Need and value
- What evidence shows this problem is important enough to solve now?
- Who benefits first, and how will that benefit be measured?
- What happens if we do nothing for another year?
- Why is this proposal better than the least expensive alternative?
Feasibility, scope, and resources
- Which assumption is most likely to delay delivery?
- What expertise or dependency does the current team lack?
- What is explicitly outside the scope?
- How would the plan change with twenty percent less budget?
Risk and accountability
Answer with a decision-relevant fact, not another sales claim. Name the evidence, state the tradeoff, and make the next checkpoint visible. A credible proposal explains how uncertainty will be managed rather than pretending it does not exist.
- What are the earliest indicators that the project is failing?
- Who owns each major decision and escalation?
- What evidence is required before moving to the next phase?
- How will you protect the client if the expected result does not appear?