Matthew Batchelor - Project Management

• Critic.Is this idea really workable? What about the risks and downsides?

• Realist.What steps need to be taken to turn these ideas into reality?

This is known as the ‘Disney model’, after Walt Disney, who often used this approach. It will give you a measured view of the proposal, and help prevent a planning meeting from descending into adversarial arguments.

Once you’ve sketched an outline of your project, the next step is to document the key points of your project. You will need this in order to get the necessary approval to proceed.

This needn’t be a detailed plan of how you’re going to achieve everything connected with the project, but should be designed to give your stakeholders (especially those concerned with approving the necessary budget and resources) an idea of what’s in store. This document is known as a project brief, scope document or strategic outline case (SOC). Even if you have already been given approval to go ahead (sometimes called a project mandate), there are several reasons why putting together a SOC is important. These include:

1 Information.Ahead of a more detailed plan, it gives you a chance to inform your colleagues of what’s coming up (though this is no reason not to consider more informal means of communication, such as a staff newsletter).

2 Approval.If you haven’t yet received a mandate to carry out your project, presenting a ‘business case’ for your project is a necessary first step. This gives those responsible for approving the necessary expenditure the information they need in one compact document. Your SOC can be circulated in advance of a meeting, where you will have the chance to present your ideas and answer any questions.

3 Reassurance.By outlining what your project will and won’t deliver, and the resources required, a SOC may help allay fears or concerns that others have about your project. Of course, there is a chance that it may confirm them, so there is no guarantee it will avoid the need to answer awkward questions! But as a more reliable source of information than the ‘rumour mill’, it will at least ensure that these questions are relevant.

Your SOC doesn’t need to be a long essay, but should set out the main points. Include a paragraph or so on each of the following:

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