> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.forge.shieldtp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Scope and create a project

> Turn requirements, source files, templates, and prior work into a proposed project and work plan.

A strong project begins with explicit facts, constraints, assumptions, and unanswered questions. Forge can help organize that evidence and produce a first work plan without hiding the decisions a project owner must make.

## Gather the inputs

Collect the approved source material you have:

* customer request or discovery notes;
* statement of work or proposal;
* technical standards and account constraints;
* relevant files and diagrams;
* a suitable template;
* comparable completed projects;
* target dates, contacts, lead, members, and billing method.

## Create the project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Projects">
    Select **New Project**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the project properties">
    Enter the name, lead, account, contacts, members, type, billing method, start date, target date, and description that are known.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add source material">
    Choose useful templates or prior projects and attach supporting files. Prefer the smallest authoritative set.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tell Forge what to produce">
    In the prompt, state the outcome, hard constraints, required milestones, assumptions to validate, and the expected level of detail.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the creation path">
    **Create** invokes the agent to build the initial work plan. **Create without Agent** creates the project shell when you want to structure it manually.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review before committing">
    Check facts, hypotheses, unanswered questions, tasks, estimates, dependencies, owners, and exclusions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## A useful scoping prompt

> Build a proposed work plan from the approved statement of work and the attached discovery notes. Treat the statement of work as authoritative. Separate confirmed facts, assumptions, and open questions. Include customer responsibilities, internal review gates, rollback or recovery steps, and acceptance criteria. Flag anything that conflicts with the target date.

## Validate the first plan

Do not treat a generated plan as approved scope. Confirm:

* every deliverable traces to an approved requirement;
* exclusions have not reappeared as tasks;
* assumptions have an owner and validation step;
* estimates include coordination and validation work;
* dependencies are ordered;
* customer responsibilities and decision dates are visible.

Continue with [Manage a project](/projects/manage-project).