Pre-Construction	Online Guide
		Endorse the Plan	Process
Activity:	Management Endorsement		Revision July 1, 2005
Description:	Endorsement is the process of gaining commitment to the successful execution of the Project Management Plan.  Management includes those individuals who have responsibility and authority for resources defined in the Project Management Plan. Gaining management’s understanding of the Project Management Plan, particularly resource requirements, assumptions, schedule, and issues, leads to gaining their commitment to the project. It also provides the baseline of understanding needed to balance their total resource requirements to avoid “over commitment.” The commitment of the management of all planned resources is essential to ensure that the right resources will be available when they are needed to support execution of the Project Management Plan.
Inputs:	· Project Management Plan
Tools:	· Management Endorsement Template · Sample Management Endorsement
Steps:	1. Identify the Required Endorsements Endorsement by management results in a specific commitment of support for the Project Management Plan and the resources necessary to successfully deliver it. This may include managers from specialty groups and/or other organizations. Endorsement is not a one-time occurrence for most projects. The project team should gain new endorsement any time there are major changes to the Project Management Plan—scope, schedule, budget, sponsor, or team members. · Review Region/Organization requirements for management approval and endorsement requirements. · Review the Project Management Plan and identify all organizational resources needed to complete the project. · Review the Baseline Performance Schedule and identify the timing and levels of involvement for resources. · Identify the appropriate management entities controlling all needed resources.
	2. Establish a Schedule for the Endorsement Process The commitment of the project team is required before the endorsement of management is sought. Obtaining management’s commitment as soon as possible will allow a smoother start to project delivery. The first choice is to obtain management endorsement in a meeting when all the necessary management staff can attend, discuss the required commitments, and share their observations on the Plan and its execution. If a meeting is not possible, management commitment is gained individually or in groups and the resulting endorsements are sent to all participating managers by memo.
	3. Obtain Management Endorsement The purpose of formal endorsement is to acquaint and inform the manager with the requirements, quantity, and timing for the resources being committed, and to document that commitment. It is highly recommended that documentation of the agreement be made and shared among managers and the team. The main consideration should be the level of commitment required and the need to document that commitment. The most direct method is to have the manager sign the Project Management Plan or the cover letter. Prior to the meeting, the Project Manager should have the following complete: · Coordination with support offices/organizations · Coordination with local agencies, cities, counties, police, emergency services, etc. · Team-endorsed Project Management Plan The endorsement meeting should be held as soon as possible after Team Endorsement. · Use the Project Management Plan as the structure for the meeting agenda.  · Discuss team mission; roles and responsibilities; schedule; and resources to complete major deliverables. · Discuss any outstanding issues. · Review Change Management, Risk Management, Communication, Quality, and Transition/Closure Plans.
Products:	· Endorsed Project Management Plan
Guidelines:	A rule-of-thumb is that those responsible for the resources should endorse the Project Management Plan. If higher levels of management commitment are needed, they should be identified by those committing the resources. Having managers visibly endorse the Project Management Plan is a team motivator – use it! Don’t let the endorsement process get stale. Make it part of the work planning process, not a separate task.