Is your project brief full of holes?
The Insight
Writing a good project brief for your consultant is not always easy and knowing what to include is half the battle. Unfortunately, project briefs that are turned over to the consultant so often miss the mark – they do not say what is required, they are often unclear, and many are non-specific. Briefs of this nature will elicit misconceptions and waste time and resources.
If not prepared properly, these documents can lead to monetary claims and time delays.
The basic elements to be included in the brief are:
Why
What
When
How much
Who
Risks
Assumptions
However, even that is vague. So how do you know what details to include in a project brief?
The Impact
Project briefs need to be specific and provide the best possible directions. While it is ideal to have your own specific briefing template, there are many standard documents available which provide a framework to set out all this information.
Key elements of any brief are:
In as much detail as possible, what needs to be achieved
Reporting hierarchy
The timeframe including specific milestones
The cost parameters and mechanisms to verify
Any specific requirements and goals for the project
The better the brief is, the better the project result. Being proactive at this stage of the project will save enormous amounts of time and reduce any frustrations, claims and disputes later.
To get into the specifics, the brief should include:
Background, statement of purpose and vision for the project
Project objectives
The project location and works to be undertaken there
The specific deliverables required
Detailed responsibilities of the different parties
Cost parameters including contingencies, fees, provisional sums, statutory charges (consider specialist consultants such as quantity surveyors)
Payment details
Program and timeframe with specific deadlines and other time-related parameters that must be met (ideally a graphical program)
Risk identification
Relevant information to assist in understanding the deliverables required. This may include as-constructed documents, surveys, and geotechnical reports
Management requirements such as required meetings and schedules
Roles of the various parties to the engagement
The deliverables required in terms of numbers, type of documentation and other deliverables for each milestone. This could include finish schedules, colour schedules and any statutory approvals required or already achieved
It’s also important to consider what is unique about your project. Are there any special requirements like specialist light? Dependant on the scope, it may be beneficial to include room data sheets, furniture requirements and the like.
The biggest positive influence you can have as the Client Project Manager is to be clear and specific in your brief about what you need achieved.