The Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7 serves a crucial purpose as the first process in the project lifecycle. Its primary aim is to ensure that the prerequisites for initiating a project are in place before committing significant resources and time to detailed planning activities.

The fundamental purpose of Starting Up a Project is to answer the question: "Do we have a viable and worthwhile project?" This process acts as a pre-project phase where essential groundwork is established to prevent poorly conceived projects from proceeding further.

Key purposes include establishing whether there is sufficient justification to proceed with the project. The process ensures that a Project Brief is created, which outlines the project definition, business case outline, and project approach. This documentation provides decision-makers with enough information to determine if the project merits further investment.

Another critical purpose is appointing the right people to the project management team. During this process, the Executive and Project Manager are appointed, and the project management team structure is designed. This ensures appropriate governance and accountability from the earliest stages.

The process also focuses on capturing lessons from previous similar projects. By reviewing past experiences, the project can benefit from proven approaches and avoid repeating mistakes, thereby increasing the likelihood of success.

Additionally, Starting Up a Project ensures that the approach to project delivery is established. This includes determining how the project will be managed and what tailoring of PRINCE2 practices might be necessary for the specific context.

The process culminates in creating a Stage Plan for the Initiation Stage, providing a clear roadmap for the next phase. Ultimately, the purpose is to provide the Project Board with sufficient information to make an informed decision about whether to authorize the initiation stage, ensuring resources are only committed to projects with genuine potential for delivering value.

The Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7 serves as the pre-project phase that occurs before the project formally begins. This process has several critical objectives that ensure the project is viable and properly set up for success.

The primary objectives of Starting Up a Project include:

1. Ensuring there is a business justification for initiating the project. This involves creating an outline business case that demonstrates the project is worthwhile and aligns with organizational strategy.

2. Establishing that sufficient information exists to define and confirm the scope of the project. The project team must understand what the project aims to deliver and its boundaries.

3. Identifying the various ways the project can be delivered and selecting the most appropriate approach. This includes determining the delivery method, whether agile, waterfall, or hybrid.

4. Appointing individuals to undertake the work required in the initiation stage and establishing the project management team structure. Key roles such as the Project Manager and Project Board members are identified and assigned.

5. Creating the Project Brief, which captures essential information about the project including the project definition, outline business case, and project approach.

6. Planning the initiation stage to ensure the next phase of the project is properly resourced and scheduled. This results in the Stage Plan for the initiation stage.

7. Preventing poorly conceived projects from proceeding by providing a checkpoint where the Project Board can assess whether the project merits further investment of time and resources.

The Starting Up a Project process acts as a filter, ensuring that only projects with genuine potential value progress to the initiation stage. It establishes the foundation for sound project governance and sets the project on a path toward successful delivery by confirming that key elements are in place before significant resources are committed.

The Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7 represents the initial pre-project phase that occurs before the project formally begins. This process serves as a crucial foundation-setting activity that ensures the organization has sufficient information to decide whether to initiate the project properly.

The context of Starting Up a Project is positioned at the very beginning of the project lifecycle, triggered by a project mandate from corporate or programme management. This mandate provides the initial direction and authorization to explore whether a project is viable and worthwhile pursuing.

During this process, the Executive and Project Manager are appointed, establishing the core leadership structure. The project team assembles preliminary information to create essential documentation including the Project Brief, which outlines the project's purpose, scope, and high-level requirements. Additionally, the approach to project delivery is defined, determining how the project work will be executed.

The Starting Up a Project process also involves reviewing previous lessons from similar projects to incorporate valuable insights and avoid repeating past mistakes. This learning-oriented approach helps shape realistic expectations and planning approaches.

A key output is the initiation Stage Plan, which details the work required during the subsequent Initiating a Project stage. This ensures adequate planning exists for the more detailed project setup activities that follow.

The context emphasizes that Starting Up a Project is deliberately lightweight and short-duration. Its purpose is to gather just enough information for the Project Board to make an informed decision about whether to authorize the initiation stage. This prevents organizations from investing significant resources in projects that may not be viable.

Ultimately, the process concludes with a request to initiate the project, presenting the Project Board with compiled information to assess whether proceeding makes business sense. This gateway approach ensures appropriate governance and decision-making authority remains with senior management throughout the project lifecycle.

The Appoint Executive and Project Manager activity is a crucial first step in the Starting Up a Project process within PRINCE2 7. This activity ensures that the project has appropriate leadership and accountability from the very beginning.

The Executive is appointed first, typically by corporate or programme management. This individual becomes the single point of accountability for the project and represents the business interests. The Executive must have sufficient authority to make decisions, commit resources, and ensure the project remains aligned with organizational objectives. They own the Business Case and are responsible for securing funding and ensuring value for money.

Once the Executive is in place, they take responsibility for appointing the Project Manager. The Project Manager is delegated day-to-day responsibility for managing the project on behalf of the Project Board. They must possess the necessary competencies, experience, and authority to lead the project team effectively.

This appointment process is essential because projects require clear ownership and defined responsibilities from inception. Having these two key roles established early provides direction for subsequent startup activities and ensures someone is accountable for developing initial project documentation.

The Executive and Project Manager work together to shape the project during startup. The Executive provides strategic direction while the Project Manager handles operational planning and coordination. Their early collaboration helps establish the project foundations, including defining the project approach, assembling the project team, and preparing the Project Brief.

In some organizations, these appointments may occur simultaneously or the individuals might already be identified before the project formally begins. However, PRINCE2 emphasizes that both roles must be formally confirmed with clear role descriptions and delegated authorities. This clarity prevents confusion about decision-making responsibilities and ensures the project has strong governance from day one.

Capture Previous Lessons is a crucial activity within the Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity involves gathering and reviewing lessons learned from previous projects to inform and improve the current project's approach.

The primary purpose of capturing previous lessons is to leverage organizational knowledge and experience. By examining what worked well and what challenges arose in past projects, the project team can make more informed decisions and avoid repeating mistakes. This contributes to continuous improvement across the organization's project management practices.

During this activity, the Project Manager and other team members search for relevant lessons from various sources. These sources may include lessons logs from completed projects, corporate knowledge repositories, industry best practices, and insights from individuals who participated in similar initiatives. The lessons captured should be relevant to the type, scale, and context of the proposed project.

The information gathered covers multiple aspects of project work, including what went well that should be repeated, what problems occurred and how they were resolved, what could have been done better, and recommendations for future projects. This knowledge helps shape realistic expectations and supports better planning.

Once captured, these lessons influence several key project documents and decisions. They contribute to developing the Project Brief, help define the project management approach, and inform risk identification. The lessons also guide the creation of the Project Initiation Documentation during the subsequent Initiating a Project process.

It is important that lessons are documented in the Lessons Log, which becomes a living document throughout the project lifecycle. New lessons continue to be added as the project progresses, ensuring valuable knowledge is preserved for future projects.

By systematically capturing previous lessons at the start of a project, organizations can enhance their project delivery capabilities, reduce risks, and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes through applied learning and continuous improvement.

Design and Appoint Project Management Team is a crucial activity within the Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity ensures that the right people are in place to manage and deliver the project effectively before significant resources are committed.

The purpose of this activity is to establish an appropriate project management team structure and secure the commitment of individuals to fulfill their designated roles. The Project Board, which includes the Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier, must be identified and appointed first, as they provide overall direction and accountability for the project.

The Executive takes the lead in designing the project management team structure, working with corporate or programme management to determine what roles are needed based on the project's size, complexity, and risk profile. For smaller projects, individuals may combine multiple roles, while larger projects might require additional layers of management or multiple people sharing a single role.

Key considerations during this activity include ensuring all three primary interests are represented: business (value for money), user (fitness for purpose), and supplier (technical feasibility). The team structure must reflect the organization's governance requirements and the specific needs of the project.

The Project Manager is typically appointed during this activity, and they may then assist in identifying other team members such as Team Managers and Project Assurance roles. Role descriptions should be created to clarify responsibilities, authority levels, and reporting relationships.

This activity produces the project management team structure as part of the Project Brief documentation. Securing genuine commitment from appointed individuals is essential, as nominal appointments can lead to poor decision-making and project failure. The resulting team forms the foundation for all subsequent project management activities throughout the project lifecycle.

The Prepare Outline Business Case activity is a crucial element within the Starting Up a Project (SU) process in PRINCE2 7. This activity establishes the initial justification for undertaking the project and provides the foundation for future investment decisions.

During this activity, the Executive works with the Project Manager to develop a preliminary business case that captures the essential information needed to determine whether the project is viable and worth pursuing. The outline business case is not a fully detailed document at this stage but contains sufficient information to support the decision to initiate the project.

The outline business case typically includes several key components. First, it identifies the reasons why the project is needed, explaining the problem or opportunity being addressed. Second, it provides initial estimates of costs, including development and operational expenses. Third, it outlines the expected benefits the organization will gain from completing the project successfully. Fourth, it highlights the major risks that could affect the project's viability. Fifth, it includes a preliminary timeline showing when benefits might be realized.

The information for creating the outline business case comes from various sources, including the project mandate, lessons learned from previous similar projects, and input from stakeholders who understand the business context. The Executive owns the business case throughout the project lifecycle and remains accountable for ensuring the project delivers value.

This activity is essential because it establishes whether there is sufficient justification to proceed with the project. If the outline business case demonstrates inadequate returns or unacceptable risks, the project can be stopped early before significant resources are consumed. The outline business case evolves into a detailed business case during the Initiating a Project process, where it receives further refinement and validation before the project fully commences.

In PRINCE2 7, the Starting Up a Project process contains several key activities, including Select Project Approach and Assemble Brief, which are fundamental to establishing a solid foundation for the project.

Select Project Approach involves determining how the project will deliver its products and achieve its objectives. This activity considers various factors such as the organization's capabilities, available resources, existing infrastructure, and any constraints or requirements. The project team evaluates different delivery options, which might include building a solution in-house, outsourcing, purchasing off-the-shelf products, or using a hybrid approach. The selected approach must align with corporate strategies, consider technical requirements, and account for the skills available within the organization. This decision significantly impacts the project's timeline, costs, and resource allocation.

Assemble Brief is the activity where all preliminary information gathered during the Starting Up process is compiled into a cohesive Project Brief document. This document serves as the foundation for the next stage and includes essential elements such as the project definition, business case outline, project approach, project management team structure, and role descriptions. The Project Brief provides enough information for the Project Board to make an informed decision about whether to authorize the initiation stage.

The Project Brief typically contains the project objectives, scope, desired outcomes, major deliverables, constraints, assumptions, known risks, and stakeholder expectations. It draws upon information from the project mandate, lessons learned from previous similar projects, and insights gathered from stakeholders during preliminary discussions.

Both activities are crucial because they ensure that before significant resources are committed, there is clarity about what the project aims to achieve and how it will be accomplished. This preparation enables the Project Board to make a well-informed decision about proceeding to the Initiation Stage, where detailed planning occurs.

The Plan Initiation Stage is a crucial activity within the Starting Up a Project (SU) process in PRINCE2 7. This activity focuses on preparing a detailed plan for how the Initiation Stage will be conducted, ensuring that proper resources, time, and approach are allocated before the project formally begins.

During this activity, the Project Manager creates the Stage Plan for the Initiation Stage. This plan outlines what work needs to be accomplished during initiation, including developing the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), refining the Business Case, establishing project controls, and setting up the various management strategies.

The Plan Initiation Stage activity considers several key elements. First, it identifies the products that need to be created during initiation, such as the detailed Business Case, Project Plan, and various strategy documents. Second, it estimates the effort, resources, and time required to produce these products. Third, it identifies any risks associated with the initiation work itself.

The output of this activity is the Initiation Stage Plan, which becomes part of the Project Brief. This plan provides the Project Board with visibility into what will happen during initiation and enables them to make an informed decision about whether to authorize the Initiation Stage.

The Executive and Project Manager are the primary contributors to this activity. The Project Manager does the detailed planning work, while the Executive ensures the plan aligns with organizational expectations and constraints.

This activity is essential because it prevents projects from rushing into execution before proper foundations are established. By planning the initiation work carefully, organizations can ensure adequate time and resources are allocated to develop robust project documentation and controls.

The Initiation Stage Plan should be realistic and achievable, setting appropriate expectations for stakeholders about when the project will be ready to proceed to subsequent delivery stages.