Notice: applying this to your agency.
The IT Project Resources are not meant to replace your agency’s internal project management practices or prescribe how you must operate. Instead, they offer concepts and tools that can strengthen delivery by providing a scalable framework for project level coordination. All project documentation should be maintained throughout each stage in alignment with agency policies and, where applicable, WaTech requirements and oversight expectations.
Stage 1 establishes the structural and operational foundation required for successful project execution. It formalizes governance, defines lifecycle standards and aligns resources, impacted groups, and funding strategies with agency and enterprise goals. It ensures the program and/or project readiness to transition from concept to implementation with confidence and oversight alignment.
For initiatives affecting external customers, agencies must ensure that customer‑centric planning and scoping are embedded from the outset. End‑user needs, informed by business feedback cycles, should directly shape solution design and create meaningful opportunities to improve the customer experience across the program or project.
For Programs
For programs that include agency-led sub-projects, Stage 1 is especially critical. It ensures that all Agency sub-projects are: Strategically aligned with the overarching program goals. Coordinated across agencies with clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting expectations. Traceable and integrated into the enterprise implementation schedule. Supported by consistent governance and communication protocols. Accountable to shared milestones and oversight checkpoints.
For Projects
During Stage 1, the project develops key planning documents, activates governance protocols, and confirms readiness for execution. These activities ensure that the project is:
- Clearly scoped and traceable to approved business outcomes
- Supported by committed resources and defined roles
- Governed by a structured decision-making and escalation framework
- Aligned with WaTech oversight requirements and reporting expectations
- Transparent to impacted groups through a documented communication strategy
WaTech policy requires that certain projects complete formal intake, activate governance, and submit foundational planning documents before advancing to implementation. These include the Project Charter, Project Management Plan, Funding Strategy, and Governance Structure.