This project decision making model is a variation of the one used by the US Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile organization which, in the 1950s and 1960s, pioneered many of project management concepts and theories we use on a daily basis. 

In the ICBM organization's thinking, three factors went into a PM's decision making:

• Option A - What is the ideal solution?
• Option B - What is an intermediate solution
• Option C - What is the status quo?

(Among the enlisted personnel in the unit, we called this the "gimme three options" method of decision making after we heard that command so many times from colonels and generals!)

Over the years, I added to this model to adapt it to the various project situations I was involved in, especially those where decisions had to be made which affected scope, schedule or resources.  (Yes, the Triple Constraints Theory really lives in the real world of business!).  In practical terms, you can add additional intermediate options as you see fit in a given situation.

If you think this model would help you, click on this link for a copy in MS-Word format.

This article appeared in the Dayton-PMI Chapter Newsletter.  Click here to download a copy in Adobe Acrobat format.