A feminist approach to the project life cycle 

Within Feminist Project Management (FPM) we believe that using feminist practices, tools and values to manage projects is transformative. Recognising the potential perpetuation of oppressive systems within mainstream project management tools, we critically examine their use. In this blog post we unpick the idea of the project life cycle within project management by presenting a new way of thinking about how to plan and run projects that provides fertile ground for a feminist approach. 

Exciting news - we're thrilled to announce bookings for our Feminist Project Management Training Course for May 2024 are open now.

More details: https://feministprojectmanagement.com/ 

The problem with the current approach to the project life cycle 

Mainstream project management models, like Prince 2 or PMBOK, depict project management as a step-by-step process with typically four to seven stages, guiding project managers linearly from initiation to planning, delivery, and closure.

Although useful to help us visualise the progress of a project, we found this model problematic when used as a framework for projects being run in a feminist way.  

Firstly, clearly defined linear stages can limit our ways of working. Projects vary widely in scale, management structure, and purpose: projects can be large scale or small endeavours, can be run by a single project manager or a collective, and can be completed by organisations or as part of voluntary or personal ventures. In rigidly defined models, there's typically an organisational approach with stakeholders or project sponsors setting goals, followed by project manager involvement. However, in personal or collective projects, stages often blend together more fluidly.

Equally, mainstream models deliberately separate out the planning stage from the delivery of execution stage. However within FPM we want to emphasise that although we can plan as much as we want there's always challenges when it comes to delivery! For example, humanitarian projects can be messy, complex, haphazard- and it's perfectly fine to go back to planning and reconfigure when something hasn't worked out as you go. 

Instead of fixed linear models of operating, within FPM we want to create a way of speaking about project life cycles that actually brings them to life- that not only honours our feminist principles, but offers space for flow, laughter, light and creativity inherent within project management. It should flex to meet the different contexts projects are run in. Inspired by the report from the Feminist Co-Leadership Project and work by sisters in feminist climate, we invite you to take an ecosystems approach to how projects work.

Plants as a metaphor for projects

What if we approach our projects with a mindset akin to the cyclical nature of a plant's life cycle? In this view, working on a project becomes more about cultivating and nurturing it at each stage, much like tending to a growing plant.

We believe that this beautiful analogy can give us a different language to speak about the projects we care for, allows for more flexibility in how we manage projects, and brings to life our ideas about the importance of both progress and process when running a project. Let’s zoom in on three stages of caring for a plan(t). 

Grow

The grow stage is about creation and preparation, the beginning of the journey of our project. Defining what we are setting out to do and what we would like to achieve overall is part of this stage, as well as planning and making decisions on the ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘how’, ‘who’, ‘when’ and ‘where’. Importantly, this stage is not devoid of context; rather, it builds upon the knowledge, skills, tools, and experiences acquired from previous projects, whether at the individual or organisational level.

Nurture

The nurture stage entails collaborating to care for your project plan. We sought an alternative analogy to the conventional "delivery" or "execution" phase, which often implies a one-sided, top-down approach and fails to acknowledge the collaborative nature of projects, particularly when co-creating with communities. Instead, this stage emphasises sustaining and strengthening our project, focusing on care, adaptability, and growth. Just as plants require continuous care and do not grow overnight, projects necessitate ongoing attention. It's crucial to regularly check in with the team and other stakeholders, as well as incorporating mechanisms not only to nurture the plan but also to support each other.

Evolve 

The evolving stage is about bringing your projects to a close. In this stage it is important to transition into the future of the project: (1) Reflecting on what succeeded and what didn't; (2) Identifying key learnings to share; and (3) Determining how to build upon what has been achieved, within and outside the scope of the project. It's important to note that we don't view project closure as the end; rather, a successful project should carry its lessons forward. If sustainability was a consideration from the outset, the joy of a project lies in its evolution, the dissemination and sharing of its insights, and the fertile ground it provides for further growth—whether in terms of additional learning and skills acquired or as the seed for new projects to sprout.

A loose framework for applying feminist principles and practices in projects

By looking at projects through an ecosystem lens, we consider projects as more cyclical- they spring from the context laid before them and fall back to leave space for new projects to grow. This way there is room for messiness and to embrace change. Within FPM, projects  weave in our feminist principles and practices throughout- encouraging those who lead and work on projects to consider sustainability, inclusivity, care, equity and power throughout the entire flow of a project. In this way, projects become living, flexible, creative endeavours that are interconnected with the organisations and people that run them rather than stagnant, standalone ventures.   

Did this post make you want to explore more about FPM? Consider signing up for our second cohort of the Feminist Project Management Training Course starting in May 2024. For details visit: https://feministprojectmanagement.com/