4.16 Project Transition Letter (PTL)

---

This letter is meant to describe the transition of a project from the planning phase to the tracking phase. Remember, work will still continue on the project, but the SPMO is basically beginning the process of tracking such work at this stage of the game. Software developers are now busy developing, test plans are being written, and so on. All project baseline schedules have been set in stone at this point. Every group working on every facet of this project has been given hard target dates to meet for the project to be delivered on time. This letter should be drafted by the Project Manager, and it should dictate the specific activities involved in tracking the project from this point forward.

This letter signifies the completion of the Initiation, Planning, and Design Phases of the SEP process. Project development activities will transition from the Core Team to the development group headed by <insert Team Lead name here>. This transition requires Project Sponsor approval before the project can continue to the next phase in the SEP process. This document must be reviewed by all affected parties or their representatives and signed to signify approval. A sample letter is shown below.

  Project Transition Approval Signoff    I have reviewed the deliverables and documents associated with  this phase and verify that all necessary work has been com- pleted. I further understand that work will transition from the  planning and design phase to the build/development phase. I  hereby authorize work to begin with the next phase of the  project.   Core Team Member Name and Title:   _______insert name here__________    Sponsor Name and Title:    _____<insert project sponsor name here>__________    Signed: ______________________________________    Date: ___________    CC: <insert name of all parties affected here> 

At this stage, all the hard work in preparation, planning, and design by everyone involved in the project has been completed. The work that has been completed has been reviewed and approved by the Project Sponsor and reviewed by all interested parties. A formal transition of the work effort has been made, and the development work begins in earnest. In the next chapter, we cover the construction phase of the SEP and examine all the tasks required to take a well-conceived concept from paper to reality.

---