Phase 1: Initiation

The first phase of the project management lifecycle is called initiation. In this phase, the vision for a project is conceived and developed into something that could exist. This is where key stakeholders with potential interest in the project are identified.

In this stage, project managers will also identify core aspects of their project, such as:

• The problem the project aims to solve
• The resources required to achieve the project goals
• The method for securing buy-in from stakeholders

Once these components are identified, then you can engage the team.

Once you engage with the stakeholder you can start to build out your project charter.

A Project Charter is the first meaningful deliverable that can be identified as a reporting milestone. It represents agreement on the project's overall direction and approach among all project constituencies, and as such serves as a formal "contract" for the project.

Depending on the size of the system (and the associated effort it takes to discern functional requirements) the Business Requirements deliverable may be regarded as the next reportable milestone.

While these system deliverables are developed, the Project Manager is busy identifying risks and quality standards, developing a communication plan, and defining main project parameters. While each of them is important to the project, once they are finalized following the completion of Functional Specifications, it may be advantageous to package them all together, and present them as a grand final deliverable for this phase – the Initial Project Plan.

• Meet with stakeholder (get more information)
• What resources are needed?
• Fill out a Project Charter
• Kick off meeting:
• Project kick-off presentation
• Defining project requirements

A project kick-off presentation may be used to describe the goals and objectives, building out initial schedule, budget estimates, scope of work, team roles and responsibilities, expectations, risks and mitigation, timeline, communication plan, building out initial project plan, and research. The presentation is then used during a meeting to kick-off the project with the stakeholders and team members.