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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can identify the user requirements and constraints of a project and use these to develop project documentation.

      Key learning points

      1. A project brief is analysed to determine what the project is about and what needs to be completed.
      2. User requirements are the features or outcomes the client expects from the project.
      3. Project documentation can be used to set out what you hope to achieve during a project.

      Keywords

      • Feasibility report - a document used in project management that assesses whether a project can be completed successfully

      • Project brief - this determines what the project is about and what needs to be completed

      Common misconception

      You cannot prevent things from going wrong in a project.

      Things can be done to prevent negative things happening during a project - these are called mitigations.

      Teacher tip

      It may be helpful to have printed versions of the Project Brief ready prior to the lesson as this would support students who wish to highlight or add notes to a physical copy.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Arrange the stages of the project life cycle in the correct order.

      1 - initiation
      2 - planning
      3 - execution
      4 - evaluation

      Q2.
      What do we call the features or outcomes the client wants from a project?

      Correct Answer: user requirements

      Q3.
      Why is it important to analyse the project brief at the start of a project?

      to skip planning
      to hire more people
      to increase the budget
      Correct answer: to understand what must be completed

      Q4.
      Which of the following is an example of a project constraint?

      Correct answer: fixed deadline
      unlimited budget
      flexible requirements
      extra resources

      Q5.
      Which stage of the project life cycle comes directly after planning?

      Correct Answer: execution

      Q6.
      Which of the following best describes the purpose of copyright?

      to allow anyone to use creative work freely
      Correct answer: to protect the rights of creators over their original work
      to prevent anyone from making new content
      to make all information public

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the main purpose of analysing a project brief?

      Correct answer: to understand what the project is about and what needs to be done
      to choose team members
      to write a report
      to create a budget

      Q2.
      What are user requirements in a project?

      the project’s budget
      the team’s preferences
      Correct answer: the features or outcomes the client expects
      the name of the project

      Q3.
      What is the term for an action or strategy put in place to reduce the impact of a potential problem in a project?

      Correct Answer: mitigation

      Q4.
      Which document is used to check whether a project is practical and achievable?

      Correct Answer: feasibility report

      Q5.
      Arrange these steps in the correct order for starting a project.

      1 - Analyse the project brief.
      2 - Identify user requirements.
      3 - Check feasibility.
      4 - Develop project documentation.

      Q6.
      Why is project documentation important throughout a project?

      It replaces the project brief.
      It is only used at the end.
      It is optional.
      Correct answer: It provides a record of decisions and plans.

      To help you plan your 11 computing lesson on: Start your own project, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...