Brief Summary
This video explains the concept of project phases and how they relate to the project life cycle. It emphasizes that projects can be divided into multiple phases, each with its own objectives, deliverables, and formal closure. The video also discusses the different types of relationships between project phases, including sequential, overlapping, and parallel.
- Projects can be divided into multiple phases, each with its own objectives, deliverables, and formal closure.
- Project phases can be sequential, overlapping, or parallel, depending on the project's risk appetite and schedule requirements.
The video starts by comparing managing a complex project to eating an elephant. Just as you would eat an elephant one bite at a time, you can break down a complex project into smaller, manageable phases. This approach helps project managers better control the project's deliverables and objectives.
The video explains that project phases are a logical division of the project work. Each phase has a distinct focus and specific deliverables. For example, a construction project might be divided into design, construction, and occupancy phases. The design phase focuses on creating plans and drawings, the construction phase focuses on building the structure, and the occupancy phase focuses on commissioning the building systems and handing over the project to the owner.
Each phase has specific deliverables and objectives that must be achieved. For example, the design phase will deliver schematic drawings, plans, and a bill of quantities. The construction phase will deliver the completed structure, and the occupancy phase will deliver commissioning reports and other paperwork for the owner's possession. At the end of each phase, the deliverables are transferred to the subsequent phase.
The video explains that each phase has a formal closure, which is often referred to as a stage gate, milestone, or kill point. At this point, the project is reassessed for its continuation or termination based on its overall performance and circumstances.
The video emphasizes that the complete set of project management process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing) can be repeated for every phase within the project. This means that each phase will go through all five process groups, ensuring a structured and comprehensive approach to project management.
The video clarifies that project phases are elements of the project life cycle. The project life cycle is defined as the series of phases that a project passes through. The video also highlights that there is no standard or rule on how to set a project life cycle or define project phases. The number and names of phases can vary depending on the project's unique aspects, such as its outcome, technology, organization, and preferences.
The video emphasizes the difference between project phases and process groups. It explains that projects can be single-phase or multiphase. For single-phase projects, all project management process groups are executed at once. For multiphase projects, the complete set of process groups is repeated in every phase. The level of detail and emphasis on each process group may vary for each phase in the project life cycle.
The video discusses the different types of relationships between project phases: sequential, overlapping, and parallel. In a sequential relationship, a phase must be completed before the next phase can begin. In an overlapping relationship, phases can overlap each other. In a parallel relationship, phases can run concurrently. The type of relationship chosen depends on the project's risk appetite and schedule requirements.
The video explains that a sequential phase relationship reduces risks and uncertainties because work is done sequentially. This approach also reduces the probability of rework because the phases are well-aligned for the transfer of deliverables. However, it limits options for speeding up the project.
The video explains that an overlapping phase relationship allows phases to overlap each other, which can speed up the project. However, it increases risks because the construction phase may start before the final design is available, potentially leading to rework.
The video explains that projects can have a combination of sequential, overlapping, and parallel phase relationships, depending on the project's risk appetite and schedule requirements.
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Transcript
Full transcript of “Project Phases”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:04 let me ask you one weird question how to eat an elephant you may know the answer to this proverb cut it into pieces and eat one bite at a time we would apply the same rule to the big and complex project if the project is complex the project is formally divided into phases for example construction project can be divided into phases called design construction and occupancy each phase contains logically related project activities therefore phases are nothing but a logical division of project the work being carried out within a phase has distinct Focus from other phases for example design phase contains all the
0:51 project activities needed for design and development construction phase contains actual construction activities to build the structure occupancy phase may contain all activities needed for commissioning of Building Systems and owner's possession this division helps project managers on management the complex projects and have better control over the project deliverables that is eating an elephant one bite at a time each phase has specific deliverables and objectives to be achieved design phase will deliver the schematic drawings plans bill of quantities and other documents construction phase will deliver completed structure occupancy phase will deliver
1:37 requisite clearances commissioning reports and other paperwork for possession at the end of each phase deliverables are transferred to the subsequent phase for example drawings plans and Bild of quantities are handed over to the construction phase completed structure is transferred to the occupancy phase a on transferring the approved deliverables the phase is formally ended this formal closure of phase may be referred as stage gate Milestone phase gate or kill point at this point depending on the overall performance and circumstances the project is reassessed for its continuation or may get
2:23 terminated we have seen each phase has distinct Focus specific phase deliverables objective and formal ending therefore the complete set of project management process groups can be repeated for every phase within the project starting from initiating planning executing monitoring and controlling and finally closing the same five process groups can be repeated for construction phase and for occupancy phase in spite of these project phase characteristics please remember project phases are elements of Project Life Cycle in fact the Project Life Cycle is defined as the
3:08 series of phases that a project passes through as we have seen there is no standard or rule on how to set a Project Life Cycle the same applies to the project phases for example new product development project can be divided into phases called investigation feasibility design and devel velopment verification and validation product launch and transfer to manufacturing Hazard as Facility Cleaning project may be divided into phases called facility decommissioning facility demolition removal of waste and Landscaping in short projects can be flexible in terms of number of phases and their nomenclature the phase structure is
3:55 dependent on the unique aspects of its outcome technology organiz ization and preferences there is no standard or rule for defining the project phases on the other hand the same standard set of project management process groups can be utilized regardless of type of projects it is very important to note the difference between project phases and process groups it is often tested in the exam project can't be single phase or multiphase if the project is small all project manager may prefer to run it a singlephase project for such single-phase project The Standard Process groups are executed at once for the entire project in multiphase Project
4:43 the complete set of Standard Process groups are repeated in every phase within the project the level of details and emphasis on each process group may vary for each phase in the Project Life Cycle now let us look at how project phases interact with each each other within a project the phase-to-phase relationship can be sequential in a sequential relationship only when a phase is ended the next phase can be started for example once the complete design is frozen and the design phase is ended only then the construction phase is started in this approach the risks and uncertainties are reduced as the work is done sequentially this also reduces the
5:28 probability of reward work as the design phase and the construction phase are well aligned for the transfer as phases are completed one after the other there are very limited options for speeding up the project phase-to-phase relationship can be overlapping in overlapping relationship as name suggests phases can overlap on each other for example design phase and construction phase can run concurrently in other words even before the design phase phase is complete the construction phase can be started this approach increases the risks because the construction phase is started without proper alignment and much before the final design is available obviously this may result into
6:15 rework as there might be mismatch between the final design deliverables at the end of design phase and the construction done to that point however at the same time there is opportunity to speed up the project by perform per in the project activities concurrently project can have combination of sequential overlapping and parallel phase to phase relationships depending on the risk appetite and project schedule requirement
