Five Project Stages
Organisations that manage projects on a regular basis develop their own internal framework of Project Stages, based on the project life cycle but translated to suit their own projects and business. Such frameworks specify the stages that projects should progress through with "stocktake" points at the end of each stage.
The following are typical project stages.
Stage 1 - Project Proposal
Essentially encompassing
the first two phases - Concept and Feasibility - this stage covers the work
involved in identifying a need or a problem, generating ideas and options,
and then developing a preferred agreed proposal or solution - "this
is what we should do".
Stage 2 - Project Scoping & Planning
A
brief analysis and study to establish what the project will involve, what
the risks and possible difficulties are, and how the project should be organised
and tackled. To be carried out quickly (a few days or weeks for larger projects)
and summarised in a short Project Plan or Scoping Report.
Stage 3 - Start Up
Because of the political nature of many projects and the number
of stakeholders involved, most projects will need a start up stage to
communicate the project, build support, and generally prepare the
ground. For some projects is simply part of implementation.
Stage 4 - Implementation
Carrying out the implementation
in terms of progressing the project activities, managing any people involved,
and ensuring support for the project.
Stage 5 - Establish and Close
To ensure that
the project is closed and that the responsibilities have been allocated
for any future maintenance activities that need to be carried out.
Key Benefits from using stages are:
- Makes Large Projects Manageable
"Chunking" into stages turns a large project into a series of mini-projects. In practice this can be extremely helpful. When delivering the project, the Project Manager can focus and concentrate on the current and following stages, and simply concentrate on delivering and planning those.
- Provides those sponsoring the project with a top-level plan and
structure
Provides an easily understood path forward. Very useful as an aid to project definition and communication. Sponsors and stakeholders can easily understand the sequence proposed.
- Provides a Project Review framework
Ends of stages make natural breakpoints. These can make excellent review and control points and provide the main basis for the strategic control of the project by the Project Sponsor, referred to later
- Establishes Targets and Interim Goals
At end-of-stages specify milestones and deliverables. These then can be used as Interim Goals.
- Establishes the Pace of the Project
By allocating dates to end-of-stages, you can manage the project pace. Try to avoid letting time slip on the early stages and thus robbing the later stages.