The project brief gives us a high level-view of the project but doesn't give us the real information that we need to manage a project. There is a lot beneath the surface that needs to be exposed so that we truly understand what matters to the client. We do this by conducting a planning workshop. This planning workshop is based on the Rapid Planning Workshop created by Rob Thomsett (http://www.thomsett.com.au) and adjusted for content management projects.
The objectives of the planning workshop are as follows:
Define success
Determine Project Scope and Objectives
Define objectives, outputs, and outcomes
Define quality
It may seem strange to define success. You'd think that delivering what the client wants on time and on budget would be considered success and it would, but there are other ways to achieve a successful outcome. Each client will have their own idea of success. One client may be willing to sacrifice features for a quicker delivery, another may be happy to extend...