The standard for project management

3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT LIFE CYCLES

Table 3-1 summarizes the characteristics of the four life cycle categories covered in this practice guide.

Table 3-1. Characteristics of Four Categories of Life Cycles

It is important to note that all projects have these characteristics—no project is completely devoid of considerations 

around requirements, delivery, change, and goals. A project’s inherent characteristics determine which life cycle is the 

best fit for that project.

Another way to understand how project life cycles vary is by using a continuum ranging from predictive cycles on one 

end, to agile cycles on the other end, with more iterative or incremental cycles in the middle.

Figure X3-1 of Appendix X3 of the 

PMBOK

®

 Guide

 – Sixth Edition displays the continuum as a flat line. This view 

emphasizes the shifting of project characteristics from one end to the other. Another way to visualize the continuum is 

with a two-dimensional square, as shown in Figure 3-1.

Requirements

Activities Delivery

Goal

Approach

Characteristics

Predictive

Iterative

Incremental

Agile

Fixed

Dynamic

Dynamic

Dynamic

Performed once for 

the entire project

Repeated until 

correct

Performed once for 

a given increment

Repeated until 

correct

Single delivery

Single delivery

Frequent smaller 

deliveries

Frequent small 

deliveries

Manage cost

Correctness of 

solution

Speed

Customer value via 

frequent deliveries 

and feedback

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