Project milestones: what, why and how
Project milestones are recommended for big and complex projects, but they should also be thought through for smaller projects. They anchor the efforts of the assigned team and ensure there is no scope creep. The section below answers some essential questions on project milestones and how to harness their use.
What is a project milestone?
A project milestone is when the project reaches an important point of delivery. It should be scheduled in the project plan and may mark the end of a project phase. Milestones are, in a way, the achievement of key project points. They are what the project team aims for at a certain point in time. As such, milestones are helpful project management tools that keep the delivery team focused along the assignment. They break the project into manageable steps that are easier to execute.
Why are project milestones essential for project management?
Milestones in project management have a direct impact on the success of the project. They are typically managed by the project manager who can use them to do the following:
- motivate teams by demonstrating forward progress and key achievements
- break down the project into phases when creating the project plan
- monitor the progress of the project and manage deadlines
- identify any pitfalls
- update the senior sponsors on the project and the achievements in each phase
How to set up your project milestones
Milestones are typically identified when creating the project plan. The plan will naturally break down into phases and for each phase, a critical progress point will emerge. These are your project milestones. They should be impactful touch points and should be associated with an important achievement in the project. If in doubt, the project manager should ask themselves the following:
- What needs to be achieved to finalise a phase of the project?
- How should it translate? Will it be the finalisation of a single deliverable or several?
- Are there any dependencies between different tasks and which tasks are critical to move forward?
- Are there enough milestones to keep the teams motivated? Or are there too many milestones making them lose their significance?
- Is the project broken down into enough phases to not overwhelm the teams?
Reflecting on the above questions while creating the project plan and defining the milestones will lead to an effective roadmap.
Examples of project milestones in different phases
The examples of project milestones below will give you a framework to work with when preparing your project plan. For ease of understanding, they are listed per common project management phases starting with project initiation and ending with project closure.
Phase 1: Project initiation
Below are some examples of milestones that can be incorporated within the first phase of the project, the project initiation:
- validating the project team: This can be considered a key milestone for the project, particularly for highly innovative assignments. Gathering the right skills, experience, level of seniority and personality is essential for the success of the project.
- the kick-off meeting: for a lot of projects, the kick-off meeting marks an important milestone. The meeting establishes the project scope, the stakeholders involved and ensures everyone is on the same page.
- validating key project documentation: Getting the project charter or the project planning approved may form a key milestone. When the project charter and planning are approved, it means that the senior leadership teams are supportive of the project. Their buy-in is essential for the success of the project.
Phase 2: Project delivery
The project delivery or execution phase is the start of the project being delivered. Milestones associated with this phase will depend on the project itself and what it aims to achieve. Here are some examples of what they could be:
- finalising key deliverables: some deliverables are critical to the project and as such should form milestones
- achieving project goals: when defined KPIs are met, the desired goals are achieved and therefore milestones met
Phase 3: Project closure
When the project comes to an end, everyone within the team tends to relax and some tasks might not be finalised. Project milestones can be implemented to ensure everyone remains focused all the way to the end. Here are some examples of project closure milestones:
- getting project closure sign-off: getting the closure of the project approved by the senior sponsor is a good way to wrap up. This can take the form of a final presentation with the entire project team.
- retrospective analysis: unfortunately, not all projects are successful. A good example of this is sales pitches. When this occurs, analysing the project can lead to lessons learned.
These examples are typical milestones encountered in project management. There will be some differences depending on the nature of the project and the style of the project manager as well. Nevertheless, project leads should not be shy about the use of milestones throughout their projects.
Project milestones FAQ
To answer more questions that you might have on project milestones, have a look at the FAQ section below.
How do you use milestones to update the project sponsors?
Milestones are critical progress achievements during a project. As such, they are ideal touchpoints with the senior sponsors of the project. Incorporate these updates in your project plan and let the senior sponsors know that you will be reaching out to let them know.
How is a milestone different from a task?
The line between project tasks and project milestones might be blurry at times. To tell the difference between the two, project managers should ask themselves the following:
- Will this part of the work have a significant impact on the overall progression of the project?
- Does the delivery need to be approved by leadership teams?
- Are there some dependencies between different actions?
- Are there a set of results expected to mark the project as completed?
The most important events should be marked as milestones; others should be tasks.
How should I deal with a missed milestone?
Unfortunately, missing a milestone may happen. When this happens, it is a setback for the entire team and the project manager needs to find ways to keep everyone motivated. If this happens, take a step back and move towards an alternative solution. You might need to adapt the project plan and timelines. Expectations of the project sponsors will need to be managed. Trying to understand why the milestone was not met can also be a good lesson learned for the continuation of the project.
Successful project management requires a set of methodologies and tools. Milestones are part of these tools and are ideal to keep everyone engaged throughout the duration of the project. For more tools and tips that will serve your business, have a look at the following content:
