What is Progressive Elaboration?

Projects may be temporary endeavors but they cannot be conceived in a day and for sure cannot be executed/completed in a day (unless you define going to the grocery store as a project)

Usually there is a concept first and then a broad vision for the end product, i.e., the outcome or result of the project.

The clearer vision you have of the unique product that you want from the project, the more accurate the project plan will be. So, you move toward the final project plan in incremental steps as the ideas about the final product are refined and as you get more and more information about the requirements in a progressive fashion. This procedure of defining (or planning) a project is called progressive elaboration.