Project planning takes place at both the beginning and
end of every SDLC phase. End-of-phase planning is
necessary for formulating estimates of costs, manpower
requirements, and schedules for all subsequent phases;
these estimates, which are included in the documents
prepared at the end of each phase, are used by
management to decide on future action.
Planning is necessary at the beginning of each
phase to determine all the specific activities to be
accomplished during that phase. An activity, or task, is
any project-related work requiring the use of project
resources (personnel, time, or money) or any external
effort that impacts the project. Examples of internal
activities are conducting an interview, designing a report
layout, and selecting equipment for purchase, whereas
awaiting the delivery of purchase d equipment is an
example of an external activity. An activity is the
smallest unit of work over which the project manager
desire control.
An event is a project milestone representing the
beginning or end of an activity. Each activity has two
related events: one event represents the activity’s
beginning, and the other event represents the activity’s