Why now
The one-paragraph reason this project matters this quarter. Grounds every subsequent trade-off.
Scope: in / out / TBD
Three lists. TBD forces the decisions you'd otherwise defer into ambiguity.
Success looks like
The outcome and the metric you'll judge it by, agreed in the room — not left to the PM to define alone later.
Roles and decision rights
Who's the DRI, who's the accountable, who's consulted on which decisions. Reference a RACI if you have one.
Cadence and comms
Standup rhythm, weekly update owner, escalation path. Sets the operating model before the pressure hits.
Common pitfalls
- — Kicking off before scope is even 60% clear. Better to delay by a week.
- — No named DRI. Then everyone is, which means no one is.
- — Skipping the 'why now' — first thing that gets forgotten under pressure.