STEP 1

Initiating

In the initiation phase, you’ll define the project. You’ll sort out the project goals, scope, and resources of the project, and what roles are needed on the team. Clarifying what stakeholders expect out of the project, and what exactly the project is aiming to achieve (and why) will give the project and team clear direction.

This is a crucial phase to the project’s success. Without clarity around what needs to be achieved and why, the project runs the risk of not accomplishing the end goals and meeting the expectations of stakeholders.

Some steps in the initiation phase include:

• Communicating with stakeholders to understand the purpose and desired outcomes of the project
• Identifying project scope
• Determining SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
• Clarifying resources like budget and time constraints
• Confirming team size and roles required
• Determining how often and which stakeholders will be involved throughout the project
• Compiling a project proposal and project charter

Tools and documents used in the initiation phase can include:

• Project proposal: The project proposal defines a project and outlines key dates, requirements, and goals.
• Project charter: This is a definitive document that describes the project and the main details necessary to reach its goals. This can include potential risks, benefits, constraints, and key stakeholders.
  

STEP 2

Planning

In the planning phase, you’ll determine the steps to achieve the project goals—the “how” of completing a project. 

You’ll establish budgets, timelines, milestones, source materials and necessary documents. This step also involves calculating and predicting risk, putting change processes into place, and outlining communication protocols. If the initiation phase is assembling your troops, the planning phase is deciding what to do with them.

The planning phase can include the following steps:

• Deciding on milestones that lead up to goal completion
• Developing a schedule for tasks and milestones, including time estimates and potential time buffers
• Establishing change processes
• Determining how and how often to communicate with team members and stakeholders
• Creating and signing documents such as non-disclosure agreements or requests for proposal
• Assessing and managing risk by creating a risk register
• Holding a kick-off meeting to start a project

Tools you might use in this phase include: 

• Gantt chart: A horizontal bar chart in which members can see what tasks must be completed in what order, and how long each is expected to take
• Risk register: A chart that lists risks. associated with the project, along with their probability, potential impact, risk level, and mitigation plans.

STEP 4

Closing

In the closing phase of the project management, you’ll conclude project activities, turn the finished product or service over to its new owners, and assess the things that went well and didn’t go so well. It’ll also be a time to celebrate your hard work.

Steps in the closing phase can include:

• Conducting retrospectives and take notes of changes you can implement in the future
• Communicating to stakeholders at the end of the project and providing an impact report
• Communicating with the new owners of a project
• Creating a project closeout report
• Celebrating the end of the project and your successes

Tools used in the closing phase include:

• Impact report: This report compiles a series of metrics that showcase how your project made a difference and is presented to your stakeholders.
• Project closeout report: A project closeout report provides a summary of your project’s accomplishments, and provides key learnings for future project managers to reference.