Project Initiation Document Template Excel

While working on a project if all the team members are not on the same page, this situation can prove very harmful, it can often cause confusion and chaos among the team.

To avoid such incidents, all team members must be on the same page. The project initiation document excel template ensures that everything that is needed to initiate a project and execute it towards the outcome, is documented as per a proper protocol and shared among the team and stakeholders so everyone is on the same page and follow the proper initiation steps. Task checklist template is a special feature in initiation  process to identify the goals.

Excel even provides a template for creating this document. You just have to put in the required information and voila, the document is there.

What is a Project Initiation Document?

A project initiation document contains a clear and well-defined scope, the way the project can be managed according to the scope, and how it can be executed so the company turns out to be successful.

It is an important document for the internal guidance of the company as well as for the external stakeholders.

It should always be a living document that demonstrates the current situation, the plans, and discussions of how well we have control over the execution of the project.

The Importance of Project Initiation Document in Project Planning

A project Initiation Document (PID) provides the foundation for a project plan. PID documents the major elements of a project and documents how these elements integrate into the project plan. The PID also serves as an agreement between the project manager and the sponsor.

To understand the importance of PID in project planning, one must first understand what it is. It is a document that contains all the information about a project required for effective planning, such as

• Goals and objectives
• Scope definition
• Schedule
• Cost estimates
• Risks analysis
• Assumptions and constraints
• Resource requirements
• Quality management plan
• Communications management plan
• Procurement management plan
• Human resource management plan
• Risk management plan
• Contracts management plan
• A facilities management plan, etc.

Having all this information in one place will save time since you don’t have to go back and forth through files to find something specific or look for documents related to your project. It also helps keep everyone on board with your vision for the project because they know exactly what they need to contribute towards its success!

When Should You Use The Project Initiation Template?

This template is a great place to start if you’re starting a new project and want to ensure all the bases are covered.

The project initiation document template is most useful for multipart plans with several sponsors. Still, you can use it for simple plans concerning a few individuals. It helps you outline what needs to be done, who’s responsible for what, and how long each task will take.

You should use this template when you need to start a new project. You can use it to outline your project’s goals and the steps necessary for its completion. The document will also help you identify what resources you need, how much time it will take to complete each phase, and how much money you require.

Elements of Project Initiation Document

• Project goals and objectives
• Project scope
• Well identified stakeholders
• Risk management plans
• Performance reports
• PID sign-offs
• Summary of the project

Benefits of Project Initiation Document

• A PID is a key to a project’s success, irrespective of its size
• A project initiation document helps execute the project in a manageable way, avoiding the unnecessary workload
• It keeps a track of changes, whether a change is required in the life cycle of the project or not
• It makes the position of the firm, stronger in the market, by providing a firm basis for your project
• PID template also serves as a strong foundation, and on that base, a manager can make further contracts related to the project
• This document gives a unified view of the project and its execution, so it becomes easier for the potential contractors to understand the project and also if there is a temporary employee involved it will also be easier for him to understand the project
• The project initiation document gives a sense of accountability. As it has already defined every detail, every baseline, and every deadline, the team feels accountable to meet everything head-on
• It also provides the scope a direction of execution

Examples of Best Project Initiation Document

Many templates may pass off as examples of PID:

1. Business case study initiation template
2. Project charter template
3. Project scope management plan
4. Project quality initiation management plan
5. Work breakdown structure template
6. Project risk initiation document

Business Case Study:

Create a business case for your project. Show the stakeholders and management why the project is going ahead, and what benefits it is going to give to the company.

You should include the following in the business case study document:

1.  Why is the project being carried out?
2. How is it going to be beneficial for the company?
3. What is expected to be delivered?
4. How all these benefits will be measured?
5. why did the project take on a certain course of action?
6. What were the other options for the path of the project to go on? Were there any other paths while the project was being designed and developed?
7. Cost and timescale  include a breakdown of project cost and schedule timeline for the project.  how the cost accrued is justifiable against the outcome at the end of the project?

Project Initiation Document Categories

The Project Initiation Document (PID) is a document that outlines the requirements of a project. It guides the development of the project and serves as a reference for planning and managing the project. The PID is a Project Charter or in other words, we can say it Statement of Work.

The PID contains many elements, but there are some common categories to consider when creating your own PID. These categories typically include: Project initiation request form template

Project Initiation Request Form Template

The project initiation request form template is a document that contains all the necessary information about the project and its purpose. Companies use this form to initiate a new project. It contains basic information about the company and its employees, as well as information about the services provided by this company.

The purpose of this document is to gather all the information to start a new project. This includes:

1. The goal of the project and why you want it done
2. The timeline for starting and finishing each phase of the project, including any milestones or deadlines
3. How much funding is available for this project, as well as where funds will come from if there are no set budgets

Project Initiation Checklist Template

The purpose of the project initiation checklist template is to provide a summary of the information gathered during the project initiation phase. It will help you track the progress, ensure all important steps are completed, and better understand what needs to be done next.

It’s important to keep track of all the steps you need to take to ensure your project is successful and not left mid-air before it even starts.

This template will help you create an organized process for getting started on your projects, including:

1. Identifying stakeholders
2. Collecting information about them (mapping out their needs)
3. Setting goals and objectives

Prince2 PID Template

Prince2 is a structured, disciplined, and repeatable approach to project management. It is not a product but a process that helps you define, plan, manage, and monitor the project. Related: Prince2 Project Initiation Document

It describes the project and its requirements and sets out the approach taken during the project. The PID must cover all of the key elements of a Prince2 project, including:

• Planning processes
• Requirements Analysis
• Project management process
• Change the control process

Project Charter Template

A project charter is a document that defines the scope of work for a project. It includes a description of the project, its goals, and how to complete it. A project charter also explains what roles complete the work, how much time and money require, and why the project is necessary.

An organization’s management team creates a project charter template to outline the company’s expectations for a specific project or set of projects. The template is a starting point for creating new projects or an example of what a completed charter should look like.

project charter is a formal document based on an So that is submitted for authorization. A project charter authorizes the project manager to use the budget that is allocated to the project. The project charter addresses the “why, who, what, when, where, and how” of the project.

The following are the elements of a good project charter:

• Introduction:  Clear explanation of the purpose of the charter
• Unique characteristics:  Business Case, Project Statement, and Scope
• Success Criteria: Define the success and a list of critical success factors of the project
• Major Deliverables:  Define major stakeholder requirements and major deliverables that are promised
• Budget:  cost estimate, who is responsible for using the budget
• Schedule or Milestones:  Estimated date of project completion and the major milestones
• Constraints and Assumptions: List of the project’s known and unknown parameters at a certain time
• Summary of Risks:  High-level risk analysis for the course of the project
• Team and Organization: Define the roles and responsibilities of the team members and share them with everyone to keep the team on the same page
• Approvals: feedback from the stakeholders regarding approvals or disapprovals of the project charter document

Project Scope Management Template

Project Scope Management Template is a document that governs the scope statement of the project. A scope statement defines the deliverables, cost, timeline, resources, and other constraints of the project. The scope management plan keeps a track of how that scope is being executed.

A scope management plan includes:

1. Roles and responsibilities
2. Change control methods
3. Verification
4. Work breakdown structure

Project Quality Management Plan

Project Quality management is a set of standards and processes that ensure the level of quality throughout the execution of the project. It ensures that there is no bump in the quality starting from the planning phase up until the deployment of the project. The main goal is to make sure that the deliverables are an adequate fit for the requirements.

The quality standards are often bought from universal organizations for example IEEE, ISO, TQM, etc. They have a defined set of rules, which organizations buy and assess their project as per the universal standards.

Quality Management Template Includes

1. Quality assurance
2. Quality improvement
3. Quality control

Work Breakdown Structure Template

The work breakdown structure template is a document that breaks down the project into more doable and manageable tasks so we can achieve the goals more efficiently.

It is a deliverable-based decomposition of work. The levels are broken down to the level that the last task is doable for a single person or organization. The smallest decomposed unit of work is called a work package.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. It describes all the work, activities, and deliverables that comprise the project.

The WBS can estimate costs and determine which team members will perform which tasks. A WBS can also help you organize your resources and manage risk by clearly showing what needs to do and who will do it.

A WBS consists of three main parts:

1. A list of all the tasks that need to be completed to finish the project
2. A detailed description of each task, including who will do it and how long they expect it to take
3. A summary at the top of each section, which summarizes the total amount of time needed for that section’s

Project Risk Initiation Template

A detailed account of all the risks that can arise during the life cycle of the project should be documented. The following things should be included:

Risk identification: identify all the risks that can occur during the execution of a project.it devise steps that are needed to prevent those risks from occurring. if the risks can’t be prevented, then there should exist mechanisms for managing them along with the execution of the project, without causing a havoc.

Risk monitoring: as the project advances new risks may arise. There should be a system that foresees any further risks so they can be worked on and do not come as surprises.