Download Mobile AppThe Short Answer
A project life cycle is the sequence of phases a project passes through from start to finish. The phases depend on the work and delivery approach. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing are five project management process groups, not five phases that every project must follow.
For example, a website project might use discovery, design, build, test and launch phases. Planning and monitoring can occur throughout those phases; neither is confined to a single stage.
How phases and process groups fit together
Choose phases around the work and the decisions needed to move it forward. For a website launch, a design approval can end the design phase, while acceptance tests provide evidence for launch. There is no universal requirement for five or seven phases. The five process groups below describe management activities that may repeat within a phase or across the project. Predictive, iterative and adaptive approaches organise delivery differently.
Initiating
The Birth
Initiating activities establish the purpose and authorisation for a project or phase. They help clarify the business need, stakeholders and boundaries before resources are committed.
Objective
Define the high-level purpose and feasibility.
Key Deliverable: Project Charter
This document empowers the Project Manager to apply organizational resources to project activities. It answers the "Why" and "What" at a macro level.
Key Activities
- Identify stakeholders
- Assess feasibility
- Define high-level scope
- Secure project sponsorship
Planning
The Blueprint
Planning activities define the scope, schedule, resources and approach. Plans are refined as information changes; planning can occur more than once within a project.
Objective
Define the total scope, refine objectives, and develop the course of action.
Key Deliverable: Project Management Plan
Includes WBS, Schedule (Gantt), Budget, Risk Management Plan, and Communications Plan.
Key Activities
- Create Work Breakdown Structure
- Develop schedule and budget
- Identify and analyze risks
- Define quality standards
Executing
The Work
Executing activities coordinate people and resources to carry out the plan and produce the agreed deliverables. They may occur in several life cycle phases.
Objective
Complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy specifications.
Key Deliverable: Project Deliverables
The actual products, services, or results that the project was designed to create.
Key Activities
- Coordinate people and resources
- Manage stakeholder engagement
- Implement quality processes
- Conduct procurements
Monitoring and Controlling
The Check
Monitoring and controlling activities compare actual progress with the plan, review risks and manage changes. They take place alongside other management activities throughout the project.
Objective
Track, review, and regulate progress and performance; identify areas requiring changes.
Key Deliverable: Performance Reports & Change Requests
Status reports (RAG: Red, Amber, Green), variance analyses, and formal change control documentation.
Key Activities
- Track KPIs
- Manage scope changes
- Control quality
- Monitor risks
Closing
The Handover
Closing activities confirm completion of a project or phase, document acceptance, hand over the result and capture lessons. A phase can close while the wider project continues.
Objective
Finalize all activities to formally close the project or phase.
Key Deliverable: Lessons Learned & Project Closure Report
Documentation of what worked, what didn't, and recommendations for future projects.
Key Activities
- Obtain formal acceptance
- Release team and resources
- Archive records
- Conduct retrospective
Key Takeaways
- Life cycle phases describe how the specific project work progresses from start to finish.
- The five process groups describe management activities, not a universal sequence of project phases.
- Planning, execution and monitoring may repeat within a phase and across the project.
- Define the deliverable, acceptance criteria and decision owner for each phase boundary.
- In an adaptive approach, delivery and planning evolve through feedback; a sprint is not automatically a complete project life cycle.