Starting the Project

A project that begins poorly almost never recovers. The initiation phase is where the seeds of success — or failure — are planted. Yet it is the phase most often rushed, politicised, or skipped entirely.

This article covers the two foundational documents that define every project before a single resource is allocated: the Project Proposal and the Project Charter. Get these right, and you give your project a fighting chance. Get them wrong, and no amount of brilliant execution will save you.

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Why Initiation is the Highest-Leverage Phase

Core Principle: The cost of fixing a defect increases exponentially the later it is discovered. A flawed scope definition caught during initiation costs a conversation. The same flaw caught during execution costs a change request, a budget overrun, and possibly a client relationship.

The Initiating Process Group exists to define and authorise the project. It sits at the very beginning of the project lifecycle and contains only two processes — but they are arguably the most important two processes in the entire PMBOK:

1. Develop Project Charter
2. Identify Stakeholders

Develop — Project Proposal

Develop — Project Charter

Identify — Stakeholders

Business Case — Feasibility Analysis

Formal Authorisation — PM Authority

Stakeholder Register — Influence/Impact Map

Relationship details

From	Relationship	To
Develop — Project Proposal	leads to	Develop — Project Charter
Develop — Project Charter	leads to	Identify — Stakeholders
Develop — Project Proposal	leads to	Business Case — Feasibility Analysis
Develop — Project Charter	leads to	Formal Authorisation — PM Authority
Identify — Stakeholders	leads to	Stakeholder Register — Influence/Impact Map

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The Project Proposal

What It Is

The project proposal is the pre-authorisation document. It makes the case for why the project should exist. Before any charter is signed or budget allocated, someone must answer a fundamental question: Is this worth doing?

Definition: A project proposal is a document that presents the business case, feasibility assessment, and preliminary scope of a proposed project to decision-makers for approval.

What Drives a Project Proposal

Projects are initiated in response to a range of business drivers. A business case is built upon these — but critically, availability of funds is a constraint, not a justification.

Components of a Strong Proposal

A well-structured project proposal typically includes:

• Problem Statement: What pain or opportunity is driving this project?
• Proposed Solution: What will the project deliver?
• Feasibility Assessment: Is it technically, financially, and operationally viable?
• High-Level Scope: What is in — and explicitly, what is out?
• Preliminary Cost-Benefit Analysis: Does the return justify the investment?
• Strategic Alignment: How does this project support organisational strategy?
• Key Risks and Assumptions: What could derail this before it starts?

Heavy Engineering Insight: In defence and manufacturing, the project proposal often must pass through a formal gate review before progressing. This is where senior leadership decides whether to commit capital and resources — or kill the initiative before it consumes them.

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The Project Charter

What It Is

Definition: A project charter is a formal, approved document that authorises the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organisational resources to project activities. — PMBOK® Guide, 5th Edition

The charter is not a plan. It is an authorisation instrument. It gives the project manager their mandate and establishes the high-level boundaries of the project.

What the Charter Is NOT

Key Elements of a Project Charter

root((Project — Charter

• Project Purpose
  • Business justification
  • Strategic alignment
• High-Level Scope
  • Major deliverables
  • Boundaries and exclusions
• Objectives
  • Measurable success criteria
  • Key performance indicators
• Stakeholders
  • Sponsor identification
  • Key stakeholder list
• Authority
  • PM assignment
  • Resource authority level
• Constraints & Assumptions
  • Budget limits
  • Timeline boundaries
  • Key assumptions
• High-Level Risks
  • Initial risk identification
  • Major uncertainties
• Milestone Schedule
  • Key dates
  • Phase gates

Who Issues the Charter?

The charter is issued by senior management or the project sponsor — someone with sufficient authority to allocate organisational resources. The project manager does not write the charter for themselves; they receive it as their formal mandate.

Exam Tip: The project charter gives the PM the authority to apply organisational resources. Without it, the PM has no formal power. A document describing the organisational breakdown structure or a narrative description of products is NOT a charter.

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Identifying Stakeholders

The second process in the Initiating Process Group is stakeholder identification. This is not optional — it is foundational.

Definition: A stakeholder is any individual or organisation that is affected by project activities, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the project's execution or completion.

The Stakeholder Universe

Project Sponsor

Project Team

Functional Managers

Senior Management / PMO

Customers / End Users

Suppliers / Vendors

Regulatory Bodies

Community / Public

PROJECT

Relationship details

From	Relationship	To
PROJECT	leads to	Project Sponsor
PROJECT	leads to	Project Team
PROJECT	leads to	Functional Managers
PROJECT	leads to	Senior Management / PMO
PROJECT	leads to	Customers / End Users
PROJECT	leads to	Suppliers / Vendors
PROJECT	leads to	Regulatory Bodies
PROJECT	leads to	Community / Public

Stakeholder Analysis: Power vs. Interest

Not all stakeholders are equal. The Power/Interest Grid is the standard tool for classifying them and determining your engagement strategy.

Illustrative placements only; classify actual stakeholders from evidence.

Low interest --> High interest · Low power --> High power

Keep satisfied

• Regulator

Manage closely

• Project sponsor

Monitor

• General observers

Keep informed

• Project team

The Stakeholder Register

The output of stakeholder identification is the Stakeholder Register — a living document that captures each stakeholder's identity, interests, influence level, and engagement strategy. This register feeds directly into the Communications Management Plan during the planning phase.

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The Project Kick-Off Meeting

With the charter signed and stakeholders identified, the project is formally launched through a kick-off meeting.

Purpose: The kick-off meeting sets up the project team and announces the PM assignment. It is not where the charter is drafted — the charter must already exist before the kick-off.

A well-run kick-off achieves three things:

1. Introduces the project team and establishes roles and reporting lines
2. Communicates the project's purpose, scope, and high-level timeline
3. Builds initial team alignment and sets expectations for collaboration

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How This Applies in Practice

Consider a zoo relocation project — a real-world scenario used in project management education. Before any animal is moved or any contractor is engaged, the initiation phase requires:

1. A project proposal justifying the relocation (why move? what are the benefits? what are the risks of not moving?)
2. A project charter formally authorising the relocation, naming the project manager, defining the high-level scope (relocate all animals, vacate the existing site, prepare the new site), and identifying budget constraints
3. A stakeholder register identifying the zoo board, local council, animal welfare organisations, staff, contractors, visitors, and media

Without these documents, the project has no formal authority, no defined boundaries, and no mechanism for managing the dozens of competing interests that will emerge.

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Common Pitfalls

Starting work before the charter is signed. Without formal authorisation, the PM has no authority and no protection when scope disputes arise.

Confusing the proposal with the charter. The proposal argues why. The charter authorises what. They are sequential, not interchangeable.

Incomplete stakeholder identification. Missing a key stakeholder early means discovering their concerns late — usually at the worst possible moment.

Treating the kick-off as a formality. The kick-off sets the tone for the entire project. A poorly run kick-off signals disorganisation and erodes team confidence from day one.

Failing to document assumptions. Every charter contains assumptions. If they are not written down, they cannot be validated — and when they prove wrong, the project has no basis for requesting a change.

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Key Takeaways

• The Initiating Process Group contains two processes: Develop Project Charter and Identify Stakeholders.
• The project proposal makes the business case; the project charter formally authorises the project and grants the PM authority.
• A business case is driven by market demand, business need, social need, ecological impacts, and regulatory change — not by the availability of funds.
• Stakeholders are anyone affected by the project — use a Power/Interest Grid to classify and plan engagement.
• The kick-off meeting announces the PM, introduces the team, and sets the tone — it happens after the charter is signed.
• The project owner is the custodian of the change the project delivers.