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1 Chapter 1 : The Project Life Cycle - Understanding the 5 Stages of Project Management in Construction The Five Steps in the PM Life Cycle No matter what project it is that you're preparing for, the project management life cycle can assist you and your team in narrowing the project's focus, keeping it's objectives in order and finishing the project on time, on budget and with a minimum of headaches. It describes every step in detail, so you know what must be done, when and how to do it. The complete suite of templates and practical examples are included, to save you time on projects. Initiation involves starting up the project, by documenting a business case, feasibility study, terms of reference, appointing the team and setting up a Project Office. Planning involves setting out the roadmap for the project by creating the following plans: Execution involves building the deliverables and controlling the project delivery, scope, costs, quality, risks and issues. Closure involves winding-down the project by releasing staff, handing over deliverables to the customer and completing a post implementation review. Project Initiation Project Initiation is the first phase in the Project Life Cycle and essentially involves starting up the project. You initiate a project by defining its purpose and scope, the justification for initiating it and the solution to be implemented. You will also need to recruit a suitably skilled project team, set up a Project Office and perform an end of Phase Review. The Project Initiation phase involves the following six key steps: This involves creating a suite of planning documents to help guide the team throughout the project delivery. The Planning Phase involves completing the following 10 key steps: Project Execution With a clear definition of the project and a suite of detailed project plans, you are now ready to enter the Execution phase of the project. This is the phase in which the deliverables are physically built and presented to the customer for acceptance. While each deliverable is being constructed, a suite of management processes are undertaken to monitor and control the deliverables being output by the project. These processes include managing time, cost, quality, change, risks, issues, suppliers, customers and communication. Once all the deliverables have been produced and the customer has accepted the final solution, the project is ready for closure. Project Closure Project Closure involves releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation to the business, terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources and communicating project closure to all stakeholders. The last remaining step is to undertake a Post Implementation Review to identify the level of project success and note any lessons learned for future projects. MPMM is based on best practice You will immediately be able to navigate the MPMM project life cycle and use it to help you manage projects. Join the Method newsletter, offering free Project Management advice. Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : Project Management Life Cycle Methodology When discussing project management phases, the mention of project life cycle is inevitable. So what's the difference? The project phases make up a project life cycle, and as such, the phases are tailored to fit a project's needs. Projects begin by defining a goal based on a demonstrated need, and conclude with demonstrating that need has been effectively met by the project and the goal achieved. To do this, the project is guided through the definition, planning, execution and delivery stages. Definition The definition phase is first and is sometimes referred to as the initiation phase. In this phase, the project manager is hired or appointed, and then selects a team. During this phase, the need to be met by the project is carefully defined. Individuals impacted by the problem are consulted, needs are discussed and solutions debated. The early documentation of the project is also generated during this phase. This typically involves a business case justification for the process, an overview of the project and the defining of milestones. Milestones are points at which the project is measured to insure that it is on track. Planning During the planning phase, the individual steps in the project are defined from the beginning to the end. Key goals like specific objectives, business benefits and project objectives are defined; the governance or management structure of the project is also defined. The management structure in this case involves defining who is responsible for what and who reports to whom. Carefully defining project steps, deliverables and management structure from the outset is important so that accountability and measurability can be maintained throughout the process and conflicts can be resolved quickly. Video of the Day Brought to you by Techwalla Brought to you by Techwalla Execution The execution phase of the project is typically the longest phase of project management. As the name implies, it is during this phase that the actual work on the project is carried out. While the work is ongoing, project managers are monitoring progress, testing finished work and prototypes and any problems that arise are resolved. As the execution phase moves toward completion, groups that are impacted by the project are informed about and involved in the project to insure that the goals are being met, answer any questions that arise and produce any required documentation, such as manuals. Evaluation and Closure The final phase of the project management life cycle is referred to as the evaluation or closure phase. It is during this phase that the finished project is presented and analyzed to determine whether or not it was a success. This is also the learning phase. Debriefing takes place about the overall project for the benefit of future projects. Any problems that arose are discussed along with lessons learned and possible ways that things could be done better the next time. A final report and project closure notice are typically sent to management at this point. Page 2

3 Chapter 3 : Project Management Life Cycle - What are the Different Stages of a Project? During the final phase of the project life cycle, the project is completed and the project team members transfer deliverables to the next stage or to the customer. The remaining work of the project team involves releasing resources to other projects, developing lessons learned for future improvement, and closing out the administrative elements. An Overview of the Project Life Cycle written by: Read about the different phases of a project life cycle and how to implement them in your team. Initiation, Planning, Execution, Control, and Closure. It is important not to skip any of these stages if you want to keep your project from failing. For example, if you skip from initiation to execution without effectively planning the project, mistakes can be made, the project will be too disorganized, and it will fall apart. Likewise, if you, like many project managers skip the closure phase of the project management life cycle, you could risk making similar mistakes in future projects by not learning and reviewing your mistakes.. Initiation of the Project Before you can get to planning a project, the project has to be initiated. Project initiation consists of the following steps: Create a document outlining the product or project. This initial document is informal compared to the project charter. It simply describes what will be created or what the overall goal is of the project. A project feasibility report will need to be completed. Before investing too much time in a project, you must check to see whether or not it is feasible that you will be able to complete the project, product, or process with the available resources. Once you have determined the project is feasible, then a project manager and team will be assigned to the project. The project scope statement is the next deliverable. This deliverable outlines what will be done the project scope, how it will be done, and why it will be done. Planning the Project Once the project has been approved, a deadline has been set, and the scope has been agreed upon, then the project planning phase of the project management life cycle begins. The project planning phase consists of the following steps: Review the project scope and revise the scope statement if necessary. You want to keep your project from entering a phenomenon known as "scope creep" where the scope of the project grows or expands without making necessary changes to the budget or schedule of the project. Make sure the project scope is something that can be reasonably completed, is specific, and is measurable. Complete project decomposition, resulting in the work breakdown structure. Project decomposition involves breaking the project down into its component parts: Once the work breakdown structure has been created, an organizational breakdown structure can be put together. An organizational breakdown structure demonstrates, visually, the hierarchy of the individuals involved in the project. Resource allocation is now performed. Who will be responsible for what in the project? What will the budget be used for? What objects will be required for the project and at what points? Take time to carefully plan resources for the project. Create the project schedule. When will milestones need to be completed by? Who is responsible for each task in the project? How often will communication take place? Perform a risk assessment. What risks are involved in completing the project? What budget will be needed should any of these risks materialize during the project execution phase? By planning now for unfortunate events, you can increase the likelihood that things will not go wrong during your project. Put together a stakeholder analysis and communication plan. When will communication occur, who is responsible for communicating what to whom? Finalize the project plan. Make sure all elements have been covered. Seek approval of the project plan from superiors. Project Execution The project management life cycle phase, execution, begins when team members actually begin working on the tasks assigned them by the project manager. During this phase, if a product is being created, then the product is put together. During the project execution phase, the following tasks are completed: Time management - the project manager checks to ensure that the project is being completed on schedule. Cost management - the PM ensures that all expenses are accounted for and necessary Quality management - is the quality of the product or process to the specifications of the stakeholders? Issue management - during the execution phase, issues should be carefully tracked so that the project manager and other team members are aware of any problems that come up during execution. Project Control Project control really happens close in proximity with project execution. Project control involves monitoring the project for risks and keeping those risks at bay. It also involves keeping changes in the project to a minimum. At times, during the control phase, Page 3

4 project managers may find that a given risk or problem forces them to revisit phase II - planning. This is because some risks or issues that come up and were unforeseen may make the project, as planned, unable to reach completion. Project closure involves the following steps: Writing a project closure report. This report includes information such as the project sign off, releasing of the staff, cost management and schedule management strategies, lessons learned through the project, and what the results of the project were. Redistributing resources that were assigned to the project. Preparing any stepping stones for the next project. For example, if during the control phase a defect is found, a project manager may have to return to the planning phase. During the execution phase, if change must occur, a return to the planning phase will be necessary. Page 4

5 Chapter 4 : What Are the Four Stages of the Project Management Life Cycle? Bizfluent The Project Life Cycle (Phases) bpayne and Adrienne Watt 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. Setting Project Management Milestones During the execution or monitoring stage, many teams might choose to set project management milestones to gauge their progress. The milestones should be charted out as a sequence of events that will mark the progress toward project completion. If you were building a house, for instance, you could set the finish date of the floors, roof, and window installations as milestones. You can think of planning your project milestones in much the same way. Take a look at what was decided in the planning stage and set milestones based on the project plan. You may even want to incorporate the selection of milestones into the planning phase. The project management life cycle gives structure to a project from start to finish and allows everyone involved to monitor progress. It also clearly defines what tasks must be accomplished along with who will accomplish them and how. Using the life cycle defines roles within the project and makes it easier for everyone to understand their duties. This can also reduce wasted resources by making sure that everything required is available every step of the way. Progress can be directly linked and monitored at each phase until completion. The life cycle allows each step to be broken down while still maintaining a picture of the end product. Using the life cycle will allow you to identify areas that need improvement and more attention in order to meet goals and milestones on time. The life cycle helps users determine when evaluation and reviews should take place. With our easy-to-use app building software, you can design a project management app that is tailored to the specific needs of your business. Quick Base makes it simple to design a powerful app custom-made for your goals and your project management plan of action. Quick Base helps streamline business management processes by eliminating the need for spreadsheets and other cumbersome processes. An entire team can monitor and take part in the project management life cycle by using our cloud-based software that allows for easy and quick data-sharing and heightened collaboration. Quick Base software is adaptable to your needs and customizable even without professional developer support. This low-code technology is invaluable for saving time and money. IT departments can focus on higher-level tasks, and your team members will have the tools to implement new ideas and manage processes as efficiently as possible. When those most closely involved with the process can take the reins, incredible innovations are possible and company resources are conserved. Try Quick Base for a day trial to discover what it can do for your business. Whether you need apps to streamline project management, sales and management, customer service, training, or human resources tasks, Quick Base has an elegant and innovative solution that will help your business to thrive. Page 5

6 Chapter 5 : Project Management Life Cycle Sinnaps - Cloud Project Management 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. In the execution phase, the deliverables of the project are developed and completed. A lot tends to happen at this time such as status reports, meetings, updates, performance reports etc. The team is developed, resources are assigned finally, plans are executed, tracking systems are put to work and referred to, modifications are made and teams members begin to carry out their responsibilities. A cloud-based project management software such as Sinnaps allows for increased efficiency in this loaded phase as task status can be updated in real-time allowing for the correct tracking of project progress. This phase is the key differentiator between the project life cycle and the project management life cycle. It occurs simultaneously with the execution phase. Project progress is measured as well as performance to ensure that everything is aligned with the project management plan. Another measuring tool included in Sinnaps is a resource tracker which helps to determine the use and allocation of resources and highlights any potential modifications that should be made to PMs before they begin to cause a real threat. This is generally known as effort and cost tracking to see if the budget is on track. Based on current performance, it will inform project teams if a project will meet its completion date. Test-mode allows for the efficient addition of any changes or modification needed and helps the project along its way of reaching its objectives. The project is completed fully in this phase. Team members are recognised for their efforts and any outsourced services are terminated. At the end of a project, PMs typically are required to create documents such as a punch list, which identifies any tasks that were not completed, a final project budget and a final project report. It is advisable that all project documents and deliverables are collected and stored in one place something for which Sinnaps cloud-based software is extremely useful. Different project life cycle models include different names for each of these phases, but essentially they are all referring to the same idea. Project Planning Phases From all the project life cycle stages, project planning is arguably one of the most important phases. The planning phase is tightly linked to project design, which, in turn, essentially determines the success or failure of a project. Project plans and their defined goals must be S. T method describes the criteria for goals. It provides a clear understanding for teams and project managers of what goals should encompass in themselves and states that goals should be: Each goal to a project should clearly and individually answer the questions of who, what, when, where, why and how? Goals should not be general and should have an evidently defined purpose. Through the creation of criteria, the success or failure of each goal can be measured. Before setting out to complete a goal, teams and project managers should identify what it will take to achieve them and if they are possible. Goals should be realistic in the sense that your team will want to work towards reaching them and capable of doing so. Every goal should have a timeframe within which it should be achieved, otherwise it could simply be pushed aside and forgotten about. Goals describes a more contemporary method that takes into consideration our fast-paced and constantly changing business environment. It states that goals should be: Goals should encourage team members to work together and utilising their shared expertise and abilities to support each other in completing goals to their full potential. The goals should be limited in scope and time in order to keep the manageable and from getting out of control. Goals should evoke a passion from team members. The should serve as something with which they can form an emotional connection and in turn, increase motivation which will optimise the quality of work. Larger goals or activities can and should be broken up into smaller. More attainable tasks which can be achieved in a less complex and quicker manner. Goals should be adaptable to our constantly changing environment. New situations constantly arise and may call for the modification of goals, for which these should be ready. Sinnaps understand this likely phenomenon and has created Test-mode which allows PMs to try out and check certain changes to see their overall effect before permanently implementing them. This reduces error and greatly increases project flexibility. Performance measures or baselines should also be established and defined in the project planning phase. These are essential to every project regarding its keeping it on track. Sinnaps allows project managers and team members to easily access these performance Page 6

7 measure in the app, which are updated automatically so that PMs can track project progress in real-time. Understanding the different stages of a life cycle will allow PMs to identify the stage they are in and act in accordance and measure performance in accordance also. Project Management Steps When managing a project, there are several steps that are advisable to take along the route of the project life cycle. Project managers should take the following steps when preparing to and carrying out a project: Explain the project plan to key stakeholders and discuss its key components. This is a step that involves the presentation of the project plan, which then can be modified as needed to achieve the goal of the project in the most efficient way possible. The project timeline is also shown and discussed. Stakeholders can generally be kept involved throughout the various project phases and project life cycle in general. Define roles and responsibilities. A project is comprised of numerous activities and follows a critical path along the way to its completion. Each task or activity should be clearly assigned to an individual or a group of people. Project sponsors, business experts, auditors, risk analysts, team members, end users, managers and anyone else tied with the project and its end result should review and approve it. As mentioned before, this meeting signifies the beginning of the project execution phase. It is an effective way to bring everyone together and make sure that everyone is on the same page one last time before project execution begins. Trust is built between team members and motivation instilled. You can find here, more information about Kick-off meetingâ Step 4: Develop a Scope Statement. A scope statement is an important document to a project plan. Essentially, it is a foundation to a project. Typically, it describes the project as a whole and gains agreement among stakeholders about the scope. The outcome of the project is defined as is the initial business problem, the benefits of completing the project, key milestones etc. Effectively it can be treated like a contract between a PM and a sponsor if one exists. This effectively describes all the deliverables of a project and their decomposition. The work breakdown structure WBS will identify all work to be done and breaks down large deliverables. Develop the schedule and cost baselines. In this step, activities and tasks are identified, the resources for each task are identified, task timeframe estimation and cost estimation are carried out, resource constraints and potential bottlenecks are identified and task dependencies are identified and a critical path is developed, clearly visible on the Sinnaps app. Analyse project quality and risks. Project quality and risks are measured by several metrics that Sinnaps includes in its app. Quality is a management responsibility and must be performed throughout the project. A quality plan with standards and acceptance criteria is essential to gain a quality outcome. Risk management is also an important factor. Sinnaps helps you to identify your project risk and potential bottlenecks so that you can treat them before they cause any serious damage. One of the most essential aspects to project management is communication. You cannot expect team members to know certain things without these things being clearly communicated to them. Clearly establish a line of report stating who reports to who, how often and in what format. Sinnaps allows for eased communication that can be accessed in real time in each individual task. Furthermore, a project wall, like that of your Social Media, updates team members with any and every change or completion within the project. One important aspect of the project plan is the Communications Plan. No matter which of the project life cycle models you follow, always remember to communicate! Overall it is clear that projects are quite similar to us humans in how the develop and evolve. This comparison allows us to fully understand the complexity of a project and that it must be treated differently in every individual stage of its own life cycle. The importance of project life cycle in project management cannot be ignored. The certain steps involved in project management, the clearly defined goals needed and communication are key throughout the phases of a project life cycle. Sinnaps is an online project management tool that will effectively and efficiently manage your project throughout its life cycle. Page 7

8 Chapter 6 : Project Management Life Cycle ActiveCollab Blog The project management life cycle begins at the initiation of the project and ends with the project closing. Learn what a project management life cycle is and what the stages of the project management life cycle are in this article by Ronda Levine. Project management in construction, which includes juggling various tasks and ensuring a project meets its deadlines, takes a great deal of expertise. Breaking up a project into these five logical steps outlined by the PMI can help ensure your project is organized and successful every time. Project Conception and Initiation The first construction project phase is building conception and initiation. The owner initiates the idea and gathers his team of experts design, contractor, trades. Collectively, the team decides whether or not a project is feasible and if they can realistically complete it within the desired timeframe. This means gathering a team of trusted partners together to do meticulous research to determine the scope and cost of a project. A feasibility study looks at the goals, costs, and timeline of a project to determine if the project manager thinks they have enough resources to pursue the project. A business case document defines the reasoning for starting a new project and the financial benefits. If after further research and discussion a project is found to pass these evaluation tests, the project will move on to create a project charter or Project Initiation Document PID. On the contrary, if the team deems the project unprofitable or unachievable, they will cancel the project. Carry out a high level of risk analysis during the initiation phase. Identifying key risks at the beginning will help prepare your team for anything that might come up during the project. Having a written plan helps ensure that everyone on the team is on the same page and understands the steps that they must take to complete the project effectively. Gathering insight from all project stakeholders in the beginning will provide better alignment on cost, scope, duration, and quality. Hitting on each of these areas gives the team a well-rounded idea of what will go into a project and address any possible risks proactively. Therefore, an important part of project management in construction is having a thorough risk mitigation plan. The more issues that the team can address during the planning phase will save time and money during the execution phase. This is why early involvement of trade partners and subcontractors is critical. This phase is imperative in preparing and executing a successful project. Give some thought to who you want on your team. Do they have the skills required to carry out the role? If not, make sure they receive the proper training! This stage is where the team collectively develops deliverables to satisfy the customer. This is where the magic happens and the project comes to life. Using the plan as the project guide, team members assign specific tasks for completion and allocates resources accordingly. Some of the specific tasks during this phase include: With much of the execution happening at the jobsite, it is critical for those that are not on the jobsite to have visibility. Project managers in the office, designers, and owners rely on the updates of the field team to gauge execution. There are lots of fancy new technology available to gauge progress and jobsite activity such as drones, cameras, lasers, and sensors. However, sometimes a good old daily report will suffice. Software to help keep the whole team organized and on track! Project performance and control goes hand in hand with the previous step because they occur simultaneously. Many times the project manager must make several adjustments to keep a project on track. These KPIs determine degrees of variation from the original project goal. Communicate and stay flexible. Go into a project with the mindset that things are going to change because they will! Successful project managers know how to adapt and modify. Project Close Once the team executes all the deliverables and delivers it to the satisfaction of the customer, they can close the project. When the team officially completes the project, we move into the final stage of the construction project life cycle. This last step is vitally important because it allows team members to evaluate, document and learn from the project. Project Close helps members determine what issues they had so that they can make improvements in the future. A final team meeting is usually held and led by a project manager to officially mark the ending of the project. Valuable team members are rewarded and recognized, contractors are terminated, and project successes and failures are identified. Also, project managers must create a final project budget and report to close out the project. While this is the close of one project, all the lessons learned and data is important to take into future Page 8

9 projects. When reviewing actual hours on specific labor activities versus the estimates, the team can adjust estimates on future projects. For example, perhaps the team discovered that site work actually consumes labors. However, previous bids included estimates of hours. This is critical information that can be used to improve future bids. Prepare a list of anything left unfinished and identify who will complete these items. Make sure to communicate this information to any stakeholders so that they stay informed. The ultimate customer is the owner, and their satisfaction determines the overall success of the project. Conclusion Construction projects are complex which makes project management in construction equally complex. Project managers are the critical piece of this complex puzzle. Therefore, understanding the different construction project phases helps to ensure the process is much easier and efficient. The most important thing is to include the primary stakeholders including subcontractors as early in the project as possible. While each phase serves an important function, the most thoroughly planned projects are often the easiest and fastest to execute. Page 9

10 Chapter 7 : Project management life cycle Association for Project Management The final phase of the project management life cycle is referred to as the evaluation or closure phase. It is during this phase that the finished project is presented and analyzed to determine whether or not it was a success. Life cycle Definition A life cycle defines the inter-related phases of a project, programme or portfolio and provides a structure for governing the progression of the work. General All projects, programmes and portfolios are designed to deliver objectives. These objectives may be expressed as outputs, outcomes or benefits. A P3 life cycle illustrates the distinct phases that take an initial idea, develop it into detailed objectives and then deliver those objectives. All life cycles follow a similar high-level generic sequence but this can be expressed in quite different ways. Life cycles will differ across industries and business sectors. The most common type is the linear life cycle, sometimes known as the linear sequential model or waterfall method. In addition to the linear model, other life cycle formats include: The phased structure facilitates the creation of governance and feedback mechanisms: Senior management will consider performance to date and plans for the next phase, stage or tranche before deciding whether it is viable; post-reviews â learning from experience is a key factor in maturity. Post-project and programme reviews document lessons learned for use in the future; benefit reviews â these measure the achievement of benefits against the business case. All phases of the life cycle are important. No phase should be omitted but they may be adjusted to accommodate the development methodology and context of the work. Project The scope of a project life cycle can take various forms to suit the context. Some projects will be part of a programme and will only be concerned with delivering outputs the traditional project life cycle. Some projects will be expected to incorporate the management of change and realisation of benefits the extended project life cycle. A typical, linear project life cycle is shown in figure 1. Linear project life cycle Concept â this phase develops an initial idea and creates an outline business case and schedule. A sponsor is appointed and, if possible, a project manager. Sufficient analysis must be performed to enable senior managers, led by the project sponsor, to make two decisions: Is the project likely to be viable? Is it definitely worth investing in the definition phase? Definition â the preferred solution is identified and ways of achieving it are refined. The project management plan PMP is developed. This, together with the business case, has to be approved by the sponsor before progressing to the next phase. Development â the project management plan is put into action and this phase may be broken down into further stages at the end of which the continuing viability of the project can be reviewed. Handover and closure â the project outputs are handed over and accepted by the sponsor on behalf of the users. Benefits realisation â where appropriate, a project may include a benefits realisation phase. The full product life cycle also includes: Programme A typical programme life cycle is shown in figure 1. Linear programme life cycle Concept â this establishes the vision and outline business case for the programme. A programme board is created to oversee the phase and provide a mechanism for approvals. The expected benefits are outlined and initial programme-level documentation is prepared. Sufficient analysis must be performed to enable the programme board, led by the programme sponsor, to make two decisions: Is the programme likely to be viable? Definition â the vision is developed into a detailed specification of the end state of the programme, sometimes referred to as a blueprint. Outline plans and business case are further developed so that the sponsor can make an informed decision to proceed with the programme. Project delivery â this phase is usually broken into groups of projects called tranches that deliver beneficial change in their own right. A review at the end of each tranche assesses the continuing viability of the programme. Benefits realisation â as new outputs are delivered by projects, transformation work has to be done to ensure new ways of working become embedded in business-as-usual. Benefits will be measured and compared to the baseline in the business case. Closure â closure of the last projects, closure of budgets and disbanding the programme management team. The realisation of benefits will usually continue after the closure of the programme. Some members of the programme team typically the programme sponsor and business change managers will continue in their roles to ensure that benefits are realised as required by the business case. Portfolio Unlike projects and programmes, portfolios are less likely to have a defined start and finish. Portfolio management is Page 10

11 a more continual cycle coordinating projects and programmes. It may, however, be constrained by a strategic planning cycle that reviews strategy over a defined period. If an organisation has, for example, a three-year strategic planning cycle, then the portfolio cycle will have a start and finish within that period. Portfolio life cycle The objectives of a portfolio are created by strategic planning. The aim of the portfolio is to deliver the objectives and realise the corporate strategy through the coordination of projects and programmes. The phases of the portfolio life cycle are less likely to be linear. At any point in time the emphasis will be on one phase or another, but aspects of all may be undertaken. Define â the projects, programmes and change to business-as-usual required to meet strategic objectives are identified and evaluated in a selection process that maximises the effectiveness of the portfolio. Prioritise â priorities can be set by strategic objective, return on investment or any other chosen metric. On the assumption that no organisation has sufficient resource to do everything it wants, the prioritisation process forms the basis of the next phase. Balance â the portfolio must be balanced in terms of risk, resource usage, cash flow and impact across the business. Portfolio management may incorporate the overall governance of projects and programmes within an organisation. The portfolio management team may be responsible not only for coordinating the projects and programmes, but also for improving the maturity of project and programme management. Chapter 8 : Top 5 Project Management Phases Seasoned project managers know it is often easier to handle the details of a project and take steps in the right order when you break the project down into phases. Dividing your project management efforts into these five phases can help give your efforts structure and simplify them into a series of logical and manageable steps. Chapter 9 : The Five Steps of The Project Management Life Cycle The Four Stages of a Project Life Cycle Starting the Project: This should be a relatively short stage where the strategic goals are outlined and the resources available for the project are defined. Page 11