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Project Definition and Initiation

What is a Project?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal.

The work will be considered a project if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

  • is estimated to take over 320 hours (effort)
  • requires coordination among two or more groups within IT Services
  • is estimated to take longer than six months
  • will involve more than one area on Campus
  • has a difficult to understand problem or solution
  • is considered to be complicated
  • involves contracting with outside vendor(s)
  • has dependencies to other projects or vendors must be delivered within a short or specific timeframe
 If your need meets the above criteria, please submit a Project Request to discuss further.
 
 

Related Links

  • Project Management Activities and Templates

    If you’re simply looking for some information on project management activities and associated templates to get started with your project, please see our Full List of Project Management Templates.

  • Service Request

    If a work effort is under 320 hours and doesn’t have any of the project characteristics listed above, the effort should be considered a Service Request. These efforts are not required to follow the full project management methodology. Please enter your request information into ServiceNow.