The Four Phases Of The Project Management Process

What is a project ?

The project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines a project as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product ,service or result .The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end .

What is project management ?

It is application of knowledge , skills , tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Also , it is the process of guiding a project from its beginning through its performance to its closure . project characteristics :

A project has several characteristics:

• Unique.

• Temporary in nature and have a definite beginning and ending date .

• Completed when the project goals are achieved

• A successful project is one that meets or exceeds the expectations

it is often divided into phases that describe common activates as the project matures.

Figure 1 –the four phases of the project life cycle

So ,what is the Project initiation ?

The initiation process is what gets a project off the ground .The goal is to get approval from the customer , management , and other stakeholders to begin planning . The project charter formalizes the requests from a sponsor for responding to business need . The project charter is usually a short document that refers to other more detailed documents such as a new offering request for proposal , or any other perceived business need or client request .

The develop project charter process:

The project charter formalizes the request from a sponsor for responding to a business need .Figure 2 shows the input , tools and techniques , and outputs for develop project charter process. Figure 2-the develop project charter process

The develop project charter process: Inputs

• 1. project statement of work (SOW): is a narrative description of products or services to be delivered by the project . The SOW typically

contract : is an input if the project is being done for an external customer.

• 4. Enterprise environmental factors : that can influence the Develop Project Charter process include ,but are not limited to : o Governmental or industry standards o Organization infrastructure o Marketplace condition

• 5. organizational process assets : that can influence the Develop Project Charter Process include , but are not limited to : o Organizational standard processes , policies , and standardized process definitions for use in the organization o Templates o Historical information and lessons learned knowledge base

The develop project charter process: Tools & Techniques

• 1. Expert judgment: This is often used to assess the inputs used to develop the project charter .such judgment and expertise is applied to any technical and management details during this process . such expertise is provided by any group or individual with specialized knowledge or training and is available from many sources ,including : o Other units within the organization o Consultants o Stakeholders including customers or sponsors o Professional and technical associations o Industry groups o Subject matter experts o Project management office (PMO) The develop project charter process: