The first order of business for a new project is usually a scoping exercise, so that there’s a common understanding of the problem to be tackled and the space around it.
There are lots of approaches and templates for doing this. Here’s a version that many consultants use when kicking off a new project, and that I continue to use to this day.
It has seven parts:
Basic question to be resolved. This is by far and away the most important thing to nail down. Work on it until it’s clear to everyone, and make sure your articulation is SMART.
Context. Recent developments, facts and trends that are pertinent to the work.
Success criteria. What good looks like, framed in terms of outcomes. When you see these you’ll know it’s mission accomplished.
Scope. Think of this as defining the project’s universe. For example, perhaps it’s focused on specific geographies, markets or product features.
Constraints. Any hard limits on the solution set. Knowing these early is important to avoid wasting time later; they can be external (e.g. the law requires XYZ) or internal (e.g. we can’t do ABC).
Key stakeholders. The critical people you need to pay attention to, typically your most powerful advocates and strongest detractors.
Sources of insight. The places you’ll go for data and evidence to inform the work. This is often reference sources, but can also include subject-matter experts.
Try to involve everyone on the project team when putting this together. It typically takes an hour or so for a first pass that’s good enough, and the output should fit on a single screen / side of paper. Good luck!