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2 - ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES AND PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

Project team composition may also vary based on the geographic location of its members. An example of this is
virtual project teams. Communication technologies allow team members in different locations or countries to work
as virtual teams. Virtual teams rely on collaborative tools, such as shared online workspaces and video conferences,
to coordinate their activities and exchange information about the project. A virtual team can exist with any type
of organizational structure and team composition. Virtual teams are often necessary for projects where resources
are located onsite or offsite or both, depending on the project activities. A project manager who is leading a virtual
team needs to accommodate differences in the culture, working hours, time zones, local conditions, and languages.

2.4 Project Life cycle

A project life cycle is the series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure. The
phases are generally sequential, and their names and numbers are determined by the management and control
needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project, the nature of the project itself, and its area of
application. The phases can be broken down by functional or partial objectives, intermediate results or deliverables,
specific milestones within the overall scope of work, or financial availability. Phases are generally time bounded,
with a start and ending or control point. A life cycle can be documented within a methodology. The project life
cycle can be determined or shaped by the unique aspects of the organization, industry, or technology employed.
While every project has a definite start and a definite end, the specific deliverables and activities that take place
in between will vary widely with the project. The life cycle provides the basic framework for managing the project,
regardless of the specific work involved.

Project life cycles can range along a continuum from predictive or plan-driven approaches at one end to adaptive
or change-driven approaches at the other. In a predictive life cycle (Section 2.4.2.2), the product and deliverables
are defined at the beginning of the project and any changes to scope are carefully managed. In an adaptive life
cycle (Section 2.4.2.4), the product is developed over multiple iterations and detailed scope is defined for each
iteration only as the iteration begins.

2.4.1 characteristics of the Project Life cycle

Projects vary in size and complexity. All projects can be mapped to the following generic life cycle structure (see
Figure 2-8):

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