Project Management in 5 Phases – Embedded Instructions Samples

Project Management in 5 Phases: Embedded Instructions / Samples

13-17 minutes

The Five Phases

Typically, a project is proposed by an individual who identifies a project-worthy need or opportunity. The Identification phase of the IT Project Management Framework involves evaluating and deciding if a proposed project should be undertaken, based on the studying of factors like costs, benefits, risks, and etc.

Identification phase

The Identification phase is initiated by the project sponsor, who generates the need for an IT project and is responsible for the project proposal, or sometimes referred to as a business case. The project proposal is a document that describes what needs to be done, why is the project worth doing and the overall strategies that enable the project to be accomplished.

If the proposal failed to justify the project, the project sponsor will cancel the project. If the proposal is approved, this ends the Identification phase and begins the Initiation phase.

Initiation phase

The Initiation phase of the IT Project Management Lifecycle involves the assignment of the project manager, who is responsible for managing and completing the project on behalf of the project sponsor. The project manager will then define the overall project scope and develop the project charter, which formally authorizes the existence of the project.

Activities and deliverables

The Initiation phase begins when the project proposal developed in the Identification phase is approved.

• The first thing that will happen in the Initiation phase is the assignment of the project manager. The performing organization appoints a Project Manager to lead the project team and manage the project.
• He or she will develop the project charter, which is a document that formally establishes the existence of the project and the value it hopes to deliver to the organization.
• The project charter document will then be approved by the approving authority and project sponsor. Their approval formally empowers the project manager to expend resources on the project and continue with the planning phase of the project.

The table below lists the major activities of this phase and the deliverables (i.e. process documents) output from the activities.