The project started because an executive said just do it. What should I establish first?
Unclear project justificationTurn the instruction into a short decision brief before making irreversible commitments. Confirm the problem, intended outcome, accountable sponsor, boundaries, and authority to spend.
What to do now
- Interview the sponsor about the problem
- Write one measurable outcome
- Compare doing nothing with two feasible options
- Approve the smallest justified next stage
When to escalate
Escalate when
No one will own the outcome or authorize the next commitment.
Who decides
The accountable sponsor
Example
An internal portal request becomes a two-week discovery exercise before the institution commits to a full rebuild.
Mistake to avoid
Treating an executive request as a complete business case.
Prevent a repeat
At each stage decision, check that the expected outcome, owner and justification remain valid.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Projects
- Documents
- Approvals
Keep the decision brief with the project and request a recorded sponsor decision before the next commitment. See the platform
Related cases
- The business case is already outdated before kickoff. What should happen?Stale investment rationale
- A mandatory project has no financial return. How do we justify it?Incomplete investment criteria
- Who should perform user acceptance testing?Unclear business verification ownership
- The team forgot recurring software and support costs. How do we correct the business case?Missing lifecycle costs