This capability pattern illustrates an iterative process with the organization of iterations distributed throughout four phases: Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition.

Each phase contains one or more iterations. After the last iteration of a phase is performed, there is a milestone that provides the questions that check whether the objectives of that phase were met or not, thereby giving stakeholders and management the opportunity to make business decisions about whether the project should continue to the next phase or not.

This capability pattern is a template that can be used to assemble an end-to-end delivery process, which includes specific activities and tasks to be performed in each iteration.