The demo opens with a title card that displays the text Initiate a project.

As a project manager, I need to scope out which elements of a project are necessary before I can formally authorize a new project or move an existing project on to the next phase.

The first image shows a project management plan in Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003. In the Task Name column, the pointer clicks several cells.

In fact, I include this step in my project schedules, so that I make sure the information I use to support my decisions is accurate and comprehensive.

The image changes to show a project initiation checklist template in Microsoft Office Word 2003. The date 6/30/2004 is typed in the Review Date row. Then the template scrolls up. In the Comments column, in a table cell in the Has an issues escalation mechanism been identified? row, the words Andy Teal is available for this is typed.

One way I make sure that my project is properly scoped is to complete a project initiation checklist. This document helps ensure that all the information I need to formally initiate the project is accounted for.

The image changes to the executive summary of a project overview statement template in Word. The project name and ownership information have already been filled in. The template scrolls up. The pointer clicks in the bulleted list in the Project Overview section, and the word Safety is typed and becomes a new bulleted list item.

I also create an overview statement for each project. This document includes an executive summary of the project that allows me to boil the project down to just a few pages — something that can be digested by even the busiest executives.

The image changes to a Word document, showing the section Project Charter. In this section, a table containing the columns Goals and Objectives is shown. The document scrolls up. In the table Organizational Impacts, in the Organization column, the word Engineering is typed. Then in the Impact to and Participation of Organization column, the phrase Relocation schedule posted on Team SharePoint site is typed.

When the information is gathered, I roll up the information into a single Project Charter that I can present to the sponsors. It's a single point of reference for goals and objectives, scope, organization, estimates, work plan, and budget for my project. When this information is gathered and approved, I am ready to gather stakeholders together and formally kick off the project.

The image changes to the project management plan in Project.

With the right resources to help me gather information, project initiation is easier to manage. I make sure everything is defined and approved up-front, so that my project can be executed smoothly.

The image of the project management plan disappears. The text Microsoft Office appears with the Microsoft Office logo, and under them the URL http://www.office.microsoft.com appears.