This high-level view can provide a common frame of reference for comparing projects even if they are dissimilar in nature.
The generic life cycle structure generally displays the following characteristics:
• Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, peak as the work is carried out, and drop rapidly as the project draws to a close. Figure 2-8 illustrates this typical pattern.
• The typical cost and staffing curve above may not apply to all projects. A project may require significant expenditures to secure needed resources early in its life cycle, for instance, or be fully staffed from a point very early in its life cycle.
• Risk and uncertainty (as illustrated in Figure 2-9) are greatest at the start of the project.
These factors decrease over the life of the project as decisions are reached and as deliverables are accepted.