projectbasis

Projectbasis is a term used in project management to describe the foundational document or baseline that defines a project's purpose, scope, and constraints. It serves as the reference point for planning, monitoring, and controlling work, and it helps align stakeholders around a common understanding of what the project aims to achieve and how success will be measured.

A projectbasis typically includes several core elements. These commonly encompass the business case or rationale for the project, the agreed objectives and success criteria, the defined scope and boundaries, key deliverables, milestones, and an overall schedule. It also documents constraints such as budget, resources, and time limits, as well as significant assumptions and risks. Governance and decision rights, quality requirements, acceptance criteria, and a high-level plan for communications and stakeholder engagement are often part of the document, alongside a preliminary resource plan and a risk register.

Creation and use follow a formal initiation process. The projectbasis is usually prepared by the project sponsor or initiator and the project manager, reviewed with primary stakeholders, and approved to establish a baseline. It then guides the detailed planning phase and serves as a control mechanism for change management, ensuring that proposed deviations are evaluated against the baseline objectives and constraints. In agile environments, the concept may appear as a living charter or brief that adapts over time through iterations and stakeholder feedback, rather than a fixed document.

Relation to other concepts: the projectbasis is closely related to a project charter, project brief, or business case, functioning as a bridge between strategic intent and operational planning.