Project management principles and practices

Project Management Structure

a) The structure of project management must be established in accordance with organizational culture. Specialists in the field have determined that the success of the project also depends on the company's culture. The most important aspect that influences project management is the company's approach to training its project managers. This allows them to improve their skills and knowledge in project management, leading to increased efficiency.

In addition to this, the company's culture determines the general approach that is used in most processes and activities. Therefore, the project management's structure is determined by the culture and environment of the company. Process orientation is another important factor on project management. Basically, if the company has developed consistent project practices, they are likely o be reflected in all the projects developed by the company. This allows project managers and their teams to follow successful work plans (Mochal, 2003).

Governance within the company can also influence project management. This is because this factor ensures that people follow the directions established by their superiors. It is recommended that project managers follow the same practices within the company, otherwise they might determine situations that they cannot control. The management structure must reveal its interest in the projects developed by the company. This is expected to determine a similar response from employees (Hauck, 2007).

Organizational culture influences the project management structure also through the roles and responsibilities that are determined by these projects. Therefore, it is important to clearly establish the roles played by the stakeholders involved and to determine what it is expected from them. It is not recommended to delegate this activity to the project manager. The success of the project might be affected in this situation (McGunagle, 2011). The activity of the project manager should not be mixed with such attributes.

b) The success of project management is influenced by numerous factors. Organizational culture is one of the most important factors that can determine the structure of project management. In other words, the company's culture must support project managers' efforts. It is the organizational culture that determines how projects are developed. Therefore, it is recommended to thoroughly evaluate the company's culture in order to determine how the company in case usually influences the project management culture. Based on this evaluation, project managers can develop successful strategies (Sharma, 2010).

The approach of companies towards training programs is an important factor that must be taken into consideration. Some companies prefer to rely on the experience and knowledge of their project managers. However, this does not suffice in order to develop successful projects. It is also necessary to invest in training programs for these project managers, because this improves their skills and determines the success of the projects they are involved in. Therefore, it is important to include this in the company's culture.

2. The steps in project management are represented by: definition, planning, execution, and delivery. The definition step consists in determining the objectives, specifications, tasks, teams, and responsibilities of the project. The planning step refers to establishing the schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and staffing that must be involved in the project. The execution step is based on status reports and quality of the project. The delivery step is represented by training the customers and evaluating the project.

The project manager has the greatest influence in the planning step of the project. This is because in this step managers establish the budgets required by the project and they identify the risks that might affect its development. Based on these budgets, the company determines the resources that can be involved in the project. These project managers also influence other activities that have significant impact on the efficiency of the project.