PROJECT MANAGEMENT LIFE CYCLE

PHASES AND PROCESS GROUPS

Construction Management
Aishwarya Vasant Sanap First Year M.Arch
Roll no. 2 Dr. D. Y. Patil college of Architecture, Akurdi
 • A project management life cycle is a four-step framework planned
to assist project managers in completing projects successfully.
• The primary competency of a project manager is to gain a
thorough understanding of project management stages.
Knowledge and planning for the five project management steps
What is will help you plan and organize your projects so that it goes off
without any hitches.

Project • It is simpler for a project manager to handle all the current details
of the project when the project is broken down into various
phases. Each phase of the cycle is goal-oriented having its own set

Management of characteristics and contains product deliverables, which are

reviewed at the end of the project management steps.
• According to the Project Management Book of Knowledge
Life Cycle? (PMBoK), the project management life cycle should define the
following aspects:
• ➣ What work needs to be achieved?
➣ What are the project deliverables?
➣ Who will be involved in the team?
➣ How to monitor the performance of each phase?
• Project initiation is the first project management life cycle phases,
where the project starts. It provides an overview of the project, along
with the strategies required to attain desired results. It is the phase
where the feasibility and business value of the project are determined.
• The project manager kicks-off a meeting to understand the client and
stakeholders requirements, goals, and objectives. It is essential to go
into minute details to have a better understanding of the project. Upon
taking a final decision to proceed, the project can move on to the next
step: that is, assembling a project team.
• Ask yourself the following questions during Initiation:
• What is the problem?
• Will the development of a project solve that problem?
• What are the specific goals of the project?
• Do we have enough resources to create and support the project?

1. Project Initiation
Let’s understand each phase in detail:

• Undertake a Feasibility Study

In the initial stage, it is essential to understand the feasibility of the project. See if the project is viable from the economic, legal, operational, and
technical aspects. Identifying problems will help you analyze whether you can solve issues with appropriate solutions.

• Identify the Project Scope

Identifying the project scope involves defining the length, breadth, and depth of the project. On the other hand, it’s equally essential to outline
functions, deadlines, tasks, features, and services.

• Identify the Project Deliverables

Upon identifying the project scope, the very next step is to outline the project deliverables. Project deliverables include defining the product or
services needed.

• Identification of Project Stakeholders

A thorough identification of project stakeholders is essential. It is better to have meetings with team members and experts to identify project
stakeholders. Documentation of relevant information on stakeholders and impact on them on successful completion of the project is required

• Develop a Business Case

Before developing a business case, check whether the essential pillars of the project such as feasibility, scope, and identification of stakeholders
are in place. The very next step is to come up with a full-fledged business case.
Creation of a statement of work (SoW) and the formation of a team wrap up the project initiation phase.
 • A lot of planning related to the project takes place during this phase. On
defining project objectives, it is time to develop a project plan for
everyone to follow.
• The planning phase frames a set of plans which helps to guide your team
through the implementation phase and closing phase. The program
created at this point will surely help you to manage cost, quality, risk,
changes, and time.
• The project plan developed should include all the essential details related
to the project goals and objectives and should also detail how to achieve
it. It is the most complex phase in which project managers take care of
operational requirements, design limitations, and functional
requirements.
• Ask yourself the following questions during Planning:
• What is the project purpose, vision, or mission?
• Are there measurable objectives or success criteria?
• Do you have a high level description of the project, requirements and
risks?
• Can you adequately schedule and budget high level milestones?

2. Project Planning
• Creating a Project Plan
A project plan is a blueprint of the entire project. A well-designed project plan should determine the list of activities, the time frame,
dependencies, constraints involved, and potential risks. It assists the project manager to streamline operations to meet the end
objective and track progress by taking appropriate decisions at the right time.

• Creating a Resource Plan

The resource plan provides information about various resource levels required to accomplish a project. A well-documented plan
specifies the labor and materials to complete a project. Resources used should have relevant project management expertise.
Experience in the concerned domain is a priority.

• Budget Estimation
Framing a financial plan helps you to set the budget and deliver project deliverables without exceeding it. The final budget plan lists
expenses on material, labor, and equipment. Creating a budget plan will help the team and the project managers to monitor and
control the costs throughout the project management life cycle.

• Gathering Resources
Gathering resources is an essential part of project planning as it helps to monitor the quality level of the project. It is not enough to
assemble a well-balanced team from internal and external resources. Resources like equipment, money, software solutions, and
workplace should be given to complete the assigned tasks.

• Anticipating Risks and Potential Quality Roadblocks

The risk plan will help you identify risks and mitigate them. It will comprise all the potential risks, the order of severity, and preventive
actions to track it. Once threats are under control, it is possible to deliver the project on time adhering to quality.
• Project execution is the phase where project-
related processes are implemented, tasks are assigned,
and resources allocated. The method also involves
building deliverables and satisfying customer
requirements. Project managers or team leaders accomplish
the task through resource allocation and by keeping the
team members focused.
• The team involved will start creating project deliverables and
seek to achieve project goals and objectives as outlined in the
project plan. This phase determines whether your project will
succeed or not. The success of the project mainly depends on
project execution phase. The final project, deliverable
also takes shape during the project execution phase.
• Ask yourself the following questions during Execution:
• Are all resources being tracked?
• Is the project on budget and on time?
• Can resource planning be optimized?
• Are there major roadblocks that require change management?

3. Project Execution
There are a lot of essential things that are taken care of during the execution phase.
Listed below are a few among them:

• Reporting Progress of a Project

During the project execution phase, it is essential to get regular project updates as
it provides the required information and even identifies the issues.

• Hold Regular Meetings

Before you kick-off a project meeting, be clear about the agenda and make team
members aware of what the meeting is all about well in advance. If communication
is timely and straight-forward, the productivity of on-going projects and those that
are in the pipeline will not get affected.

• Manage Problems
Problems within the project are bound to occur. Issues such as time management,
quality management, and weakening in the team’s morale can hinder the success
of a project. So make sure all problems are solved in the beginning.
 • With much time and effort invested in the project planning, it is
often forgotten that the final phase of the project management
life cycle phases is equally important.
• Project closure phase represents the final phase of the project
management life cycle, which is also known as “follow-up” phase.
Around this time, the final product is ready for delivery. Here the
main focus of the project manager and the team should be on
product release and product delivery. In this stage, all the
activities related to the project are wrapped up. The closure
phase is not necessarily after a successful completion phase
alone. Sometimes a project may have to be closed due to project
failure.
• Upon project completion and timely delivery to clients, it is
the role of the project manager to highlight strengths, list the
• Ask yourself the following questions during Termination: takeaways of the project, identify the ambiguities and suggest
how they could be rectified for future projects. Taking time to
• Are the project’s completion criteria met? recognize the strengths and weaknesses will help to handle
projects with more dedication; this, in turn, builds the project
• Is there a project closure report in progress? manager’s credibility.
• Have all project artifacts been collected and archived? • Once the product is handed to the customers, the
• Has a project post-mortem been planned? documentation is finalized, the project team is disbanded, and
the project is closed.

5. Project Closure
• Analyzing Project Performance
This project management step deals with analyzing whether the project goals have been met. If the project is accomplished within the agreed budget
and time and is capable of addressing the issue which it set out to resolve, then the project can be declared a success.

• Analyzing Teams Performance

The next project management step is to consider the performance of the team members. Performing quality check against parameters like quality of
work and timelines will provide a clear picture of the team’s performance.

• Document Project Closure

This is the most vital of project management steps as it involves a systematic presentation of a project from the ideation stage to completion. A well-
written project document without any loose ends is handed over to the clients/stakeholders at the closure phase.

• Conducting Post-Implementation Reviews

Soon after the closure phase, a final evaluation of the project provides meaningful insights into the entire process. These reviews will provide lessons
learned for upcoming projects.

• Accounting for Used and Unused Budget

In the final phase of the project, specific resources and budget which are untouched may be redeployed for further projects. It helps to reduce resource
wastage and costs as well.
Regrettably, this phase is often underestimated by many companies. The only thing that matters here is whether the project is a success or not, and
many project managers deliver to the client, without further evaluation. However, it is pertinent to note that it is not enough to merely complete a
project; it is more important to execute it in the way initially envisioned.
 • As we move through a project, project management tools help us
measure progress and track project tasks. Tools allow us to
manage the ad-hoc resources critical to project success
since projects don't draw on the ongoing, dedicated full-time
positions found in businesses.
• Simply having these tools and resources at our disposal doesn't
ensure a project's success, though. We need something that

Project guides the team and the project from beginning to end in order
to initiate, plan, execute and close projects with more precision.
• This guidance in applying applicable project management

Management knowledge and skills to the project is done using the project
management processes, which consist of five process groups and a
control system.

Process Groups • Those process groups¹ typically include the following:

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring
• Closing
 • The initiating process group involves the processes, activities,
and skills needed to effectively define the beginning of a
project. Setting all permits, authorizations, and initial work
orders in place to secure an effective and logical progression of
initial project activities sets the stage for subsequent success
throughout all project phases. Setting clear phases for work to
be completed, initializing teams, and having the budget in

Initiating place before work begins are vital for a strong start to any
project across industry.

Process Group • All projects start with an idea for a product, service or another
desirable outcome. The initiating process group then
determines the nature and scope of the project.
Not performing this stage well means it's unlikely the project
will be successful in meeting the business' needs.
• The key project controls required are an understanding of the
business environment and incorporating all necessary checks
into the project. There's two crucial things throughout this
process: 1) reporting any deficiencies and 2) making a
recommendation to fix them.
 • The Planning Process Group sets forth the processes
needed to define the scope of the project, set strategic
plans in place to maximize workflow, and begin to
assemble priority lists and plan team needs. This process
group also addresses a more narrow clarification of all
project goals and expectations and puts in place the
Planning project infrastructure necessary to achieve those goals
according to the timeline and budgetary constraints.
Process • After initiating, the project is planned to an appropriate
level of detail. The main purpose is to plan time, cost and
Group resources adequately to estimate the work needed and
to manage risk effectively during project execution.
• All of this information is recorded in the project
management plan. As with the initiating process group, a
failure to plan adequately lessens the project's chance of
success.
 • The executing process group involves managing teams
effectively while orchestrating timeline expectations
and reaching benchmark goals. Project managers
utilizing this set of skills will demonstrate a high
degree of organization and communication skills while
addressing team concerns or other complex situations
Executing associated with getting the work done on time and
within budget.
Process • Executing consists of the processes used to complete
Group the work defined in the project management plan. It's
about accomplishing the project's objectives. The
executing process involves co-ordinating people and
resources, as well as integrating and performing the
project activities. The deliverables are produced as
outputs from the processes performed, as defined in
the project management plan.
 • Processing change orders, addressing on-going budget
considerations, and mitigating unforeseen circumstances that
may affect a team’s ability to meet initial project expectations
are all part of the core skills and competencies involved in
the Monitoring Process Group. Seasoned managers keep the
momentum moving forward and guard the project against
stalling by actively monitoring progress and using foresight and
quick response to address project challenges.

Monitoring • The monitoring process group involves managing and tracking

the project. Potential problems can be identified quickly for the
team to take corrective action. The project management plan is
and Control used for this purpose.

Process • The project monitoring and control phase is all about measuring
the performance of the project and tracking progress. It is
implemented during the execution phase. The main goal of this
phase is to check whether everything aligns with the project
Group management plan, especially concerning financial parameters
and timelines.
• It is the responsibility of the project manager to make
necessary adjustments related to resource allocation and
ensure that everything is on track. To aid this, a project
manager may conduct review meetings and get regular
performance reports.
• Monitoring project activity after project execution phase will
allow the project manager to take corrective actions.
Meanwhile, considering the quality of work will also help to
make the necessary improvements. Keeping an eye on
the budget will help to avoid unnecessary expenses resources.
 • Bringing a project to a successful close on time and within budget is no
small feat. The Closing Process Group addresses the culmination of
strong project management skills demonstrated throughout the other
interrelated processes that guided the project. Following through to
close all aspects of the process and submitting necessary paperwork on
time is just as important as all other skills and processes. Good closure
brings great reviews and can increase future word of mouth referrals.
Closing • Project closing is an important part of project management that's
sometimes overlooked. Closing a project means finishing all activities

Process across all process groups, disbanding the project team and signing off
the project with the customer.
• At this point, it's important to know how well the project has performed.
Group This task is done using the project closure report. The report
communicates how well the project has performed against its original
business case, quality measures, cost, duration and tolerances.
• Rather than leave valuable project experiences locked in people's heads,
it's a good idea to complete and publish a lessons learned report. This
report passes on valuable lessons that future projects can apply.
 Difference between phases
and process groups
• The project process groups are not project phases. It is possible for all
process groups to be performed within a phase
•
Project phase results into deliverables. Project phase culminates into
the final project deliverables or an intermediate project deliverable.
Project management process group on the other hand comprises of
project management processes.
• All the project management processes create project management
plans and documents, with the exception of Direct and Manage
Project Work. The deliverables from project management processes
help manage the project.
•
Phases progress with time. A phase has a start and a finish. This would
be true in a plan driven life cycle or in an iterative life cycle. A phase
would get completed (based on the completion criteria) and hand it
over to the next phase in sequence.
• On the other hand, a process group does not have a start or a finish.
For example, monitoring and controlling would be required throughout
the project. Or planning will have to be re-visited at many times in the
project. Like you would do for a phase, you cannot say planning or
monitoring and controlling is completed for good