Instructional projects are balanced when the pieces come together at one time with the concurrent approval of all interested parties. The physical analogy of a tripod can serve to illustrate the interaction among three dimensions of all projects: content, or what the course will contain; form, or what the course will look like; and process, or how the course will be built. Content starts with a broad statement of training goals, and instructional objectives and course design narrow the focus of what will be presented to the students. Subsequent steps include the selection of examples, detailed course outlines, first drafts, content review, and editing. Form starts with a description of media alternatives available to the project. The media capabilities influence the instructional objectives. Decisions on screen design, page layout, writing standards, and editorial content affect development. Process starts with the assignment of responsibility to individuals with the skills and authority to manage the project. Workflow is influenced by content and form requirements. Tracking systems, templates, shells, and change control ensure the balanced interaction among all three dimensions. Each leg of the tripod represents one of the dimensions that must be balanced with the others in a successful project. The slope of each leg illustrates the rate of decisionmaking for each factor, and depends upon the number of decisionmakers, the frequency of work sessions, and the individual and collective experience in working with the selected media. A project is balanced when all decisions interact smoothly. This document consists of: (1) a description of the elements of a balanced project model; and (2) a number of charts and diagrams suitable for overhead transparencies that illustrate the value of the model in planning and managing successful projects. (Author/EW)