Project Communication and Documentation 219proposal in different ways. It should, however, include the ele-
ments outlined in Chapter 4 (see “Making a Proposal for Manage-
ment Approval”). One of the key elements is the business case.
- Business Case (Economic Analysis). Many companies
prepare a business case or business proposition. (Your
organization may have another name for this docu-
ment.) Ordinarily a key supporting document within the
formal management proposal described above, it
describes the impact that the project is expected to have
on the organization from a business standpoint. Business
cases often rely heavily upon an economic analysis as a
way to select between competing alternatives and to
determine whether a particular project is justifiable from
a cost-benefit standpoint. Although you may not be inti-
mately involved in performing the economic analysis,
you’re likely to be a participant and to be asked for
input. Whoever prepares the business case, you should
secure a copy, make sure you understand it, and keep it
in your project file.
Project Charter/Project Authorization Document.You’ll proba-
bly have to seek formal management approval before you and
your team get into detailed planning. Project Charter is the term
commonly used to describe the documentation created to sup-
port the formal authorization to proceed with the project.
Planning Documents
In the next major phase of the project, the Planning Phase, the
project solution is developed in as much detail as possible. It
identifies intermediate work products (interim deliverables) and
the strategy for producing them. Formulating this strategy
begins with defining the required elements of work (tasks) and
the optimum sequence for executing them (the schedule).
Estimates are made for the time and money needed to perform
the work and when the work is to be done. The question of fea-
sibility and justification surfaces again, as formal approval to
proceed with the project is ordinarily sought before continuing.