Template IDK-06, version 1.0. Phase: All phases.

How to use this template

Part A (terms of reference) is written once, during Initiate Project, and approved at the first steering group meeting.
Parts B to E are reused for every meeting: standing agenda, status report, key design decision paper (one per decision), minutes.
The two project managers prepare the pack together and send it [agree in project] before the meeting. A steering group that reads papers at the table decides badly or not at all.
Replace every [bracketed field]. Delete rows marked Example: once you have your own.
A pack is done when each decision requested is stated as a question the steering group can answer with yes, no, or a choice between named options.

Template metadata
Field	Value
Template ID	IDK-06
Phase	All phases
Owner	Customer project manager and supplier project manager (joint)
Approver	Steering group chair (executive sponsor)
Qualification gate	Project Initiated (terms of reference approved); used at every gate for the status report and gate decision
Version	1.0

Document control

Version	Date	Author	Change	Approved by
0.1	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[name, role]	Terms of reference drafted
1.0	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[name, role]	Terms of reference approved	[steering group chair]
[meeting no.]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[names]	Pack for steering group meeting [no.]

A1. Purpose

The steering group is accountable for the money spent and for the work as a whole. It connects the project to the business and is the only body that can change scope, plan or budget.

A2. Responsibilities

Monitor the project against its objectives and benefits.
Approve the project strategies (testing, training, communication, data, infrastructure, business change, legacy decommissioning).
Decide key design decisions brought by the project managers.
Authorise or reject changes to scope, plan and budget, including every modification and integration.
Set priority against competing initiatives and resolve resource conflicts.
Approve each qualification gate and release the next phase.
Act as visible champions of the project in their own business areas.

The steering group does not manage the project day to day. That is the project managers' job.

A3. Members

Name	Role in the company	Role in the steering group	Deputy allowed
[name]	[title]	Chair, executive sponsor	No
[name]	[title, supplier]	Supplier sponsor	[yes/no]
[name]	[head of business area]	Member, represents [area]	[yes/no]
[name]	Customer project manager	Reports, no vote	No
[name]	Supplier project manager	Reports, no vote	No

Members are senior representatives of the business areas most affected. Membership is a commitment of time: [agree in project] per meeting, plus reading the pack.

A4. Working rules

Rule	Agreement
Meeting frequency	[agree in project], plus one meeting per gate. All dates booked at project start.
Quorum	[agree in project]. The chair must be present for a gate decision.
Pack distribution	Sent [agree in project] before the meeting
Decision method	[consensus, chair decides if none]
Decisions between meetings	[written procedure, for example by email with chair confirmation, recorded in the next minutes]
Minutes	Issued within [agree in project], with owned and dated actions
Extraordinary meeting	Called by the chair on request of either PM when a decision cannot wait

#	Item	Lead	Purpose
1	Minutes and open actions from last meeting	Chair	Confirm, close actions
2	Status report (Part C)	Both PMs	Inform; questions
3	Top risks and issues, escalations	Customer PM	Decide on escalations
4	Key design decision papers (Part D)	Paper author	Decide
5	Change requests for authorisation (IDK-07)	Both PMs	Authorise or reject
6	Benefits and business readiness	Executive sponsor, change lead	Review
7	Gate readiness, or gate decision when due (IDK-08)	Both PMs	Decide at gate meetings
8	Summary of decisions and actions; next meeting	Chair	Confirm

Meeting: [no.] Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Reporting period: [from] to [to] Current phase: [phase] Next gate: [gate], planned [YYYY-MM-DD]

C1. Summary

Dimension	Status	Trend since last report	One-line explanation
Schedule	[green/amber/red]	[better/same/worse]	[explanation]
Budget	[green/amber/red]	[trend]	[explanation]
Scope	[green/amber/red]	[trend]	[explanation]
Resources	[green/amber/red]	[trend]	[explanation]
Solution quality	[green/amber/red]	[trend]	[explanation]
Business readiness	[green/amber/red]	[trend]	[explanation]

Green: on baseline. Amber: off baseline, recovery plan owned by the PMs. Red: off baseline, steering group decision needed.

C2. Progress against plan

Workstream	Planned for this period	Achieved	Not achieved, and why	Planned for next period
Example: Procurement and inventory	Solution workshops for requisition approval and receipt with putaway; draft guides	Both workshops held; requisition approval rules decided and recorded in the Book of Rules	Receipt guide not drafted: functional lead absent, no deputy	Draft receipt guide; first scenario test run with end-user permission sets
Example: Data migration	Second load of suppliers and parts	Load completed in Data Migration Manager; rejected records listed by cause	Duplicate suppliers still present in source	Cleansing of duplicates by procurement; third load
[workstream]	[planned]	[achieved]	[gap and reason]	[next]

C3. Milestones

Milestone	Baseline date	Forecast date	Status	Comment
[milestone]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[done / on track / at risk / late]	[comment]

C4. Budget

Cost element	Baseline	Approved changes	Actual to date	Forecast to complete	Variance	Comment
Supplier services	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[comment]
CRIM allowance	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[comment]
Contingency	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[amount]	[comment]
[element]

C5. Top risks and issues

ID	Risk or issue	Rating or priority	Owner	Response and progress	Help needed from the steering group
Example: R-102	Warehouse roles defined late; acceptance test may run with broad permission sets	Major	Technical analyst, security	Draft roles ready for review; process owner review outstanding	Warehouse manager to release a reviewer this period
[ID]	[description]	[rating]	[name]	[progress]	[request or none]

C6. Decisions needed today

#	Decision requested	Paper or change request	Recommended by PMs	Consequence of no decision
Example: 1	Approve option B in decision paper KDD-03 (one requisition authorisation rule set for both companies)	KDD-03	Option B	Prototype approval moves; gate Solution Confirmed at risk
[n]	[decision as a yes/no or choice question]	[reference]	[recommendation]	[consequence]

C7. Gate readiness

Gate: [gate name]. Planned decision date: [YYYY-MM-DD]. Detail in the gate checklist (IDK-08).

Checklist items	Complete	In progress	At risk	Not started
Count	[n]	[n]	[n]	[n]

Items at risk:

Item	Reason	Owner	Recovery action	Forecast
[item]	[reason]	[name]	[action]	[YYYY-MM-DD]

C8. Benefits and business readiness

Benefit (IDK-02)	Owner	Still achievable as planned	Comment
[ID, benefit]	[name]	[yes / at risk / no]	[comment]

Change management check, reported by the change lead: change plan with owners [yes/no], organisation design adjusted to new capabilities [yes/no/in progress], policies and procedures being updated [yes/no/in progress], user advocacy activities running [yes/no].

One paper per decision. Keep it short enough to be read before the meeting; detail goes in an appendix.

Paper ID: KDD-[nn] Title: [decision in one line] Author: [name, role] Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Decision needed by: [YYYY-MM-DD]

D1. Context

Item	Content
Process area and process	[for example: procurement, purchase requisition approval]
What needs deciding, as a question	[question]
Why it cannot be decided inside the functional team	[for example: affects more than one business area, needs a modification, changes policy]
What the functional team, the solution architect and the PMs concluded	[summary of steps already taken on the change control ladder]
Constraints	[legal, audit, contractual, timing]

D2. Options

	Option A: [name]	Option B: [name]	Option C: [name]
Description	Example: Keep two authorisation rule sets, one per company, using standard configuration	Example: One rule set for both companies; company B changes its approval policy	Example: Modification to route approvals by a custom rule
Uses standard functionality	Yes	Yes	No
Advantages	[pros]	[pros]	[pros]
Disadvantages	[cons]	[cons]	[cons]
Impact on scope, schedule, cost	[impact]	[impact]	[impact]
Impact on CRIM and on future service and release updates	[impact]	[impact]	[impact]
Impact on data, training, testing	[impact]	[impact]	[impact]
Business change required	[impact]	[impact]	[impact]

Doing nothing is always listed as an option when it is possible.

D3. Recommendation

Item	Content
Recommended option	[option]
Reasoning	[why, in business terms]
Who supports it	[functional team lead, process owner, solution architect, PMs]
Dissenting view, if any	[who and why; stated fairly]

D4. Impact of the recommendation

Area	Impact	Owner of follow-up
Baselines (scope, schedule, cost)	[impact; change request reference if any]	[name]
Book of Rules and process model	[sections to update]	[name]
Policies and procedures	[documents to update]	[name]
Communication	[who must be told, by whom]	[name]

D5. Decision

Decision	Date	Decided by	Conditions
[option approved / rejected / returned for more work]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	Steering group, meeting [no.]	[conditions]

Meeting: [no.] Date, time, place: [details] Chair: [name] Minutes by: [name]

Present	Apologies	Deputies
[names]	[names]	[name for name]

E1. Decisions

#	Decision	Reference	Conditions
Example: D-07	Option B of KDD-03 approved: one requisition authorisation rule set for both companies	KDD-03	Head of procurement updates the approval policy for company B before acceptance test
[ID]	[decision]	[paper, change request, gate]	[conditions]

E2. Actions

Every action has one owner, present in the meeting or informed the same day, and a date.

#	Action	Owner	Due	Status
Example: A-21	Release a warehouse reviewer for the permission set review	Warehouse manager	[YYYY-MM-DD]	Open
[ID]	[action]	[name]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	[open / done / overdue]

E3. Notes

Agenda item	Key points discussed
[item]	[points, short]

Next meeting: [date, time, place]. Pack due: [YYYY-MM-DD].

Approval

Terms of reference (Part A):

Name	Role	Date	Signature
[name]	Chair, executive sponsor (customer)	[YYYY-MM-DD]	______________________
[name]	Sponsor (supplier)	[YYYY-MM-DD]	______________________
[name]	Steering group member, [area]	[YYYY-MM-DD]	______________________

Minutes of meeting [no.] (Part E):

Name	Role	Date	Signature
[name]	Chair	[YYYY-MM-DD]	______________________

Independent template aligned with the IFS implementation methodology. Not an official IFS document. IFS is a registered trademark of IFS AB.

Marketplace

Steering Group Pack Template (IDK-06)