee Review (TAC)	Participate in TAC Review	Prepare Lens information in advance of the TAC review. Participate in review of major technology decisions as they relate to overall IT architecture and facilitate approaches to integration, process, and skills
Request for Proposal (RFP)	Solicit bids for the procurement of goods or services	Submit ticket in Shared Service/ServiceNow for an RFP. Depending upon iterations of the RFP, plan for a 6-8 week process before RFP approval.

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Resources

Project Management Resources