Assumption Log: Website Project
A complete, worked example illustrating how to document technical, budgetary, and resource dependencies for a corporate redesign.
§1 Project Context
This assumption log pertains to the "New Company Website" project initiated for Mary's Consulting, a mid-sized B2B advisory firm.
Prepared early in the planning phase (May 2026), the log captures foundational hypotheses about budget limits, technical infrastructure capabilities (such as CRM API integration), and stakeholder bandwidth. Establishing these parameters immediately protects the project schedule by defining what must be verified before the design baselines are locked.
Contents§2 The Completed Log
The matrix below reflects the real-world execution of our standard Assumption Log framework, distinctly separating testable assumptions (the A-XX series) from fixed management constraints (the C-XX series).
| ID | Category | Assumption / Constraint | Responsible Party | Due Date | Actions | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-01 | Resources | The 3 assigned core team members (Bob, Bill, Christine) will be available at planned allocations through project close. | Andrew | Ongoing | Confirm allocations with functional managers monthly. | Open | Critical to schedule baseline. |
| A-02 | Schedule | The project can launch within approximately 6 months of charter approval. | Andrew | May 2026 | Validate during schedule development. | Open | To be confirmed in planning. |
| A-03 | Cost | $150,000 USD budget is sufficient to cover design, development, content, hosting, and contingency. | Mary | May 2026 | Refine via bottom-up estimating in planning phase. | Open | Sponsor pre-approved figure. |
| A-04 | Scope | Internal consultant portal and client workspaces are excluded; site is marketing-only. | Andrew | May 2026 | Document explicitly in scope statement. | Open | Listed under project boundaries. |
| A-05 | Stakeholders | Consultants worldwide will provide bios and case study content within agreed deadlines. | Christine | Aug 2026 | Establish content collection plan and reminders. | Open | Risk to content readiness. |
| A-06 | Technical | Existing CRM offers a supported integration method (API or connector) for lead capture. | Bob | Jun 2026 | Verify CRM API access during requirements phase. | Open | Affects technical design. |
| A-07 | Quality | WCAG 2.1 AA is the accepted accessibility standard for the site. | Bill | Jul 2026 | Confirm with sponsor / legal counsel. | Open | Drives design and QA effort. |
| C-01 | Constraint - Brand | Final brand and visual direction must be approved personally by the CEO (Mary). | Mary | Jul 2026 | Schedule sponsor design review checkpoints. | Open | Single decision-maker = bottleneck risk. |
| C-02 | Constraint - Budget | Total spend cannot exceed $150,000 USD without sponsor approval. | Andrew | Ongoing | Track via cost baseline and variance analysis. | Open | Hard cap from charter. |
| C-03 | Constraint - Compliance | Site must comply with applicable data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) given Fortune 500 audience. | Bob | Sep 2026 | Confirm requirements with legal during planning. | Open | Affects forms / cookies. |
§3 Analysis of Entries
Delegated Action
Every assumption in this log has a direct "Action" rather than just a passive statement. For instance, A-06 doesn't merely assume the CRM API works; it assigns "Bob" to explicitly run a verification test by June 2026.
Risk Identification
The "Comments" column actively seeds the project's future risk register. Entries like C-01 ("Single decision-maker = bottleneck risk") immediately highlight areas requiring mitigation strategies.