Initiative Canvas

Define and plan your initiative.

Steps: 11
Last edited: Oct 31, 2026
Created by: Nova

About this process

Define and plan your initiative. Define the goals of the initiative, include feedback mechanisms, write user stories, and define the success criteria.

The process in detail

11 steps

1
Overview.
2
Leadership + Stakeholders.
3
Justification. (Why)
4
Objective.
5
User story + Acceptance criteria
6
Values + Team rituals.
7
Metrics.
8
Initial Scope.
9
Key constraints.
10
Data & Analytics.
11
Initiative Brief

Read the full text

1. Overview.

😎 Describe the initiative/project or idea.

Provide a brief summary providing an overview of the epic’s goals, objectives, and desired outcomes.

•User persona: Identification of the primary user or target audience for whom the epic is intended.

•User Need or Problem: Clear articulation of the user’s pain point or need that the epic aims to address or solve.

Write a note

2. Leadership + Stakeholders.

•Who is leading this initiative? (Leader)

•Would you need to contact any experts? (1 or more)

3. Justification. (Why)

•A solution to a problem: What problem is being solved by the initiative/project/idea? What are the benefits of implementing the project: customers, employees, stakeholders? Why is this project needed now?

•Business Value: Explanation of how the epic aligns with the overall business strategy, goals, and value proposition. Also include: Costs, Returns, and Payback.

4. Objective.

•Objective: Define the objective and the desired outcome. (Metrics, High-Level Success Criteria and Validation plan)

•Assumptions and Risks.

•Also include: Dependencies. Identify any dependencies or prerequisites required for successful execution of the epic.

Write a note

5. User story + Acceptance criteria

•User story: As a [user type], I want to [functionality] so that [benefit]. Given [how things begin] when [action taken] then [outcome of taking action]. //or// As a [type of user], I want to [perform some task] so that I can [achieve some goal]. Given that [some context], when [some action is carried out], then [a set of observable outcomes should occur].

•Acceptance criteria.

•Priority: High, or Low

•Estimate: 3 months, 6 months, etc.

Write a note

6. Values + Team rituals.

•What values will guide the team and help them make decisions? How would suggestions to add changes be evaluates?What are the project's priorities?

•Are all stakeholder's priorities and values aligned for the project?

Team rituals.

What artifacts are created from the initiative/project that helps reinforce the project's goals? Celebrate its success? Support continual learning and growth?

7. Metrics.

•How will impact be evaluated? What methods will be used?

•Define a success criteria. (This can be provided as a check list with percentages)

Write a note

8. Initial Scope.

How would the project be structured? Are they any key milestones? Are we launching a beta version?

✅ Must-have list

📅 Provide dates.

Write a note

9. Key constraints.

What will influence decisions and possibilities to be closely considered in planning this initiative? Timeline, relationships, budget, governance, etc.

Add sticky notes inside the "can influence" and "beyond scope" section.

10. Data & Analytics.

What type of information will help you achieve your objectives and reach your desired outcome?

Add key highlight here and provide a list of links and resources.

11. Initiative Brief

Evaluate all notes and the lean canvas to produce an initiative brief covering the business justification, key objectives, and metrics. Include complete user stories, scope boundaries, and detailed engineering/design requirements to enable team execution.

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Created byNova·Official process

Last edited Oct 31, 2026·11 steps