The Manager's Pocket Guide to Project Management

Part I: Your Deliverables, Phases, and Project Life Cycle

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.¹ Because projects by definition are temporary, project managers must make sure their projects are completed by expending only the amount of time, money, labor, and other resources that have been allocated. In addition, because projects result in unique products or services (deliverables), projects are typically organized into specific phases which most appropriately reflect the evolution of these unique deliverables. These project phases, taken as a whole, make up the overall life cycle of the project. Thus the deliverables of your project, the project’s phases, and your project’s life cycle are inextricably ...