A program is a set of related projects (e.g. the space shuttle program consists of many separately managed flights). Projects are classified by duration: medium projects have a small time frame, small projects last more than a month, and large projects last more than a year. A project is completed when all of its activities have been completed, and should have measurable ‘deliverables’ for ease of monitoring.
Definitions
A project is a planned process to achieve a specific objective through a well-defined set of activities, budget and time frame. Project Management (PM) is a combination of techniques, procedures, people and systems focused on the successful completion of a project, supporting its planning, implementation, tracking and control. The constraints of a project are Scope, Time and Budget – with Quality as a fourth, core constraint.
Characteristics and Resources of a Project
A project should have well-defined, achievable objectives; a time frame; efficiently allocated resources (people, facilities, equipment, money, materials); and be aimed at satisfying the customer. Examples: programming software, an app or website; setting up a computer network; creating an information system; constructing a bridge, house or road.
Project Planning
Project planning involves understanding: what business situation is being addressed, what you need to do, what you will do, how you will do it, how you will know you did it, and how well you did it.
Duties and Qualities of a Project Manager
A project manager directs, supervises and co-ordinates a project from beginning to end: defining the project, setting manageable tasks, obtaining resources, building and motivating the team, informing stakeholders of progress, and assessing and mitigating risks. Qualities include strong leadership, ability to develop people, excellent communication, contract management, problem solving and creative thinking.
A project team is a group of professionals committed to achieving common objectives who relate directly and openly to get things done – “Together Everyone Achieves More” (TEAM). Benefits of teamwork include maximizing each member’s strengths, increasing productivity, balancing workload, and sharing skills and knowledge. Disadvantages include uneven credit and effort, conflicts of ideas, and personality clashes.
Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC)
- Conception and Initiation: the idea is examined for feasibility – analyzing business needs, stakeholder and financial analysis, and a project charter covering cost, tasks, deliverables and schedules.
- Planning and design: determining how to plan, estimating resource requirements, identifying deliverables and creating a work breakdown structure, selecting the planning team, and risk planning.
- Execution and construction: coordinating people and resources, integrating project activities, and performing the work according to the plan.
- Monitoring and Controlling: comparing project status to the plan (Where we are → Where we planned to be → How can we get on track again), and reverting to planning if the client requests changes.
- Completion and finish point: finalizing and closing all contracts and activities, and formal acceptance of deliverables by the customer.
Major challenges in project management include unrealistic deadlines, communication deficit, scope change, misunderstanding/disagreement, bad weather, personality conflict, resource competition, failure to manage risk, and insufficient team skills.
