Assumptions
The Assumptions module gives you a structured register for logging, tracking, and validating the assumptions your project depends on. An assumption is something you believe to be true — about the project environment, stakeholder behaviour, resource availability, or external conditions — that has not yet been confirmed.
Unvalidated assumptions are a common source of project risk. Making them explicit means they can be tracked, owned, and challenged before they become issues.
The Assumptions register
Navigate to a project and click Assumptions in the sidebar to open the register. Each assumption shows:
- Ref code — unique identifier (e.g.
A-001) - Title — short description of the assumption
- Confidence — how confident you are the assumption is correct (High, Medium, Low)
- Owner — who is responsible for validating it
- Status — current lifecycle stage
- Quality Score — how well-documented and actively managed the assumption is
Assumption fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Short, clear statement of what is assumed to be true |
| Description | More detail about the assumption |
| Assumption statement | A formal "We assume that…" statement for governance purposes |
| Confidence level | High / Medium / Low — how confident you are this assumption holds |
| Impact if false | What happens to the project if this assumption turns out to be wrong |
| Validation action | What you will do to confirm or disprove the assumption |
| Validation date | When validation is due |
| Owner | Person responsible for validating the assumption |
| Category | Classification from your organisation's configured list |
| Source | Where the assumption originated (e.g. a stakeholder, a document) |
Status workflow
Assumptions move through three statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | The assumption is active and needs monitoring or validation |
| Paused | Validation is temporarily on hold |
| Closed | The assumption has been validated, disproved, or is no longer relevant |
Constraint and dependency flags
An assumption can be flagged as:
- Constraint — the assumption represents a fixed boundary the project must work within
- Dependency — the project depends on this assumption being true in order to proceed
These flags are visible in the register and help prioritise which assumptions to validate first.
Escalated assumptions
Assumptions that require senior attention can be marked as Escalated. Escalated assumptions appear with a visual indicator in the register.
Quality Score
Each assumption has a Quality Score measuring how well-documented and actively managed it is. A well-governed assumption has a clear title, a stated impact if false, an owner, a validation plan, and a review date. The Quality Score updates as fields are completed.