Project Specification
Elements of a Project Specification
Identification of stakeholders, Consideration of options, Business case requirements,
Specific objectives or deliverables, Benefits and success factors, Project boundaries or
scope, Constraints, Consideration of options, Other issues: ethical issues, sustainable issues
and consequences of failure to hit deadlines or produce product
Identification of Stakeholders
Senior Management – in control of the project’s overall direction
Customer/Client – the person or part of the organisation that benefits most from the
project
Users – those people who use or operate the new system
Project Manager – runs the project on a day to day basis
Team Members – those who do the technical work to make the project happen
Supplier – the company or person who supplies the necessary equipment and resources.
Business Case Requirements
The business case should state what the project should achieve in general terms. It should
then state the one-off costs of the project and the on going costs of running the delivered
system
Typical cost items are:
IT resources to specify, manage, design, build and implement
Customer resources to help specify, manage and implement
User resources for training and implementation
Equipment costs
Ongoing running costs
Possible costs of moving from an old system to a new one
Business case should also state the expected benefits. Most projects are an investment,
which should repay after the payback period
Specific Objectives or Deliverables
Specific measurable objectives are very important to the success of a project: Functional,
Timescale, Resources, Ease of Use, Performance
Benefit and Success Factor
What benefits will the new system provide: Cost saving? Efficiency? Enhanced Productivity.
Growth? Increase sales?
Project Boundaries or Scope
The boundaries or scope of a project are what the project aims to achieve, what’s in and
Elements of a Project Specification
Identification of stakeholders, Consideration of options, Business case requirements,
Specific objectives or deliverables, Benefits and success factors, Project boundaries or
scope, Constraints, Consideration of options, Other issues: ethical issues, sustainable issues
and consequences of failure to hit deadlines or produce product
Identification of Stakeholders
Senior Management – in control of the project’s overall direction
Customer/Client – the person or part of the organisation that benefits most from the
project
Users – those people who use or operate the new system
Project Manager – runs the project on a day to day basis
Team Members – those who do the technical work to make the project happen
Supplier – the company or person who supplies the necessary equipment and resources.
Business Case Requirements
The business case should state what the project should achieve in general terms. It should
then state the one-off costs of the project and the on going costs of running the delivered
system
Typical cost items are:
IT resources to specify, manage, design, build and implement
Customer resources to help specify, manage and implement
User resources for training and implementation
Equipment costs
Ongoing running costs
Possible costs of moving from an old system to a new one
Business case should also state the expected benefits. Most projects are an investment,
which should repay after the payback period
Specific Objectives or Deliverables
Specific measurable objectives are very important to the success of a project: Functional,
Timescale, Resources, Ease of Use, Performance
Benefit and Success Factor
What benefits will the new system provide: Cost saving? Efficiency? Enhanced Productivity.
Growth? Increase sales?
Project Boundaries or Scope
The boundaries or scope of a project are what the project aims to achieve, what’s in and
