Which element is NOT typically part of the project life cycle?

The correct answer is that marketing is not typically part of the project life cycle. The project life cycle consists of a series of phases that a project goes through, which generally include initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

Initiation marks the formal start of a project, where the project's value and feasibility are assessed. Execution is the phase where the actual work of the project is carried out, and the deliverables are produced. Closing involves finalizing all activities to formally close the project or a project phase, ensuring that everything meets the project objectives and that all stakeholders are satisfied.

Marketing, while important in a business context, is not a fundamental component of the project life cycle itself. It relates more to the promotion and selling of the project's outcomes rather than the structured phases through which the project progresses. Therefore, while marketing efforts may be essential for the success of the project's deliverables, they do not constitute a distinct phase in the project life cycle.