This stage is refereed to as the scope development phase or select or concept development stage. IPA refers to it as the Scope Development Phase. The beginning of this phase is defined as the formation of a project team (can be two to three people) that will start to develop both the business objectives and project scopes for a given business opportunity. The key deliverable at the end of FEL 2 is the selection of one single project scope that is the best for the given business opportunity.
During the FEL 2 stage, many teams develop multiple alternatives that meet the business opportunities. However, it is important to understand that at the end of FEL 2, the project gatekeepers must identify and choose only one of the alternatives to develop during FEL 3. In addition to selecting one alternative, it is important that the following are outlined for the final alternative chosen to allow the project to utilize the next stage effectively:
The end of FEL 2 occurs when one alternative is selected and the business has decided to spend the necessary money to develop the project scope, schedule, and estimate further.
IPA offers several different products and services for projects that have entered or completed FEL 2, including Overall Assessments, Specialized Analyses, and Project Planning Assistance, as shown below:
Pacesetter
Provides the project team with an early interpretation of the drivers and expected outcomes and offers recommendations to sucessfully complete the definition phase
Team Functionality Assessment
Helps project teams understand if the team is working well together and if the project team members perceive they have the basis to function effectively to deliver the project
Early Cost Benchmarking
Calculates industry average cost and schedule benchmarks for a given project scope
FEL Workshop
Aids companies in achieving Best Practical definition at authorization, which leads to more-effective projects