PMI Development Approach & Life Cycle Domain
April 5, 2025
Project and Program Management
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PMI Development Approach & Life Cycle Domain
Development Approach and Life Cycle – Exam Mastery Guide
🎯 1. Key Outcomes of This Domain
- Choosing the right development approach for your project
- Defining how the project life cycle unfolds
- Establishing a system for value delivery
- Setting clear boundaries: what happens when and how
✅ Ensure consistency between deliverables and life cycle; connect value to stakeholders end-to-end
🧩 2. Development Approaches Overview
| Approach | When to Use | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive (Waterfall) | Clear, fixed scope; low change; compliance-driven | Full plan upfront, sequential phases, baseline control |
| Iterative | Unclear requirements, evolving understanding | Repeated cycles, feedback-driven refinements |
| Incremental | Need quick value delivery in parts | Working outputs early, delivered in usable increments |
| Agile (Adaptive) | High uncertainty, fast-changing needs, customer co-creation | Adaptive, collaborative, time-boxed, backlog-driven |
| Hybrid | Combining two or more approaches | E.g., Predictive planning + Agile execution |
📌 PMI Tip: Use tailoring to select the best-fit approach — don’t force Agile or Waterfall.
🌀 3. Development Life Cycle Types
| Life Cycle | Description |
|---|---|
| Single Delivery | All at once, typically predictive (e.g., bridge construction) |
| Multiple Deliveries | Done in batches, often iterative/incremental |
| Continuous Delivery | Ongoing flow of value (Agile with CI/CD pipeline) |
Kanban (Pull system)
Flow-based, no fixed phases; supports continuous work
Common life cycle phases
Feasibility → Design → Build → Test → Deploy → Close
🔁 4. Rolling Wave Planning (Agile & Hybrid)
- Plan high-level for long-term work
- Detail short-term activities iteratively
- Adjust scope, cost, and schedule progressively
✅ Use Kanban or sprint planning boards for visual management
🧠 5. Factors for Selecting Development Approach
- Project complexity & risk
- Stakeholder engagement and roles
- Level of uncertainty in requirements
- Speed to market needs
- Compliance or regulation needs
- Team maturity, size, location
- Funding availability
- Product delivery options (can it be delivered incrementally?)
- Organizational structure/culture
- Innovation level
- Ease of change
- Governance tools available
📌 PMI Insight: Tailoring is essential — no “one-size-fits-all.”
📚 6. Key Concepts and PMI Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tailoring | Adjusting practices to fit project context |
| MVP | Minimum viable product — fastest usable version |
| Increment | Deliverable part of the full product |
| Iteration | Time-boxed effort (e.g., 2-week sprint) |
| Cadence | Delivery rhythm — sprint, release, etc. |
✅ Cadence aligns with team rituals & value frequency
🧭 7. PMI-Exam Focus: Agile vs. Predictive Comparison
| Element | Predictive | Agile |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Upfront | Rolling wave |
| Change | Formal (CCBs) | Via backlog |
| Scope | Fixed | Evolving |
| Roles | PM-centric | Team + Product Owner |
| Value Delivery | At end | Early & continuous |
| Docs | Extensive | Barely sufficient |
📌 Agile = Working product > docs
📌 Predictive = Baselines & doc-driven
📈 8. Value Delivery System
Value = the whole point! Projects exist to deliver value continuously.
System Includes:
- Org strategy
- Portfolio → Program → Project
- Product development
- Stakeholder feedback loop
- Continuous, evolving value streams
✅ Always ask: “How does this task contribute to value?”
🧱 9. Governance Across Life Cycles
| Area | Predictive | Agile |
|---|---|---|
| Change Control | Change Control Board (CCB) | Product Owner & Backlog |
| Reviews | Phase/stage-gate reviews | Demos, retrospectives |
| Success | Triple constraint (scope/time/cost) | Value + team performance |
| Docs | Formal & locked | Evolving & lightweight |
🧮 10. Metrics Across Approaches
| Type | Agile | Predictive |
|---|---|---|
| Progress | Velocity, burn charts | % Complete, milestones |
| Forecasting | Story points, burndown | Critical path, EVM |
| Value | Customer satisfaction | Budgeted value vs. actual |
✅ Always align metrics to the approach in use!
💡 11. PMI Tip – Hybrid Approaches
- Blend predictive and adaptive per project need
- Common combo: Waterfall planning + Agile execution
- Clarify who owns what in each part
- Adjust metrics and governance accordingly
📌 12. Exam Strategy for This Domain
✔ Choose the best development approach for the situation
✔ Explain when to use iterative, incremental, or Agile
✔ Apply tailoring principles
✔ Focus on value delivery, not just activity
✔ Know how governance, change, metrics differ across models
✔ Recognize cadence, lifecycle, and delivery are interconnected
✔ Respect org/product/project realities (e.g., funding, regulation)