Project Brief Form for Financial Services

# Project Brief Form - Financial Services

## Purpose
Use at the start of every project to align all stakeholders on expectations before any work begins.

## When to Use
A project brief intake form capturing objectives, scope, budget, timeline, stakeholders, and success criteria to kickstart new projects effectively.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your financial services business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Asana or Monday.com)

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## Project Brief Form

**Purpose:** Align all stakeholders on project objectives, scope, budget, and timeline before any work begins, reducing misunderstandings and scope creep.

### Section 1: Project Overview
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| Project Name | Text | Yes | Min 3 characters, Max 80 | e.g., Website Redesign 2026 |
| Project Owner | Text | Yes | - | Person ultimately responsible for this project |
| Date Submitted | Date | Yes | Auto-populated | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Client or Stakeholder | Text | Yes | - | Internal department or external client name |
| Project Sponsor | Text | No | - | Executive or senior leader approving the project |

### Section 2: Background & Objectives
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| Background and Context | Textarea | Yes | Min 50 characters, Max 1500 | Explain the business context: why is this project needed now? What problem does it solve or opportunity does it address? |
| Project Objectives | Textarea | Yes | Min 30 characters, Max 1000 | List 3-5 specific, measurable objectives this project must achieve... |
| How does this align with business strategy? | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | Explain how this project supports broader business goals... |
| What happens if we do not do this project? | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | Describe the impact of inaction... |

### Section 3: Scope
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| What is IN scope? | Textarea | Yes | Min 30 characters, Max 1500 | List all deliverables, activities, and outputs included in this project... |
| What is OUT of scope? | Textarea | Yes | Min 10 characters, Max 1000 | Clearly state what is NOT included to prevent scope creep... |
| Key Assumptions | Textarea | No | Max 1000 characters | List assumptions that must hold true for the project to succeed... |
| Known Constraints | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | e.g., Regulatory deadlines, technology limitations, resource availability... |

### Section 4: Timeline & Milestones
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| Desired Start Date | Date | Yes | - | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Desired Completion Date | Date | Yes | Must be after start date | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Is this deadline fixed or flexible? | Radio | Yes | - | Fixed (regulatory or external) / Flexible (preferred but negotiable) |
| Key Milestones | Textarea | No | Max 1000 characters | List major milestones with target dates, e.g., Discovery complete by 15 April, Design approved by 30 April... |

### Section 5: Budget & Resources
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| Total Budget | Currency | Yes | Min $0 | $0.00 |
| Budget Approved By | Text | No | - | Name of budget approver |
| Budget Breakdown | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | e.g., Design: $5,000, Development: $15,000, Testing: $3,000 |
| Internal Resources Required | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | List team members and estimated time commitments... |
| External Resources Required | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | e.g., Freelance designer (40 hours), copywriter (20 hours) |

### Section 6: Stakeholders & Communication
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| Project Manager | Text | Yes | - | Name of the person managing day-to-day |
| Key Stakeholders | Textarea | Yes | Max 500 characters | List stakeholders with their role in the project (approver, reviewer, contributor)... |
| Decision Maker | Text | Yes | - | Who has final sign-off authority? |
| Status Update Frequency | Dropdown | Yes | - | Weekly / Fortnightly / Monthly |
| Preferred Communication Channel | Dropdown | Yes | - | Email / Slack / Project Management Tool / Meetings |

### Section 7: Success Criteria & Risks
| Field | Type | Required | Validation | Placeholder |
|-------|------|----------|------------|-------------|
| How will success be measured? | Textarea | Yes | Min 20 characters, Max 1000 | Define specific, measurable criteria that will determine if the project was successful... |
| Top 3 Risks | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | What could go wrong, and what is the impact? |
| Mitigation Strategies | Textarea | No | Max 500 characters | How will you manage or reduce these risks? |

### Submission
- **Button text:** "Submit Project Brief"
- **Confirmation message:** "Project brief for [Project Name] has been submitted. The project manager will review and schedule a kickoff meeting within 5 business days."
- **Notification:** Email project manager and sponsor, create project in project management tool, schedule kickoff meeting

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**Complexity:** intermediate | **Setup time:** 15 minutes | **Tools:** Asana, Monday.com, Notion

Note: This template has been tailored for financial services businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.