Project Management Framework: Project Life Cycle / Project Phase

Typical Project Life Cycle

• Projects are divided into phases.
• The project will have at least a beginning, intermediate and ending phase.
• Number of phases depends on complexity and size of the project. Phase Examples - Analysis, Development.
• Reviews are conducted at the end of each phase to measure performance.
• Phase end reviews allows to decide if the project should continue.
• The collection of phases is called project life cycle.
• The project life cycle defines the beginning and end of project.
• Fast tracking is running the project phases concurrently. Example of phases - Analysis, Design etc. 

Characteristics of Project Phase

• Project Phase are marked by completion of one or more deliverables.
• Deliverables are reviewed and formally accepted by customer at phase end. 
• Phase end reviews are also called phase exits, stage gates or kill points. 
• Rolling wave planning summarizes the future phases at high level. 
• Project phases are collectively called project life cycle.

Project Phase Relationships

• Sequential: a phase can only start once the previous phase has completed. 
• Overlapping: a phase starts prior to the completion of the previous phase.
• Iterative: only one phase is planned out at any given time and the planning for the next phase is carried out as work progresses on the current phase.