Project Brief PRINCE2®: Comprehensive Guide

Before beginning a project, the project brief is often written. It outlines what the project will look like and how you will execute it. If it is well-written from the outset, it can affect the success or failure of a project. The reception of a project will depend on how it is drafted in brief at the first stage.
PRINCE2® is a well-regarded project management methodology adopted by numerous countries worldwide, including Western European countries and the UK. PRINCE2® stands for Projects In Controlled Environments 2nd edition, offering an introductory level of expertise in project management. The project brief is usually short and can be modified as needed at the start of a PRINCE2 project.
If you want to know more about a projects brief, PRINCE2® Training Online will help you understand how to create a brief for your project and how they work.

What is Project Brief in PRINCE2® ?

The first stage of PRINCE2® is to start a project. This entails a brief period during which the project’s potential is studied to see if it is worth initiating. It is typically a simple justification or evaluation when the project first emerges. Result of this stage is referred to as the “project brief,” which, as the very name suggests, is a brief description of the project. The primary purpose of this project brief is to introduce and explain why the project exists and has value, and should be pursued with resources and money. The project brief is the foundation of any successful PRINCE2® project.

You should clearly explain the problem you’re trying to solve in the projects brief. It would help if you also outlined the project goal, expected outcomes, and scope. The variables in the project objectives should have six points – Scope, Cost, Risk, Benefit, Time, and Quality, abbreviated as SCRBTQ.

The project brief should always be created, keeping in mind the stakeholders who will influence the project. It’s essential to have the interest of all stakeholders in mind as soon as possible. Check for any holes or weaknesses in the justification for the project after gathering all this information.

This step will help you weigh the pros and cons of starting a business project. During PRINCE2® Foundation Training, we’ll cover everything from creating a project brief to the structure of a brief report.

PRINCE2® Project Brief Components/Contents

Without a clear project brief, there’s potential for a lot of confusion and unneeded work. The following is a list of the components that are typically included in a projects brief:

• TITLE – To give a project its identity, you need to title it. A project needs a name, and it’s essential to remember that this is the name via which the project in question will be referred to any meeting, conversation, or email about this project. Ensure your title is concise, catchy, and specific so it’s clear from other projects.
•  Client summary: is the introduction to a company. It’s about who the business is and what they offer, including its mission statement, offerings, and vision. You also need to review potential competitors they might face or are already up against. The section on the client summary often needs to be noticed when it comes to internal projects, which is big mistake companies tend to make. It can serve as a helpful reminder for stakeholders and staff members and is also invaluable for new hires or talents if involved at any point.
•  Project description: should be detailed and concise, including the objectives and scope of your project and what you’re trying to accomplish. It needs to include methodologies, responsibilities, and quality expectations. The objective for a project should be SMART objectives i.e., objectives that have attributes of being
•  Specific 
•  Measurable 
•  Achievable 
•  Realistic 
•  Timely 

Insights/ Business Case

• With the prevalence of information technology in every area of the world, it’s important to remember that data is a valuable resource. Therefore, when creating your project brief, ensure it’s supported by relevant data to prove its viability. Some valuable statistics you can include are:
•  Statistics from broad industries or competitors to bring awareness 
•  The user persona of the client 
•  Relevant research 

• PROJECT SCOPE: This section should include a detailed overview of the project. It would help if you covered every aspect of the project, particularly the logistics. You’ll also want to mention other vital factors like finances, budget, timeline, and deadline date. Keep in mind that if you have resources available for this project, it’s also crucial to list them.
•  Success Measure: Your project brief will dictate the success potential of your project. The list of successful project factors is similar to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It’s essential to chart success measurements so you can refer back to them throughout the project.
•  Other Key Information: For this final section of the project, you’ll be able to choose whether to add contact information for any key person and mention who will lead the project. You should list your team and describe their responsibilities.

Project Brief Formats

A projects brief is a document that briefly overviews the basics of a project. It’s submitted after submitting a project proposal and plays an essential role in the approval process. It’s written with the mentality of the project board in mind. You can use a project brief sample or a PRINCE2® project brief template to make things easier. Generally, a project brief is used primarily to provide a strong foundation for initiating a new project. It is created at the start-up stage of the process by the project manager, usually known as inception. A PRINCE2® project brief should be short with the following sections:

• Paper 
• Document (Word, PDF, etc.) 
• Direct entry into a tool used for project management  
• PowerPoint presentation 

During a projects brief example construction, keep in mind the following objectives that it needs to adhere to: 

• • It should be concise, brief, and easy to understand.
• • The projects brief should satisfy the needs outlined in the project mandate. Projects briefs are often used to illustrate prerequisites and how business goals must be met to ensure a successful implementation of PRINCE2®.
• It has to consider a number of solutions and should not be limited to only one. 
• • The team needs to develop a project plan that maximizes the chance of meeting your expectations.

• An effective strategy should be aligned with the organization’s values and mission.

Steps to Create PRINCE2® Project Brief

You must keep several elements in mind when creating a project brief. You need to ensure that your PRINCE2® projects brief achieves these goals. Follow these steps to create a practical PRINCE2 projects briefly.

Create a Solid Project Plan

The Project plan is a comprehensive overview of a business idea, including factors such as the context, goal, and audiences it will impact. The more detail you can offer in your project plan before even going into the development process, the better. This lets everyone involved know exactly what they’re getting into with the project. Consider some of these points while you generate your project plan:-

• The project deliverables 
•  The mode of achieving said deliverables 
•  The different people working on the project team and the roles that they will need to take 
•  If the milestones are achievable at all 
•  How will feedback be received 

To ensure that the project you submit is both thorough and relevant, you need to have all your background information readily available. To help create a complex projects brief for all of your deliverables and relevant information, PRINCE2® offers sample briefs as guidelines, or you can use a template.

Set Up Project Goals

You can only start a project with a plan. There needs to be clear goals and expectations set. Otherwise, you could end up with scope creep. The who, when, what, why, and how must be included in the project briefs. These will help you manage the project coherently and prevent any unexpected changes.

Create Project Outline

The first step in the quick project process is gathering the necessary information. Once you’ve collected all the data, review it thoroughly and make sure your projects brief is condensed and includes the following.

• Project goals 
•  The approach of the project 
•  The team, their skills, and assigned roles 
•  The expectations regarding the deliverables 
•  The expectations regarding the collaboration 
•  The primary decision-makers 
•  The time needed for the client to review the work and offer feedback 
•  Dependencies 
•  Deadline dates 

Use PRINCE2® Project Brief Template

A well-constructed project plan can help you be successful with your PRINCE2® project. A sample brief is a great way to ensure all the milestones are met. Furthermore, if you have a PRINCE2 project plan template at hand, it will make your job easier by including all the necessary information they need. A black-and-white projects brief sample template is easy to customize and will allow you to stay on track while keeping up with the game.

Project Brief Quality Criteria

To manage your project, it’s essential to include an in-depth brief. This will motivate your team members and help keep them on track. A comprehensive project brief will help team members understand their specific objectives and how they contribute to the organization. They’ll be two times as motivated, so you need to make sure that the quality criteria of the projects brief adhere to the following key points:

• Keep the document brief. It should only offer a summary to board members involved in approving the project.

• It will need to be refined and expanded when we get to the development stage. It is also a part of the documentation in the project initiation stage.

• The projects brief must accurately represent the end product desired.
•  Consider a wide range of possible solutions when developing your project brief. For instance, consider off-the-shelf in-house development contracted out for a software-related project. Any of these approaches can work to get started. You can also create a new application or update an existing one.
•  It would be best if you ensured that the project brief met the objectives. 
•  Make sure you double-check the corporate standards, strategies, and policies. 
•  The project brief needs to be a SMART document (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound). 

Importance of Project Brief in PRINCE2®

The project brief is a document that offers an overview of the project. The primary purpose of this document is to provide a complete and robust foundation for the initiation of a proposed project by presenting it before the Project Board. In other words, the project brief is essential for future projects, primarily when you’re assigned as the project manager. Fortunately, we provide quality and convenient services for you to work on your career in this field, such as Project Management Training Online, so that you can effectively manage your projects by getting used to creating a good-quality projects brief. Without this service or knowledge, operating your projects well won’t be easy.

• GUIDE:

Because every project is unique, a brief can help you achieve everything you want during the designing, planning, and construction process. It will act as your road map- a manual with instructions that designers, architects, and contractors need to ensure that your project exceeds expectations and stays on track with your goals and budget.

• EVALUATE:

You can use a project brief to evaluate the efficiency of a design during its construction. This enables your team to become more efficient with problem-solving.

• INSTRUCTION MANUAL

With a well-crafted projects brief, the project team can easily make decisions at a faster pace. The document will give clear instructions on what they need to do and not do, which will make their work much more manageable. In the end, this is important because it’ll help streamline the team’s operations and also improve the decision-making skills of each member.

Conclusion

A project brief is an essential document for a design project and must be updated constantly. It starts with your key objectives and builds on discoveries and information. The projects brief helps make a base for every project that lies on top, assigns criteria under which the project has been initiated, and informs the inputs put in place by stakeholders.

To become a project manager, you’ll need to be able to convey your vision and plan out every detail. You can start by drafting projezct briefs and templates, which typically include: A project manager -Senior users or suppliers who review the draft -Executives who approve the final. It’s essential to take all these steps to become a successful project manager. If you want to simplify creating briefs, try using different delivery modes and a document template, like KnowledgeWoods PRINCE2® Training Online.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)