Chapter 3 The Project Life Cycle
(Phases)
Adrienne Watt
The project manager and project team have one shared goal: to carry out the
work ofthe project for the purpose of meeting the project’s objectives. Every
project has abeginning, a middle period during which activities move the project
towardcompletion, and an ending (either successful or unsuccessful). A standard
projecttypically has the following four major phases (each with its own agenda
of tasks andissues): initiation, planning, implementation, and closure. Taken
together, thesephases represent the path a project takes from the beginning to
its end and aregenerally referred to as the project “life cycle.”
3.1 Initiation Phase
During the first of these phases, the initiation phase, the project objective or
need isidentified; this can be a business problem or opportunity. An appropriate
response tothe need is documented in a business case with recommended
solution options.
Afeasibility study is conducted to investigate whether each option addresses the
projectobjective and a final recommended solution is determined. Issues of
feasibility (“canwe do the project?”) and justification (“should we do the
project?”) are addressed.
Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to deliver the
approved solution and a project manager is appointed. The major deliverables
andthe participating work groups are identified, and the project team begins to
takeshape. Approval is then sought by the project manager to move onto the
detailedplanning phase.
3.2 Planning Phase
The next phase, the planning phase, is where the project solution is further
developedin as much detail as possible and the steps necessary to meet the
project’s objectiveare planned. In this step, the team identifies all of the work to
be done. The project’stasks and resource requirements are identified, along
with the strategy for producingthem. This is also referred to as “scope
management.” A project plan is createdoutlining the activities, tasks,
dependencies, and time-frames. The project managercoordinates the
preparation of a project budget by providing cost estimates for thelabor,
equipment, and materials costs. The budget is used to monitor and control cost
expenditures during project implementation.
Once the project team has identified the work, prepared the schedule, and
estimatedthe costs, the three fundamental components of the planning process
are complete.
This is an excellent time to identify and try to deal with anything that might pose
athreat to the successful completion of the project. This is called risk
management. Inrisk management, “high-threat” potential problems are
identified along with the actionthat is to be taken on each high-threat potential
problem, either to reduce theprobability that the problem will occur or to
reduce the impact on the project if it doesoccur. This is also a good time to
identify all project stakeholders and establish acommunication plan describing
the information needed and the delivery method tobe used to keep the
stakeholders informed.
Finally, you will want to document a quality plan, providing quality targets,
assurance,and control measures, along with an acceptance plan, listing the
criteria to be met togain customer acceptance. At this point, the project would
have been planned in detailand is ready to be executed.
3.3 Implementation (Execution) Phase
During the third phase, the implementation phase, the project plan is put into
motionand the work of the project is performed. It is important to maintain
control andcommunicate as needed during implementation. Progress is
continuously monitoredand appropriate adjustments are made and recorded as
variances from the originalplan. In any project, a project manager spends most
of the time in this step. Duringproject implementation, people are carrying out
the tasks, and progress information isbeing reported through regular team
meetings. The project manager uses thisinformation to maintain control over
the direction of the project by comparing theprogress reports with the project
plan to measure the performance of the projectactivities and take corrective
action as needed. The first course of action shouldalways be to bring the project
back on course (i.e., to return it to the original plan). Ifthat cannot happen, the
team should record variations from the original plan andrecord and publish
modifications to the plan. Throughout this step, project sponsors
and other key stakeholders should be kept informed of the project’s status
accordingto the agreed-on frequency and format of communication. The plan
should beupdated and published on a regular basis.
Status reports should always emphasize the anticipated end point in terms of
cost,schedule, and quality of deliverables. Each project deliverable produced
should bereviewed for quality and measured against the acceptance criteria.
Once all of thedeliverables have been produced and the customer has accepted
the final solution,the project is ready for closure.
3.4 Closing Phase
During the final closure, or completion phase, the emphasis is on releasing the
finaldeliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation to the
business,terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources, and
communicating theclosure of the project to all stakeholders. The last remaining
step is to conductlessons-learned studies to examine what went well and what
didn’t. Through this typeof analysis, the wisdom of experience is transferred
back to the project organization,which will help future project teams.
Example: Project Phases on a Large the project documents, and the Chilean office was already working on
Multinational Project the next project. The accounting books were reconciled and closed,
A U.S. construction company won a contract to design and build the final reports written and distributed, and the project manager started
first copper mine in northern Argentina. There was no existing on a new project.
infrastructure for either the mining industry or large construction
projects in this part of South America. During the initiation phase of Activities
the project, the project manager focused on defining and finding a Chapter 3: The Project Life Cycle (Phases)
project leadership team with the knowledge, skills, and experience to
manage a large complex project in a remote area of the globe. The 1. Go online and search for project life cycle models. Identify at least two
project team set up three offices. One was in Chile, where large that are different from the PMI model, and compare and contrast the phases.
mining construction project infrastructure existed. The other two Be sure to cite your sources.
were in Argentina. One was in Buenos Aries to establish relationships 2. How does the application of a phased approach to project
and Argentinian expertise, and the second was in Catamarca—the management vary in different industries? Do you think that the phases work the
largest town close to the mine site. With offices in place, the project same in construction as they do in event management or software
start-up team began developing procedures for getting work done, development?
acquiring the appropriate permits, and developing relationships with
Chilean and Argentine partners. To be submitted on February 10,2020
During the planning phase, the project team developed an integrated 10:00am
project schedule that coordinated the activities of the design,
procurement, and construction teams. The project controls team also
developed a detailed budget that enabled the project team to track
project expenditures against the expected expenses. The project
design team built on the conceptual design and developed detailed
drawings for use by the procurement team. The procurement team
used the drawings to begin ordering equipment and materials for the
construction team; develop labor projections; refine the construction
schedule; and set up the construction site. Although planning is a
never-ending process on a project, the planning phase focused on
developing sufficient details to allow various parts of the project
team to coordinate their work and allow the project management
team to make priority decisions.
The implementation phase represents the work done to meet the
requirements of the scope of work and fulfill the charter. During the
implementation phase, the project team accomplished the work
defined in the plan and made adjustments when the project factors
changed. Equipment and materials were delivered to the work site,
labor was hired and trained, a construction site was built, and all the
construction activities, from the arrival of the first dozer to the
installation of the final light switch, were accomplished.
The closeout phase included turning over the newly constructed plant
to the operations team of the client. A punch list of a few remaining
construction items was developed and those items completed. The
office in Catamarca was closed, the office in Buenos Aries archived all

The 4 Phases of the Project
Management Life Cycle
Posted By: Lucidchart Content Team
The 4 Phases of the Project Management Life
Cycle
1. Initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Closure
Whether you’re working on a small project with modest
business goals or a large, multi-departmental initiative with
sweeping corporate implications, an understanding of the
project management life cycle is essential.
Learn the four phases of the project management life cycle
to keep your project organized and on track from initation
to close.
Project management life cycle
overview
The project management life cycle describes high-level
processes for delivering a successful project. For every $1
billion invested in projects by companies in the United
States, $122 million was wasted due to lacking project
performance, according to Project Management Institute
Research.
Wasted money and resources can be prevented with
effective project management, as 57% of unsuccessful
projects fail due to communication breakdown. In the
phases of the project management life cycle, you come up
with the idea for a project, define its goals, plan for its
execution, and guide it to completion.
4 phases of the project management
life cycle
The project management life cycle is usually broken down
into four phases: initiation, planning, execution, and
closure. These phases make up the path that takes your
project from the beginning to the end.
Note: Some methodologies also include a fifth phase—
controlling or monitoring—but for our purposes, this
phase is covered under the execution and closure phases.
 "fix-it" or "workaround" once high-level directional
business decisions are made without their expertise."

Clearly, it's worth it to do what it takes to make your voice

heard early—before the strategy is set in stone.

Project management steps for the initiation phase

Steps for the project initiation phase may include the

following:

 Undertaking a feasibility study: Identify the primary

1. Initiation
First, you need to identify a business need, problem, or
opportunity and brainstorm ways that your team can meet
this need, solve this problem, or seize this opportunity.
During this step, you figure out an objective for your
project, determine whether the project is feasible, and
identify the major deliverables for the project.
Instead of waiting to have the project strategy decided for
you, Moira Alexander advocates for a mental switch from
being a project "manager" to becoming a project "leader":
"Project managers must be able to sell business leaders on
the intrinsic value they offer to the business at a strategic
level when they are at the table from the start of strategic
planning instead of after the fact decision-making. Project
managers effectiveness is drastically muted when offering a
problem your project will solve and whether your
project will deliver a solution to that problem
 Identifying scope: Define the depth and breadth of
the project
 Identifying deliverables: Define the product or
service to provide
 Identifying project stakeholders: Figure out whom
the project affects and what their needs may be
 Developing a business case: Use the above criteria to
compare the potential costs and benefits for the
project to determine if it moves forward
 Developing a statement of work: Document the
project’s objectives, scope, and deliverables that you
have identified previously as a working agreement
between the project owner and those working on
the project
 During this phase of the project management life cycle,
you break down the larger project into smaller tasks, build
your team, and prepare a schedule for the completion of
assignments. Create smaller goals within the larger project,
making sure each is achievable within the time frame.
Smaller goals should have a high potential for success.

Project management steps for the planning phase

Steps for the project planning phase may include the

following:

 Creating a project plan: Identify the project timeline,

Dive deeper into tools that can help you accurately scope your
next project.
Learn more
2. Planning
Once the project is approved to move forward based on
your business case, statement of work, or project initiation
document, you move into the planning phase.
including the phases of the project, the tasks to be
performed, and possible constraints
 Creating workflow diagrams: Visualize your
processes using swimlanes to make sure team
members clearly understand their role in a project
 Estimating budget and creating a financial
plan: Use cost estimates to determine how much to
spend on the project to get the maximum return on
investment
 Gathering resources: Build your functional team
from internal and external talent pools while making
sure everyone has the necessary tools (software,
hardware, etc.) to complete their tasks
 Anticipating risks and potential quality
roadblocks: Identify issues that may cause your
project to stall while planning to mitigate those risks
and maintain the project’s quality and timeline
  Holding a project kickoff meeting: Bring your team
on board and outline the project so they can quickly
get to work
Get started by mapping out all process steps and
responsibilities in this workflow diagram template.
Workflow Diagram With Swimlanes (Click on image to
modify this template)
3. Execution
You’ve received business approval, developed a plan, and
built your team. Now it’s time to get to work. The
execution phase turns your plan into action. The project
manager’s job in this phase of the project management life
cycle is to keep work on track, organize team members,
manage timelines, and make sure the work is done
according to the original plan.
Project management steps for the execution phase
Steps for the project execution phase may include the
following:
 Creating tasks and organizing
workflows: Assign granular aspects of the projects to
the appropriate team members, making sure team
members are not overworked
 Briefing team members on tasks: Explain tasks to
team members, providing necessary guidance on
how they should be completed, and organizing
process-related training if necessary
 Communicating with team members, clients, and
upper management: Provide updates to project
stakeholders at all levels
 Monitoring quality of work: Ensure that team
members are meeting their time and quality goals
for tasks
 Managing budget: Monitor spending and keeping
the project on track in terms of assets and resources
If you have a properly documented process already in
place, executing the project will be much easier.
Depending on the project management methodology you
follow, there are many visual tools that you can apply to
see which deliverables have been completed ensure that
your project remains on track. Click the Kanban board and
Gantt chart templates below to learn more.
Scrum Board Example (Click on image to modify online)
Gantt Chart Example With Progress Bar (Click on image to
modify online)

4. Closure

Once your team has completed work on a project, you

enter the closure phase. In the closure phase, you provide
final deliverables, release project resources, and determine
the success of the project. Just because the major project
work is over, that doesn’t mean the project manager’s job
is done—there are still important things to do, including
evaluating what did and did not work with the project.

Project management steps for the closure phase

Steps for the project closure phase may include the

following:

 Analyzing project performance: Determine whether

the project's goals were met (tasks completed, on
time and on budget) and the initial problem solved
using a prepared checklist.
 Analyzing team performance: Evaluate how team
members performed, including whether they met
their goals along with timeliness and quality of work
 Documenting project closure: Make sure that all
aspects of the project are completed with no loose
ends remaining and providing reports to key
stakeholders
 Conducting post-implementation reviews: Conduct a
final analysis of the project, taking into account
lessons learned for similar projects in the future
  Accounting for used and unused
budget: Allocate remaining resources for future
projects

By remaining on task even though the project’s work is

completed, you will be prepared to take everything you’ve
learned and implement it for your next project.
Make sure you don't miss a step when completing your project.
See the full process to project closure.
Tie those loose ends

Use Lucidchart throughout the project

life cycle
Finding the right tools can make even the most difficult
project easier. With Lucidchart, a versatile visual workspace,
you can document all parts of your process to make
planning and execution simple. For example, you can map
out your process and quickly glance to see whether you’re
on track, or you can create an organizational chart to
define the responsibilities of everyone on your team.

The Project Life Cycle
(Phases)
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 a beginning, a middle period
during which activities move the project toward completion, and an
ending (either successful or unsuccessful). A standard project
typically has the following four major phases (each with its own
agenda of tasks and issues): initiation, planning, implementation,
and closure. Taken together, these phases represent the path a
project takes from the beginning to its end and are generally
referred to as the project “life cycle.”
Initiation Phase
During the first of these phases, the initiation phase, the project
objective or need is identified; this can be a business problem or
opportunity. An appropriate response to the need is documented in
a business case with recommended solution options. A feasibility
study is conducted to investigate whether each option addresses the
project objective and a final recommended solution is determined.
Issues of feasibility (“can we do the project?”) and justification
(“should we do the project?”) are addressed.
Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to
deliver the approved solution and a project manager is appointed.
The major deliverables and the participating work groups are
identified, and the project team begins to take shape. Approval is
then sought by the project manager to move onto the detailed
planning phase.
Planning Phase
The next phase, the planning phase, is where the project solution is
further developed in as much detail as possible and the steps
necessary to meet the project’s objective are planned. In this step,
the team identifies all of the work to be done. The project’s tasks
and resource requirements are identified, along with the strategy for
producing them. This is also referred to as “scope management.” A
project plan is created outlining the activities, tasks, dependencies,
and timeframes. The project manager coordinates the preparation of
a project budget by providing cost estimates for the labour,
equipment, and materials costs. The budget is used to monitor and
control cost expenditures during project implementation.
Once the project team has identified the work, prepared the
schedule, and estimated the costs, the three fundamental
components of the planning process are complete. This is an
excellent time to identify and try to deal with anything that might
pose a threat to the successful completion of the project. This is
called risk management. In risk management, “high-threat”
potential problems are identified along with the action that is to be
taken on each high-threat potential problem, either to reduce the
probability that the problem will occur or to reduce the impact on
the project if it does occur. This is also a good time to identify all
project stakeholders and establish a communication plan describing
the information needed and the delivery method to be used to keep
the stakeholders informed.
Finally, you will want to document a quality plan, providing quality
targets, assurance, and control measures, along with an acceptance
plan, listing the criteria to be met to gain customer acceptance. At
this point, the project would have been planned in detail and is
ready to be executed.
Implementation (Execution) Phase
During the third phase, the implementation phase, the project plan
is put into motion and the work of the project is performed. It is
important to maintain control and communicate as needed during
implementation. Progress is continuously monitored and
appropriate adjustments are made and recorded as variances from
the original plan. In any project, a project manager spends most of
the time in this step. During project implementation, people are
carrying out the tasks, and progress information is being reported
through regular team meetings. The project manager uses this
information to maintain control over the direction of the project
by comparing the progress reports with the project plan to
measure the performance of the project activities and take
corrective action as needed. The first course of action should
always be to bring the project back on course (i.e., to return it to the
original plan). If that cannot happen, the team should record
variations from the original plan and record and publish
modifications to the plan. Throughout this step, project sponsors
and other key stakeholders should be kept informed of the project’s
status according to the agreed-on frequency and format of
communication. The plan should be updated and published on a
regular basis.

Status reports should always emphasize the anticipated end point in

terms of cost, schedule, and quality of deliverables. Each project
deliverable produced should be reviewed for quality and measured
against the acceptance criteria. Once all of the deliverables have
been produced and the customer has accepted the final solution, the
project is ready for closure.

Closing Phase

During the final closure, or completion phase, the emphasis is on

releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over
project documentation to the business, terminating supplier
contracts, releasing project resources, and communicating the
closure of the project to all stakeholders. The last remaining step is
to conduct lessons-learned studies to examine what went well and
what didn’t. Through this type of analysis, the wisdom of
experience is transferred back to the project organization, which
will help future project teams.
ROSELGIN C. DAGALA

BSBA – III
PROJECT LIFE CYCLE MODEL:

Activities
Chapter 3: The Project Life Cycle (Phases)

1. Go online and search for project life cycle models. Identify at least two
that are different from the PMI model, and compare and contrast the phases.
Be sure to cite your sources.
2. How does the application of a phased approach to project
management vary in different industries? Do you think that the phases work the
same in construction as they do in event management or software
development?

ANSWERS:

1. * During the first of these phases, the initiation phase, the project
objective or need is identified; this can be a business problem or
opportunity. An appropriate response to the need is documented in
a business case with recommended solution options. A feasibility
study is conducted to investigate whether each option addresses the
project objective and a final recommended solution is determined.
Issues of feasibility (“can we do the project?”) and justification
(“should we do the project?”) are addressed.

Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to

deliver the approved solution and a project manager is appointed.
The major deliverables and the participating work groups are
identified, and the project team begins to take shape. Approval is
then sought by the project manager to move onto the detailed
planning phase.
Project management steps for the initiation phase

Steps for the project initiation phase may include the

following:

 Undertaking a feasibility study: Identify the primary

problem your project will solve and whether your
project will deliver a solution to that problem
 Identifying scope: Define the depth and breadth of
the project
 Identifying deliverables: Define the product or
service to provide
 Identifying project stakeholders: Figure out whom
the project affects and what their needs may be
 Developing a business case: Use the above criteria to
compare the potential costs and benefits for the
project to determine if it moves forward
 Developing a statement of work: Document the
project’s objectives, scope, and deliverables that you
have identified previously as a working agreement
between the project owner and those working on
the project

. Planning
Once the project is approved to move forward based on
your business case, statement of work, or project initiation
document, you move into the planning phase.
sure everyone has the necessary tools (software,
hardware, etc.) to complete their tasks
 Anticipating risks and potential quality
roadblocks: Identify issues that may cause your
project to stall while planning to mitigate those risks
and maintain the project’s quality and timeline

During this phase of the project management life cycle,

you break down the larger project into smaller tasks, build
your team, and prepare a schedule for the completion of
assignments. Create smaller goals within the larger project,
making sure each is achievable within the time frame.
Smaller goals should have a high potential for success.

Project management steps for the planning phase

Steps for the project planning phase may include the

following:

 Creating a project plan: Identify the project

timeline, including the phases of the project, the
tasks to be performed, and possible constraints
 Creating workflow diagrams: Visualize your
processes using swimlanes to make sure team
members clearly understand their role in a project
 Estimating budget and creating a financial
plan: Use cost estimates to determine how much to
spend on the project to get the maximum return on
investment
 Gathering resources: Build your functional team
from internal and external talent pools while making
CONTRAST:

The 4 Phases of the Project Management Life

Cycle

1. Initiation
-to identify a business need, problem, or
opportunity and brainstorm ways that your team can
meet this need, solve this problem, or seize this
opportunity.

2. Planning

- this phase of the project management life

cycle, you break down the larger project into
smaller tasks, build your team, and prepare a
schedule for the completion of assignments

3. Execution

-in this phase of the project management life

cycle is to keep work on track, organize team
members, manage timelines, and make sure
the work is done according to the original
plan.

4. Closure

- In the closure phase, you provide final

deliverables, release project resources, and
determine the success of the project.
2. 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 a beginning, a middle period
during which activities move the project toward completion, and an
ending (either successful or unsuccessful). A standard project
typically has the following four major phases (each with its own
agenda of tasks and issues): initiation, planning, implementation,
and closure. Taken together, these phases represent the path a
project takes from the beginning to its end and are generally
referred to as the project “life cycle.”

There are many visual tools that you can apply to see
which deliverables have been completed ensure that your
project remains on track.

YES, because everything that needs to be success needs to follow certain

process. The PHASES can be applicable to the construction and even in
developing a software for those are being mention in the phases it will be use as
a tools also .