Client-side scoping and planning of IT projects
Requirements, plan, supplier dialogue and steering seen from the party who orders and will use the result.
Why the client side needs its own role
In an IT project the supplier has its skills and its interest in delivering what was agreed. The client needs to know what is needed, what it may cost, and whether what was delivered actually solves the problem. Many clients lack the capacity to hold that role in a project running alongside operations.
The role can be compared to an owner's advisor in construction: an independent party who looks after the owner's interests from need to handover.
From need to requirements and plan
The work starts by clarifying which problem is to be solved and who uses the result. Then come requirements that can be tested, a delimitation of what is in and out of scope, and a plan with phases, dependencies and decision points.
A good delimitation is the cheapest way to avoid paying for something nobody asked for.
Supplier dialogue and steering
The requirements are used in dialogue with suppliers: how to compare offers, what the agreement should say and how to follow up along the way. Within the project, steering is about watching progress, risks, changes and acceptance of deliveries.
The aim is that the client stays informed enough throughout to make good decisions, regardless of which system or supplier was chosen.
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