Basic Project Management Concepts
In its most basic sense, a project is defined as a "non-repetitive enterprise" - which is distinguished with the routine and ongoing operations of an organization. Many tasks may be defined as projects, inside and outside of the professional sphere.
Typically, a project also has the following characteristics:
- Novelty - A project is generally something that is "new" to the individuals involved in it
- Sequential - There is a beginning and an end, with a logic sequence of steps (activities) from one to the other.
- Clear Objective - There is a desired end-state a project is designed to achieve that, once achieved, ends the project.
The goals of project management are to ensure that the project is accomplished in an orderly and predictable fashion, using resources efficiently.
Among the reasons that projects fail, the author mentions poorly-defined objectives, underestimation of the complexity, insufficient time or resource allocated, assumptions based on incomplete to insufficient data, lack of coordination and control, conflicting management directives, poor leadership, and scope creep.
Each project becomes a case study for future projects of a similar nature. Regardless of the nature of a project, there are certain similarities to other projects that a common method for project management can be derived and standard methods implemented.
All projects have five phases:
- Initiation: the mission and purpose of the project is defined
- Planning: Every action that must be performed to achieve the objective is detailed
- Execution: The actions planned in the previous phase are carried out
- Monitoring: Oversight of the project execution to ensure that the plan is being carried out and any contingencies are identified and addressed
- Closing: the project is completed and evaluated/audited in arrears