Determining your basic scope for planning purposes

Often a project's inception will occur long before the project is actually implemented. This is typically due to funding timeline. This is the point in time to nail down the basic SOW (Scope of Work) for key cost components. Some key questions to ask when planning the project:

1. What is the expected outcome of this project?
   
2. From management’s perspective what is the priority (sacrificed above all else)? Cost, Quality or Timing? If it is timing, then be sure to have a definitive target date from management for completing this activity. Then ask yourself, “If the project gets behind schedule, what resources would be needed to make up the time?” Additional manpower is the solution that needs to be accounted for during budgeting. Other options such as scope reduction don’t have the same cost related requirements.
   
3. Who are the key stakeholders in this project? Once you know that, pose the above questions to them as well.
   
4. What resources will be available for the project? Are they time-constrained with other simultaneous activities, or are they 100% allocated to this project? Do the resources have annual planning schedules that overlap? If your project requires an architect and an electrician, but the architect isn’t available to you until June, then the project isn’t starting until June.
   

These answers should provide you enough of a framework to submit basic budgetary, manpower and schedule requirements for a typical companies annual plan.