Once you have written your project objective, resist the temptation to fall into a solution purely through habit. Rather, take the opportunity to consider alternative approaches before you begin to spend money and time. Decide on the best way of delivering the benefits. Project options represent possible lines of attack to be taken in solving the fundamental problem the project is designed to solve. You should try to evaluate their relative attractiveness by comparing them according to various selection criteria. These could include:

• Timeliness
• Cost Technology
• Cultural
• Acceptability
• Strategic Value

While this evaluation can be done by listing the options vertically in a table, scoring them in relative terms according to these criteria and identifying the one with the highest score. Preferably, they should be compared by means of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a method discussed elsewhere in these articles, this being one of many applications for such prioritisation in the context of project management.

Options must not only be considered. They must be shown to have been considered. Therefore list them as part of the project definition documentation, with reasons given for the selection of one and the rejection of the others. Note that the various options are ultimately characterised by different project deliverables. That is, once you have selected an option, you have identified the type of work that will be required on the project.