A Project Initiation Report (PIR) is the focal point of all information relating to the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of the project. The PIR defines a systematic approach to project start-up and helps participants understand the objectives and outputs of any stage of the project process. The report itself is created with a word processor, such as Microsoft Office Word 2003, but the report requires the support of other documents, spreadsheets, and project-tracking information.
This article discusses the following:
- Writing a Project Initiation Report
- Project Initiation Report objectives
- Project Initiation Report resources
- Best practices for writing a PIR
Writing a PIR
Create your PIR by doing the following:
- Write an informative preface.
The preface is the introduction to the PIR document and includes the purpose of the document and an outline of its objectives. You can find this information in the Project Brief and the Business Case.
- Write the management summary.
The management summary includes the organized operational data for project success. Describe risks and alternatives, and provide data on how the project will affect the organization. You can find this information in the Business Case and the Quality Plan.
- Write the purpose and scope statement.
Purpose and scope include reasons for the project and how it contributes to company business goals. Also include a description of the end products and expected returns that you can get from the Project Plan and the Business Case.
- Include Work Breakdown Structure information.
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a high–level description of the work to be performed, structured in terms of task summaries. Refer to your WBS and Project Plan for details of timing, individual task and resource assignments, and summarize the information in this section.
- Include project organization information.
Define the roles of the project team. Provide a list of individual project responsibilities and the assigned personnel, as well as an organization chart of team members. You can find this information in the Project Plan and the Project Controls Plan.
- Provide Management System information.
Use this section to provide an overview of how the project will be run. Describe the system used for planning, tracking, and controlling the project's progress. Include the following information:
- Planning techniques
- Process required for managing changes or issues
- Review and reporting mechanisms
- Achievement measurements
- Meeting formats
- Document control, including the Issues, Quality, and Risk Logs
You can find the information for this section in the Project Controls Plan and the Document Control Plan.
- Include your assessment of risks, assumptions, and dependencies.
Create a summary for investment appraisal and future reference by the project team. Use the information in the Business Case and WBS to help you create this section.
- Include project budget data.
Use budget research, and information from the Project Plan and WBS to create a summary of material and resource cost for the project. Budget projections from historical data might also be helpful.
- Write the Project Justification statement.
This is where you sell the project. Create a summary of expected returns vs. costs, and risks analysis for the project.
- Include all relevant information in Appendices and References sections.
These sections include attachments to all documents relevant to the project. You can include the complete documents, repository information from the Document Control Plan, or give references to their locations online or on your team intranet site.
PIR objectives
Each project is a unique undertaking. When you form a new project team, the members need time to get up to speed and become familiar with your plans and objectives. Managers and sponsors need access to information about your plans so that they can agree to the work required. You also need to keep managers, stakeholders, sponsors, and team members up to date on your progress. A structured start-up is essential to successful project management. The PIR helps you achieve this overall objective.
Effective PIRs must:
- Provide a basis for the decision to start a project.
- Gain acceptance of your plans by defining the scope of work, project organization, and the quality, cost, and time requirements and constraints for the project.
- Create a shared vision for the project by identifying context, purpose, and objectives.
- Agree on modes and channels for effective team communication.
- Provide a basis for all management decisions throughout the life of the project.
- Provide an information base for all stakeholders, managers, sponsors, and team members.
- Become the project team's reference for project information, processes, and plans.
PIR resources
The PIR is created by using the information put together during the Initiation stages of a project. Typically, the project initiation documents include:
- Business Case The Business Case expands on the original project description or brief. It offers a detailed outline and analysis of the anticipated Business Benefits in terms of strategy, and materials and resource costs. The Business Case also contains detailed description and analysis of the project approach and identified risks (see article 'Tips and Tricks for identifying Risks' for more information). You will summarize this report in your PIR.
- Quality Plan A Quality Plan defines the project deliverables in terms of an expected outcome that meets your customer's quality expectations. This plan helps you measure achievement of your goals while the project is in progress and upon delivery of the project. Before the project can move ahead, your project workgroup, management, and stakeholders must agree upon the Quality Plan. Agreement to the Quality Plan is stated in your PIR.
- Project Plan The Project Plan creates the WBS and establishes the resource and time constraints needed to complete your project. This plan helps you control the project after it has started. Stakeholders and management can use the Project Plan to evaluate the initial Business Case.
- Project Controls Plan The Project Controls Plan establishes the level of control and reporting that is required by the management board after your project starts. This plan also establishes the day-to-day requirements for controlling your project in an effective and efficient manner. Setting the project control levels during the Initiation stage ensures that management is committed to the necessary level of overhead before you move forward.
- Document Control Plan The Document Control Plan defines appropriate repositories for project information and documentation. This plan establishes the rules for versioning and reviewing, and also includes information for the creation and use of the Project Logs. Project Logs include Issues, Change, Quality, and Risk. Setting out this plan in the Initiation stage ensures that the security, access, and overhead are agreed upon before your project moves forward.
Best practices in writing a PIR
Write the PIR yourself. The document establishes your authority over the course of the entire project, while emphasizing your personal style. The PIR can become a very large and intimidating document, depending on the size and complexity of your project. Don't overwhelm your readers with more information than they need. It's a good idea that the report be a summary of information from supporting documents, not a compilation of the complete documents themselves.
Write in a positive, forward-looking style. Use active words and phases like "this will be such and such," or "this will do such and such," or "the project will do such and such". Your final document is the basis to build upon for all future stages of managing your project.
Finally, though the formal PIR can have any of several forms, it should be designed to meet the protocols of your organizational environment.
Benefits of a great PIR
After you have completed it, the PIR becomes the focal point of all the information about your project. It justifies, communicates, and acts as a reference point for the entire life of the project. Most importantly, the PIR is the instrument that establishes your authority and mandate for executing the project and helps you move your project toward success from the very beginning.
About the author Pcubed is a global company that provides program management and project management solutions, as well as services in consulting, outsourcing, technology, and training.
