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Canreig’s four major project phases are: initiation, planning, execution and closure.
Projects have special characteristics that can be exploited more effectively if they have been observed and managed accurately.
Important criteria’s of the project phases are as follow:
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Projects go through definite and describable phases;
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Each phase can be brought to some sense of closure as the next phase begins;
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Phases can be made to result in discrete products or accomplishments (e.g., test results) to provide the starting point for the next phase;
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The cost for each phase begins small and increases throughout the project, culminating in development, procurement, and the operations and support phases;
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Phase transitions are ideal times to update planning baselines, to conduct high level management reviews and to evaluate project costs and prospects
Here at CANREIG projects are structured and phases are defined in terms of schedule and also in terms of specific accomplishments. More importantly, CANREIG defines each phase of having something to show for it. Among cost and schedule estimates, plans, requirements and specifications are updated and evaluated at the end of each phase, even sometimes before deciding whether to continue with the project. Large projects are usually structured to have major program reviews at the conclusion of significant project phases.
The following illustrates how the concept of project phases is incorporated into a new product development methodology.
Concept > Feasibility > Definition > Implementation > Beta Testing > Deployment > End of Project.
Decisions are made after conducting a major program review where the project manager presents the approved statement of requirements, acquisition strategy, design progress, test results, updated cost and schedule estimates, and risk assessments together with a request for authorization to proceed to the next phase.
The early phases will shape the direction for all further efforts on the project. They provide requirements definitions, evaluation of alternative approaches, assessment of maturity of technologies, review of cost, schedule and staffing estimates and development of specifications. Project phase completions to the successful achievement of predetermined criteria such as completion of testing, demonstration of prototypes, adequacy of technical documentation, or approval of conceptual designs and specifications.
CANREIG provides interim deliverables for project phases that take place over many months or even years by providing feedback and capturing project successes in documented form.
The project planning processes at CANREIG are built around the project life cycle. Particular care is given to defining the work to be accomplished in each phase. This includes definition of the deliverables to be produced, identifying testing and demonstrations to be completed, preparing updates of cost and schedule estimates, re-assessing risks and conducting formal technical and management reviews.
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