Project Naming Standards

Project names should be concise, follow a consistent format, and contain at least two (and usually three) key pieces of information. A project name should quickly inform any reader as to the overall purpose of the project.

Project Name Elements

Project names should follow the form of:

      {verb} {noun} [to | from | with | on {modifier}] [for {sponsor}]

Where:

{verb}	A directive indicating what action is being taken. Good verbs for project names include things like Develop, Obtain, Upgrade, Implement, Research, Rehost, Migrate, etc.
{noun}	The item or system being worked on as a result of the project. For example, System, Server, Web Site, SQL Server, Telephone System, Network Switch, etc. Note that the noun can be a single word or a noun phrase.
{modifier}	Further defines the relationship between the verb and the noun. Modifiers should be prefixed with a preposition such as “from,” “on,” “to,” “with,” etc. For example “to Version 2.1” or “with Oracle.” In rare instances, it may be necessary to use multiple modifiers (e.g., “to Version 2.17 from Version 2.12”), but this should be done by exception.
{sponsor}	Optional and should only be used to eliminate any confusion about the purpose of similar projects. For example if several projects are under way to upgrade servers from one OS to another but separate projects are being run for individual clients, the sponsor name should be included in each of the project names in order to tell them apart. The sponsor’s name should always be prefixed with the word “for.”

Other Considerations

Avoid using multiple verbs. Most projects involve more than one kind of activity and it is not necessary to mention them all in the project name. For example, a software development project might involve designing, developing, testing, and deploying business application software. All this activity can be summarized simply as “implementing” since the final outcome of the project will be newly implemented software.
In all cases, avoid abbreviations, jargon, and slang in project names. Keep in mind that everyone from the executive sponsor on the business side to the technical staff called on to implement the detailed tasks associated with the project will need to understand the name.
Under no circumstances should a person’s name be included in a project name. If the project sponsor needs to be included, use the department name rather than the individual person’s name.
Avoid using the words “old” and “new” since, by definition, most projects are implementing something “new” and most result in the elimination of something “old.”

Examples

The following are examples of project names that have been normalized using the conventions described above.

Original	Normalized
QuickTemp Rewrite	Rewrite QuickTemp
Greentree Web and Database Servers Upgrade	Upgrade Greentree Web and Database Servers
WSG - Migrate File Storage from NetApp to Windows File Server	Migrate File Storage to Windows File Server
Constituent Engagement Management System	Implement Constituent Engagement Management System
Kuali Coeus and Cayuse 424 System to System Integration	Implement Integration of Kuali Coeus with Cayuse 424 System
Kuali Coeus Conflict of Interest for Research	Implement Kuali Coeus Conflict of Interest for Research
Kuali Coeus Negotiations Module Implementation	Implement Kuali Coeus Negotiations Module
LAOHP Administration System	Implement LAOHP Administration System
Planning and Budget Scanning Project	Implement Scanning System for Planning and Budget
Office365 Email Migration - University Advancement	Migrate Email to Office 365 for University Advancement
New User Account Automation	Automate New User Account Creation
Border IDS / IPS Replacement	Replace Border Intrusion Detection and Prevention System
Enhance OR and GD VB6 apps to support MS Office 2013	Enhance VB6 Applications to Support MS Office 2013
Netreo Automation	Automate Netreo
Enterprise Data Center Firewall Consolidation Project	Consolidate Firewalls for Enterprise Data Center