Project Phases

Now that you have learned how to expand your scope of work into the creation of a logic model, it's time to learn about how to progress through the phases that go into managing a project.

Click on the video below to begin 'Module 3: Project Phases'. Click "CC" on the bottom-right corner of the video to view closed captions or alternatively, read the transcript below the video.

When you complete this module, scroll to the bottom of this page for further instructions.

Initiation

Now that you have watched the video and gotten an introduction on the project phases let’s break them down a bit more.

The first phase is the initiation. This is where the project is conceptualized and the information gathering is completed. A nonprofit organization may use this phase to complete a grant application. All of the information and research that goes into a grant is used to execute a project timeline, project budget, and formulae a project team.

Recruiting the project team is incredibly important. A project team is recruited early because personnel can make or break a project. During the initiation stage it is determined how many project personnel will realistically be needed to complete a project. Nonprofit projects usually include less personnel than a similar private sector project. So, it is extra important to select the right individuals.

Another very important activity that occurs during the initiation phase is researching and acquiring the technology that will be needed to manage the project management process. Technology choices generally need to be budgeted, or included in grant applications. It’s important that multiple different options are examined and a choice is made that best fits the organization.

Planning

The next phase of a project is planning. Planning involves a lot of moving pieces. This is where the work for the process you will use to complete the project is decided. Schedules and budgets are all formulated and a workflow diagram is completed. Workflow diagrams help to visualize which activities need to be completed before other activities can begin. They also are used to divide tasks for the project team. The diagrams will be adjusted as you go with the project but a well thought out workflow can be beneficial especially in the beginning of the project when everyone is still trying to completely define their roles.

Additionally, several other project plans are completed during this phase.

A procurement plan is one of the most consequential decisions that happens during a project. Because it’s what decides where and how all the purchasing will take place. Purchases are divided between commodities, vendors, and partnerships.

• Commodities are the items you purchase, which are important but you are able to select the lowest cost available. Examples include things like paper, office supplies, and furniture.

• Vendors are the entities who supply things that are more specialized. A bid or request for proposal might go out for selecting who will supply these items. Examples include things like technology services, website design, phone companies, and potentially good depending on what your project involves.

• The last form of procurement is a Partnerships, which for a nonprofit might be written into a grant application as a key stakeholder who you specify you are doing business with. In the private sector this can involve activities like revenue sharing.

Another area of the planning process is developing a control plan, which specifically describes projections on costs, schedules, and other related items that are essential for completing a project on time and on cost. A project controls plan will also examine the systems that you will be using during the length of the project.

Execution

Execution is the third phase of a project. This is where the work of the project actually begins. It’s after you receive the grant and the contract has been signed and you can start working on project goals. Part of this execution means managing the budget, and constantly monitoring the quality of the work that is being done and the expectations of the stakeholders. It also means communicating with the project team and managing the overall workflow.

If you are the project manager during this phase it is likely that you will be guiding program staff through the project activities. A nonprofit board member could be involved by making connections to other stakeholders or offering suggestions on the overall process.

Closeout

The final phase of a project is the closeout phase. Because this is a project it means that it has a defined end. So, the work that is done during the closeout phase is important for finalizing all of the last details. It means that during this phase the project itself and the team performance will be evaluated. For a nonprofit, this might mean contracting out with an independent evaluator or a university professor to help determine the effectiveness of the project activities. These are both details that should be decided early on during the initiation stage, so technology can be deployed for data collection and a process can be developed for how the data collection will occur.

Other important items that might be overlooked during the closeout stage include tasks such as staff being transferred to another department, to another project, or to another organization.

Also, ensuring that project documents are archived is essential. Archives are important, so administrative staff will have detailed financial records for auditors and for future projects. Archives are also information because records can be used for future grant applications and they can be particularly valuable for future staff and board members to have an idea of what the organization has already completed. If the project required a specific office this is also when that would be shutdown.

What is a sequential relationship in project management?

Understanding sequential relationships is important during project management because it helps you to visualize the activities that need to be done and in what order they need to occur. A sequential phase model places the tasks of a project in order of the ones that need to be completed before the next one can begin.

A popular model for visualizing this is referred to as a waterfall model. The model is designed to appear with one activity spilling into the next one to show how some tasks overlap. There are many other models that could be incorporated other than a waterfall model. Depending on the project it might be helpful to visualize phases with more defined columns. The most important thing to remember when selecting a model is to ensure the project team is comfortable and understands it.

Example of a “Waterfall” Sequential Phase Model

Here is an example of a waterfall sequential phase model (see in video above) . You can see that all of the activities that need to be completed can be written under each phase. However, the model also allows overlapping activities to go under multiple phases. A good example would be the development of a budget. An initial budget may be theorized in the initiation phase but will be completed during the planning phase. But even during the execution phase the budget will be updated, modified, and evaluated. Indicating that budgeting would go across many different phases.

Review: Why are Project Phases important?

During this course you were introduced to the concept of project phases.

• You learned that a phase does not always have a defined beginning or end.

• You also were presented with the project phases including initiation, planning, execution, and closeout.

• You learned that they move in a sequential order.

• Finally, you were presented with how a sequential phase model can be useful for visualizing the order and activities of a project.

What’s Next?

In the next lesson, you will learn about the complex world of project politics and communicating during a project. Before you move on to the next module, let's take a quick quiz!

Click the button in the bottom-right corner of the web page labeled "Module 3 Quiz" to proceed.