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The

Project Life Cycle


refers to a logical sequence of activities to accomplish the projectsgoals or
objectives. Regardless of scope or complexity, any project goes through a series
of stages during its life. There is first anInitiationor Birth phase, in which the outputs
and criticalsuccess factors are defined, followed by aPlanningphase, characterized
by breaking down theproject into smaller parts/tasks, an Execution phase, in which
the project plan is executed, andlastly a Closure or Exit phase, that marks the
completion of the project.Project activities must be
grouped into phases
because by doing so, the project manager andthe core team can efficiently plan and
organize resources for each activity, and also objectivelymeasure achievement of
goals and justify their decisions to move ahead, correct, or terminate.It is of great
importance to organize project phases into industry-specific project cycles. Why?Not
only because each industry sector involves specific requirements, tasks, and
procedureswhen it comes to projects, but also because different industry sectors
have different needs for life cycle management methodology. And paying close
attention to such details is the differencebetween doing things well and excelling as
project managers.Diverse project management tools and methodologies prevail in
the different project cyclephases. Lets take a closer look at
whats important
in each one of these stages:
1) Initiation
In this first stage, the scope of the project is defined along with the approach to be
taken todeliver the desired outputs. The project manager is appointed and in turn,
he selects the teammembers based on their skills and experience. The most
common tools or methodologies usedin the initiation stage are
Project Charter
,
Business Plan
,
Project Framework
(or Overview),Business Case Justification, and Milestones Reviews.
2) Planning

The second phase should include a detailed identification and


assignment of each task
untilthe end of the project. It should also include a
risk analysis
and a definition of a criteria for thesuccessful completion of each deliverable. The
governance process is defined, stake holdersidentified and reporting frequency and
channels agreed. The most common tools or methodologies used in the planning
stage are Business Plan and
Milestones Reviews
.
3)Execution and controlling
The most important issue in this phase is to ensure project activities are properly
executed andcontrolled. During the
execution phase
, the planned solution is implemented to solve theproblem specified in the project's
requirements. In product and system development, a designresulting in a specific
set of product requirements is created. This convergence is measured byprototypes,
testing, and reviews. As the execution phase progresses, groups across
theorganization become more deeply involved in planning for the final testing,
production, and

support. The most common tools or methodologies used in the execution phase are
an updateof Risk Analysis and Score Cards, in addition to Business Plan and
Milestones Reviews.
4
)Closure
In this last stage, the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to its
proper completion
. The closure phase is characterized by a written formal project review
reportcontaining the following components: a formal acceptance of the final product
by the client,Weighted Critical Measurements (matching the initial requirements
specified by the client withthe final delivered product), rewarding the team, a list of

lessons learned, releasing projectresources, and a formal project closure notification


to higher management. No special tool or methodology is needed during the closure
phase.

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