Project Brief

March 25, 2025
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What is a Project Brief?

A project brief is a concise document that outlines the essential details of a project before work begins. It is a high-level overview communicating the project’s purpose, goals, scope, timeline, and key stakeholders. This document helps align all team members and stakeholders by providing a shared understanding of what the project aims to achieve and how it will be delivered. Typically created at the initiation phase, the project brief acts as a reference point for decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. It is beneficial for securing approvals and guiding early planning activities.

Key Points

  • A project brief summarizes the what, why, who, when, and how of a project.
  • It usually includes project objectives, expected deliverables, budget estimates, and risks.
  • The document supports stakeholder engagement by clearly outlining roles and responsibilities.
  • A project manager, sponsor, or lead often creates and shares it with team members and clients.
  • Unlike detailed project plans, a project brief is short, typically one to three pages long.

Related Terms

  • A project charter often builds upon the information in a brief to formally authorize the project.
  • The scope statement expands on the brief by defining what is included and excluded from the project work.
  • Stakeholder analysis lets teams identify who to list in the project brief and their interests.
  • The project team may develop a work breakdown structure later to further detail the deliverables outlined in the brief.
  • The project plan is created after the brief and provides a more detailed roadmap for execution.

Project Brief: Example

Imagine a local government plans to build a new community centre. The project brief would include the reason for the project (increased demand for public space), key objectives (construct a 10,000-square-foot facility), target timeline (12 months), budget estimate ($5 million), and key stakeholders (city council, architects, contractors, and residents). This document would guide discussions and decisions early, helping ensure everyone is aligned before planning begins.

Project Brief: Best Practices

  • Keep the document clear, focused, and jargon-free to ensure it is accessible to all stakeholders.
  • Review and revise the brief during the early project phases to reflect new information.
  • Engage key stakeholders during the creation of the brief to gain early buy-in and surface concerns.
  • Use consistent formatting and structure to make the brief easy to reference.
  • Ensure that the brief aligns with organizational goals and strategic priorities.

Additional Resources

Project Brief - Practical Project Management: Proven Framework That Great Project Managers Use In the Real World     Project Brief - Project Charter A Complete Guide

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