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Initiating Process ITTOs
References
Every project starts with alignment — not action.
Initiating Process Group – The Starting Point of Alignment
The Initiating Process Group contains the ITTOs that bring a project to life. This is where formal authorization is secured, and where key stakeholders are first identified. The ITTOs in this group aren’t about delivery — they’re about definition. They provide the structure and insight to answer two questions: What are we doing? and Who needs to be involved from the start?
This page explores the ITTOs for the two initiating processes — Develop Project Charter and Identify Stakeholders — and explains how each input, tool, and output supports early project alignment. You don’t need to memorize them. You need to see how they work together to create clarity, authority, and a shared foundation.
Develop Project Charter
This process produces the project charter, the artifact that gives the project manager authority and formally initiates the project. It captures high-level scope, goals, constraints, and sponsor alignment.
Inputs
- Business documents – business case and benefits management plan
- Agreements – contracts, statements of work, or other formal arrangements
- Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs)
- Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)
Tools & Techniques
- Expert judgment – sponsor input, domain expertise
- Data gathering – brainstorming, interviews
- Interpersonal & team skills – conflict resolution, facilitation
- Meetings – formal sessions to align with sponsors
Outputs
- Project Charter – defines purpose, authority, and high-level direction
This is the permission to proceed — without it, there is no project.
Identify Stakeholders
This process creates the stakeholder register, which maps who is impacted by the project, how much influence they have, and how they need to be engaged. It’s the social blueprint for success.
Inputs
Tools & Techniques
- Expert judgment
- Data analysis – stakeholder analysis, document review
- Data representation – interest grids, salience models
- Meetings – input from leadership, teams, and functions
Outputs
- Stakeholder Register – the living document of influence and engagement
Without knowing your stakeholders, your project will drift. This process gives you your map.
What to Watch For on the Exam
Initiating ITTOs won’t be tested as lists — they’ll show up as scenarios. Look for moments when:
- Work hasn’t started yet
- Authorization is unclear
- Stakeholder needs are emerging
- Definitions are still forming
That’s your cue: you’re in Initiating.
Questions Worth Exploring
- What risk emerges when stakeholder identification is skipped or rushed?
- What causes a project sponsor to reject a charter?
- How do OPAs influence both of these processes?
- In a scenario, how can you tell if a stakeholder register already exists?
Knowing these ITTOs means understanding how projects are born — and what happens if they start without alignment.