The Project Basis of Design
All changes commonly share a set of characteristics: a starting point, a journey and an end point. Projects have starting points, journeys and end points, and exist solely as a means of bringing about change. The ultimate objective is to deliver something which, firstly, closes the gap between an operational need and delivered capability, and which, secondly, didn't previously exist. There is always a point of departure, a period of transition and a resulting product . Like a journey which requires a map, changes require a plan. A design project's version of a plan is the basis of design. The project Basis of Design (BoD) or “design basis” is a baseline project document which establishes the framework for all decisions related to engineering design by outlining the founding principles and necessary assumptions. As a compendium of instructions, information, and data, it ascribes design references, describes the past design decisions already taken, proscribes potential choices th...