Gates in Project Management – Definition and Meaning
Gates (also known as quality gates, stage gates or phase gates) are predefined control or decision points within a project life cycle, typically at the end of a project phase. At these points, the progress of the project to date, the quality of the results and the fulfillment of certain criteria are reviewed before a formal decision is made to continue the project into the next phase. Gates are used to ensure quality, manage risks and ensure that the project continues to meet strategic objectives. They often require formal approval or release by a decision-making body.
Example, best practice and further information on the term
In a product development project, for example, a gate could take place at the end of the concept phase, where a decision is made as to whether the developed prototype meets the requirements and the project can move on to the series production phase. A proven method (best practice) is to define the criteria (gate criteria) for the successful passing of each gate clearly and measurably in advance. This is in line with the phase transitions in the PMBOK and agile review meetings or stage-gate models. Gates ensure that projects run in a controlled manner and that only quality-checked work or projects that continue to make sense are pursued.
