What is the primary function of documentation throughout the project lifecycle?

The primary function of documentation throughout the project lifecycle is to provide a record of outcomes for future reference. Documentation serves as a comprehensive record of what has occurred at each stage of the project, including decisions made, processes established, and results achieved. This historical record is essential for several reasons: it allows teams to learn from past experiences, supports continuous improvement, and ensures that information can be easily accessed in the future for audits, evaluations, or when similar projects are undertaken.

Having a clear and thorough documentation trail also ensures that milestones and deliverables are clearly articulated, which aids in maintaining alignment and accountability among all involved. While communication, outlining team responsibilities, and facilitating hiring processes are important aspects of project management, they are more secondary roles that contribute to the overall success of the project and may leverage documentation rather than serve as its primary function.