Google Project Management Lifecycle Proven frameworks and guiding questions compiled from dozens of Google project managers. EXECUTIVE PM PLAYBOOK Initiation Planning Execution Closing

END-TO-END GOVERNANCE The Four Project Delivery Phases 1. Initiation Clarify 5 W's, define scope, and secure alignment. 2. Planning Map milestones, uncover blockers, and build the plan. 3. Execution Maintain quality, streamline communication, and iterate. 4. Closing Capture retrospectives, publish impact, and celebrate.

PHASE 1: INITIATION Uncovering Project Details: The 5 W's Interview 3 distinct stakeholders from 3 different departments to describe the project. Synthesize their perspectives into a single unified charter. What Actual steps, activities, and required deliverables. Why Target problem, business justification, and benefits. Who End-users, direct stakeholders, and sponsor targets. When Delivery milestones and hard completion deadlines. Where Local operations, distributed hubs, or global teams. Triangulation Tip

PHASE 1: INITIATION Scope Boundaries & The Project Charter Scope Guardrails Written Sign-Off: Lock scope boundaries before kickoff. Scope Creep Checks: Challenge additions outside baseline agreements. Common Ground: Facilitate alignment when priorities diverge. Inaction Cost: Measure penalties of unaddressed risks. Project Charter Contents 1. Summary: Concise overview of primary intent. 2. Goals & Deliverables: Measurable targets and outcomes. 3. Exclusions: Explicit boundary on non-commitments. 4. Cost-Benefit: Resource budgets balanced against return.

PHASE 2: PLANNING Building the Team Foundation 1-on-1 Coffee Chats Uncover strengths, career growth aspirations, and support needs. Single Task Ownership Deconstruct ambiguity; every deliverable requires one clear owner. Team Sizing Dynamic Whole-team forums under 5 members; create focused subgroups for larger scale.

PHASE 2: PLANNING Estimating Duration & Managing Dependencies Dependency Alert Rule: Flag blockers immediately when predecessor delays threaten downstream start dates. STEP 01 Break Tasks Down Sum individual components rather than estimating monoliths. STEP 02 Challenge Assumptions Probe assumed personnel skills, tooling, and prerequisites. STEP 03 Calibrate Past Data Compare against historical benchmarks to ground estimates.

PHASE 2: PLANNING 12 Pillars of a Complete Project Plan Governance Execution Resources Assurance 1. Project Name 2. Project Description 3. RACI Ownership 4. Project Status 5. Tasks & Milestones 6. Timelines & Schedules 7. Financial Budget 8. Communication Plan 9. Tooling & Assets 10. Quality Criteria 11. Risk Mitigation 12. Statement of Work

PHASE 3: EXECUTION Cadence & Quality Assurance Align medium to stakeholder habits: Fulfill baseline deliverable standards: Communication Channels • Asynchronous: Email & chat for daily pulses. • Synchronous: Video for blockers and retrospectives. • Formal: Written executive briefs for leadership. Quality Assurance Loops • Charter Alignment: Recheck requirements continuously. • Periodic Audits: Verify compliance before phase gates. • Sponsor Reviews: Validate stakeholder expectations early.

Framework Core Nature Best Applied When Validation Tool Waterfall Linear & Sequential Strict prerequisites; late changes costly Phase-Gate Review Agile / Scrum Iterative Sprints Rapid customer feedback cycles Daily Standups & Demos Phased Launch MVP vs Beta Validating market need before full scale User Feedback Telemetry PHASE 3: EXECUTION Delivery Frameworks & Release Strategy

PHASE 4: CLOSING Blameless Retrospectives: Start, Stop, Continue Start Adopt automated audits and earlier cross-team touchpoints. Stop Eliminate unmonitored dependencies and vague deliverables. Continue Sustain 1-on-1 chats and transparent milestone demos.

PHASE 4: CLOSING Reporting Impact & Celebrating Wins Impact Report (For Sponsors) Executive summary, business ROI, wins, and future horizon. Closeout Report (For PMs) Operational methodology, budget audit, and archived documentation.

Deliver With Confidence Align early in Initiation, estimate rigorously in Planning, adapt during Execution, and close with measurable impact. 4 Phases Structured delivery 12 Pillars Project plan criteria 100% Alignment Stakeholder sign-off