Project Identification

Once strategic direction is determined, tactical or shorter term goals are determined.

These shorter term goals will support the long-term, strategic plans. Projects to accomplish these tactical goals are identified and prioritized. As those on the planning team complete the strategic plan and business architecture, they begin to see where the major problems are with the organization and where the biggest opportunities lie. These areas are where projects are often identified and outlined. BAs can assist in this project identification by examining the business architecture and strategic plan. They can help stakeholders by suggesting manageable-size projects.

Project initiation

Ideally, a PM and BA are assigned to each project at its inception. The two highly skilled professionals work together to assess the project request, talk with the sponsor to understand the objectives, and bring the team to consensus about the scope of work to be done.

Realistically, there may be one person playing the role of the PM and BA or one of the roles may be assigned to the project before the other. Business analysis professionals must be very flexible and be able to come onto a project at any point. If you have a PM, work with him or her to scope the project. If you do not have a PM, be sure to initiate the project as a PM would, in addition to scoping the analysis work.

Naming the Project

Although most organizations put little effort into naming projects, a project name is actually very important. Think about projects that you have worked on. What did their names really mean? Did the name clearly describe the work that was done or was it the acronym for the software system being installed? Typically, projects are named by IT because IT initiates or owns them. When the IT department has already decided on the solution (and that solution is software), it names the project for the software. IT people love acronyms and clever naming schemes for projects.

BAs should help to adjust this thinking by influencing project naming when possible. The owner of a project is actually the sponsor and the business unit(s) for which the work is being done. The name should reflect the business’s understanding of the project. In addition, since the goal is to analyze and understand the problem/opportunity and business before recommending a solution, the project name should reflect that goal. Name the project with a clear business name that describes the problem to be solved, the opportunity to be capitalized on, or the area to be analyzed. The name should have meaning to the business stakeholders and allow others in the company to also understand its purpose. Table 3.3 lists some examples of project names.

Table 3.3: Examples of Project Names
Poor Project Name	Better Project Name
SAP Financials Implementation	Standardize Accounting Practices
CMRS (Corporate Meeting Room System)	Manage Meeting Room Usage
CCS (Call Center System)	Call Center Process Improvement