2.3.1. Domain Interactions: Initiation and Planning

💡 First Principle: The early phases of a project are characterized by a tight feedback loop where stakeholder needs define the initial approach, and early planning activities refine the understanding of value, team needs, and uncertainty.

Scenario: During project initiation, you identify a key stakeholder (Stakeholder Domain) who reveals a high degree of uncertainty about the final product (Uncertainty Domain). This directly influences your decision to select an adaptive lifecycle (Development Approach Domain) and to use rolling wave planning (Planning Domain).

This section details how performance domains interact during the early phases of a project.

Initiation:

• Stakeholder identification/analysis is paramount. Understanding who is affected shapes early direction. Initial Value concept defined (charter). Preliminary Uncertainty assessment occurs.
• Development Approach selected based on value, context, uncertainty. High-level Planning begins (charter, roadmap). Kick-off meetings occur. Team starts forming.
• Interactions: Stakeholder needs drive Value. Uncertainty influences Approach and Planning.

Planning:

• Planning becomes dominant: scope, schedule, cost, resources, risk, quality, comms plans. Component plans created. Stakeholder engagement plans refined.
• Team roles/charter established. Uncertainty analysis deepens (reserves). Measurement baselines established.
• Interactions: Dev Approach dictates planning style. Team capability influences estimates. Risk adds contingencies. Stakeholder input refines scope.

⚠️ Common Pitfall: Making a definitive choice on the Development Approach without first performing at least a preliminary analysis of Stakeholders and Uncertainty.

Key Trade-Offs:

• Speed of Initiation vs. Thoroughness of Analysis: Rushing through initiation to start "real work" can lead to a poorly chosen approach and misaligned stakeholder expectations, causing significant rework later.

Reflection Question: Provide an example of how an outcome from the 'Stakeholder' domain during initiation could directly impact every other performance domain.