This management activity belongs to the Project Initiation group. This group of activities are run at the beginning to prepare us for the project.

At this point, the project manager starts forming a team for the project. While the project is not yet approved, and its execution has not begun, key team members are now needed in order to complete the project initiation activity group. These appointments are not preliminary, and the same people selected at this point are expected be the key team members when project execution starts.

The key team members who are probably needed at this point are as follows:

The management team members
The team leaders (for internal production teams)
The supplier project managers (for external production teams)
Some of the technical production team members

Purpose

One of the purposes of the project initiation activity group is to evaluate the justification of the project, which will be used to decide whether or not it’s a good idea to invest in the project. This information is based on a high-level plan, and proper planning requires the collaboration of a wide range of experts. If not performed well, some beneficial projects may be rejected and some unjustifiable projects may be selected.

Common pitfalls

Some may consider it a waste of time to work on a project that might not be executed. The project manager should ensure that everyone understands that this is, however, an important investment for the organization because it allows them to select the best projects to invest in. Even if it’s decided not to execute the project, their efforts are not wasted, as they saved the organization from investing its resources in an unjustifiable project.

When it comes to appointing existing people to the project or hiring new people, the organizational governance system has a major role. It’s the responsibility of the sponsor to enable the project manager to have enough say in this selection.

Principles

The following principles play a significant role in this management activity: