---
title: "Project life cycles in detail"
subject: "ICT Project Management"
chapter: 4
key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:project-life-cycles"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/project-life-cycles
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Project life cycles in detail

ICT Project Management · Chapter 4: Project Management

- Asked in: year not given
- Video: [Project Life Cycle in Project Management : 4 Stages of Project life cycle EXPLAINED](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DurtA7MXto) — Leaders Talk - ThinkEduca
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/project-life-cycles
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-4

## Question

What do you mean by project life cycles? Explain it in detail with a kind of representative project life cycle.

## Short answer

A project life cycle comprises sequential phases, with cost/effort low at the start, peaking in execution, and risk highest early. The generic cycle has four phases: concept (feasibility, charter), development (detailed planning), implementation (execution, monitoring), and close-out (acceptance, lessons learned).

## Answer

A **project life cycle** is a collection of project phases, generally sequential, that takes a project from its start to its end. The names and number of phases depend on the needs of the organisation and the nature of the project. It gives a framework for management, approval and control, with each phase ending in a deliverable and a review (phase gate).

#### General features
- Cost and staffing are low at the start, peak during execution, and fall rapidly at close.
- Risk and uncertainty are highest at the start, and decrease as the project progresses.
- Stakeholders' ability to influence the result is greatest at the start; the cost of changes rises over time.

```text
Level of
effort
  |        ____
  |       /    \
  |   ___/      \___
  |__/              \__
  +---------------------> time
  Start  Org  Execute  Close
```

#### Representative project life cycle (Schwalbe / PMBOK)
Four phases for a generic project:
1. **Concept (initiation)**: develop a brief proposal, high-level cost and time estimates, do a feasibility study, and write the business case and charter.
2. **Development (planning)**: prepare the detailed project plan: WBS, schedule, budget, resources, risk and communication plans.
3. **Implementation (execution)**: deliver the work, build the product, monitor and control progress, quality and changes.
4. **Close-out**: complete the work, get customer acceptance, hand over, release resources, document lessons learned.

#### IT example (software)
| Phase | Activities |
|---|---|
| Concept | Business case, feasibility |
| Development | Requirement analysis, design plan |
| Implementation | Coding, testing, deployment |
| Close-out | Training, documentation, review |

#### Types
- **Predictive** (waterfall): scope, time and cost fixed early.
- **Iterative/incremental**: product built in repeated cycles.
- **Adaptive (agile)**: scope changes with feedback.

Life cycles help in controlling progress, using phase-end reviews to decide whether to continue.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. A project life cycle is:
   A. The whole life of a product in the market
   B. A collection of generally sequential phases taking a project from start to end
   C. A list of knowledge areas
   D. A team structure
   Answer: B. It is a set of phases, each ending with a deliverable and a review. (Key point: Definition)

2. How do risk and cost of change vary over the life cycle?
   A. Risk is lowest at start and rises
   B. Risk and cost of change are constant
   C. Cost of change falls over time
   D. Risk and uncertainty are highest at start and decrease, while cost of changes rises
   Answer: D. Early on uncertainty is high but changes are cheap; later, changes cost more. (Key point: Risk over time)

3. The four-phase representative life cycle is:
   A. Concept, development, implementation, close-out
   B. Planning, coding, testing, release
   C. Introduction, growth, maturity, decline
   D. Initiate, execute, retire, sell
   Answer: A. Concept, development, implementation and close-out are the representative phases. (Key point: Four phases)

4. In a predictive (waterfall) life cycle:
   A. Scope changes freely with feedback
   B. Product is built in repeated cycles
   C. There are no phases
   D. Scope, time and cost are fixed early
   Answer: D. Predictive fixes scope, time and cost early; adaptive (agile) lets scope change with feedback. (Key point: Predictive vs adaptive)

## Related in ICT Project Management

- [Characteristics of project life cycles](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-life-cycle-characteristics) — ICT Project Management, chapter 4
- [Product versus project life cycle](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproduct-vs-project-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 4
- [Project development life cycle phases](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aproject-development-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 1
- [Test life cycle in quality control](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Atest-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [System development life cycle](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Asdlc) — ICT Project Management, chapter 4

## Related in other subjects

- [Project life cycle phases and activities](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Alife-cycle-phases-activities) — Project Engineering, chapter 1, asked 5×
- [Scope of CM and project life cycle phases](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Ascope-lifecycle-phases) — Construction Management, chapter 1, asked 4×
- [Life cycle phases and goal setting example](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Alife-cycle-phase-goal-example) — Project Engineering, chapter 1
- [Gas vs vapor cycles; Otto cycle efficiency](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_2%2Ffundamental_of_thermodynamics_and_heat_transfer%3Agas-vs-vapor-cycles-otto-efficiency) — Fundamental of Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer, chapter 6