An objective is the decision or result the decision-maker wants the project to achieve. Objectives are usually the result of trying to solve a problem or trying to take advantage of an improvement opportunity. Project objectives should always be reviewed with the managers who will approve the project. Assumptions are explicit statements used to describe the present and future environment. All assumptions must be identified and documented so the decision-maker realizes the basis for alternatives.
Constraints limit the scope and content of available alternative solutions.
Alternatives should satisfy the minimum requirement of meeting the stated objectives. There is rarely just one way to attain a given objective. For new development projects, a number of alternatives usually exist for meeting a set of information resource requirements, within defined constraints. For maintenance and enhancement projects, there may be only one alternative, or a much smaller range of options. In many cases, additional alternatives can be analyzed as changes to the current system.