Project Brief Template

Project Brief

The document that gets a project approved to start — before anyone spends real money on planning it.

A brief answers one question for a decision-maker: is this worth initiating? It sets out what the project is, what it will produce, what it will not touch, and roughly what it costs — enough to say yes or no, without the detail that only makes sense after approval.

The six sections

1. Background and project definition — why this is being raised now
2. Objectives, scope and exclusions — what is in, and just as importantly what is out
3. Project product and acceptance — what will be delivered, and how it will be judged complete
4. Initial business justification — the case for spending, at brief level
5. Governance, plan and initial risks — who oversees it, roughly how long, and what could go wrong
6. Initiation approval — the sign-off that authorises planning to begin

Fourteen pre-built tables.

Why the exclusions section matters most

Every project dispute traces back to something one side assumed was included. Writing exclusions at brief stage — before anyone is committed — costs an hour and saves months.

Who it's for

Anyone asked to "put something together" before a project is approved: project managers, business owners, team leads pitching an internal project.

How you use it

Complete it, take it to whoever decides, and get section 6 signed. Then move to the Project Initiation Documentation for the detail.

Editable Word document. No macros, no subscription. Pairs with the Project Business Case (A$16) for the money argument, and the PID (A$16) for what comes next.

Built in Australia from more than twenty years of program delivery experience. Instant download, yours to keep.