Model Guideline #1 - Part A
Show me a typical
guideline for -
The Project Life Cycle
Special Note - 1
What's in a name?
In this and the following Guidelines we have
referred to the manager of each phase as the such-and-such "Phase
Manager".
In our experience on a large variety and size of projects very different
skill sets are required for the different phases.
For example, a traditional "tell-me-what-to-do-and-I'll-get-it-done"
type project manager is unsuited to the often tortuous and protracted
task of shepherding a project through the Concept Phase
Some organizations call the manager of this phase a Project Analyst, or
Project Developer
Special Note - 2
Warning!
There is a special danger in changing the
project leader from one phase to the next
That is not to say that it should not be done
Just that it involves an added risk exposure
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Especially between Phases 2 and 3
Why? Because the Implementation Plan prepared
by the Definition Phase Manager may not be acceptable to the
Implementation Phase Manager
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Resulting in a disconnect
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The Project Sponsor must be responsible for bridging this
gap!
Guideline Goal
To provide a standard
set of project phases, stages and typical milestones required by the
organization's management to enable the consistent structuring and
cost-effective processing of the organization's projects.
Expectations
-
All staff responsible for projects must be familiar with this
organization's standard Project Life Cycle (PLC) and develop project
documentation, and process project activities and submissions as
outlined.
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Proper Phase design and selection of appropriate Milestones will
enable more effective and consistent project supervision and control
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Milestones, representing key events in the PLC will be established
as indicated, or as appropriate to the project
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Each Milestone will be defined by a Milestone Checklist for
project control purposes.
Particulars - 1
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The Project Life Cycle is the most meaningful framework for
discussing, understanding and processing projects from initial
recognition to successful conclusion.
-
Charts showing the standard Project Life Cycle adopted by this
organization, and the recommended progress Milestones for each phase
are provided.
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The charts may be diagrammatic only and obviously not represent
any actual time scales
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Time scales must be developed as part of the project's planning.
Particulars - 2
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The Project Phase Manager should select those milestones appropriate
to the particular project and build them into the Project Plan
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This approach greatly facilitates systematic project management
control.
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However, it may be necessary to alter the actual sequence of the
milestones provided
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Examples of basic phase names are shown in slide #7
Particulars - 3
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Note 1: Project responsibilities are not concluded until the
required facility/system/product/service is satisfactorily delivered
into the customer's "care, custody and control" and all
documentation is completed at the conclusion of Phase 4
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Note 2: The Project Life Cycle, which is a project-based time frame
must not be confused with the organization's fiscal budgeting
process and the budgetary approval cycle which takes place annually
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However, the particular project schedule may well be subject to,
or impacted by this annual process
Some typical names for basic project phases
Definitions
and Responsibility
Definitions to be
included
-
Project Life Cycle, Phase, Stage, Project Plan, Milestone,
Milestone Checklist, Business Case, Key Success Indicators
Primary responsibility
Responsible to