Written by Coursera • Updated on Aug 11, 2022
The project management lifecycle consists of four steps: initiating, planning, executing, and closing.
What is the project management lifecycle?
The project management lifecycle is a step-by-step framework of best practices used to shepherd a project from its beginning to its end. It provides project managers a structured way to create, execute, and finish a project.
This project management process generally includes four phases: initiating, planning, executing, and closing. Some may also include a fifth “monitoring and controlling” phase between the executing and closing stages. By following each step, a project team increases the chance of achieving its goals.
The project management lifecycle provides projects with structure and tools to ensure they have the best chance of being successful. As a project manager, it’s a process you’ll want to know well.
Read more: What Does a Project Manager Do? A Career Guide
The Project Management Lifecycle: 4 Steps
1. Initiating
In the initiation phase, you’ll define the project. You’ll sort out the project goals, scope, and resources of the project, and what roles are needed on the team. Clarifying what stakeholders expect out of the project, and what exactly the project is aiming to achieve (and why) will give the project and team clear direction.
This is a crucial phase to the project’s success. Without clarity around what needs to be achieved and why, the project runs the risk of not accomplishing the end goals and meeting the expectations of stakeholders.
Some steps in the initiation phase include:
Communicating with stakeholders to understand the purpose and desired outcomes of the project
Identifying project scope
Determining SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
Clarifying resources like budget and time constraints
Confirming team size and roles required
Determining how often and which stakeholders will be involved throughout the project
Compiling a project proposal and project charter
Tools and documents used in the initiation phase can include:
Project proposal: The project proposal defines a project and outlines key dates, requirements, and goals.
Project charter: This is a definitive document that describes the project and main details necessary to reach its goals. This can include potential risks, benefits, constraints, and key stakeholders.
RACI chart: A RACI chart plots the roles and responsibilities of members on a project team.
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2. Planning
In the planning phase, you’ll determine the steps to actually achieve the project goals—the “how” of completing a project.
You’ll establish budgets, timelines, and milestones, and source materials and necessary documents. This step also involves calculating and predicting risk, putting change processes into place, and outlining communication protocols. If the initiation phase is assembling your troops, the planning phase is deciding what to do with them.
The planning phase can include the following steps:
Deciding on milestones that lead up to goal completion
Developing a schedule for tasks and milestones, including time estimates and potential time buffers
Establishing change processes
Determining how and how often to communicate with team members and stakeholders
Creating and signing documents such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or requests for proposal (RFPs)
Assessing and managing risk by creating a risk register
Holding a kick-off meeting to start project
Tools you might use in a this phase include:
Gantt chart: A horizontal bar chart in which members can see what tasks must be completed in what order, and how long each is expected to take
Risk register: A chart that lists risks associated with the project, along with their probability, potential impact, risk level, and mitigation plans
Read more: How to Manage Project Risk: A 5-Step Guide
3. Execute and complete tasks
Executing a project means putting your plan into action and keeping the team on track. Generally this means tracking and measuring progress, managing quality, mitigating risk, managing the budget, and using data to inform your decisions.
Specific steps might include:
Using tools like GANTT or burndown charts to track progress on tasks
Responding to risks when they manifest
Recording costs
Keeping team members motivated and on task
Keeping stakeholders informed of progress
Incorporating changes via change requests
Some tools you might use include:
Change requests: These are documents used to propose changes to a project’s scope or goals
Burndown chart: This chart breaks down tasks on a granular level and visualizes the amount of time remaining
4. Close projects
In the closing phase of the project management lifecycle, you’ll conclude project activities, turn the finished product or service over to its new owners, and assess the things that went well and didn’t go so well. It’ll also be a time to celebrate your hard work.
Steps in the closing phase can include:
Conducting retrospectives and take notes of changes you can implement in the future
Communicating to stakeholders of the end of the project and providing an impact report
Communicating with the new owners of a project
Creating a project closeout report
Celebrating the end of the project and your successes
Tools used in the closing phase include:
Impact report: This report compiles a series of metrics that showcase how your project made a difference and is presented to your stakeholders.
Project closeout report: A project closeout report provides a summary of your project’s accomplishments, and provides key learnings for future project managers to reference.
The following video provides an overview of the project management lifecycle. This is a preview of the Google Project Management Professional Certification.
An overview of the project management lifecyle.
Getting started in project management
Mastering all steps of the project management lifecycle is an ongoing process that will continue throughout your career. Learning the formal aspects—the tools, steps, and vocabulary used in the process—can set you up for success in your beginning days as a project manager. If you’re interested in deepening your knowledge of project management, consider the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate to learn job-ready project management skills at your own pace.
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Written by Coursera • Updated on Aug 11, 2022
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