INITIATING PROCESS GROUP
The Initiating Process Group (IPG) is defined by the PMI as follows: “those processes performed
to authorize and
define the scope of a new phase or project or that can result in the continuation of halted project
work” (PMI, 2013).
The purpose of the IPG is to formally define a project including the business need, key
stakeholders, and the project
goals. A clear definition of the business case is critical for defining the scope of the project and
for identifying the
opportunity associated with completing the project. The business case includes the potential risks
associated with
completing or not completing the project at a given point in time. The work completed
throughout the IPG builds a
foundation for buy-in and commitment from the project sponsors and establishes understanding
of associated
challenges. The IPG is characterized by information gathering and research that leads to full
disclosure of both the
benefits and the costs associated with a given project (Peykari et al., 2013). Historical
information is assembled
during the IPG to identify related projects or earlier attempts at similar projects. Historical
information provides
insight into challenges associated with the project and buy-in from stakeholders. The IPG may
lead to formal project
selection or it may culminate in a decision to forgo or to postpone a project.
The set of work completed in the IPG is often done directly for a business sponsor and may be
accomplished
without a formal project team in place. During the IPG the goals of the proposed project are
analyzed to determine
the project scope and associated time, costs, and resource requirements. Key stakeholders are
identified and may be
engaged in defining the project scope, articulating the business case and developing a shared
vision for the project
deliverables. The inputs needed to support the work of the IPG include tools and information that
support the
knowledge area of project integration management. “Project integration management includes
the processes and
activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate the various processes and
project management
activities within the project management process groups” (PMI, 2013).
Sound integration management contributes to a solid understanding of whether the project is a
good match for the
organization and if so, how the project fits into the organizational mission and vision. The
involvement of
stakeholders in the process of project integration management is fundamental to their
engagement in the project and
involvement in defining and working toward project success. Informational inputs such as the
sponsor’s description
of the project, the organizational strategic plan, the published organizational mission, and
historical information on
related projects support the integration work of the IPG. Examples of tools and techniques that
facilitate completing
the information gathering, research, and related analysis required during the IPG include the
SWOT (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, stakeholder analysis, and the value risk
assessment (see Table 14.2
and Fig. 14.2).
TABLE 14.2 Tools to Support the Initiating Process Group
• FIGURE 14.2. Stakeholder Analysis.
Tangible outputs of the IPG include the completed project charter (see Table 14.3) that formally
defines the
project including the business case, key stakeholders, project constraints, and assumptions. The
project charter
includes signatures of the project sponsors and team members, indicating a shared vision for the
project and formal
approval to move forward with planning the project. The outputs from the IPG are used to
inform project planning
and reused during project closure to facilitate evaluation of the project deliverables.
