How do you decide whether a brand-new project idea is worth the time, money, and effort before you commit to full-scale planning? That's the problem Starting Up a Project Process solves. For the PRINCE2F exam, this is crucial because it's the very first process in the PRINCE2 method, and exam questions love to test whether you understand that this process happens before the project is formally authorised — not after.
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Before you can start renovating a house, you must first decide if the project is even worth doing. That cause-and-effect relationship is exactly what Starting Up a Project Process handles: you evaluate the initial idea before committing any serious resources.
Imagine you are thinking about renovating your kitchen. You don't immediately hire builders, buy marble countertops, or demolish walls. Instead, you first check your budget, look at the current kitchen layout, and talk to a few contractors to get rough cost estimates. You also jot down what you want — new cabinets, an island, better lighting — and write a quick note about why you're doing this: to increase home value or just to have a nicer space to cook. You might even pick a person from your family to be the main decision-maker, so everyone doesn't keep changing their minds.
This initial planning phase is chaotic and informal. But you do it to avoid wasting time and money later. If you skip this step, you could end up halfway through demolition before discovering the plumbing is ruined, or that you can't afford the fancy tiles. In PRINCE2 language, this is the Starting Up a Project Process — a structured, short phase that takes a vague idea, checks if it's viable, and decides whether to proceed to the actual detailed planning. It does not produce a full project plan; it produces just enough information to decide if the project should be started at all.
Starting Up a Project Process (often abbreviated as SU) is the first process in the PRINCE2 project management method. It is triggered when someone — typically senior management or a customer — has an idea for a project and wants to know if it is feasible. The process exists to prevent organisations from wasting resources on projects that are doomed from the start.
PRINCE2 defines a project as a temporary organisation created to deliver one or more business products according to an agreed business case. The Starting Up a Project Process is the initial step that creates the foundation for that temporary organisation. It happens very early, before the project board (the group of key decision-makers) officially authorises the project. This means no major work or spending happens until the project is deemed viable.
Here is what the process aims to achieve, broken down into its objectives:
Ensure that the project idea is viable and worthwhile — that it has a clear justification in terms of costs, benefits, and risks.
Appoint the project manager (the person who will run the project day-to-day) and the project board members (the executives, senior users, and senior suppliers who make high-level decisions).
Create a clear, high-level outline of what the project will deliver (called the project product description) and why it is needed.
Identify any key constraints, such as the budget limit, a fixed deadline, or mandatory quality standards.
Decide whether the project team has the necessary skills and resources available.
Produce a short document called the project brief, which summarises all this information and is used to request formal authorisation to proceed.
Document lessons from previous similar projects (this is recorded in the lessons log) to avoid repeating past mistakes.
During Starting Up a Project, you do NOT create a detailed plan. That happens later in the Initiating a Project process. The output of Starting Up is essentially a proposal for permission to proceed. If the project board says 'yes', the project moves to the next phase. If they say 'no', the project is cancelled before anyone spends significant money or time.
Key activities inside Starting Up a Project include:
Appointing the project manager and project board. The project manager is the first person appointed because they will help gather the initial information. The project board includes the executive (who owns the business case and represents the organisation), the senior user (who represents the people who will use the final product), and the senior supplier (who represents the team that will build the product).
Capturing previous lessons. The project manager looks at what went well and what went wrong in past projects. This is recorded in the lessons log, a simple document that will be updated throughout the project.
Designing and appointing the project management team. This means defining roles and responsibilities beyond just the board members — for example, team managers, project assurance roles, and change authority.
Preparing the outline business case. This is a rough version of the business case — not the detailed one. It answers: 'Why are we doing this project? What are the expected benefits? What will it cost roughly? What are the main risks?'
Creating the project product description. This is a high-level description of what the project will deliver. For a software project, it might say 'a mobile banking app that allows users to check balances and transfer money'. It does not include technical specifications — just enough to understand the scope.
Evaluating the project approach. The team must decide how the project will be delivered — build it in-house, hire a contractor, buy an off-the-shelf product, etc. This is documented as a project approach statement.
Planning the initiation stage. Even though the main plan is not yet created, the project manager creates a simple plan for the next process — Initiating a Project — so the board knows what resources are needed just to get to the full planning stage.
At the end of Starting Up a Project, the project manager presents the project brief to the project board. The board then makes a decision: 'Authorise Initiation' or 'Do not proceed'.
The entire process is designed to be quick — often a few days or weeks, depending on the project size. It is deliberately lightweight because its purpose is to filter out bad ideas early, not to produce exhaustive documentation. PRINCE2F exam questions often test that this process happens before the project is formally initiated and that its main output is the project brief, not the detailed project plan.
Receive the Project Mandate
The process begins when someone with authority (like a senior executive) provides a project mandate — a brief document describing the project idea, its objectives, and any known constraints. This is the trigger for starting up the project.
Appoint the Project Manager and Project Board
The project manager is appointed first to coordinate the initial work. Then the executive, senior user, and senior supplier are identified and asked to form the project board. Without these roles, no authorisation can happen.
Capture Previous Lessons
The project manager reviews lessons from past projects (or the corporate lessons database) and records relevant ones in the lessons log. This helps avoid repeating mistakes and encourages good practices.
Prepare the Outline Business Case
A rough version of the business case is created. It estimates costs, identifies expected benefits, outlines risks, and explains why the project is needed. This is not detailed — it is just enough to decide whether to proceed.
Create the Project Product Description and Evaluate the Project Approach
A high-level description of what the project will deliver (the project product description) is written. The team also decides how to deliver it — for example, build in-house, outsource, or buy a standard product. This is documented as the project approach.
Plan the Initiation Stage
A short, specific plan is created for the initiation stage only. It lists the activities, resources, and time needed to produce the full project initiation documentation. This plan helps the board decide if the initiation stage is worth funding.
Compile the Project Brief and Request Authorisation
All the above information is assembled into a single document called the project brief. The project manager presents it to the project board, who then decide whether to authorise the initiation stage or reject the project.
An IT professional, say a project manager at a medium-sized retail company, receives an email from the head of marketing. The marketing head has an idea: 'We should build a customer loyalty app that gives points for every purchase. It will increase repeat sales by 20 per cent.'
The project manager does not immediately start creating Gantt charts or assigning developers. Instead, the PM begins the Starting Up a Project Process.
First, the PM identifies the potential project executive — probably the company's chief financial officer (CFO) — and asks if they are willing to be the executive. The PM also reaches out to someone from the marketing team (senior user) and the head of IT (senior supplier). These three people will form the project board if the project goes ahead.
Next, the PM checks the lessons log from previous projects. They find that three years ago, the company tried to build a similar app but failed because the developers didn't communicate with marketing. The PM notes this lesson so the board can learn from it.
Then, the PM writes a one-page outline business case. It includes a rough cost estimate (say £500,000), expected benefits (extra £2 million in revenue over two years), and key risks (competitors launching similar apps; data privacy laws). The PM also creates a project product description: 'A mobile app for iOS and Android that lets customers earn, track, and redeem loyalty points using a QR code at checkout.'
The PM evaluates the project approach. Building the app in-house would take too long with the current team, so the PM recommends hiring an external development agency. This decision is documented.
Finally, the PM writes a simple plan for the initiation stage — basically, a list of activities needed to produce the full project plan: 'Hire a business analyst for two weeks, run three workshops with marketing, and request quotes from three development agencies.' The estimated cost for initiation is £20,000.
The PM compiles all this into a project brief and presents it to the project board. The board meets, reviews the brief, and decides: 'Yes, this looks promising. We authorise the initiation stage with the £20,000 budget. Proceed to create the detailed plan.'
If the board had said 'no', the project would have stopped right there — no money wasted on developers, no contracts signed, no features designed. The project manager would have archived the brief and moved on.
This scenario shows exactly what an IT professional does with Starting Up a Project: they serve as a gatekeeper, doing just enough work to determine if the idea is worth pursuing. They do not build anything. They only investigate, document, and recommend.
The PRINCE2F exam tests Starting Up a Project Process in a very specific way. First, you must know that this is the first process — it happens before the project is formally authorised. A common trap question asks: 'When does Starting Up a Project occur?' Wrong options include 'during the initiation stage' or 'after the project is approved'. The correct answer is always 'before the project board authorises the project'.
Second, the exam loves to test the difference between Starting Up a Project and Initiating a Project. These are two different processes that beginners often confuse. Remember: Starting Up creates the project brief; Initiating creates the project initiation documentation (PID). Starting Up asks 'should we even start planning?'; Initiating asks 'here is the detailed plan, do we proceed?'
Here are the specific concepts you need to memorise for the exam:
The main output of Starting Up a Project is the project brief. Not the business case (that is detailed later), not the project plan (that comes in Initiating).
The process is triggered by a project mandate — a high-level document from senior management or the customer that outlines the initial idea. The project mandate is the input to this process.
The process appoints the project manager and the project board members, but it does not appoint the entire project team. The team is appointed later.
The outline business case created here is a draft. The full business case is developed during Initiating a Project.
Lessons log is started here. It is a simple list of lessons from previous projects. It gets updated throughout the project.
The process includes planning the initiation stage — a small, detailed plan just for the next stage. The main stage plan is created later.
Risk assessment is done at a high level here. Detailed risk identification and analysis happen in the next process.
Exam question patterns to watch for:
'Which document is produced during Starting Up a Project?' The answer is almost always 'project brief' or 'outline business case'.
'What is the purpose of the Starting Up a Project process?' The answer is to determine if the project is viable and to appoint key roles, not to manage delivery.
'Which roles are appointed during this process?' Project manager, executive, senior user, senior supplier. Not team managers or project support — those come later.
'True or false: Starting Up a Project creates a detailed project plan.' False — that is a classic trap.
Key definitions to memorise for the exam:
Project mandate: the trigger for Starting Up. It is a brief document describing the project idea.
Project brief: the output of Starting Up. It contains the outline business case, project product description, project approach, and initiation stage plan.
Outline business case: a preliminary version of the business case with rough cost-benefit estimates.
Lessons log: where lessons from previous projects are recorded.
Initiation stage plan: a short plan describing how the Initiating a Project process will be carried out.
The exam expects you to know that Starting Up a Project is a pre-project process. It is not a stage. The project does not formally begin until the project board authorises initiation. If you keep this timeline clear in your head, you will answer most questions correctly.
Starting Up a Project is a pre-project process that happens before the project is formally authorised by the project board.
The main output of Starting Up a Project is the project brief, not the detailed project plan.
During this process, the project manager and project board members (executive, senior user, senior supplier) are appointed.
An outline business case is created with rough cost estimates and benefits; the detailed business case comes later in Initiating a Project.
The lessons log is started in this process by capturing lessons from previous similar projects.
Starting Up a Project is triggered by a project mandate from senior management or the customer.
A high-level risk assessment is performed, but detailed risk management happens later.
The process includes planning the initiation stage, which is a short plan for the next process only.
These come up on the exam all the time. Here's how to tell them apart.
Starting Up a Project
Happens before the project is authorised, as a pre-project process.
Produces a project brief with an outline business case.
Appoints the project manager and project board members.
Includes a high-level risk assessment, not detailed analysis.
Initiating a Project
Happens after authorisation, as the first management stage.
Produces the project initiation documentation (PID) with a detailed business case.
Does not appoint the board; it is already in place.
Includes detailed risk identification and response planning.
Project Brief
Produced during Starting Up a Project.
Contains an outline business case, project product description, and initiation stage plan.
Is a short, high-level document used to decide whether to proceed with planning.
Does not include detailed schedules or budgets.
Project Initiation Documentation (PID)
Produced during Initiating a Project.
Contains the full business case, detailed project plan, risk register, and quality plan.
Is a comprehensive document used to manage the entire project.
Includes detailed schedules, budgets, and resource allocations.
Project Mandate
Provides the initial idea and high-level objectives.
Is created by senior management or the customer, not the project manager.
Often very brief — just a few paragraphs or a single page.
Project Brief
Contains the initial investigation results and viability assessment.
Is created by the project manager during Starting Up a Project.
Is more detailed — includes outline business case, product description, and approach.
Mistake
Starting Up a Project is the same as the initiation stage.
Correct
Starting Up a Project is a pre-project process that happens before any formal stages. The initiation stage is a distinct management stage that follows once the project board authorises the project to proceed.
The names sound similar — both involve 'starting' and 'initiating' — so beginners assume they mean the same thing. PRINCE2 deliberately separates them to ensure a viability check happens before any significant resource commitment.
Mistake
During Starting Up a Project, you identify all project risks in detail.
Correct
Only a high-level risk assessment is done. Detailed risk identification, analysis, and response planning occur later during the Initiating a Project process, when more information is available.
Beginner candidates think risk management must be comprehensive from the start. In reality, you do not have enough detail at the Starting Up stage to identify specific risks. The exam tests this distinction frequently.
Mistake
The project manager should not be appointed until the project is fully authorised.
Correct
The project manager is appointed during Starting Up a Project, before authorisation, specifically to help gather the information needed for the project brief.
It seems counterintuitive to appoint a manager before the project is approved. But PRINCE2 says someone needs to coordinate the initial investigation, and that person is the project manager.
Mistake
Starting Up a Project produces a full business case.
Correct
It produces only an outline business case with rough estimates. The detailed business case is developed during Initiating a Project, after a go-ahead decision has been made.
Candidates think 'business case' means the same thing at both stages. The key is to remember the word 'outline'. The exam uses the phrase 'outline business case' to signal which process is being described.
Mistake
The project board does not exist until after the project is initiated.
Correct
The project board is appointed during Starting Up a Project. Without a board, no one can authorise the initiation stage. The board's appointment is one of the first activities.
It feels logical that the decision-making body should be formed after the project is approved. But PRINCE2 requires the board to be in place to make the approval decision itself.
Reveal each answer, then mark whether you got it right. Score 60%+ to unlock the next chapter.
Starting Up a Project is a pre-project process that decides if the project idea is viable. It produces a project brief. Initiating a Project is the next process that creates a detailed plan and full business case, producing the project initiation documentation (PID).
The project manager is appointed by the person or group who provides the project mandate — typically a senior executive or the corporate programme management office. The project manager is the first person appointed so they can help gather information.
The main documents are the project brief (which includes the outline business case, project product description, project approach, and initiation stage plan) and the lessons log. No detailed plans are created.
Yes, absolutely. The whole purpose of this process is to filter out projects that are not viable. If the project board decides the outline business case is weak or risks are too high, they can reject the project before any significant money is spent.
No. PRINCE2 considers Starting Up a Project a pre-project process, not a management stage. Management stages are time-boxed sections of the project that occur after the Initiation stage. Starting Up happens before the project is formally initiated.
A project mandate is the initial trigger for the project. It is a high-level document from senior management or the customer that describes the project idea, its objectives, and any known constraints. It is the input to the Starting Up a Project process.
You've finished Starting Up a Project Process. Continue through the PRINCE2F study guide to build a complete picture of the exam.
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