Project Mandate

The first step in a project is to acquire a documented project mandate. It gives the go ahead from a senior manager – usually the project sponsor - to start work on a project. It is important because it demonstrates senior commitment at a very early stage, and signals to others that this is a legitimate piece of work to give time to.

 

The template for the Project Mandate is attached below. You should ask the project sponsor to fill it out and send you a copy of the completed form. If you are unsure about any aspect of the instructions in the Project Mandate, you must clarify these uncertainties as soon as possible and make a note of the replies on the Project Mandate itself. Any misunderstandings at this stage will cause much bigger problems later on.

 

Once you have a documented Project Mandate, you and the Project Sponsor (and anyone else who would be helpful) should arrange a Project Assessment Workshop to discuss the project.