How to write an executable technology partnership brief

Begin with the decision and its owner

State the decision the brief should enable: for example, whether to run a bounded discovery exercise, test an integration or prepare an operational evaluation. Name the person accountable for that decision. “Explore a partnership” is too broad to assign, measure or conclude.

Define the outcome and the boundary

Describe the problem in the setting where it occurs, the people affected and the observable change being sought. Record what is explicitly outside the exercise. A clear boundary prevents a promising technical demonstration from being mistaken for evidence that a wider service is ready.

Separate evidence, assumptions and unknowns

List the evidence available today and date it. Mark assumptions as assumptions and unavailable information as unknown rather than zero. If a capability is still being researched or developed, say so and define the evidence needed for the next decision. Our guide to research, development and operating capability provides a companion structure.

Turn dependencies into owned actions

For each work package, name the owner, required access, input and due date. Record who can approve a change and who needs to be consulted. Data access, security review, commercial terms and intellectual-property questions should be surfaced early enough to affect the plan, with specialist review where required.

Use evidence checkpoints, not activity alone

A meeting, prototype or integration is an activity. The checkpoint should say what evidence will be examined afterwards and what decision it informs. Agree conditions to continue, change direction or stop before the work begins. This protects both parties from treating momentum as proof.

A one-page brief

1. The decision being requested and the accountable owner.
2. The problem, intended outcome and people affected.
3. What is in scope, what is out of scope and the time boundary.
4. Current evidence with its date, plus assumptions and unknowns.
5. Work packages, owners, dependencies and access needed.
6. Milestones and the evidence that will be reviewed at each one.
7. Conditions to continue, change direction or stop.
8. The next action, its owner and its due date.

Keep supporting documents separate and link to them. Update the brief when evidence or ownership changes, preserving the date and basis of earlier decisions.