BOSCARD

The BOSCARD is a strategic planning tool used in project management to give the Terms of reference for new projects. It is believed to have originated with consulting company Capgemini in the 1980s.

The acronym stands for background, objectives, scope, constraints, assumptions, risks and deliverables. These headings are typical in terms-of-reference and project initiation documents.

• Background
  • Reasons for undertaking the project
  • Target project benefits
  • Identities of the main project stakeholders
• Objectives of the project - can be guided by goal setting criteria (or rules) such as SMART criteria.
• Scope - in-scope and out-of-scope items
• Constraints of the project
  • High level Budget constraints and spending authority
  • The time required to produce a deliverable vs. time limit
• Assumptions - all factors that are, for planning purposes considered to be true
• Risks identified early on (A risk management plan should be part of the overall project management plan)
• Deliverables
  • Key elements of the solution required to produce to achieve the stated objectives.

See also

• Project management triangle
• Project planning