Project Life Cycle Models- overcoming challenges

There are five project management life cycle models, each representative to the particular project management approach. The project team and the project manager need to assess the type of the project they are about to manage and choose the most suitable model. They need to be aware of each model’s weaknesses in order to be prepared for mitigation of the risks associated with using certain model.
The first group, under the traditional project management, consists of linear and incremental project management life cycle models.
1.Linear Project Management Life Cycle Model- It is a model based on a simple process starting with scoping and planning, monitoring and following the process through to the closing stage. The whole process is planned and prepared prior to starting and there are no adjustments during the course of the project. As pointed out by Wysocki “knowledge based from one process group (…) cannot be used to revise and improve the deliverables” (Wysocki, 2009). As a result, changes cannot be accommodated if the project is to be completed with no disruptions to schedule and budget. Any changes also put a lot of pressure on the project team.
Should the linear life cycle model be appropriate for the project, the team could try and mitigate the risk linked to lack of flexibility of this model by ensuring that scoping and planning is as thorough and detailed as possible. Upfront preparation of the contingency plans and a generous budget tolerance margin can give the project team the much needed room for manoeuvres.
2.Incremental Project Management Life Cycle Model- This model is similar to the linear model in terms of the steps followed, however the project delivery is divided into parts- firstly part of it is released and then, additional developments are made and linked to the initial delivery, finally completing the solution. Each stage of the solution development is reviewed and solution is tested- the results from the testing are assessed and any required changes are incorporated into the next stage of solution development. Further, change and amendments of the planned developments actually adds value to the process, and is important in ensuring the success of the final solution. Main weakness of this model is linked to the scheduling of the stages of solution development. As Wysocki points out, a mistake in scheduling of development (linked for example, to the dependencies between the developments) is putting the whole project schedule at risk.
Project team can mitigate this risks by putting in additional effort to the planning and scoping- by attempting to predict possible outcomes and how they will influence each other, the schedule can be improved. Additionally, during the solution development, testing should be exhaustive to ensure that all scenarios are considered and taken into consideration.
The second group of the life cycle approaches consists of iterative life cycle model and adaptive model- these are characteristic to the agile project management approach.
3.Iterative Project Management Life Cycle Model- this model is slightly similar to the incremental model- both models rely on partial developments of the solution, their review and further enhancement, according to the requirements or review findings. The difference between the two, is that in the iterative model, the change is necessary to allow for the progress. The main disadvantage of this model is that the fully developed solution requires the partial developments to be implemented, and this is often complicated and costly. Further, the Client needs to be very involved, specifically at the testing stage, and also, must actively participate in the review of each stage. Client may not always be happy to be this involved.
The mitigating action would be to ensure that there are dedicated full time resources on both sides: development and testing team on the provider side and project and technical testing team on Client side. It is important that the resources are secured full time throughout the project, not only periodically.
4.Adaptive Project Management Life Cycle Model- the model which is based on cycles, each cycle is planned for and scheduled based on the findings from the previous cycle. This is the model, that favours the focused approach, and only the viable options are taken into account (i.e. solutions considered probable based on each cycle’s findings). Further, there is the minimal planning involved, as the model is based on frequent change. The disadvantages of this model are that it requires an active Client involvement and the solution of the project is unknown.
The solution to these two downsides would be to ensure that all within the project team, and especially the Client are aware of the nature of the project (i.e. that it is unspecified, and there are a lot of the unknown factors). Secondly, the Client must understand that this model requires a very active involvement on their side, and similarly to the iterative model, a dedicated team must be established by the Client.
The last model is the life cycle model created under the extreme project management approach.
5.Extreme Project Management Life Cycle Model- this model is based on phases and it is characteristic to the projects where not only the solution but also the direction is unknown. The model is similar to the iterative model, main differences being that there are more unknown factors and the Client involvement is even higher. Where the linear model was based on the upfront planning and did not allow for any deviations, the extreme project management is on the other side of the spectrum: there is virtually no upfront planning, as there are too many unknown factors and the flexibility it gives to project teams is nearly unlimited. There are many risks linked to this model, most of them resulting from the high uncertainty of the project direction. The time frame and the budget are unspecified. It is difficult to obtain any additional funding, if nothing specific can be shown. The resources and efforts can be committed to pointless research- the fact that it is pointless, becomes clear post factum.
Project teams should try and apply a structured approach to each phase- brainstorm and discover as many options as possible, test them and eliminate if not viable or unsuccessful. The biggest challenge is to remain focused, where the whole project is so undefined.

Wysocki, R. K. “Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme”; 5th edition; Wiley Publishing Inc.; Indiana; 2009

Task dependencies and their role in in developing a project network diagram

Project Life Cycle Models- overcoming challenges

Key questions guiding the project formulation

Implementing Adaptive Project Framework

The importance of closing down phase of the project