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Tollgates and milestones

Knowledge about and understanding of these concepts, as a basis for understanding different aspects of project success/failure.
Tollgates and milestones are control functions at the business and project level.

Tollgates

A tollgate implies a point in time when the steering group evaluates project progress and makes decisions about whether the project:

  • Can continue according to plan
  • Needs to a revise the project plan before continuing
  • Seems to obtain the impact goals and the intended value.

Tollgates can be set within different times of a project, but are usually in between phases, for example, between the feasibility study and planning, and planning and execution.

Milestones

A milestone is a major work package, or achievement, used by the project team as sub-goals and to measure progress.

An illustration of milestones can be the different service points along the way in the famous long distance cross-country race “Vasaloppet”. The race is 90 km and for many people that is just too long of a distance, at least mentally. Here the service points illustrate milestones, following up and giving attention to the (project) progress.

Image showing the distance and goals of Vasaloppet

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Plan for Project Success: Project Planning and Management:

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