Project Models
Project models describe its scale. Every project follows the same lifecycle phases; what changes is how much depth, formality and governance each phase requires.
1. Project types
A. Discovery, consultancy or strategy projects
Projects focused on understanding, direction-setting or decision-making, without committing to build.
Primary outputs
- Insights
- Decisions
- Recommendations
- Agreed scope for future delivery (where relevant)
Typical characteristics
- Often de-risk future delivery
- May stand alone
- May lead into a build phase
- Research-heavy, delivery-light
Typical Lifecycle
- Pre-project
- Contract
- Initiation
- Discovery & Definition
- Transition
- Review
Design and Development are not required unless explicitly agreed.
B. Development projects
Projects where the primary goal is to design and build a platform or product.
Typical characteristics
- Fixed or capped budgets
- Multiple disciplines involved
- Clear delivery milestones
- Iterative design and build
Lifecycle All phases are present.
C. Incremental (enhancement) projects
Smaller pieces of focused work extending an existing product.
Often emerging from:
- Support tickets
- Account management conversations
- Ongoing client relationships
Typical characteristics
- Narrower scope
- Shorter timelines
- Lower discovery overhead
- May run alongside other commitments, and more slowly
- Risk of loss of momentum if not clearly structured
Lifecycle
Discovery and Definition are time-boxed.
Design and Development may overlap.
2. Project sizing
Sizing reflects effort, complexity and coordination demand — not just budget.
Small
- Duration: up to 4 weeks
- Budget: c. £12k or below
- Team: 1–2 people, part-time
Implications
- Phases may collapse into one another
- Roles are often combined
- Artefacts are lightweight
- Checkpoints still exist but are informal
Medium
- Duration: up to 3 months
- Budget: c. £12k–£50k
- Team: 3–4 people
Implications
- All phases present
- Clear Definition checkpoint required
- Dedicated PM and leads
- Formalised reporting and cadence
Large
- Duration: 3+ months
- Budget: c. £50k+
- Team: 5+ people
Implications
- Strong governance and reporting
- Clear separation of roles
- Formal artefacts and documented decisions
- Greater emphasis on resourcing, risk and stakeholder management
3. How process varies by type and size
Project type and size adjust the scale of the process, rather than its shape.
During Initiation, we explicitly agree:
- Depth — how much discovery, design or definition is needed
- Formality — how detailed artefacts and reporting must be
- Roles — which roles are combined or distinct
- Cadence — how often ceremonies and reviews occur
General principles
- Smaller projects collapse roles; larger projects separate them.
- Discovery always exists, but may be a conversation rather than a phase.
- Specification is always required before Development.
- Scale is deliberate; name the decisions we are making in the Initiation phase.
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