Its about eating the Elephant

Life Cycle
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.
(APM, 2012)
All projects therefore have a defined
start and progresses through a number
of phases to conclusion. These phases
are known as life-cycles
The Project Manager needs to be aware of
how the inputs and outputs of one

Why do we need to know the

lifecycle
The PMs focus will shift during the
different phases.
Concept and Definition - PM must
make sure the plan reflects the
wishes of the client
Implementation Keep the project
on track

Basic Lifecycle

Concept (or the Business Case)

The need, problem or
opportunity is established for
the proposed project. Plans
are made that are sufficient
to assess the feasibility of
the proposed project, to
enable a go/no-go decision
to be made, often in the form
of a business case. Need to
decide if the project is viable
and worth investing in the
definition stage. Function of
this stage is to week out bad
projects

Definition
Preferred solution is defined
Plans and costs are refined
to create a Project Plan
The Project Plan and the
Business Case have to be
approved before moving
onto the next phase

Implementation

The plan is put into action

This phase can be split into
smaller phases depending
on the business
The tasks which need to be
undertaken to produce the
deliverables are also
defined.
Typically this is the busiest
phase of the basic life cycle.
.

Handover

The final project deliverables

are handed over. Once the
deliverables have been
formally accepted, the
responsibility and ownership
of the deliverable shifts from
the project team to the
sponsor and/or users. At this
point, the project can be
reviewed in order that lessons
may be learnt from the teams
experiences to improve future
practice.

PMI Life Cycle

Initiation What to do
Planning How to do it
Execution Do it
Closure Hand it over
How does this differ from
the APM version?
Planning instead of
definition

PMBOK
Initiate - the process in which it is decided that there
is a need for a project and then the decision to go.
Plan - the process in which the scope of the project
is developed.
Execute - the process in which the necessary
actions are performed in order to accomplish the
goals set in the planning stage.
Close - the process in which the finished product or
service is presented, indicating successful
completion of the project.
Monitor and Control is the group of processes in
which the actions performed in the execute stage
are supervised.

General Project Life Cycle

Initiation Phase

Planning Phase

Requirement analysis &

Identify
Feasibility Proposal
Identify tasks
tasks
CONTROL
Sequence
Sequence tasks
tasks
Specification

Set Objectives

Report
Report

Estimate
Estimate time
time and
and
cost
cost
Determine
Determine and
and recruit
recruit
staff
staff

Compare Alternatives

Value
Value Planning
Planning

Risk Analysis

Obtain client
Obtain client
acceptance
acceptance

Complete
Complete
documentation
documentation

Review and schedule

Review
and schedule
cost
Deploy Deliverables
cost

Sign off
Sign off

Issue Changes
Issue Changes

Establish Control Tools

Prepare Plan

Closing Phase

Monitor and review

Monitor and review CONTROL
CONTROL

Identify
Identify critical
critical tasks
tasks

Cost Benefit Analysis

Execution Phase

Allocate Responsibilities
Risk Analysis

Reengineering
Audit & Report

Post Audit
Post Audit
Maintenance
Maintenance

Risk Analysis
Value
Value
Assessment
Assessment

Changes in Each LifeCycle Phase

The rate of expenditure of resources changes, usually
increasing with succeeding phases until a rapid
decrease at completion. The people, skills,
organizations, and other resources involved in the
project change in each life cycle phase. Major review
of the entire project occurs at the end of each phase,
resulting in authorization to proceed with the next
phase, cancellation of the project, or repetition of a
previous phase. Archibald, 1976

Effort and the lifecycle

Project Life Cycles and Their Effects

Conceptualizati Planning
on

Which is which?

Execution

Termination

The represents
how the following
aspects develop
during the
lifecycle
Client Interest
Stakeholder
Interest
Creativity
Resources
Uncertainty

Project Life Cycles and Their Effects

Client Interest
Stakeholders
Resources
Creativity

Uncertainty

Conceptualization

Planning

Execution

Termination

Decision Gates

Many projects fail because project managers fail to transition

projects between project phases.

Alternative Models
Waterfall Model
Simple - strict sequencing of
project work steps.
Time spent on requirements
and design saves time later
Many argue its a bad idea in
practiceimpossible to finish
a phase of a software
product's lifecycle perfectly
before moving to the next
phases, clients may not know
exactly what requirements
they need before reviewing a
working prototype and
commenting on it.

Problems with the

lifecycle
The model assumes that project environment are
predictable
The scope of work is fully understood by the
project team
Once a phase is completed it would not be
revisited again
The project success is measured against the triple
constraint of Time, Cost and Quality

Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing software
by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work
we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive
documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we
value the items on the left more.

Agile

What might a very high

level Oil and Gas lifecycle
look like?

Oil and Gas

Benefits of Project
Lifecycles

ensures that those involved within the project understand the process
to be followed
ensures that the scope of the project is defined before implementation
the outputs or deliverable for each phase of the project are identified
it allows for decision points within the project where at the end of each
phase the project can be reviewed
facilitates the process of project planning as resources can be aligned
to specific phases of the project
clarifies the work to be accomplished in each phase which means that
resources are not committed without thorough management review
and discussion
makes pricing and estimating easier if clear work definitions exist.
The project lifecycle eases communication with those stakeholders,
often senior manager who are less familiar with details of a project as it
provides a term of reference.
Unless a well-documented, clear picture of the life cycle process exists
wont achieve the full benefits of project management.

How a Project Starts .

Identification of problem/opportunity recognition of
business need
Client provides a brief/terms of reference and supplier
replies with a proposal/letter of intent
Often the outputs (Deliverables) are specified but the
means of delivery is left to the supplier
To get to the proposal the supplier needs to examine
options project objectives and deliverables,
investigate the costs, assumptions and constraints and
present the preferred solution/results
Conversion of the outline brief into a Project Initiation
Document (PID)

Project Mandate
What ever it is that triggers the project
This can be anything from a formal project brief to
a verbal request

Initiation
Process where all the necessary
analysis is undertaken to allow the
project to be planned
Where projects are given formal
approval to proceed
Preparation of the Project Initiation
Document (PID) or Project Charter also
referred to as
Project Scoping Document,
Project Outline,
Project Brief.

Project Charter
Is the document that moves the project from the
Initiation Phase to the Planning phase
the deliverable that grant the project team the
right proceed to the more detailed planning
phase (Kloppenberg, 2009)
It forms a contract like agreement between
sponsor and team
Gives the Project Manager the authority to
proceed
Develops a common understanding.

Project
Proposal

Develop Business Case

Proposed Solution
Initial Feasibility

Output is Project Proposal

Project
Initiation
Identify Sponsor
Identify Team
Develop PID
Objectives
Scope
Deliverables

Define
Define Scope
Develop Schedule
Define Quality Standards
Establish Budget
Risk Identification
Identify Risks
Develop Project Plan
Initial Plan
Communication Plan
Quality Plan
Stakeholder Analysis
Output PID

Project Planning
Refine
Scope
Schedule
Quality Standards
Budget

Perform Risk Assessment

Identify Risks
Quantify
Dev Risk Mgt Plan

Develop Project Plan

Change Control
Acceptance Criteria
Issue Mgt and Escalation
Organisational Plan
Baseline Schedule
Baseline Budget

Output Project Mgt Plan (PMP)

Business Case

Business Case
Is Project worth it?
Do the objectives align to the organisational goals
What are the benefits
Financial
Commercial
Reputational
Increased opportunity
What are the key deliverables?
What are the performance indicators how will we
know its successful

Whats a Business case

Strategic rationale
Options appraisal
Expected benefits
Commercial aspects = costs investment
appraisals, funding sources
Risks
Timescale

 When developing the business case consult

the stakeholders lower down the chain of
command they will often have a clearer idea
of the actual specific requirements and
deliverables that the senior managers dont

After the green light ..

Work with the sponsor
and the stakeholder to
develop the PID or the
Charter

Its the start of the

planning process.

Project Initiation
Document (PID)
Purpose

Give the project authority to proceed

Develop common understanding with stakeholders

Ensure commitment of resources

Acts as a baseline
Contains
Details of project goals and objectives and the critical
success factors by which achievement of the
objectives will be judged.
Details of the project scope and any related areas that
are considered to be out of scope.
Details of identified risks and constraints and
assumptions.

PID ..
Contractual aspects
Schedules
Costs
Resources Required
Project Team
Risks
Assumptions
Constraints
Quality evaluation methods