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6. PROJECT PHASES & TIMELINE

Project Name: [Your Project Name]
Owner/Lead: [Your Name]
Created: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Status: [Planning / In Progress / On Hold / Completed]

Overview

This document defines the project phases, milestones, critical path, dependencies, and gate review criteria. It provides a clear timeline for execution and identifies when key deliverables must be completed.

Connections: Uses Sections 3 (Scope), 4 (Architecture); Feeds into Sections 6 (Resources), 7 (Risks), 8 (Execution)

Project Timeline Overview

Gantt Chart

Critical Path Diagram

Phase Breakdown

Phase 1: Foundation & Planning

Duration: [Weeks 1-2]
Goal: Establish technical foundation and complete planning

Deliverables:

  • Executive Summary completed
  • Objectives & Success Metrics defined
  • Scope Definition finalized
  • System Architecture documented
  • Tech stack selected and justified
  • Initial ADRs created (3-5 decisions)
  • Team structure defined
  • Budget approved

Gate 1 Review Criteria:

  • All planning sections (1-4) complete
  • Architecture approved by technical leadership
  • Budget and resources allocated
  • Team members assigned

Dependencies:

  • None (foundation phase)

Risks:

  • Planning takes longer than expected
  • Architecture decisions delayed
  • Team availability issues

Phase 2: Technical Foundation

Duration: [Weeks 3-4]
Goal: Build core infrastructure and development environment

Deliverables:

  • Development environment setup
  • CI/CD pipeline operational
  • Code standards defined and enforced
  • Database schema designed and implemented
  • Core API endpoints developed
  • Authentication system integrated
  • Testing framework configured
  • Monitoring and logging setup

Gate 2 Review Criteria:

  • CI/CD pipeline passing all tests
  • Code review process established
  • Development environment documented
  • Core infrastructure deployed to staging

Dependencies:

  • Phase 1 complete (architecture decisions)
  • Tech stack selected

Risks:

  • Infrastructure setup delays
  • Integration issues with third-party services
  • Performance bottlenecks discovered

Phase 3: Core Features Development

Duration: [Weeks 5-8]
Goal: Build MVP features per scope definition

Deliverables:

  • Feature 1: [Description]
  • Feature 2: [Description]
  • Feature 3: [Description]
  • Feature 4: [Description]
  • Feature 5: [Description]
  • Integration testing complete
  • Performance testing complete
  • Security audit completed

Gate 3 Review Criteria:

  • All MVP features functional
  • Test coverage above 80%
  • Performance benchmarks met
  • Security vulnerabilities addressed
  • User acceptance testing passed

Dependencies:

  • Phase 2 complete (infrastructure ready)
  • Database schema finalized

Risks:

  • Feature complexity underestimated
  • Integration challenges
  • Third-party API limitations

Phase 4: Testing & Refinement

Duration: [Weeks 9-10]
Goal: Comprehensive testing, bug fixes, and optimization

Deliverables:

  • End-to-end testing complete
  • Load testing complete
  • Security penetration testing
  • Bug fixes and refinements
  • Performance optimization
  • Documentation complete
  • User training materials
  • Deployment runbooks

Gate 4 Review Criteria:

  • Zero critical bugs
  • Performance targets met
  • Security audit passed
  • Documentation complete
  • Team trained on operations

Dependencies:

  • Phase 3 complete (features developed)

Risks:

  • Critical bugs discovered late
  • Performance issues require architecture changes
  • Security vulnerabilities found

Phase 5: Launch & Post-Launch

Duration: [Weeks 11-12]
Goal: Production launch and initial monitoring

Deliverables:

  • Production environment configured
  • Launch checklist complete
  • Monitoring dashboards active
  • Support process operational
  • Post-launch review completed
  • Lessons learned documented
  • Next phase planning initiated

Gate 5 Review Criteria:

  • Production launch successful
  • Monitoring shows healthy metrics
  • Support process handling issues
  • User feedback collected
  • Success metrics tracked

Dependencies:

  • Phase 4 complete (testing and refinement)

Risks:

  • Launch day issues
  • Unexpected user behavior
  • Scaling challenges

Critical Path Analysis

Critical Path: The sequence of tasks that determines the minimum project duration.

Phase 1 (Planning) → Phase 2 (Infrastructure) → Phase 3 (Features) → Phase 4 (Testing) → Phase 5 (Launch)

Critical Path Tasks:

  1. Architecture decisions (Phase 1)
  2. CI/CD pipeline setup (Phase 2)
  3. Core feature development (Phase 3)
  4. Integration testing (Phase 4)
  5. Production deployment (Phase 5)

Non-Critical Tasks (Can be done in parallel):

  • Documentation writing
  • Training material creation
  • Marketing preparation
  • Support process setup

Milestone Schedule

MilestoneTarget DateDeliverableOwner
M1: Planning Complete[Date]Sections 1-4 complete[Name]
M2: Infrastructure Ready[Date]CI/CD operational[Name]
M3: MVP Features Complete[Date]All MVP features functional[Name]
M4: Testing Complete[Date]All tests passing[Name]
M5: Production Launch[Date]System live in production[Name]

Dependencies Map

Planning (Phase 1)
    ↓
Infrastructure (Phase 2) ← Tech Stack Decision
    ↓
Features (Phase 3) ← Database Schema
    ↓
Testing (Phase 4) ← Feature Development
    ↓
Launch (Phase 5) ← Testing Complete

External Dependencies:

  • Third-party API availability
  • Vendor delivery timelines
  • Regulatory approvals (if applicable)
  • Infrastructure provisioning

Risk-Adjusted Timeline

Optimistic Scenario: [X weeks]

  • All phases complete on time
  • No major blockers
  • Team at full capacity

Realistic Scenario: [X weeks]

  • Minor delays in 1-2 phases
  • Some blockers resolved quickly
  • Team at 80% capacity

Pessimistic Scenario: [X weeks]

  • Major delays in 2+ phases
  • Significant blockers
  • Team capacity issues

Contingency Buffer: [X weeks] added to realistic timeline

Gate Review Process

Gate Review Checklist

Before each gate review:

  • All deliverables for phase complete
  • Quality criteria met
  • Documentation updated
  • Stakeholders notified
  • Review meeting scheduled

During gate review:

  • Review deliverables
  • Assess quality criteria
  • Identify blockers
  • Make go/no-go decision
  • Approve next phase

After gate review:

  • Document decisions
  • Update timeline if needed
  • Communicate outcomes
  • Proceed to next phase

Timeline Tracking

Current Status: [Phase X, Week Y]

Progress:

  • Phase 1: [X]% complete
  • Phase 2: [X]% complete
  • Phase 3: [X]% complete
  • Phase 4: [X]% complete
  • Phase 5: [X]% complete

Next Milestone: [Milestone Name] - [Target Date]

Blockers: [List any current blockers]

Change Control

Timeline Changes:

  • Minor adjustments (<1 week): Project Lead approval
  • Moderate changes (1-2 weeks): Technical Lead + Product Lead approval
  • Major changes (>2 weeks): Steering committee approval

Process:

  1. Document change request
  2. Assess impact on dependencies
  3. Update timeline and communicate
  4. Get required approvals
  5. Update this document

Success Criteria

Phase 1 Success:

  • Planning documents complete and approved
  • Architecture decisions documented
  • Team aligned on vision

Phase 2 Success:

  • Infrastructure operational
  • Development workflow established
  • Quality gates in place

Phase 3 Success:

  • MVP features functional
  • Integration complete
  • Performance acceptable

Phase 4 Success:

  • All tests passing
  • Security validated
  • Documentation complete

Phase 5 Success:

  • Production launch successful
  • Monitoring active
  • Users onboarded

Last Updated: [Date]
Next Review: [Date]
Owner: [Name]