Published by JMB Project Management Co. LLC
A project brief should make it possible for a sponsor to decide whether the proposed work deserves approval. That requires a clear account of the problem, intended outcome and commitments involved.
Start with the business need. Describe what is happening now and what your organization wants to change. A request to replace a system, for example, should explain the operational difficulty behind the request. Without that explanation, the team can deliver a replacement while leaving the original problem unresolved.
Describe the intended outcome
State what should be different when the project succeeds. Identify who will benefit and what evidence will demonstrate improvement. Separate the deliverable from its expected effect: implementing a reporting platform is a deliverable; making reliable information available for a defined decision is an outcome.
Record any assumptions behind that outcome. If improvement depends on staff changing a process, include that requirement in the brief. It belongs in the project plan and resource discussion.
Draw a practical scope boundary
Explain what is included, what is excluded and what requires further assessment. Name affected systems, locations or teams where these are known. If a requirement is uncertain, identify who will resolve it and by when.
An illustrative brief for a retail rollout might include ten stores and central inventory reporting, while excluding a separate e-commerce replacement. This allows reviewers to see dependencies without assuming every connected activity is included.
Identify the commitments behind the plan
Include a preliminary view of resources, costs, milestones and dependencies. Distinguish a fixed business deadline from a forecast that still needs validation.
Name the sponsor and intended delivery lead. Explain which decisions they can make, which approvals are outstanding and which other teams must participate. A project cannot rely on specialist availability that has not been discussed with the people providing it.
Agree what approval means
Some briefs seek approval for discovery rather than full implementation. Others seek authority to procure a supplier or begin delivery. Make the requested decision explicit and state the spending or resource commitment it authorises.
Include the next review point and the conditions that would trigger reconsideration. Reviewers should understand what new information will return to them before further commitment.
The UK Government Project Delivery Functional Standard provides a broader reference for governance and planning. JMB’s recommended brief is a proportionate starting point; its detail should reflect the initiative’s complexity and your organization’s approval arrangements.
Before signing off, ask a person outside the project to explain the objective, boundary and approval request back to you. Any disagreement reveals wording or assumptions that need attention.
JMB can support project scoping and delivery planning, helping organizations turn an initial requirement into a defined assignment.