A Common Understanding 2025

Appendix 2 – Project Initiation Document

Project title

• Name of the project.

Background

• Briefly contextualise the background to the project, including why it is required.

Intended aims and objectives of the project

• Briefly contextualise the background, including why it is taking place with the aims and objectives. This can be outlined in bullet point form.

Expected outcomes of the project

• Set out outcomes in accessible, ideally bullet point form. Divide into predicted benefits for patients, the NHS, and the relevant industry partner.

Name of partner organisations

• A short description of the partner organisations involved in the project should be provided here, including their full addresses.

Name of representatives for each organisation

• List the accountable leads from each of the respective organisations, including their email addresses, job titles and full names.

Project start date

• Provide anticipated dates for the project’s initiation. It is advisable to use quarter dates to allow for a degree of flexibility when establishing a timeline for the project, such as Q4 2024.

Project completion date

• Please follow as above.

Exit strategy

• Set out a clear exit strategy to ensure that patient care is maintained to the highest level throughout and after the project. This section should also include an agreed process and timelines should it be necessary to terminate the project early.

1. Project organisational structure

Included here should be the organisational structure of the project as outlined below:

Stakeholders

• Include an explanation of all relevant stakeholders involved in the project. This should encompass individuals responsible for project sign-off, contract approval, and overall decision-making, as well as those designated as points of contact.

Risk management plan

• Include a short explanation of the plans in place to mitigate any risks associated with the project, such as capacity and any budgetary issues.

Project governance

• List the core members of the governance committee who will be responsible for delivery and oversight of the project, setting out clearly their responsibilities.

Project managers

• List the lead project manager involved in the project, with one name per organisation.

Project team

• List all members of the project team who will be involved in the day-to-day delivery and co-ordination of the project. Outline how the project reporting mechanisms will be developed and adhered to.

Project plan

• Set out the project plan, including how outcomes will be monitored, how data will be collected, activities, resources (including funding), and clear milestones.

References

• Include examples of any NHS policies that are relevant to the project.

2. Resources and costs

Overall cost of the collaborative-working project

• Include a simple headline figure, which should also consider VAT. This should include the projection of costs according to employee time and resource across healthcare organisations and industry partners.

Direct and indirect resources

• Provide details here of the resource commitment proposed by all partnering organisations. This should include any monetary funding as well as transfer of value.

Arrangements for longer term funding implications of project

• Describe the implications for sustainable support if the project continues longer term.

3. Data and patient protection

Ownership of data generated by the project

• In completing this section, note that data generated by the project will normally be held within the healthcare organisation. Access to new data arising from the project and shared by the healthcare organisation will be managed in a manner that retains full patient confidentiality.