Project Life Cycle, WBS,

DPR
Project Planning

• Adequate planning leads to the correct completion of work

• Inadequate planning leads to frustration towards the end of the
project & poor project performance
• A project life cycle is the sequence of phases that a project goes
through from its initiation to its closure.
• The number and sequence of the cycle are determined by the
management and various other factors like needs of the organization
involved in the project, the nature of the project, and its area of
application
• Projects follow a work pattern known as a project life cycle. A project
life cycle decides the way the project will deliver the deliverable.
• To put it simply, a project life cycle is the project progression through
each step from beginning to end. The number of cycles of stages and
their order may fluctuate based on the organization and the type of
project.
Four Stages of PCM
• According to the PMBOK( Project Management body of knowledge)
Guide, a project life cycle has four stages:
• Starting the Project
• Organizing and Preparing
• Carrying out the work
• Closing the Project
#1. Starting the Project

• Review the business case for the project.

• Conduct a feasibility study to analyze if the project is worthy of proceeding.
• Conduct cost-benefit analysis
• Create a project charter.( aims and benefits)
• Define the project’s vision, purpose, and objectives.
• Determine the broad scope and project deliverables, and final output.
• Determining the rough order estimate for the project.
• Identify key risks, assumptions, and constraints.
• Determine the key stakeholders.
#2 Organizing and Preparing
• Define the project plan
• Planning for resources
• Resource allocation
• Task delegation
• Define project management metrics
• Define Key Performance Indicator
• Develop the project baselines
• Achievements
• Recording customer expectations
• Success metrics
#3. Carrying Out the work

• Carrying out a strategy.

• Finishing work.
• Monitoring progress
• Controlling risk
#4. Closing the Project

• Were there any unexpected risks?

• What problems developed?
• If yes, how successful were they handled?
• Has the project plan been modified?
Type of Project Life Cycle

• Predictive Life Cycle

• Adaptive Life Cycle
• Iterative Life Cycle
• Incremental Life Cycle
• Hybrid Life Cycle
Predictive Life Cycle

• This is the traditional form of project management where a project

manager develops the complete project management plan at the
beginning and then follows it until the project completes. Here, you
plan the work and then work the plan.
• Since the scope of work is fixed, this cycle is known as the predictive
life cycle. In this method, the chances of changes are low. However, if
the change occurs, it costs a lot.
#2. Adaptive Life Cycle

• An adaptive life cycle is also known as a change-driven life cycle.

• As the name suggests, this life cycle welcomes changes. The project is
divided into increments, and deliverables are delivered and refined
until the client is satisfied. All activities are performed multiple times.
#3. Iterative Life Cycle

• The iterative and predictive life cycles are comparable. Here, the
project management team creates the plan in advance and iterates it
to account for adjustments.

• In this case, the first iteration aims to create a basic product with
minimal viability, and the following iteration enhances it further.
#4. Incremental Life Cycle

• Here, the project manager delivers small, usable pieces of

deliverables to the client, and based on the feedback; the product is
refined and developed.
• All increments are added in the final iteration to deliver the complete
product.
#5. Hybrid Life Cycle

• The hybrid life cycle is a hybrid of life cycles discussed in this post. It
can be any combination of life cycles. A project manager is
responsible for selecting the life cycle best suited for their project.
Benefits of PCM
• Offers a Framework to Execute Projects
• Enhances Team Communication
• Helps Measure Progress and Development.
• Allows Project’s Evolution
• Helps Organize Reviews and Improve Governance.
Example Of Project Life Cycle

• North India’s highways will be designed and built by an Indian construction company.
The project manager focused on describing and learning about the team’s capabilities
to manage a significant project throughout the project’s initiation phase.
• After setting up three offices, the project team began creating project blueprints and
applying for permits.
• During the planning phase, the project team designed the project schedule that
conformed to the design, procurement, and construction activities. The team was able
to monitor project expenditures against anticipated spending thanks to a thorough
budget created by the project controls division.
• The project design department produced conceptual concepts and gave the
procurement division precise drawings. This aids the procurement department in
setting up the road construction plan, designing and developing labor projections, and
ordering equipment for the construction crew.
• The project’s work is carried out during the implementation phase.
Equipment, materials, and employees were provided to the
construction crew throughout the implementation phase. The project
team finished the task and met the goals.
• The newly built roadways are made accessible to users as part of the
closeout phase. A punch list of unfinished business was created. The
financial records were balanced and closed. As the project manager
transitions to a new project, final reports are produced and
disseminated.
• PCM helps to ensure that
• Projects are part of the organizations policy objectives
• Projects are relevant to the real problems of target groups / beneficiaries
• Clearly identified stakeholders (primary target groups and final
beneficiaries)
• Projects are feasible (objectives are realistic)
• Clearly defined coordination, management, financing arrangements,
monitoring and evaluation
• Benefits generated by projects are likely to be sustainable
WBS
• The Work Breakdown Structure is the foundation for effective project
planning, costing and management.
• It is the most important aspect in setting-up a Project
• Work Breakdown Structure
• “A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical (from general
to specific) tree structure of deliverables and tasks that need to be
performed to complete a project
WBS

• The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the foundation for defining

the project’s work as it relates to the objectives and establishes a
structure for managing the work to its completion. The WBS defines:
• the project’s work in terms of activities that create deliverables.
• the project’s life-cycle process, in terms of process steps appropriate
to that project and organization.
• And is the basis for establishing:
•.
WBS - example
• Why create a WBS?
• Cost Estimating
• Cost Budgeting
• Resource Planning
• Risk Management Planning
• Activity Definition
• WBS can be used for many other things - Document Management,
Risk Management etc.
• Recognise that adequate project planning is essential Produce a
sound WBS
Why Do We Need Project Management?*

• Exponential expansion of human knowledge

• Global demand for goods and services
• Global competition
• Above requires the use of teams versus individuals
Project and Statement of Work (SOW)

• A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique

product or service.”
• A SOW is a narrative description of products or services to be supplied
under contract.
• The scope section of the SOW describes project outcomes and the
type of work that will be done to achieve them.

• For example, if the project was to build a software system, the scope
would describe the hardware and software that will be part of that
system
Factors Affecting Project Success

• Coordination and relations

• Adequacy of structure and control
• Project uniqueness, importance, and public exposure
• Success criteria salience and consensus
• Competitive and budgetary pressure
• Initial over-optimism, conceptual difficulty
• Internal capabilities buildup
Potential Benefits of PM for the Organization

• Improved control
• Improved project support opportunities
• Improved performance
• Recognition of PM as a profession
• Future source of company leaders
• High visibility of project results
• Growth opportunities
• Build your reputation and network
• Portable skills and experience
Importance of Detailed Project Report
• DPR carries immense significance in any project. Needless to mention; a DPR is building block for
any initiative. Thus while making a DPR, sufficient attention should be given and sufficient details
must be included in order to ensure appraisal, approval, and proper implementation of the
project. The major sectors that are covered are as follows – Sector Background Context & Broad
Project Rationale — It provides information on the existing status of the physical infrastructure,
baseline information in terms of physical infrastructure, and list of various other projects that
requires capital and are essential for the successful completion of the project. Project Definition,
Concept and Scope — This comprises the design, detailed engineering, and drawings as applicable
in the project. These also serve as a reference for packaging of contracts either individually, or
through combinations. Project Cost — This provides detailed knowledge of the cost of the
project. This includes but not limited to the cost of land acquisition, physical infrastructure
(component-wise cost), environmental compliance cost, rehabilitation and resettlement cost, cost
of survey and investigation, etc. Project Institution Framework — This focusses on how
construction work (if any) would proceed. It highlights whether any interference from a
government organization is required and what are the formalities that are required to be followed.
• Project Financial Viability — The Project financial assessment explicitly states the
cost of capital considered and calculation method implemented to deduce the
same. This includes details of all the transactions carried out in the last 5 years and
projections for the upcoming 20 years. The assumptions made in projections must
also be included. Project Benefits Assessments — A list of benefits from both social
and economic aspects in qualitative terms that can be reaped out from the project
are first taken into account. Furthermore, the quantification of these benefits along
with underlying assumptions is considered. Going forward, the impact on
citizens/user segments are noted down Benefits of Detailed Project Reports Well,
there are lots of advantages to DPR. Here are 6 key benefits of DPR and why they
are must for the successful completion of any project – 1. Tracking The most basic
advantage of DPR is ‘tracking’. DPR helps managers, team members, and
stakeholders to keep track of the proceedings of the project and the method
• implemented. Some items that are necessary to keep a track include tasks, issues, risks, budget,
and the overall condition of the project. 2. Identifies Risks Identifying risks is a key step to turn
any project into a success. With the right reports, it is very easy to spot a risk early and take
necessary action or ask project stakeholder for help. Reporting the risks also makes it easy for
the team to work on the problem. 3. Cost Management Cost management is not an easy task.
But with regular reporting, it’s not that difficult to narrow down the expenditure clearly and
manage the budget with complete visibility. 4. Visibility Visibility is one of the most important
aspects of project management. It is also the most asked about question. Reporting increases
visibility into the projects and provides full insight into how the project is performing, be it
positive or negative. 5. Control Needless to mention; reporting puts managers in complete
control of the project. It allows them to see and analyze the progress, stagnation, regress of
certain elements, how team members are performing, and the quality of work completed within
a specified time. 6. Learning Information provided by the team drafting the DPR helps decision
makers decide further course of action. For instance, they may figure out that communication
was an issue and make necessary changes to the plan for the next phase of the project.