Project Phases
Phases and Overview
| Phase | Owner | Contributors | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-project | AM / New Work | Client | Proposal accepted |
| 2. Contract | Contract Manager | AM, Finance, Client | Contracts signed |
| 3. Initiation | Projects Coord. + PM | Discovery Lead, Tech Lead, Sponsor | SoW signed, team set |
| 4. Discovery & Definition | Discovery Lead | PM, Tech Lead, Client | Report + scope agreed |
| 5. Design | Design Lead + Tech Lead | PM, Client | Designs signed off |
| 6. Specification | Backlog Steward | PM, Tech Lead, Dev Team | Backlog + sprint board ready |
| 7. Development & Delivery | PM + Tech Lead | Dev Team, Design Lead, Backlog Steward | Product live, UAT signed off |
| 8. Transition | PM | AM, Tech Lead, Support PoC | Support team ready |
| 9. Closure & Review | PM + AM | Tech Lead, Finance | Report, KPIs, project closed |
How to use this
- Use the phase pages as checklists: each ends with checklist criteria and a handover.
- Use Project controls for cross-cutting practices (risk, change control, reporting, budgeting).
- Use Templates for agendas and artefacts.
- For an overview on Phases / Roles and key activities and handover points check this: Phases and Roles Visual
About our projects
Our projects combine principles from design thinking and agile delivery, adapted to the realities of agency work, fixed budgets, and complex stakeholder environments. This approach separates learning and contextualising, decision-making, and delivery into distinct phases. By focusing on outcomes and scope before committing to detailed solutions, we reduce risk, support realistic resourcing, and protect agility where it matters most (during design and build) while avoiding over-specification too early. We have Checkpoints at the end of each phase.
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