Define Your Project

Before a project can begin, we must define it. The 5 things that help define a project include:

1. A single goal or purpose
2. At least one champion whose is responsible for seeing the project through from inception to completion
3. Uses one or more exit criteria that defines when the project has completed and measures success
4. One or more stakeholders that drive the exit criteria
5. Milestones that divide the project into manageable portions for tracking

To help you get started, here is an example for a project that I managed for my church IT ministry:

Project Goal: Install wireless in the coffee bar
Champion: Mike, Executive Director
Stakeholders: Mike (Staff), James (IT leader), Phil (network security)
Exit Criteria: 1) Wireless is free and publicly available, 2) Wireless coverage extends inside and on the front deck, 3) Firewall prevents browsing of inappropriate content, 4) Staff can perform daily functions, 5) Network does not compromise the private office network
Milestones: 1) Basic Wireless w/ firewall inside and out, 2) Activate content filtering, 3) Verify staff functions available

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