Pre-project
Work is identified, scoped at a high level, and estimated in order to win the work. This phase establishes initial assumptions, constraints, and risks, and the agreement that we can deliver the project for the available budget, with the understanding that real scoping and prioritisation will happen once the project starts.
Work enters this phase from one of two routes: an existing client request that has grown beyond support scope, or a new business opportunity pursued through a proposal or pitch. As a general rule, any support request exceeding 10 hours of effort, or involving design resource, should be treated as a project and follow this process.
In both cases, the Account Management team gathers initial client intent, budget expectations, timeline, and constraints before passing to New Work — so by the time Pre-project begins, that foundational information should already be documented. Routing through New Work at this stage is important: it keeps estimates realistic and consistent, avoids informal scoping being carried forward from support, and ensures all relevant data is captured in the CRM before any commitment is made. The Account Manager is responsible for initiating this handoff; they do not produce the estimate themselves.
The route determines who leads the phase, but the checkpoint criteria are the same either way. More information on AM Playbook - Handover Process
Roles
- Phase owner: Account Manager (if existing client) or New Work Team (new client)
- Informed: Projects Coordinator, PM (PM is named) and Project Sponsor
- Primary Client contact: Account Manager (if existing client) or New Work Team (new client)
Typical activities
- Tender responses, proposals, pitches
- High-level estimates and timelines
- Initial assumptions and constraints
- Early conversations with clients and stakeholders
- Log request in CRM
- Internal conversations to agree how to handle request and address contract phase
- Initial resourcing conversation
Deliverables
| Deliverable | Owner | Shared With | Format | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | New Work Team / AM | Client + Projects Coordinator + PM | Google Doc or PDF | At phase close |
| Statement of Work (draft) | New Work Team | Client + Projects Coordinator + PM | Google Doc or PDF | At phase close — unsigned. Full signing happens in contract or initiation phase (depending on whether the SoW replaces a formal contract for small work for existing clients) |
Templates
| Template | Owner | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Project proposal start kit template | New Work Team / AM | Internal |
| Lightweight project proposal template | New Work Team / AM | Both |
| Support project proposal template | New Work Team / AM | Both |
| Proposal estimation sheet – for estimating project phases and activities | New Work Team / AM | Internal |
| AC Presentation Deck A | New Work Team / AM | Client |
| AC Presentation Deck B (GCloud) | New Work Team / AM | Client |
Tools and platforms
- Google Docs / Slides — brief, proposals and presentations
- Google Docs — initial budget estimation
- Email / video call — client and stakeholder conversations
- Support system (if existing client) - early discussions on requirements
- CRM - [all comms with clients pre-win]
- Harvest
Checkpoint
-
Project objective is clear ↳ Required output: Proposal drafted, reviewed, and accepted by client
-
Budget and timeline are plausible ↳ Required output: High-level estimate documented
-
Key risks are visible ↳ Required output: Risk notes included in proposal
-
Project Coordinator and PM are informed ↳ Required output: Project Coordinator and PM understand project scope
-
Contract manager has required info to write contract ↳ Required output: Contract phase can kick off
If any of these is uncertain, we resolve them before committing further resource.
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