Team Phases

A team has its own lifecycle that can be seen through the following phases.

• Initiating - The Initiating phase is where an idea or a need is explored. This exploration may lead to a number of conclusions, one of which would be the need for a team. The initiating phase starts with an idea and ends with a Team Charter being presented to the World Ministries Coordinating Team ("WMCT").
  
  
• Chartering - The Chartering phase is where a team proposal is presented to the WMCT for approval. The result of this phase is a Team Charter. The Team Charter allows the Team Lead to engage the organization in the activities necessary to acheive the desired results of the Team Charter.
  
  
• Planning - The Planning phase starts after Chartering but occurs throughout the remaining life of the team. Planning is used to define and refine the objectives of the team. It is also used to determine the course of action that will be taken to achieve the desired results.
  
  
• Performing - The Performing phase ideally starts after the Planning phase, but in some cases starts concurrently after the Chartering phase. In this phase, the team is actively working towards the desired results established by the Team Charter. In this phase there are activities that are monitoring progress and taking corrective action (if needed).
  
  
• Annual Review - There are a variety of teams that are on-going (e.g. Support Service Teams, Strategic Teams) or may span multiple years. In those situations, it may be necessary to review progress and make adjustments.
  
  
• Closing - The Closing phase consists of activities that formalize the acceptance of all deliverables created by the team as well as bringing the work of the team to an orderly close. As part of this phase, the Team and the WMCT evaluate the overall team so that lessons from the team can be documented and shared with current and future teams.