Step-by-step guide for writing a project brief (+ Free template)

If you’re looking to hire an IT consultant, one of the most important documents you’ll need is a comprehensive project brief. A project brief acts as a key communication tool that outlines the project’s objectives, goals, and scope, and helps to ensure everyone involved is on the same page.

A well-crafted project brief is essential for ensuring the success of your project. In this article, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide to help you create a project brief that will effectively communicate your vision to the IT consultants to whom you outsource your projects.

We’ve also included a free project brief template to help you get started. With this guide, you can easily create a clear and concise project brief that lays the foundation for a successful project.

What is a project brief?

The benefits of creating a project brief include ensuring a clear understanding of the project’s goals, objectives, and scope, creating a roadmap for the project’s development, and providing a foundation for project management.

Project briefs can be written by various people depending on the organization’s structure and project requirements. In some cases, project managers or team leaders may write a project brief. In other cases, a business analyst, a technical lead, or a subject matter expert may be responsible for creating the project brief.

The important thing is that whoever writes the project brief should have a clear understanding of the project’s objectives, goals, and scope, and be able to communicate them effectively to the IT consultant or the team.

5 steps to writing your project brief

1. Identify the problem or opportunity

The first step in writing a project brief is to identify the problem or opportunity that needs to be addressed. This section of the project brief should provide a clear and concise description of the problem or opportunity and explain how the project will address it. This should be done in broad strokes to provide a high-level overview of the project’s purpose and goals.

2. Define the project scope

The next step is to define the project’s goals and objectives. This section of the project brief should include a clear definition of the project’s scope, including its goals, objectives, and desired outcome. It should also outline the project’s deliverables and timelines, including all the tasks and activities that need to be completed to achieve the project’s goals.

3. Identify project stakeholders and team members

The third step is to identify key stakeholders and team members. This section of the project brief should identify all the key stakeholders involved in the project, including their roles and responsibilities. It should also outline the project team, including its members and their roles and responsibilities. This helps ensure that everyone involved in the project understands their role and responsibilities.

4. Define the budget and resources

The fourth step is to define the budget and resources needed to complete the project. This section of the project brief should include an estimation of the project’s budget and an explanation of the resources needed to complete the project, such as technology, staff, and materials.

5. Define the project plan and timeline

The final step is to define the project plan and timeline. This section of the project brief should include a detailed description of the project plan, including all the steps and activities needed to complete the project. It should also include a timeline for the project’s development, including key dates and milestones. A Gantt chart can be used to visually represent the project’s schedule.

Best practices for writing a project brief

To ensure a successful project, it is important to create a clear and concise project brief. Some best practices to consider when writing a project brief include:

Using a project brief template to ensure all the important details are included.

Clearly defining the project’s goals and objectives, as well as its scope and timeline.

Providing background information on the company’s mission and business objectives.

Including an executive summary or project summary that provides a high-level overview of the project.

Identifying key stakeholders and team members and defining their roles and responsibilities.

Creating a communication plan to ensure all stakeholders are kept up-to-date on the project’s progress.

Using bullet points and headings to make the project brief easy to read and navigate.

Including any project-related information that is important to the project’s success, such as key deliverables, major milestones, and budget and resource requirements.

Using a project management tool or Gantt chart to visually represent the project’s schedule and tasks.

It’s also important to keep in mind the target audience of the project brief. The brief should be written in a way that is easy to understand for all stakeholders involved in the project. It should not be overly technical, but rather focus on the broad strokes of the project and the desired outcome.

Project brief example

Let’s take a look at an example of an effective project brief for a ITIL service desk implementation:

Project name: ITIL service desk implementation

Project summary:

Goal: Implement ITIL-based service desk processes to improve IT service delivery, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce incident resolution time

Includes: Process design, tool selection and customization, and training

Project overview:

Description of current IT service delivery processes

Overview of the new service desk processes based on ITIL best practices

Description of the selected service desk tool and its customization

Explanation of the training program for IT staff and end-users

Project objectives:

Improve IT service delivery

Increase customer satisfaction

Reduce incident resolution time

Project scope:

Process design based on ITIL best practices

Selection and customization of the service desk tool

Training of IT staff and end-users

Project timeline:

Project kickoff: July 1, 2023

Process design phase: July 1, 2023 – August 31, 2023

Service desk tool selection and customization phase: September 1, 2023 – October 31, 2023

Training phase: November 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023

Launch: January 1, 2024

Project deliverables:

New ITIL-based service desk processes

Customized service desk tool

Training program for IT staff and end-users

Project budget:

$100,000 total budget

Breakdown of budget by phase

Stakeholders:

IT executives

IT staff

End-users

Team members and roles:

Project manager: responsible for overall project management and communication

IT process designer: responsible for designing new ITIL-based service desk processes

Service desk tool expert: responsible for selecting and customizing the service desk tool

Training specialist: responsible for developing and delivering the training program

Communication plan:

Weekly project status updates to all stakeholders

Monthly progress reports to IT executives

Bi-weekly meetings with project team members

This project brief provides clear and concise information about the ITIL service desk implementation project’s goals, requirements, and timeline. The use of sentence case makes it easy to read and understand the key points of the project brief.

Free project brief template

To download and access the template, you need to have a Google account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for free on Google’s website. Once you have a Google account you only need to click on Download and then click on Make a copy.

Fill in the form to download your free template now: