Overview
The following is an overview of the Project Management Framework and Lifecycle. For a detailed view, see the full Project Management Framework (PDF). Looking for quick tips, check out the Quick Reference Guide (PDF). The Project Management Framework Lifecycle consists of multiple elements working together to help ensure the successful delivery of projects. These elements are:
Project Phases
The project lifecycle is broken into specific blocks, each with its own purpose, deliverables, and actions required to progress.
Action Items
The required activities that need to be completed to ensure compliance and uniformity for each project.
Templates
Standardized forms or documents that collect and report consistent data about the project so that it may be effectively tracked through the project lifecycle.
Roles & Responsibilities
Understanding each role and its responsibilities throughout the project lifecycle ensures clear ownership, smoother collaboration, and successful delivery.
Project Phases
The Project Management Framework Lifecycle consists of four phases, where Intake is separate and distinct from the Project Management Framework Lifecycle. Each phase of the lifecycle builds on the work done in previous phases and provides the structure to keep the project moving forward.
While not part of the Project Management Framework Lifecycle, Intake is vital to the capture and review of project requests. A project is established after formalized reviews are conducted and governing bodies have been determined. From this point, the request then enters the project management process framework. Please review the Business Solution Intake Request page for further information.
The Intake Process:
- REQUEST: Submit Your Request
- INTAKE: Initial Review via Proposal Collaboration Worksheet (PCW) – to be completed by BA
- ASSESS: Governance Review via DC1, which will approve a request that SHOULD become a project in the Domain Portfolio
- AUTHORIZE: Approval, Prioritization, and Scheduling
If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the Business Analyst Team at [email protected].
The Initiation Phase is the first phase of the project lifecycle. The phase begins after DC1 approves a request that should become a project in the OFEG Domain Portfolio. During initiation, the project is more fully defined so that it may be properly resourced and realistically planned in the next phase. The Business Analyst will still be the primary responsible party during this phase and will be the primary point-of-contact (POC) of coordination for the additional engagement. During this time, the project manager proceeds to fully describe the project scope and prepare the project charter. The major deliverable of the phase is the project charter, which:
- Identifies the stakeholders
- Defines the project timeframe
- Provides the rationale for the project
- Identifies the core project deliverables, assumptions, and potential risks
- Outlines project cost estimates and resource needs
During DC2, the Requester completes a Project Planning presentation to the Domain Council. The Domain Council will complete the following activities:
- Scope, Cost, Schedule, Resources, Governance
- Reconfirm the project size and prioritization criteria
- Rank the project within the active portfolio
- Schedule the project start date
- Update the Project to Scheduled or Active in the Portfolio Request Lifecycle
The Domain Council will determine WHEN a project should be started, considering the full OFEG's Domain Portfolio.
The Planning Phase builds on information captured in the Initiation Phase and is traditionally considered the most important phase. Unfortunately, many times project teams often minimize or overlook planning activities, anxious to begin the development activities of the Delivery Phase as soon as possible. A well-developed and holistic plan, however, helps ensure that the project team completes a project successfully, on time, and on cost with fewer surprises and deviations from the originating charter. The project plan must consist of the schedule and resources for the project, budget requirements, performance measures, and clear actions for managing change, risk, and communications. The phase concludes with a sponsor-approved project plan.
Delivery consists of two specific sub-phases that occur concurrently. It is when the actual project deliverables are completed, and progress is reported. Specifically, it includes:
- Execution – Doing the work identified in the project plan
- Monitoring and Control – Keeping the plan and schedule up to date, reporting project progress, issues, etc., and ensuring the project is on track.
With an approved plan, a project can move into the Execution Phase of the project lifecycle. This is where “the work gets done;” where the project team completes the tasks outlined on the project schedule and develops the project deliverable(s). The Execution Phase concludes with the project deliverable(s) achieved and accepted by the users and the sponsor.
The second portion of the Delivery Phase is Monitor and Control. Monitor and Control consists of the activities needed to track the work. The team delivers status reports, monitors, and reports on issues and risks, creates change requests, and conducts procurement activities.
If there are any scope and/or schedule changes to the project, the Project Manager will share Project Status Updates to the Domain Council, during DCU, to discuss any major risk and mitigation strategies. The Domain Council will approve any SCOPE / SCHEDULE CHANGES to a project in the OFEG's Domain Portfolio.
Projects are temporary in nature, and a project team must complete the activities of the final phase – Closeout – in order to officially complete the project. Conducting the activities of this phase is vital to continuous improvement efforts and to the successful transition of the project deliverables. After achieving acceptance of the deliverable(s), the project team documents lessons learned and archives project documentation for future use. The project manager transfers the project deliverables to operations and support staff or unit, who will maintain them as an operational activity. Finally, and often overlooked, the project team disbands. The project team is recognized for the accomplishments associated with the project, and an optional virtual or in-person team celebration is held.
The Project Manager and Project Sponsor will inform the Project Completion to the Domain Council during the Domain Council Final (DCF). The Domain Council will confirm the completion of the project in the OFEG's Domain Portfolio.
Portfolio Request Lifecycle Relationship to Project Management Framework Lifecycle
In addition to the Project Management Framework Lifecycle, project requests also travel through a Portfolio Request Lifecycle. The Portfolio Request Lifecycle focuses on the project request as it moves through a governance cycle – approval, prioritization, queue, etc. While project management ensures projects are done the right way – “doing projects right” – the portfolio lifecycle ensures that Mason is selecting and working on the correct project – “doing the right projects.”
In addition to the intake process, OFEG tracks projects and requests through their entire portfolio lifecycle. The lifecycles often share governance and templates throughout the processes, though they are used for different purposes. The linked one-pager show where and how the Portfolio Request Lifecycle aligns with the Project Management Framework Lifecycle (see Portfolio Request Lifecycle relationship to Project Management Framework Lifecycle One Pager PDF)
Roles & Responsibilities
Although the project manager is most often thought of when considering project-related roles, there are other players involved who fill roles related to the project’s effort. The roles often overlap depending on the phase of the project. The most common roles related to projects are as follows:
The Project Sponsor is the individual within George Mason University who makes the business case for the project. This individual (or the sponsor, along with a Project Steering Committee) has the authority to define project goals, secure resources, and resolve conflicts. The sponsor oversees the project and provides guidance, direction, oversight, and political support to the project manager and the project team. The sponsor approves the project proposal and project charter and provides the formal sign-off for acceptance of a project’s final deliverable(s). For projects, sponsors must be at the director level or higher.
The Project Steering Committee is advisory in nature and provides recommendations to the project sponsor and university leadership regarding project initiation or continuance, management, baselines (e.g., performance, cost, and schedule), periodic reviews, and any additional follow-up actions required to ensure the success of the project. Depending on the nature of the project, the committee may also be involved in charter and objective approval and deliverable acceptance. Steering committees; typically part of large, enterprise-wide projects that impact many groups around George Mason; can be a crucial part of project governance. Though not all projects will need a steering committee, they are highly encouraged based on each project’s complexity, cost, scope, and impact.
A George Mason Project, regardless of whether it is initiated within or external to OFEG, is assigned an OFEG Project Owner if it requires any assistance or interaction from OFEG. The Project Owner coordinates the project on behalf of OFEG by securing necessary resources, monitoring the project’s progress relative to other OFEG projects, and serving as an escalation path for the project sponsor when needed. As with the Project Sponsor, the Project Owner must be at the director level or higher. For projects originating within OFEG, the same person may act as both the Project Sponsor and the Project Owner.
The Project Manager, assigned by the project sponsor and/or the Project Owner, is responsible for managing and completing the project on behalf of the sponsor and George Mason University. Approval of the project charter grants authority to the project manager to staff the project team, procure resources, and utilize the systems necessary to complete the project objectives. Certain projects require that project managers be either Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) qualified or Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. Based on the type of project, there may be two types of project manager roles assigned:
- Project Manager – This is the project manager from the OFEG organization, typically the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). The PM coordinates all project lifecycle activity requirements and coordinates the efforts of OFEG staff.
- Sponsor Project Manager – The Sponsor PM is someone from the organization requesting the project who is responsible for coordinating tasks, resources, and responsibilities of the functional office originating the project. The Sponsor PM works directly with the Project Manager to deliver the project.
The Business Analyst (BA) Team’s primary focus is providing support, management, and coordination for the entire OFEG Intake Request process, from ticket submittal to charter creation and project approval. This role includes coordinating the analysis, evaluation, and decision-making process for requests related to implementing new technology or significant architectural modifications. The BA Team collaborates with the requesting functional office to facilitate this process. Further details on the submission and the intake request process are detailed in Project Management Framework Lifecycle Phase 0: Intake.
Overall, the Business Analyst acts as a liaison between the requesting functional office and the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), ensuring that requests for new technology or significant architectural modifications are thoroughly analyzed, evaluated, and aligned with the organization’s priorities. BAs bring their expertise in business analysis to facilitate a consistent and transparent process, promoting equity among stakeholders and enabling informed decision-making.
Stakeholders are persons and organizations (e.g., customers, sponsors, performing organizations, and the public) actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be affected positively or negatively by execution or completion of the project. Typical stakeholders for most projects at George Mason University include academic departments, administrative units, the greater university community, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as the customer who provided the impetus for the project. Stakeholders will vary by project. The project sponsor and manager must identify stakeholders at the forefront of the project.
In the context of a project, users comprise a special group of stakeholders who will be the end- users of the system or service developed by the project. During the project, they may be involved in design and testing activities. Working on projects that affect the entire university community can pose challenges to scheduling, communication, and receipt of input. Given the nature of the academic calendar and certain groups’ limited availability, project managers should consider how to appropriately engage various user groups throughout the project’s lifecycle.
The Project Team is composed of individuals that report, typically indirectly (i.e., dotted line report), either part-time or full-time to the project manager for the duration of the project and are responsible for performing project tasks. Within a project team, there are specific roles, including but not limited to, the following:
- Project Team Leaders – Project teams may be divided into various functional or logistical sub-teams. Project Team Leaders are staff members responsible for leading sub-teams and coordinating activities with the project manager. For larger projects, the project manager may have a Project Leadership Team or Project Coordination Team. This team consists of project team leaders and the project manager for the purpose of coordinating activities.
- Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) – Subject Matter Experts are individuals retained on a project due to their high level of knowledge, experience, or specialized training. An SME can be either internal or external to the organization and serves on a project team as the expert on a system, application, or in a specific functional area. Examples include Data Analyst, Information Technology Security Office (ITSO) representative, IT Compliance, Resource Owner, Technical Expert, etc.
- Operations Staff – Representative(s) of an operations staff serve as members of a project team to help ensure that the deliverable(s) of the project can be transitioned into ongoing operations.
- Customer Representative – Customer representatives serve as members of a project team to provide clarification on project requirements.
- Vendors – Project leaders, with the approval of the sponsor, may bring in vendors to provide specialized skill sets to a project team.
The Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) supports consistent project management practices for project teams, enabling project leaders to deliver the value promised to customers. It provides project managers for selected enterprise projects, conducts project management training, and assists with project documentation, project management tools, and communication between various projects and project teams. The Business Analysis Team plays a critical role in bridging the gap between business objectives and enterprise solutions. They are responsible for guiding the team through the entire Intake Request process, ensuring effective support, management, and coordination from ticket submittal to project approval. The organization aims to strengthen collaboration, streamline processes, and ensure the successful implementation of projects. The EPMO oversees the Project Management Framework to ensure it remains current and aligns with the organization's structure. It also oversees the online tools and EPMO website, which support the framework.
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