Category: Tailoring

Every project goes through a life cycle, which defines how the project is structured from start to finish. Selecting the right life cycle and development approach is essential because it shapes how work is planned, executed, and delivered. The choice depends on the project’s goals, complexity, risk level, and stakeholder needs.

1. Project Life Cycle
The project life cycle represents the series of phases a project passes through. Common types include:

• Predictive (Waterfall): Work is planned in detail upfront, and phases follow a fixed sequence. Best for projects with well-defined requirements, like construction.
• Iterative/Incremental: Work is delivered in cycles, refining outputs with each iteration. Useful when requirements are evolving.
• Adaptive (Agile): Work is delivered in short, flexible cycles (sprints). Best for projects with high uncertainty, like software development.
• Hybrid: A mix of predictive and adaptive approaches, applied where different parts of the project have different levels of uncertainty.

2. Development Approach Selection
The development approach focuses on how the project’s product, service, or result will be created and delivered.

• Influenced by stakeholder expectations, project size, industry, and risks.
• The chosen approach must balance flexibility, speed, and control to deliver value efficiently.

Why it matters:
Selecting the right life cycle and development approach ensures the project is managed in a way that matches its unique environment. The wrong choice could lead to wasted resources, delays, or unmet expectations, while the right choice increases adaptability, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction.

In simple terms: The life cycle is the project’s roadmap, and the development approach is the vehicle you choose to drive it.

When applying project management practices, not every process, tool, or document is necessary for every project. Tailoring means choosing which elements to adjust, scale up, or simplify so they best serve the project’s needs.

Key areas to tailor include:

1. Processes
   • Decide which processes are essential and which can be minimized or combined.
   • Example: A small project may not need formal risk registers, while a large project may require detailed risk management.
2. Methodologies and Approaches
   • Select the right delivery approach (predictive, agile, or hybrid).
   • Example: A software project may benefit from agile sprints, while a construction project might need predictive scheduling.
3. Governance and Oversight
   • Adjust the level of reporting, approvals, and documentation based on project size and risk.
   • Example: A government project may require strict documentation, while an internal team project may use lighter oversight.
4. Tools and Techniques
   • Choose project management tools (software, templates, dashboards) that fit the team’s capacity and project complexity.
5. Roles and Responsibilities
   • Define team roles according to project needs.
   • Example: A small project may combine multiple roles, while a large project assigns specialized responsibilities.
6. Communication
   • Adapt communication style and frequency to stakeholder expectations.
   • Example: Senior executives may prefer monthly reports, while team members may need daily updates.

In short: Tailor the how of project management—processes, methods, tools, and communication—so the project is managed effectively without unnecessary complexity.

Tailoring is essential because every project is unique—differing in goals, size, complexity, stakeholders, risks, and industry requirements. Applying the exact same project management practices to every situation may lead to inefficiency, wasted effort, or even project failure.

Key reasons why tailoring is important:

1. Project Uniqueness
   • No two projects are identical. Tailoring allows practices to be adjusted to match specific project needs.
2. Efficiency and Focus
   • It avoids unnecessary processes or documentation, saving time and resources while keeping focus on what truly matters.
3. Flexibility Across Approaches
   • Whether using predictive, agile, or hybrid methods, tailoring helps combine the best practices for the project environment.
4. Risk Management
   • Tailoring enables project managers to strengthen controls where risks are high and streamline practices where risks are minimal.
5. Stakeholder Satisfaction
   • By adapting processes to stakeholder expectations, teams can improve communication, trust, and overall satisfaction.
6. Value Delivery
   • Tailoring ensures that the project’s approach is aligned with organizational goals and delivers maximum value to stakeholders.

In simple terms: We use tailoring because it helps us “fit the project’s suit perfectly” instead of wearing something that doesn’t match.

In project management, Tailoring refers to the process of adapting and customizing project management practices, tools, and approaches to fit the specific needs of a project. Since no two projects are exactly alike, applying a “one-size-fits-all” method may not always work. Tailoring ensures that project management methods are practical, relevant, and aligned with the project’s size, complexity, industry, and objectives.

Tailoring involves:

• Assessing the project context (such as goals, risks, stakeholders, and environment).
• Selecting and adapting methods (traditional, agile, or hybrid) to match the situation.
• Balancing flexibility with structure to ensure efficiency without unnecessary overhead.

The purpose of tailoring is to maximize value delivery by applying the right level of processes and controls while avoiding waste. For example, a small internal project may need lighter documentation, while a large, high-risk project may require more formal processes and oversight.

In short: Tailoring is about choosing “what works best” for a specific project, instead of rigidly following every guideline.