Infrastructure Development Assumptions Log
This is a practical guide to building a assumptions log for an infrastructure development project — a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated, adapted to the realities of delivering large public or private infrastructure.
What a Assumptions Log is
A assumptions log is a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Assumption. On an infrastructure development project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for an Infrastructure Development project
Infrastructure Development projects live or die on delivering large public or private infrastructure. A well-built assumptions log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how infrastructure development projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Assumption
- Impact if wrong
- Owner
- Validation status
Infrastructure Development-specific considerations
Tailor the assumptions log to the risks that most often derail infrastructure development projects:
- Long lead times
- Permits and land
- Cost inflation over long horizons
Example
On a real infrastructure development project, the assumptions log would be shaped by delivering large public or private infrastructure. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — long lead times, permits and land, cost inflation over long horizons — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.