A substantial amount of preliminary work is done before projects are officially initiated. In phase one, ideas are explored, refined and prepared for formal consideration. These activities take place between colleagues, managers, and peers to assess their feasibility and strategic alignment. 

Once sufficient information has been gathered and the idea is deemed ready for further evaluation, it must be submitted using the Project Request Form. This form captures basic project details and includes an initial impact classification. 

If the complexity level of the project is classified as high-impact, the project will require additional review and approval by the Executive Committee. If a distributed IT unit has idea that meets the defined project threshold, the IT Director should work with the Senior Director of Partnerships and Collaborations to sponsor the idea and help move through pre-initiation.