> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.engineeringframework.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Project Phases & Phase Mapping

> What phases are and how phase-category mapping drives gap analysis

Every project moves through a **lifecycle phase** — Discovery, Design,
Delivery, and so on — and each phase can be mapped to the checklist
categories that matter most while a project is in it. This is what lets a
project surface the most relevant missing checklist items for where it
actually is right now, instead of showing every gap across the whole
checklist at once.

For example: a project in a Design phase should see gaps in "Technical
Design" front and center. Gaps in "Rollout & Operations" matter too, but not
yet — surfacing them this early just adds noise.

## Project phases

Configured at **Settings → Project Phases**. A phase has a name, an optional
description, and a display order (lower numbers show up first). Every
project is always in exactly one phase.

Engineering Framework comes with a default set of phases. Creating your
first custom phase replaces the defaults for your organization — from then
on, you manage your own phase list. A phase currently in use by an active
project can't be deleted until that project is moved to a different phase
first.

## Phase → category mapping

Configured at **Settings → Phase Mapping**. Pick a phase, then check which
checklist categories should be prioritized while a project is in that
phase. You can map both built-in categories and any custom categories your
organization has added.

A phase with no mappings simply shows every checklist gap, unfiltered — so
mapping is purely additive prioritization, not a restriction. You'll need at
least one phase set up before you can configure mappings.

## Related reading

* [The Framework Checklist](/framework-checklist) for how categories,
  subcategories, and items are structured
* [Core Concepts](/core-concepts) for how projects relate to organizations
  and departments