Life Cycle Phases

Planning Phase

1. Add more detail to the framework from phase I. 2. Create your project management plan and all subsidiary management plans for schedule, cost, quality, risk, resources, etc. 3. Provide quality estimates 4. Create each deliverable 5. The project management plan will be presented for approval 6. At the end of this phase, you'll have your project baselines for scope, time, and cost 7. Once reviewed and approved, you'll start doing work in the next phase

Close/Transition Phase

1. Project closure is not a milestone or moment in time - it is a phase 2. The project must be shut down - meaning finishing up paperwork and drafting the final project report 3. Make sure the client is content with project deliverables 4. Create final reports and assemble other documents that need distribution or placement in your project notebook 5. Close out contracts 6. Obtain final payment and disburse funds to vendors 7. Disband the project team 8. Celebrate and recognize team members 9. Project closure and documenting lessons learned -- a. Project closure is needed because until a project is closed, you won't have the bandwidth to take on new projects. And b. We can't make the determination if the project was a success or failure until we can first call it closed. 10. There is a successful transition of all project deliverables to their permanent home

Project Life Cycle Facts

1. Project life cycles may have more than four phases 2. Project phases may be sequential or overlap 3. Regardless of the phase-to-phase relationships, there needs to be controls in place (phase gates)

Implementation/Execution Phase

1. The largest amount of effort is expended during this phase 2. If you encounter problems, don't panic 3. Exercise proper control, use the project management tools and techniques effectively, you can determine what's wrong and get your project back on track 4. Top management must provide continuing support throughout this phase 5. Role definition and authority in the project must be clear. The project team must be well-organized and trained to work together as a team 6. Consult with customers to ensure they are satisfied with the project's progress 7. Stick to your plans regarding communication, reporting, exercise a high level of scope control. This will help you move successfully towards the fourth phase.

Initiate and Define Phase

1. The pre-project phase 2. Once it's clear that the project has merit, the project is further defined ("Scoping the project") 3. "Defining" a project identifies a problem or opportunity, defines preliminary goals, states rough performance criteria, and describes assumptions and limitations 4. A needs assessment and either a feasibility study or business plan should be created before a project is formally initiated 5. The project charter is the document that initiates the project and occurs at the beginning of this phase 6. Once the project charter is approved, the team begins the scope-definition process to I.D. the project deliverables and exclusions 7. Conclusion of initiation phase: The project framework is built. There will be a phase gate at the end of this phase. You will present information and request approval to move to the planning phase.

Phase Gate

A review at the end of a phase in which a decision is made to continue to the next phase, to continue with modification, or to end a project or program.

Four Phases of the Project Life Cycle

Phase 1: Initiate (and define); Phase 2: Planning (plan the work); Phase 3: Implementation (do the work); Phase 4: Close and transition (completion and closure)

Project Business Documents

The business case and benefits management plan are considered Project Business Documents