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Project Initiative Package (PIP)

Stage: Stage 2 - Project Planning

Artifact Code: PIP

1. Purpose

The Project Initiative Package (PIP) exists to formally confirm what the organization is committing to next.

It bundles the approved scope, expectations, risks, and decision from Stage 2 into a single, business-facing artifact that authorizes entry into Stage 3 - Strategic Domain Design (SDD).

The PIP is a commitment document, not a planning exercise.

2. Decision This Artifact Supports

Decision: Is this initiative approved to proceed into Strategic Domain Design?

Possible outcomes:

  • Approved - proceed to Stage 3
  • Deferred - revisit later
  • Rejected - stop work

If this decision is not explicit and recorded, the PIP is not complete.

3. Ownership and Roles

  • Owner: Initiative Owner / Business Sponsor
  • Contributors: Business analyst, stakeholders, delivery leads
  • Reviewers / Approvers: Leadership with authority to commit resources

There must be one accountable approver recorded in the artifact.

4. Blank Artifact Template

# Project Initiative Package (PIP)

## Initiative Name
{Title}

## Summary
{2–4 sentence summary of what this initiative will deliver and why}

---

## Stage 2 Artifacts Included
- POM (Process Outcome Map)
- OE (Outcome Estimates)
- Initiative Index (if applicable)
- Any supplemental business notes

---

## Phase 1 Scope (Approved Outcomes)
- {Outcome 1}
- {Outcome 2}

Deferred Outcomes:
- {Outcome X}
- {Outcome Y}

---

## Estimated Delivery Window
{Range based on OE}

---

## Risks & Dependencies
- {Risk 1}
- {Risk 2}

---

## Go/No-Go Decision
**Approved / Rejected / Deferred**

**Approver:** {Name}
**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}

5. Required Inputs

  • Process Outcome Map (POM) - approved and stable
  • Outcome Estimates (OE) - completed and reviewed

If either artifact is incomplete or disputed, the PIP must not be created.

6. Input Acceptance Criteria

Before creating the PIP, verify:

  • Outcomes are clearly defined and agreed
  • OE recommendations are explicit
  • Risks and dependencies are visible
  • Scope has not drifted since OE

If any of these are unclear, return to Stage 2 artifacts.

7. Assumptions to Surface

Common assumptions at this stage include:

  • Approval implies immediate execution
  • Deferred outcomes will never be revisited
  • Delivery window is a promise, not a range
  • Risks are already mitigated

These assumptions must be clarified explicitly.

8. What Must NOT Appear in This Artifact

The PIP must not include:

  • Solutions or designs
  • Requirements or features
  • Technical constraints or architecture
  • New risks or outcomes not present in OE

If new content appears, the PIP is invalid.

9. Example - Completed Artifact

# Project Initiative Package (PIP)

## Initiative Name
Customer Identification Improvement

## Summary
This initiative improves the ability for support teams to identify customers efficiently during support cases. It focuses on reducing duplicate data entry and improving access to customer information to lower handling time and improve customer experience.

---

## Stage 2 Artifacts Included
- POM (Process Outcome Map)
- OE (Outcome Estimates)

---

## Phase 1 Scope (Approved Outcomes)
- Customer is identified
- Support case is resolved

Deferred Outcomes:
- Case analytics improvements

---

## Estimated Delivery Window
6–10 weeks

---

## Risks & Dependencies
- Data quality across customer records
- Coordination between support and operations teams

---

## Go/No-Go Decision
**Approved**

**Approver:** Director of Customer Operations
**Date:** 2025-01-18

10. Output Quality Checklist

  • [ ] Initiative scope matches POM and OE
  • [ ] Approved vs deferred outcomes are explicit
  • [ ] Delivery window aligns with OE complexity
  • [ ] Risks reflect OE findings
  • [ ] Decision and approver are recorded

All items must pass to proceed.

11. Common Failure Modes

  • Treating the PIP as a status report
  • Introducing new scope or outcomes
  • Recording a decision without authority
  • Using vague initiative summaries

These indicate commitment ambiguity.

12. Review Questions

Reviewers should ask:

  • Are we committing to exactly what is described here?
  • What are we explicitly not doing?
  • Do risks feel acceptable given priority?
  • Is leadership ownership clear?

If answers are unclear, revise the PIP.

13. What to Do If the Artifact Is Rejected

If the PIP is rejected or deferred:

  • Clarify scope or outcomes
  • Revisit OE recommendations
  • Adjust timing or priority

Rejection is a valid and expected outcome.

14. Readiness Signal - Moving Forward

The PIP is ready when:

  • Leadership has explicitly approved scope
  • Outcomes to be designed are locked
  • Delivery expectations are understood

Proceed to Stage 3 - Strategic Domain Design (SDD).

15. What Invalidates This Artifact

The PIP must be revisited if:

  • Scope or outcomes change
  • Business priorities shift
  • Approval is withdrawn or modified

16. Downstream Dependencies

  • Next Stage: Stage 3 - Strategic Domain Design (SDD)

Weak or ambiguous PIPs result in unstable domain design and downstream rework.

Reminder: The PIP is the organization saying “yes.” Everything after this assumes that commitment.