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project-proposal.md

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════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ DCP — DOCUMENT CONTEXT PROTOCOL

Document Type: Project Proposal Audience: Leadership, project sponsors, resource approvers Confidentiality: [Specify: Internal / Confidential]

Review Checklist: □ Problem statement is specific and evidence-based — cites data, user feedback, or business metrics, not just intuition □ Success metrics are measurable and time-bound — each one can be evaluated with a concrete number at a specific date □ Resource requirements are realistic — headcount, budget, and tooling are estimated based on comparable past work, not wishful thinking □ Risks are identified with likelihood, impact, and specific mitigations — not a generic list of things that could go wrong □ Timeline includes milestones with deliverables, not just an end date □ Stakeholders are identified by name and role, including who has veto power □ Alternatives were considered — the proposal explains why this approach was chosen over at least one other option □ Dependencies on other teams or projects are called out with their status □ Exit criteria are defined — what would cause the project to be stopped or descoped, and who makes that call □ The ask is explicit — what approvals, resources, or decisions are needed and from whom

Drafting Standards:

  • Open with the ask and the problem — do not bury the request after three pages of background
  • Use tables for resource and timeline summaries
  • Quantify impact in business terms: revenue, cost savings, user adoption, risk reduction
  • Keep the main document to 3-5 pages; put detailed analysis in appendices
  • Write for a reader who is smart but not close to this domain — provide enough context to evaluate the proposal without prior knowledge
  • Avoid vague benefit statements ("improve efficiency") — attach numbers or explain why numbers are not yet available

Policy Check: Before reviewing this document, verify that the embedded policy is current if a policy server is available. ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

[PROJECT NAME]
Proposed by: [Name, Title]
Sponsor: [Name, Title]
Date: [Date]
Status: [Draft / Submitted / Under Review / Approved / Declined]

The Ask

[In 2-3 sentences, state what you are requesting. Be specific: funding amount, headcount, timeline, approvals needed. Name the decision-maker.]

Problem Statement

[In one paragraph, describe the problem this project addresses. Cite specific evidence: metrics, user feedback, incident data, competitive pressure, or regulatory requirements. Explain the cost of not acting.]

Proposed Solution

[In 1-2 paragraphs, describe what you propose to build or do. Keep it high-level — enough detail for a decision-maker to understand the approach without reading a technical spec.]

Success Metrics

Metric Current State Target Measurement Method Timeline
[What you will measure] [Baseline] [Goal] [How measured] [When]

Scope

In Scope

  • [Specific deliverable or workstream]
  • [Another deliverable]

Out of Scope

  • [What this project deliberately does not include, and why]

Timeline and Milestones

Milestone Deliverable Target Date Dependencies
[Phase 1] [What is delivered] [Date] [Blockers or prerequisites]
[Phase 2] [What is delivered] [Date] [Blockers or prerequisites]
[Launch] [What is delivered] [Date] [Blockers or prerequisites]

Resource Requirements

Resource Quantity Duration Estimated Cost
[Engineering headcount] [FTEs] [Duration] [Cost or "existing headcount"]
[Infrastructure] [Details] [Duration] [Cost]
[External vendor/contractor] [Details] [Duration] [Cost]
Total [Total cost]

Risks and Mitigations

Risk Likelihood Impact Mitigation
[What could go wrong] [High / Medium / Low] [High / Medium / Low] [Specific action to reduce risk]

Stakeholders

Name Role Responsibility
[Name] [Sponsor / Approver / Contributor / Informed] [What they do in relation to this project]

Alternatives Considered

[Alternative A]

[What it is, estimated cost, and why it was not chosen. Be honest about tradeoffs.]

[Alternative B]

[What it is, estimated cost, and why it was not chosen.]

Exit Criteria

[Under what conditions would this project be stopped, paused, or significantly descoped? Who makes that decision? What signals would trigger a reassessment?]

Appendices

Appendix A: [Detailed Analysis, Research, or Supporting Data]

[Put anything that supports the proposal but is too detailed for the main document here.]