Terms of reference

Terms of reference (TOR) define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal.[1][2]

Terms of reference show how the object in question will be defined, developed, and verified. They should also provide a documented basis for making future decisions and for confirming or developing a common understanding of the scope among stakeholders. In order to meet these criteria, success factors/risks and constraints are fundamental. They define the:

  • vision, objectives, scope and deliverables (i.e. what has to be achieved)
  • stakeholders, roles and responsibilities (i.e. who will take part in it)
  • resource, financial and quality plans (i.e. how it will be achieved)
  • work breakdown structure and schedule (i.e. when it will be achieved)

TORs could include:[3]

  • success factors, risks and constraints.

Although the terms of reference of a project are sometimes referred to as the project charter,[4] there are significant differences between the two. This article describes a TOR containing detailed definitions, while a project charter has high-level requirements, assumptions, constraints and descriptions as well as a budget summary without detail, and a milestone-only schedule.[5]

  1. ^ ANSI (2013). PMBOK Guide, 5th Ed (5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. p. Section 4. ISBN 978-1-935589-67-9.
  2. ^ Love, Arnold J. (1991). Internal Evaluation: Building Organizations from Within. Applied Social Research Methods. Vol. 24. SAGE. p. 47. ISBN 9780803932012. Retrieved 2016-06-26. The diagnosis phase should end with the drafting of a Terms of Reference (TOR). The TOR is a detailed written description of the specifications for the evaluation.
  3. ^ "What is a Terms of Reference?". pmtips. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  4. ^ "Definition: Terms of Reference". 2017.
  5. ^ Project Management Institute (2013). "4". A Guide To The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Project Management Institute, Inc. ISBN 978-1-935589-67-9.