In the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Starting Up a Project' process, the activity 'Appoint the Executive and the Project Manager' is the foundational step that establishes the core structure of project governance and management. Before any significant planning or resource allocation occurs, the project must have a single point of accountability and a dedicated manager to drive the work.

The activity typically follows this sequence:

1. **Appoint the Executive:** Corporate, Programme Management, or the Customer appoints the Executive. This role is pivotal as the Executive holds ultimate accountability for the project’s success. They represent the business interest, chair the Project Board, and own the Business Case, ensuring the project delivers value for money and remains aligned with organizational strategy.

2. **Appoint the Project Manager:** Once in place, the Executive appoints the Project Manager. This individual is responsible for the day-to-day management of the project within the constraints set by the Project Board. Bringing the Project Manager on board immediately allows them to lead the creation of the Project Brief and plan the subsequent 'Initiating a Project' stage.

PRINCE2 7 places significant emphasis on the 'People' aspect during this activity. It requires not just naming individuals, but preparing role descriptions that confirm the appointees have the necessary authority, credibility, availability, and competence to lead. This activity prevents the common failure mode of projects starting without clear leadership. By the end of this step, the project has a decision-maker (Executive) to authorize the next steps and a manager (Project Manager) to execute the work, forming the nucleus of the Project Management Team.

In the context of the PRINCE2 7 Starting Up a Project process, the activity 'Capture Previous Lessons' is a critical early step that operationalizes the core principle 'Learn from Experience.' Its purpose is to ensure that the new project does not reinvent the wheel or repeat the mistakes of the past before any detailed planning or significant resource commitment takes place.

The Project Manager facilitates this activity, often involving the Executive and those with knowledge of previous similar initiatives. The process involves reviewing Lessons Reports from completed projects, consulting corporate or programme management, and analyzing external industry standards. The objective is to identify historical anomalies, successful techniques, and specific risks that are relevant to the current mandate.

The immediate output of this activity is the creation of the Lessons Log. Although this log is a dynamic document maintained throughout the project lifecycle, it is populated at this stage with these initial findings. For instance, if a past project failed due to ambiguous acceptance criteria, the Lessons Log would record a requirement for stricter definitions in the current project's Product Description.

These captured lessons act as vital inputs for the Project Brief and the Initiation Stage Plan. By integrating this knowledge immediately, the project management team can refine their approach, adjust estimates, and implement safeguards against known pitfalls. Ultimately, capturing previous lessons ensures the project begins with a realistic perspective, leveraging organizational wisdom to increase the likelihood of delivering value.

In the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Starting Up a Project' process, the activity to 'Design and Appoint the Project Team' is critical for establishing a robust governance structure before significant resources are committed. The primary objective is to determine the project management structure and appoint the right individuals to specific roles, ensuring accountability and effective decision-making.

The Executive, usually appointed first, works with the Project Manager to design the team. This involves defining the composition of the Project Board, which must represent the three primary interests: Business (Executive), User (Senior User), and Supplier (Senior Supplier). Beyond the board, the structure includes Project Assurance, Team Managers, and Project Support roles. In PRINCE2 7, there is a heightened emphasis on the 'People' element; therefore, appointments are based on capabilities, authority, availability, and soft skills, not just job titles.

During this activity, Role Descriptions are created to clearly define responsibilities, authority levels, and relationships. This prevents role ambiguity and ensures that all aspects of project governance—such as risk management and change control—are covered. The activity also involves deciding whether a separate Change Authority is needed or if the Project Board will retain this function.

The output is the 'Project Management Team Structure' (part of the Project Brief). It serves as a temporary structure for the startup phase but is usually intended to carry through the project lifecycle. By explicitly designing and appointing the team early, the project ensures that necessary leadership is in place to direct the subsequent 'Initiating a Project' process and that all stakeholders understand who is responsible for what.

In the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Starting Up a Project' process, the activity to 'Prepare the Outline Business Case' is pivotal for establishing the preliminary justification for the project. Its primary purpose is to verify that there is a sufficient business reason to move the project into the initiation stage, preventing the waste of resources on non-viable initiatives.

The Executive is ultimately responsible for the Business Case, ensuring it aligns with corporate strategy and sustainability goals, although the Project Manager typically performs the detailed work of gathering data and drafting the document. At this early stage, the Business Case is 'outlined,' meaning the information is high-level rather than granular. It bridges the gap between the initial Project Mandate and the detailed Business Case developed later during the 'Initiating a Project' process.

Key components of the Outline Business Case include the reasons for the project, the business options considered (e.g., do nothing, do the minimum, do something), and the expected benefits and dis-benefits. It also outlines major risks and provides rough estimates for costs and timescales. Under PRINCE2 7, specific attention is given to sustainability targets and tolerance levels regarding project impact.

This document forms part of the Project Brief. The Project Board uses it during the 'Directing a Project' process to authorize the initiation stage. If the Outline Business Case demonstrates that the project is desirable, viable, and achievable, the project proceeds; otherwise, it is terminated before significant investment occurs.

In the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Starting Up a Project' process, the activity 'Select Project Approach and Assemble the Project Brief' is fundamental to defining the high-level strategy before the project is formally initiated. Its primary objective is to determine the most effective method for delivering the project's products within the constraints of time, cost, quality, and scope.

During this activity, the Project Manager facilitates a review of potential delivery options. This involves deciding whether to build a solution from scratch (bespoke), buy an off-the-shelf product (COTS), or outsource the work. Crucially, the delivery method is also selected, determining whether the project will follow a linear (Waterfall), iterative-incremental (Agile), or hybrid lifecycle. This decision shapes how the rest of the project is planned and managed.

PRINCE2 7 places a renewed emphasis on sustainability and the wider organizational ecosystem during this selection. The chosen approach must align with the organization's sustainability goals (environmental, social, and governance) and operational standards. For instance, the approach should consider the long-term maintenance impact and the carbon footprint of the delivery method. The Project Manager must also incorporate lessons learned from previous projects to mitigate risks associated with specific approaches.

The selected approach is formally recorded in the Project Brief. By agreeing on this approach early, the Project Board ensures that the subsequent 'Initiating a Project' process focuses on detailing a viable and agreed-upon strategy. This prevents the project team from wasting resources planning a delivery method that the business cannot support or that fails to provide value.

In the context of PRINCE2 7, the 'Starting Up a Project' process concludes with the activity known as 'Plan the initiation stage'. This is a critical checkpoint designed to ensure that the organization does not commit to the significant effort of detailed planning without first understanding the resources and time required to do so. It essentially involves 'planning the work to plan the work'.

The primary objective of this activity is to produce the Initiation Stage Plan. Unlike the Project Plan, which covers the delivery of the project's products, the Initiation Stage Plan focuses strictly on the duration and activities of the upcoming 'Initiating a Project' process. This plan details the work required to develop the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), such as refining the Business Case, defining the project management team structure, and agreeing on the project's controls and approaches.

During this activity, the Project Manager must engage with stakeholders to estimate the time and costs associated specifically with the initiation phase. In PRINCE2 7, this also involves considering the 'People' aspect early on, ensuring the right skills are available to define the project requirements, and addressing any sustainability targets relevant to the planning work itself.

The resulting Initiation Stage Plan is submitted to the Project Board alongside the Project Brief. It serves as a request for authorization to proceed. The Project Board reviews this in the 'Directing a Project' process (Authorize initiation). If approved, this plan becomes the baseline for the next stage, providing a clear contract for the work needed to fully define and baseline the project. This step prevents the 'rolling stone' syndrome, ensuring projects do not drift into existence without explicit management approval and budget allocation for the planning effort.

In PRINCE2 7, the 'Starting Up a Project' (SU) process acts as a pre-project filter, ensuring that only viable projects proceed to initiation. Tailoring this process is essential to align the amount of preparatory effort with the project's scale, complexity, and environment. The goal is to establish the minimum necessary foundation—justification, authority, and scope—without unnecessary bureaucracy.

For simple or low-risk projects, SU activities can be significantly compressed. Documentation like the Project Brief and the Outline Business Case may be combined or simplified into a short statement or email, provided the stakeholders agree on the objectives. The appointment of the Project Management Team can be streamlined by combining roles, such as the Executive also acting as the Senior User, as long as no conflicts of interest arise.

In a program or portfolio environment, tailoring involves leveraging existing assets. The program mandate may already contain the necessary information for the Project Brief, meaning the SU process focuses on validating this data rather than creating it from scratch. Lessons learned logs may be inherited from the program level rather than sought independently.

When applying PRINCE2 in an Agile context, the SU process acts as an inception phase or 'Sprint Zero'. The Project Brief may take the form of a Vision Statement or Project Charter. The activity 'Select the Project Approach' becomes critical here, as it defines the agile framework (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) and the frequency of feedback loops.

Ultimately, the Project Manager and Executive must use professional judgment to ensure that while the format changes, the purpose of SU is met: preventing projects with poor foundations from consuming resources in the initiation stage.