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How a Project Works

The concept of ITS projects and project managementÌýmayÌýseemÌýa little foreign to university faculty and staff.Ìý ÌýWe've created this page toÌýidentify the phases you'll go through when you request a project, including some of the project management terminologyÌý³Ü²õ±ð»å.


What Happens During the Project Management Cycle

The Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) is a series of phases that a project passes through from identification to closeout. The PMO utilizes this life cycle for each project.

Step 1: Identification

identification phase of pmlc

The goal of the Identification Phase is to ensure that the projects in an organization's portfolio are aligned with its strategic goals and to control and prioritize projects coming into an organization.

While the Project Manager generally has limited involvement in this phase, this process must be in place in order to have effective project management within an organization.

ITS prioritizes and reviews all project requests on a monthly basis, on the first Wednesday of each month. This enables us to complete an appreciable amount of work between reviews, thus facilitating more accurate time and resource estimates.

If your project requires an earlier review due to mandated time sensitivity, security/safety issues, or criticality to university missions, please contact Project Manager Vikki Massey at vmercer@uthsc.edu or (901) 448-8040.

Activity

Action Items Major Output
Receive project requests Prioritization score and category
Score and categorize requests Ìý
Determine project type Ìý
Estimate start date Ìý
Step 2: Initiation

initiation phase of pmlc

The purpose of the Initiation Phase is to develop the Project Charter to formalize project goals and deliverables, identify project participants, and establish roles and responsibilities.

Activity

Action Items Major Output
Provide high-level project overview Project charter
Identify project manager Ìý
Get sponsor/champion sign-off Ìý
Identify stakeholders Ìý
Step 3: Planning

planning phase of pmlc

The Planning Phase is critical to a project’s success. A well thought-out project plan provides clear direction and understanding of team member’s contributions to the success of the project.ÌýÌýÌý

The planning phase answers the following questions:

  • How will the work be accomplished?Ìý
  • Who will perform the work?Ìý
  • What, exactly, is the work to be done?Ìý
  • When will the work be done?

In the Planning Phase, the Project Manager and project leads work with the team to create the Communication Plan, the initial Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and Project Schedule which includes tasks, time, resources, and effort estimates for the project.Ìý The Project Schedule is progressively elaborated until all relevant areas of the chartered project have been addressed.Ìý

Activity

  • Identify and analyze stakeholders (worksheet)
  • Start requirements gathering (template)
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (template)
Action Items Major Output
Collect requirements Project plan
Finalize scope Ìý
Document project team members and roles/responsibilities Ìý
Create work breakdown structure Ìý
Create work schedule Ìý
Create communication plan Ìý
Establish change control process Ìý
Step 4: Execution and Control

execution phase of the pmlc

The executing and monitoring phases of the project management lifecycle consists of completing and managing the work required to meet the project objectives. This phase also ensures that the project performance is monitored and adjustments to the project schedule are made as needed.

Activity

  • Track and manage issues, decisions, risks, and changesÌý(template)
  • Execution and monitoring review (template)
Action Item Major Output
Perform the work Completed deliverables
Measure the work ÌýChange requests
Manage the work Ìý
Compare planned vs. actual Ìý
Take corrective or preventive action Ìý
Step 5: Closeout

Customer submits request, committee prioritizes request, its directors categorize it, determine if it is a project or task

The purpose of the Closeout Phase is to confirm completion of project deliverables to the satisfaction of the project sponsor, and to communicate final project disposition and status to all participants and stakeholders. The project closure period also reviews the successes and challenges of the project for future reference.

Activity

Action Item Major Output
Formally accept final product Project review and acceptance
Transition product to operations ÌýLessons learned
Collect lessons learned Ìý
Release project team Ìý
Archive project documents Ìý