Initiating: The beginning of the project. During this process, a project manager is selected, the team and project stakeholders are identified. The project idea is researched, evaluated, defined, and justified. Expectations, requirements, and stakeholder involvement in the project are understood. Project goals and objectives are defined, project constraints are discussed and evaluated, project outcomes are determined, and authorization is obtained to proceed with the project
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Planning: Determining the course of action for the project through the creation of a project plan. The project manager and team members define the activities and tasks needed to complete the final product, service, or result. They also determine what staff and resources are needed and establish the timeline and available budget for the project. Individual plans will address potential risk, quality, communication, and procurement of resources. The planning process is very important to the overall success of a project. Without careful planning, a project manager and project team may find it very difficult to achieve project success.
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Executing: The process of working through the project plan. This process consists of working on or performing the tasks that were defined during the planning process. |
Monitoring and Controlling: Occurs throughout the entire project. This process entails monitoring the project’s progress, controlling issues, and managing changes from the original project plan. Changes to the project constraints may require the original plan to be evaluated and then modified to ensure project objectives and expected outcomes are achieved. Monitoring and controlling involves ensuring that all the tasks in the project plan are completed on time and within budget, as well as addressing any changes necessary to successfully achieve the project goals.
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Closing: Project goals are delivered. Final administrative work is completed, and lessons learned are captured to improve future projects. The closing process involves taking the time to celebrate the team’s successes along the way toward completion of the project. |