Project Management

Please login or join to subscribe to this thread

Project VS Development Lifecycles

linkedin twitter facebook  
avatar
Richard Darko Tema, Greater Accra, Ghana
PMBOK Page 19 (Chap 1) and Page 665 (Appendix 3) introduces
• Project Lifecycle and
• Development Lifecycle

Sometimes it uses these words interchangeably. Other times it’s trying to distinguish between them.

My take is that there is a difference.
• PROJECT lifecycle is the series of phases.
• DEVELOPMENT lifecycle is the manner in a phase will be Developed and can be any of the continuum from predictive to adaptive.

Thus a project can have more than one type of development lifecycle. Say adaptive for design phase but predictive for construction phase.

Will appreciate some perspectives on the battle of these lifecyles.
Sort By:
avatar
Sergio Luis Conte Helping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based Organizations Buenos Aires, Argentina
I have discussed this when I was part of the SME Group when this version of PMBOK was in place. Not the only person, of course. The intention of the PMI was to introduce the concept of hybrid life cycles. Inside a project life cycle you have some phases that are realated to product development exclusively. The problem inside the PMBOK is nobody answer: what does mean development?. Believe me, it does mean different things when you work on creating solutions in different domains. This differentiation has no sense and collapses with the PMI definition about when a project start. In fact, a project has sense because a project/product/services has to be created as a component inside a solution. So, the way it has be taken is development phase is a subset of project life cycle.
avatar
Richard Darko Tema, Greater Accra, Ghana
Thanks.

I appreciate the clarity on development phase as a name given to a particular phase in addition to the phase number.

What I still seem not to get is Development *Lifecycle*.

But maybe this is just one of the vagueness or redundant terms in PMBOK
...
1 reply by Kiron Bondale
Aug 07, 2020 5:23 PM
Kiron Bondale
...
The development lifecycle refers to the product/service/result being produced whereas the project lifecycle refers to the project. It is a subtle difference and there are certainly overlaps, but many times, the former is a subset of the latter.

Kiron
avatar
Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Aug 07, 2020 11:32 AM
Replying to Richard Darko
...
Thanks.

I appreciate the clarity on development phase as a name given to a particular phase in addition to the phase number.

What I still seem not to get is Development *Lifecycle*.

But maybe this is just one of the vagueness or redundant terms in PMBOK
The development lifecycle refers to the product/service/result being produced whereas the project lifecycle refers to the project. It is a subtle difference and there are certainly overlaps, but many times, the former is a subset of the latter.

Kiron
...
1 reply by Elyce Hues
Jul 15, 2024 10:50 PM
Elyce Hues
...
Thank you! First time I heard that explanation.
avatar
Prashant Sheshasayee India
Project life cycle
• A project life cycle is the series of phases
that a project passes through from the
beginning to the end.
• A project life cycle depends upon the
control needs of the performing
organization or the organization’s
preference, which is defined in the project
execution methodology
avatar
Thomas Walenta Global Project Economy Expert Hackenheim, Germany
Richard,

I follow Sergio's explanation. When I read PMBoK ed 6 I was surprised about the distinction between project and development life cycle and think it is rather confusing.

As we know, a project lifecycle is a series of phases dividing the project duration into timeslots, BUT it is specific to the product the project is creating. Baking a cake has a different project lifecycle than building a house or shipping an app.

For any product, we do some analysis and design upfront (more with predictive, less with adaptive approaches), which often results in an architecture/blueprint and planning input for developing (and testing and shipping) the product itself. So development phases are part of project phases. My interpretation of what is meant by development.

PMBoK offers a generic project lifecycle with 4 phases too (figure 1-5).
avatar
Elyce Hues Senior Sustainability Consultant| Epsten Group Atlanta, Ga, United States
Aug 07, 2020 5:23 PM
Replying to Kiron Bondale
...
The development lifecycle refers to the product/service/result being produced whereas the project lifecycle refers to the project. It is a subtle difference and there are certainly overlaps, but many times, the former is a subset of the latter.

Kiron
Thank you! First time I heard that explanation.

Please login or join to reply

Content ID:
ADVERTISEMENTS

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"

- Albert Einstein

ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsors







Newsletters

Jun 17: 7 Ways to Show Business Acumen Every Day
Jun 3: The Career Problem Facing New PMs
May 20: Your PM Career as a Project Life Cycle

See all newsletters