The Project Cycle/Project Idea Stage

The Project Cycle

In the literature, a project cycle tries to describe the various stages that are involved from the primary conception of a project idea to when the project is executed or actually takes off. The project cycle is a very important aspect of our study as the understanding is very crucial to our study. The project cycle is a step by step examination of the various stages of a project when the idea is conceived.

Let us now go ahead to examine the various stages of a real life project cycle.

The Project Idea Stage

We have tried to describe what a project cycle is. Our next primary task is to examine the various stages of a project cycle. The first stage of a project cycle is the project idea stage.


Generally, the idea about a project can arise from many sources. It could arise from within an organisation or from outside an organisation.


In arising from within an organisation, it could arise from the sales force as they interact with customers in the field. After discussions, the sales persons carry their observations back to the company. For example, customers using a radio set can ask for an audio-cassette. This request to a sales man, could lead a company producing radio sets to go ahead and produce audio-cassettes in response to customer’s demands.

Generally, ideas about a new project may fall into any of the following categories: a company manufacturing radio sets may decide to add audio cassettes to its existing product line in response to customer demands. a company may decide to expand capacity in an existing product in response to market demand.

It is important to stress that new project ideas may arise from any level in an organisation. A factory cleaner in an organisation may come up with a new project idea. So also, an executive director in an organisation can also come up with a new project idea. No one has the monopoly of coming up with a new project idea.