11. Project Management | Notion

Project Management Overview

Project Life Cycle Phases

Phase	Purpose / Key Outputs
1. Initiation	Define scope and objectives → documented in a Project Charter. Includes background, objectives, methodology, justification, requirements, constraints, assumptions, risks, and deliverables.
2. Planning	Create a Project Plan: scope, team, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), schedule, budget, risk plan, communication plan.
3. Execution	Carry out tasks per plan; coordinate people and resources to deliver outputs.
4. Monitoring & Control	Track progress vs plan; measure performance; identify issues and take corrective actions.
5. Closure	Deliver final outputs, obtain sponsor sign-off, document lessons learned, and release resources.

Work Breakdown Structure

A hierarchical decomposition of the entire project into smaller work packages:

Breaks complex work → manageable tasks.
Avoids duplication and defines accountability.
Lowest-level items = specific deliverables used for cost and schedule estimates.

Example: Bridge Construction

1 Services → 2 Site Prep → 3 Substructure → 4 Superstructure → 5 Deck → 6 Cleanup

Gantt Charts

A time-bar chart derived from the WBS to show:

Start and finish times for each activity
Sequence / dependencies
Milestones (diamonds)
Easy to update and monitor progress

→ Good for simple or medium projects; less effective for complex networks

Network Scheduling - CPM & PERT

AON vs AOA Networks