Projects, whether complex or simple can be broken down into five phases. The middle three phases are not necessarily performed in the order specified as new information becomes available. Design, executing, and performing are activities that are constantly changing along the way. With regard to the middle phases, an Agile approach many be taken. Note that sometimes different terms are used to describe the five phases.

1. Initiation/Creating

Work with stakeholders, articulate the vision for the project, establish goals, plan a team of people, and define expectations and the scope of the project. Do a cost/benefit analysis.

2. Planning/Defining/Designing

Detail how the project’s results will accomplish goals, identify assumptions, identify specific tasks and activities to be completed, identify the project team’s roles, identify risks, and develop a schedule and a budget.

3. Starting

Accomplish goals by assembling and leading a team of people, communicate, solve problems, set up information tracking systems for project control, and building the project.

4. Performing/Controlling/Monitoring

Do the work, compare and communicate performance with plans, make needed changes to the project, adjust the schedule to respond to issues, and adjust expectations, project scope and goals as needed.

5. Closure

Deliver the project to your audience, acknowledge results, and assess its success. Take the time to compose a written evaluation of the project and the development effort.

Phase 1 Initiation

Ideas that are articulated signal the beginning of the conceive phase. In this phase you will need to answer the following questions: What could be done? Should you do it? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Can you do it? Is the project technically possible? Who will the project manager be?

Phase 2 Planning

The plan phase answers the question how the project’s objectives will be achieved. A project plan is written in this phase that details answers to this question. What exactly is the project trying to accomplish and why? What are the reasons for the project and what are the assumptions? Detailed explanations of the reasons for doing the project and the underlying assumptions are needed.
A Statement of Work is a written confirmation of what the project will produce and the terms and conditions of the project. The people who requested the work and the main people of the project team all need to agree to all of the terms in the Statement of Work document.

Phase 3 Starting

In the start phase, preparations are made to begin the project’s actual work. The actual tasks involved in the project are not started until the performing phase begins. The first thing to do is to assemble the project team and assign roles to them and tasks to them. Team members should know when the project starts work, how they will accomplish their tasks  and how they will be managed. Tracking systems are set up to track time and money and the team members should know how to use these systems.

Phase 4 Performing

This is the phase where actual project work is performed and controlled. Team members perform their tasks and report their progress to their supervisor or project manager. A comparison is made between actual tasks completed and the project plan created in phase 2, as well as the resources used so far and still needed. Issues that arise are reported and dealt with. Periodically the team members meet to discuss the overall progress of the project.

Phase 5 Closing

When all of the project tasks that are completed, there are still a few final things that need to be done. Your client’s approval of the final results are necessary. The project’s resource accounts should be closed. The project team then meets to discuss and evaluate the project and identify the lessons learned.

Phases are Dynamic

In many projects, the phases don’t always fully complete until the next phase begins. The success of the project will likely depend on taking this flexible approach. You may have to work on one or more phases at the same time in order to meet the project’s deadlines. In other cases you may have to go back and modify your project plan due to any number of changes that occurred, such as a change in project personnel, project scope or the project’s budget.

Requirements of Successful Projects

Projects first need commitment from management and team members to be successful. Projects need people with decision-making authority to be involved. Projects need accurate, complete and timely information. They need to have good communication. The project manager will need to successfully manage people, systems (procedures for acquiring and assigning resources) and processes (the work’s planning, organizing, controlling and decision making).