The project goal is established and the project foundation is layed out. This is when the project is evaluated to determine whether it is financially feasible to undertake the project.

This is when every stage required for each phase of the project is planned out, and resources are allocated.

In this phase, the IT project manager leads the entire team through each step of the project plan. The end goal is the deliverable.

In this phase, the IT project manager is responsible for monitoring and controlling the work to ensure it stays on time and within budget, at the highest quality and reduced risk.

This final phase ensures all work has been completed and approved, and ownership transfers from the project team to operations.