Project Life Cycle

The life cycle is the Key factor that uniquely distinguishes projects from non-projects. The project life cycle defines the beginning and the end of a project and the various milestones associated with it. Although every project has definite planned start and end dates, the deliverables vary across projects.

As part of the PMP Exam Prep series, I had published an article on Project Lifecycle which is still very valid for the PMI ACP Exam as well. So, I would suggest you revisit the page and understand the details because I am going to skip the core details that are already covered there. Click here

The project life cycle provides the basic framework for managing a project, regardless of the specific work involved. In general, a project life cycle refers to a logical sequence of activities undertaken to accomplish goals or objectives. 

According to the Project Management Principles outlined by PMI, every project would have 5 different stages or phases in the Projects Lifecycle. They are:

1. Initiation

2. Planning

3. Execution

4. Monitoring & Control

5. Closing

Trivia: Some people use the terms Project Life Cycle and Project Management Lifecycle interchangeably. Even though PMI Defines a Project to have the above 5 different life cycle stages, its more from a Project Management Stand point. So, a Pharmaceutical project could easily just have 3 Phases – Research, Develop and Sell but each of these Phases would require proper planning, execution and closure which is where Project Management comes in… 

CHARACTERISTICS OF A TYPICAL PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

The following are some of the salient characteristics of a project life cycle:

1. Cost and staffing are low at the beginning of the project.

2. Stakeholder influence is high at the start of a project.

3. Uncertainties are also high at the start of a project.

4. The ability to influence the final outcome characteristics of a project without impacting the cost is high at the start of a project

5. The likelihood of a project not being completed at all is highest in its initial stages. 

As the implementation of the project matures and recognition of its perceived value to the organization increases, risks and uncertainties that were associated with the project during initiation decline.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROJECT PHASES

Projects are generally so complex and ridden with uncertainties that they are divided into Phases. At the end of each phase we expect a set of deliverables. Also, the skill sets needed and cost associated with each of these phases is very different. 

You may be wondering why I am talking about Relationship between these Project Phases (Or Lifecycle stages). Most people feel that these phases happen one after the other and often ignore the other types of relationships they could actually have with one another. 

Sequential relationships – This is the simplest Relationship type and also very common. In projects whose phases bear a sequential relationship with each other, a subsequent phase starts only when the implementation of its immediately preceding phase is complete. This project life cycle model is called a waterfall model because, like flow of water in a waterfall, the implementation of a project is carried out phase by phase, from top to bottom; for example, the completion of the requirement phase precedes the start of the design phase.

Overlapping relationships – In projects whose phases bear an overlapping relationship with each other, a subsequent phase starts even before implementation of its immediately preceding phase is complete; for example, coding might actually begin before Design is complete or Testing might begin before Coding is fully Complete. Waterfall model with feedback is an example of overlapping relationships. Sashimi model, and V model are also examples of overlapping relationships

Iterative relationships – In projects whose phases bear an iterative relationship with each other, at any given point in time, implementation of only one phase is planned, and if required, the same phase is executed again, depending on outcomes; for example, requirement analysis alone may be executed many times over until the requirement has been clearly defined. This project life cycle model is also called the RUP, spiral model.

Phase transition stages are convenient and appropriate points to update baselines, conduct senior management reviews, and evaluate project costs, quality requirements, and schedules, as it indicates the end of particular types of work like requirement gateway, design etc. Specialist review can be conducted at the end of the phase as this point determines whether we can take the project forward or not, and what actions are required to bring the project back to control.

A project completion phase is also called a phase exit. Exit criteria entail getting an acceptance from the customer, called sign-off.

Prev: What is a Project? 

Next: Project, Program and Portfolio Management

PMI ACP Certification Study Home Page

Chapter 39: Summary - Project Management Framework

1. Project - Temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
2. Progressive elaboration - Developing in steps and continuing by increments; it’s a characteristic of projects.
3. Project life cycle - Phases that connect the beginning of a project to its end; project life cycle phases are not the same as project management processes.
4. Level of uncertainty - This is highest, and risk of failure is greatest, at the start of a project.
5. Ability of stakeholders to influence project - This is highest at the start and gets progressively lower as the project continues.
6. Cost of changes and correcting errors - These increase as the project continues.

Prev: Chapter 38

Next: Chapter 40

Project Framework

The Following are the important themes you must remember about the Project & Organizational frameworks

1. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. (Any activity that does not have an end date cannot be a project, no matter how unique it could be)
2. A program is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way. This coordination cannot be obtained if they are managed individually.
3. A Project may or may not be a part of a Program but a Program will always have projects.
4. A Portfolio is a collection of Projects and Programs that help an organization achieve its strategic business objectives
5. Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.
6. A deliverable is a tangible, verifiable work product. Even the Project Management Plan and other documents created during the life of a project are considered deliverables.
7. The PMBOK project management process groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing.
8. Project management processes can repeat within the project lifecycle, and they generally repeat with each project phase.
9. The three organization types are functional, matrix (weak, balanced, or strong), and projectized. (Projectized is the best form of organization for a PM and Functional the worst)
10. As an effective project manager, you are expected to be a good manager and a good leader. (Leading by example is the best way to motivate and manage your team)
11. The “triple constraint” paradigm is used to show the effects that competing demands can have on a project. Any change to the Scope or Time or Cost of a project will invariably affect the other two and also the overall project quality.

Other PMI Themes:

General PMI Themes
Project Initiation
Project Planning
Project Execution
Project Monitoring & Controlling
Project Closure
Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Chapter 4: Project Life Cycle

Aim: To Describe the Project Life Cycle

The project manager and project team have one shared goal: to carry out the work of the project for the purpose of meeting the project’s objectives. Every project has an inception, a period during which activities move the project toward completion, and a closure (either successful or unsuccessful). Taken together, these phases represent the path a project takes from the beginning to its end and is generally called the project life cycle.

The project life cycle is often formally divided into phases that describe common activities as the project matures. The activities near the beginning of a project look different from activities closer to the end of the project. Most projects share activity characteristics as the project moves through its life cycle. You might see several questions on the exam that ask you to compare different phases in a project’s life cycle. In general, here are the common comparisons of early and late project life cycle activities:

• The least is known about the project near its beginning. As the project matures, more is learned about the project and the product it produces. This process is called progressive elaboration. As you learn more about the project, all plans and projections become more accurate.
• The level of uncertainty and risk is the highest at the beginning of a project. As more is learned about the project and more of the project’s work is completed, uncertainty and risk decreases.
• Stakeholders assert the greatest influence on the outcome of a project at the beginning. After the project starts, the stakeholder influence continually declines. Their influence to affect the project’s outcome is lowest towards the end of the project.
• Costs and personnel activity are both low at the beginning of a project, are high near the middle of the project, and tend to taper off to a low level as the project nears completion.
• The cost associated with project changes is at its lowest point at the project’s beginning. No work has been done, so changing is easy. As more and more work is completed, the cost of making any changes rises.

One of the more important relationships to understand throughout the project life cycle is the relationship between project knowledge and risk. As stated earlier, knowledge of a project increases as more work is done due to progressive elaboration, and risk decreases as the project moves toward completion.

Another important relationship present in a project’s life cycle is the relationship between the declining influence of stakeholders on the outcome of a project and the cost of changes and error corrections. Because little or no work has been accomplished near the beginning of a project, changes require few adjustments and are generally low in cost.
At the same time, stakeholders can assert their authority and make changes to the project’s direction. As more work is accomplished, the impact and cost of changes increase and leave stakeholders with fewer and fewer viable options to affect the project’s product.

The image below summarizes these relationships:

Although all projects are unique, they do share common components or processes that are normally grouped together. Below are the generally accepted process groups defined in the PMBOK:
• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Controlling
• Closing

Moving from one phase in the life cycle to another is generally accompanied by a transfer of technical material or control from one group to another. Most phases officially end when the work from one phase is accepted as sufficient to meet that phase’s objectives and is passed onto the next phase. The work from one phase could be documentation, plans, components necessary for a subsequent phase, or any work product that contributes to the project’s objectives.

You can learn more about the Project Lifecycle by Clicking Here

Who Are the Stakeholders?

A project exists to satisfy a need or requirement. Without a need of some sort, a project is not necessary. Needs originate with one or more people; someone has to state a need. As a result, a project fills the need and likely affects some people or organizations. All people and organizations that have an interest in the project or its outcome are called project stakeholders. The stakeholders provide input to the requirements of the project and the direction the project should take throughout its life cycle.

The list of stakeholders can be large and can change as the project progresses. One of the first requirements to properly manage a project is the creation of a key stakeholder list. Be very careful to include all key stakeholders. Many projects have been derailed due to the political fallout of excluding a key stakeholder. Every potential stakeholder cannot be included in all aspects of a project, so it is important to identify the stakeholders who represent all other stakeholders.

Although it sounds easy to create a list of stakeholders, the ground reality is far from easy. You often need to ask many questions about many people to ensure you create a complete stakeholder list. Because stakeholders provide input for the project requirements and mould the image of the project and its expectations, it is vitally important that you be as persistent as necessary to identify all potential stakeholders. The Key stakeholders for any project would include

• Project manager - The person responsible for managing the project.
• Customer or user - The person or organization that will receive and use the project’s product or service.
• Performing organization - The organization that performs the work of the project.
• Project team members - The members of the team who are directly involved in performing the work of the project.
• Project management team - Project team members who are directly involved in managing the project.
• Sponsor - The person or organization that provides the authority and financial resources for the project.
• Influencers - People or groups not directly related to the project’s product but with the ability to affect the project in a positive or negative way.
• Project management office (PMO) - If the PMO exists, it can be a stakeholder if it has responsibility for the project’s outcome.

You can learn more about the Project Stakeholders by Clicking Here

The Project Manager

One of the most visible & Obvious stakeholders is the project manager. The project manager is the person responsible for managing the project and is a key stakeholder. Although the project manager is the most visible stakeholder, he does not have the ultimate authority or responsibility for any project. Senior management, specifically the project sponsor, has the ultimate authority for the project. Senior management issues the project charter and is responsible for the project itself. The project manager is granted the authority by senior management to get the job done and to resolve any issues that might arise during the course of the project.

You can learn more about the Roles & Responsibilities of a Project Manager by Clicking Here

Exam Watch:
You must have a clear understanding of the project manager’s roles and responsibilities for this exam. If you have a pdf version of the PMBOK, search for the word “Project Manager,” and look at all the responsibilities defined. Know what a project manager must do, should do, and should not do.

Managing Project Constraints

Managing projects is a continual process of balancing the various competing project variables, or constraints. Historically, project managers have focused on the three most common constraints of scope, time, and cost. But in reality, there are more than just three constraints. Each of the project constraints are related and have an effect on the outcome of the project. The project manager must manage the competing constraints to successfully complete a project. Too much attention on one generally means one or more of the others suffer. A major concern of the project manager is to ensure each of these variables is balanced with the others at all times. The project constraints include, but are not limited to

• Scope - How much work is to be done? Increasing the scope causes more work to be done, and vice versa.
• Quality - What quality standards must the project fulfill? Higher quality standards often require more work, impacting other constraints.
• Schedule - The time required to complete the project. Modifying the schedule alters the start and end dates for tasks in the project and can alter the project’s overall end date.
• Budget - The cost required to accomplish the project’s objectives. Modifying the cost of the project generally has an impact on the scope, time, or quality of the project.
• Resources - Resources that are available to conduct the work of the project.
• Risk - Each decision made in the planning and execution of a project comes with risk. Riskier decisions might have consequences that affect other constraints.

Any change to one of the variables has some effect on one, or several, of the remaining variables. Likewise, a change to any of the variables has an impact on the overall outcome of the project. The key to understanding the project constraints is that they are all interrelated. For example, if you decrease the cost of your project, it is likely that you decrease the quality and perhaps even increase the risk. With less money, less work gets done. Or, you might find that it takes more time to produce the same result with less money. Either way, a change to cost affects other variables.

Even though this concept is fairly straightforward, a project manager must stay on top of each one to ensure they are balanced. In addition to managing the project constraints, the project manager also is responsible for explaining the need for balance to the stakeholders. All too often, stakeholders favor one constraint over another. You have to ensure that the stakeholders understand the need for balancing all constraints.

Project Management Process Groups

Work executed during the project can be expressed in specific groups of processes. Each project moves through each of the groups of processes, some more than once. These common collections of processes that the PMBOK defines are called process groups. Process groups serve to group processes in a project that represent related tasks and mark a project’s migration toward completion.

Remember that the five process groups defined by the PMBOK are
• Initiating - Defines the project objectives and grants authority to the project manager
• Planning - Refines the project objectives and scope and plans the steps necessary to meet the project’s objectives
• Executing - Puts the project plan into motion and performs the work of the project
• Monitoring and Controlling - Measures the performance of the executing activities and compares the results with the project plan
• Closing - Documents the formal acceptance of the project’s product and brings all aspects of the project to a close

Understanding Project Life Cycle and Project Management Processes Relationships

The PMBOK defines 42 project processes, grouped into five process groups. These processes define the path a project takes through its life cycle. The processes are not linear; some overlap with one another. In fact, some processes are iterative and are executed multiple times in a single project. It is important to become comfortable with the process flow and how it defines the project life cycle.

Throughout the life of a project, different processes are needed at different times. A project starts with little activity. As the project comes to life, more tasks are executed and more processes are active at the same time. This high level of activity increases until nearing the completion of the project (or project phase). As the end nears, activity starts to diminish until the termination point is reached.

Processes, Process Groups, and Knowledge Areas

The best way to prepare for questions that test your knowledge of the project management processes is to know and understand each of the processes, along with its process group and knowledge area assignment.

You can learn more about the Processes, Process Groups & Knowledge Areas by Clicking Here. The details are available in a table format that is easy to understand.

Understanding Process Interaction Customization

The five process groups defined in the PMBOK are general in nature and common to projects. However, all projects are unique and some do not require all 42 individual project processes. The processes defined in the PMBOK are there for use when needed. You should need the majority of the processes to properly manage a project, but in some cases you will not require each process.

Because projects differ from one another, a specific process can differ dramatically between projects. For example, the process of developing a communication plan is simple and straightforward for a small project with local team members. However, the process is much more involved and complicated if the team is large and located in several countries.
Understand the five process groups and 42 processes as defined in the PMBOK. But, more importantly, understand when and how to use each process. The exam focuses more on process implementation than process memorization. Be prepared to really think about which processes you need for a particular project.

Prev: Chapter 3

Next: Chapter 5

PMP Exam Nuggets - Project Life Cycle and the Organization

Project Life Cycles

o Projects follow a logical sequence of phases to completion. Phases are typically different from project to project, since the project work will differ from one project to the next. The point of segmenting projects into phases is to allow for smaller, manageable sections and to provide deliverables in support of the ongoing operations.

o The collection of the project phases, as a whole, is known as the project life cycle.

o Project life cycles define the beginning, middle, and end of a project. Projects have a greater risk and uncertainty in the early phases of the project life cycle than near their end. The project is also most susceptible to change, failure, and stakeholder influences at the beginning of the life cycle than near its end.

o In tandem, project costs and demand for resources are generally low at the beginning of the project, have a tendency to peak near the end of the project work, and then diminish.

Meeting the Project Stakeholders

o Project stakeholders are individuals, businesses, or communities that have a vested interest in the project’s outcome. Typically, project stakeholders are involved in the project process, and their expectations drive the project requirements.

o It is essential to scan for hidden stakeholders early in the project life cycle to eliminate the need for change when addressing stakeholder needs later in the project.

o There are several key stakeholders that have direct influence over the project. They are:

• Project manager Manages the project
• Customer Pays for the project; uses the project deliverable
• Performing organization The organization hosting the project
• Project team The collection of individuals completing the project work
• Project management team The collection of individuals that contribute to the management of a project
• Project sponsor Authorizes the project work and budget
• Influencers People who can influence the project for better or worse
• PMO May have direct responsibility for the project’s success

Identifying Organizational Models and Attributes

o Organizational structures have direct influence over the project. Organizational structures determine the procedures that the project manager must follow and the amount of authority the project manager possesses. A project office may oversee project management activities and provide additional support in any of the organizational structures. The organizational types and the level of authority a project manager can expect are shown in the following table.


o Beyond the concept of getting the work done, project managers must also consider the social, economic, and environmental influences that may sway a project. Specifically, the project manager must evaluate the project to see its social, economic, and environmental impact—as well as note the project’s surroundings. The project manager may have some external guidance in these areas in the form of standards and regulations.

o Standards are guidelines that are generally followed but not enforced or mandated. Regulations come in the form of laws and industry demands, which are enforced by various governing bodies.

Defining Key General Management Skills

o Management is all about key results. It is about the project team getting things done in the project.

o Leadership is about motivating, inspiring, and directing people to accomplish the project objectives and personal goals.

o Project managers spend the bulk of their time communicating information—not doing other activities. Therefore, they must be good communicators, promoting a clear, unambiguous exchange of information. Communication is a two-way street; it requires a sender and a receiver.

o Project managers must negotiate for the good of the project. In any project, the project manager, the project sponsor, and the project team will have to negotiate with stakeholders, vendors, and customers to reach a level of agreement acceptable to all parties involved in the negotiation process.

o Project managers have to work with stakeholders to influence the decisions within the project. This includes politics; tradeoffs; and managing requirements, changes, and issues within the project.

Chapter 16: Project Management – The Big Picture

Well, in the previous many chapters, we have learnt a lot of basic fundamentals about Project Management, the project manager, scope, stakeholders etc etc. It would be inappropriate if we don't look at the project management as one big picture to make things clear to you.

So, lets get started!!!

The Big Picture of Project Management:

Let me start off by saying that, you might already be aware of the concepts covered in this chapter because, we have been doing that in the past many chapters. The purpose of this chapter is to give you a holistic view of how things fit in terms of project management.
Look at the picture below:

There are a total of 9 important aspects of a project and each of these aspects are managed by a different knowledge area. Remember the Project Management Knowledge Areas chapter?
Similarly, every project has 5 stages and each has its own significance. Remember the Project Lifecycle chapter?

The purpose of project management is to take care of these 9 aspects and carry out the project through these 5 stages effectively and successfully. So, project management is performed by applying processes from certain knowledge areas at certain stages of the project.

The three most important things we need to understand about Projects are::

• The project lifecycle consists of five stages, technically called process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing. These process groups can be mapped to commonly known project stages: starting, organizing and preparing, carrying out the work, and closing.
• The project processes that are performed to manage projects constitute nine project management knowledge areas: communication management, cost management, human resource management, integration management, procurement management, quality management, risk management, scope management, and time management.
• A project is performed in a project environment that is shaped by many elements, such as organizational culture, organizational structure, enterprise environmental factors, organizational process assets, and the maturity of the organization.

I am really glad to say that we have covered one major chunk of the 1st part of our study related to Project Initiation. We will just summarize what we learnt in the next chapter and move on to the second part which will deal with the actual project initiation.

Previous: Project Management Office

Next: Summary of Topics on Introduction to Project Management

Chapter 6: The Project Lifecycle

In the previous chapter, we learnt what a process is and the fact that, they are used widely in the project management lifecycle. In this chapter, we are going to understand the project lifecycle.

So, lets get started!!!

Project Lifecycle:

From initiation/authorization to completion/closure, a project goes through a whole lifecycle that includes defining the project objectives, planning the work to achieve those objectives, performing the actual work, monitoring and controlling the progress, and closing the project after receiving the product acceptance or after cancellation of the project.
The below picture depicts the relation between the various stages in a projects lifecycle. Each of these stages is a process group and there are a variety of processes involved in each of these stages.

Let us now take a detailed look at these stages, one by one:

Initiating a Project:

This stage defines and authorizes the project. The project manager is named, and the project is officially launched through a signed document called the project charter, which contains items such as the purpose of the project, a high-level product description, a summary of the milestone schedule, and a business case for the project. Another outcome of this stage is a document called the stakeholder register, which identifies the project stakeholders and important information about them. The processes used to perform this stage fall into a group called the initiating process group.

Trivia:
The term high-level means lacking details or not including the details. This term will be used frequently and its good to know what it means. A high level activity would usually involved a detailed activity usually worked out through a process called progressive elaboration which we covered a couple of chapters back.

Planning a Project:

In this stage, you as the project manager, along with the project management team, refine the project objectives and requirements and develop the project management plan, which is a collection of several plans that constitute a course of actions required to achieve the objectives and meet the requirements of the project. The project scope is finalized with the project scope statement. The project management plan, the outcome of this stage, contains subsidiary plans, such as a project scope management plan, a schedule management plan, and a quality management plan. The processes used to perform this stage fall into a group called the planning process group.

Executing a Project:

In this stage, you as the project manager, implement the project management plan, and the project team performs the work scheduled in the planning stage. You coordinate all the activities being performed to achieve the project objectives and meet the project requirements. Of course, the main output of any project is the project deliverables. Approved changes, recommendations, and defect repairs are also implemented in this stage. But where do these changes and recommendations come from? They arise from monitoring and controlling the project. The stakeholders can also suggest changes, which must go through an approval process before implementation. The project execution is performed using the processes that fall into a group called the executing process group.

Monitoring and controlling:

You monitor and control the project through its lifecycle, including the execution stage. Monitoring and controlling includes defending the project against scope creep (unapproved changes to the project scope), monitoring the project progress and performance to identify variance from the plan, and recommending preventive and corrective actions to bring the project in line with the planned expectations in the approved project management plan. Requests for changes, such as change to the project scope, are also included in this stage; they can come from you or from any other project stakeholder. The changes must go through an approval process, and only the approved changes are implemented. The processes used in this stage fall into a group called the monitoring and controlling process group.

Closing a Project:

In this stage, you manage the formal acceptance of the project product, close any contracts involved, and bring the project to an end by disbanding the project team. Closing the project includes conducting a project review for lessons learned and possibly turning over the outcome of the project to another group, such as the maintenance or operations group.
This stage is applicable even for Terminated/Cancelled Projects. Terminated projects (that is, projects cancelled before completion) should also go through the closing stage. The processes used to perform the closing stage fall into the group called the closing process group.
Don’t forget the last, but not the least, task of the closing stage: Project Closure Party!!!

Trivia:
What we refer to as project stages here are not actually the project phases. A project phase is part of the whole project in which certain milestones or project deliverables are completed. All these stages, technically called process groups, can be applied to any phase of a project that is divided into multiple phases.

Project Lifecycle Summary:

Let us wrap up this chapter, by summarizing the project lifecycle and the activities involved in it.

Process Group	Project Stage	Goal	Outcome
Initiating	Starting the project	Authorize the project	Project charter
Planning	Organizing and preparing	Plan and schedule the work to perform the project	Project management plan
Executing	Carrying out the work	Perform the project work	Project deliverables: product, service, results
Monitoring and controlling	Spans the project lifecycle	Monitor the progress of the project to identify the variance from the plan and to correct it	Change requests and recommendations for preventive and corrective actions
Closing	Closing the project formally	Close the project	Product acceptance, contract closure, and archiving

The initiating stage authorizes a project by naming the project manager, the planning stage further defines the project objectives and plans the work to meet those objectives, the execution stage executes the work, the monitoring and controlling stage monitors the progress of the project and controls it to keep it in line with the plan, and the closing stage formally closes the project by obtaining the product acceptance. Each of these stages is performed by using a group of processes. Thereby, these stages are called process groups.

The stages of a project or process groups determine when a process is executed, whereas the processes themselves belong to certain knowledge areas of project management. In the next chapter, we will be looking at the project management knowledge areas.

Previous: Understanding a Process

Next: Project Management Knowledge Areas