Functional Design Brief

The Project Team must develop a Functional Design Brief as part of Stage 2 – Prove to provide a detailed record of the project scope and support the Business Case.

Functional Design Brief

Overview of the Capital Framework and the key questions, activities and documents of each stage. The Functional Design Brief sits within Stage 2 - Prove of the Capital Framework and helps to answer the key questions of this stage: "What is the recommended project option? How well does it meet the service need, align with Government policy and optimise the balance between risk, benefits and cost? What is the proposed scope, budget and timeline?"

Tier requirements

The Functional Design Brief is mandatory for all projects, but to varying levels of detail.

The level of detail required in the Functional Design Brief is dependent on the project delivery experience of the Agency. For example, if the Agency has experience developing and procuring projects of similar scope and size, the Functional Design Brief may refer to those projects (or a more generic Functional Design Brief) and be less detailed. On the other hand, where Agencies have not developed or procured a similar project or are procuring a new type of project, they must provide a more detailed Functional Design Brief.

Purpose of this section

The purpose of this section is to support the Project Team in developing a Functional Design Brief. This document outlines the objectives and content to be included in the Functional Design Brief.

The Project Team should consult with MPC for clarification on the required contents of the Functional Design Brief where required (refer to Process of developing a Functional Design Brief section below).

Objectives of the Functional Design Brief

The objective of the Functional Design Brief is to present sufficiently detailed information in order to:

  • Describe in detail the project’s scope of works
  • Mitigate the risk of incomplete or inaccurate scope assumptions being used in Stage 3 – Procure and Stage 4 – Implement
  • Support the Business Case in demonstrating the project’s readiness to progress to Stage 3 – Procure and inform the preparation of the necessary procurement documentation
  • Form part of the Request for Tender documentation distributed to the construction and/or design team.

Generally, MPC will undertake the procurement on behalf of the Sponsoring Agency. For projects where another Agency undertakes the procurement, the Functional Design Brief must be sufficiently detailed to allow that Agency to prepare for procurement and to develop the associated procurement documentation.

Process of developing a Functional Design Brief

The Project Team should consult with MPC before developing the Functional Design Brief to determine the contents required. The contents may differ depending on the specifics of the project, Program or Precinct.

The Project Team must also give the delivery team⁠ (Footnote: The delivery team is the Project Team during Stage 3 – Procure and Stage 4 – Implement of the Infrastructure Investment Lifecycle. ) (which is generally MPC) the opportunity to comment on the Functional Design Brief after it has been developed. The delivery team should advise whether the Functional Design Brief is achievable and feasible within the proposed timelines and budget. The delivery team may also note any special policy provisions that may be applicable (such as carbon emissions requirements).

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