Project Management in Order to Define Project

Project Management

In order to define project management, one must first define what is a project. A project is a temporary activity performed by a group in order to develop a unique service, product, or result. A project is labeled a temporary activity because it has a defined start and end in time. Therefore, a project has a defined scope and resources. This means that a project can only be carried out within a specified time and with the set-aside resources. A project is unique because it is not a something that is carried out on a routine basis within an organization. A project uses a set of operations that are designed to accomplish a particular goal. Therefore, a project team mostly encompasses people who would normally not be working together because they are from different organizations, or geographies. There are different types of projects that range from software for improving a business's processes, constructing a building or bridge, conducting a relief effort to handle a natural disaster, or expanding sales to new geographic markets. For any project to be successful, it should be expertly managed in order to deliver it on time, within budget, learning and integrating within the organization.

Project management is, therefore, the application of knowledge, techniques, and skills to execute a project efficiently, and effectively (Burke, 2013). Using project management is a strategic competency for many organizations, which enables the organization to tie the results of a project to its overall business goals. This would allow the organization to compete better in its markets. Previously project management was performed informally, but in the mid-20th century, it started to emerge as a distinctive profession. Project management is faced with one major challenge that of achieving the project objectives and goals while honoring the conceived constraints. There are five stages involved in project management namely initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing. The whole organization's management is concerned with all these, but project management contributes a unique focus that is shaped by goals, schedule, and resources for each project. The value that project management adds to an organization is best seen by its rapid growth worldwide.

Project life-cycle management

Each project has definite developmental phases. Project managers and project teams need to have a clear understanding of these phases, which allows them to maintain project control. Using the project life cycle a project team can manage the project through all the basic phases efficiently (Kerzner, 2013). Project phases vary according to the industry, and scope of the project. The details contained in each phase might also vary. Project life-cycle management ensures that the correct phases are selected for each project, and the details contained within each phase encompass the desired results and goals. Managing the life cycle is critical to the success of a project. A project manager must ensure that no single phase takes too much time and that the results of each phase should lead up to the start of the next phase. Life-cycle management ensures that before a project team moves to the next phase approval is received from outside the project team, which ensures that each phase is fully completed.

Project management would ensure that the projects carried out within an organization are completed on time and within budget. Predictability is another benefit that project management offers an organization. A predictable project will allow the organization to anticipate the outcomes of each stage or phase, which allows an organization to make better decisions. Most projects fail because there was a misunderstanding between the expectations and the results delivered. Project management will allow the organization to discover early enough if the solution proposed is suitable for the intended goals. Making use of a life-cycle methodology ensures better planning, and this gives the team an opportunity to reach an agreement regarding the major deliverables of the project.

Project planning

In order for a project to succeed there is need for proper planning. One of the 1st things that must be done before a project begins is planning or creating a project plan. The lack of a project plan can be considered a recipe for disaster and the sure sign that a project will fail (Olson, 2014). Many people prefer to start working on the project before making a plan, which causes problems later on because the project team is uncertain of what is going to happen next, and the timelines are not defined properly. Project planning involves creating schedules using Gantt charts and reporting on the progress of the project. The project scope is defined, and the desirable methods for completing the project are decided. The project workloads, plans, team management and involved individuals are identified during the project-planning phase. Project dependencies must be identified during this phase, and since this is conducted before the project begins, there are many uncertainties. In order to reduce uncertainty risk, there is need for critical thinking and research.

Carrying out research is necessary in order to identify what might happen during the project's life cycle. Research would allow the team to identify any risks that the project might be faced with as it progresses. Risk identification allows the project team to anticipate and plan for the identified risks. Research is vital during the planning stage because it offers the team an opportunity to explore different methods or analogies before the project begins. This will offer the team an opportunity to analyze different scenarios and establish one that would be best suited for the particular project. Critical thinking offers the project team a chance to think clearly and analyze the project goals rationally. This is beneficial to the team during project planning because the team would question all that is presented and look at it from different angles. This would ensure that project is well analyzed and the information presented is evaluated critically in order to reach a conclusion.

Project organization

Project organization refers to the human infrastructure of a project. The roles, project organization, and relationship of the project team is defined by project organization. The structure of the team is identified, and each individual is assigned different roles and responsibilities. The various roles are also augmented to ensure that all possible responsibilities are covered. All the required personnel resources are identified during project organization to ensure that resources will not lack. According to Scott (2012) team roles are divided to ensure that each individual is assigned a role that they can comfortably handle and execute. Project leaders are mainly selected from the organization's senior management, and the team members can be recruited from within or outside the organization. Senior managers are essential to guarantee that all necessary resources for the project are committed and delivered at the appropriate time. Project organization involves the identification of stakeholders who would be associated with the project. The level of participation required for each team member is established. In case the project requires consultants, they are identified with project organization.

Leadership is vital for project organization because it ensures that the project team has a leader who is interested in the success of the project. Leadership would ensure that the project does not lack resources, and any additional resources can be expedited when required. The project leader is also charged with driving the project and ensuring that the project maintains its course and the scheduled timelines are followed. Leadership for the project would guarantee that the project progress is well analyzed and reported, which offers the organization an opportunity to determine if the project would achieve the intended goals within the set time. Project sponsorship involves the definition and identification of a project. The project sponsors who would not hesitate to recommend for the cancelation of the project if there is no longer a business case to justify the project also handle the project's business case. Project sponsors will carry out the senior stakeholder management by encouraging for the separation of responsibilities of decision-making.

Project team building

Project team building has been identified as one of the two most significant and challenging components of realizing that a project succeeds. The other component is project planning, and the two had previously been seen as contrary elements although they both affect each other. Building a good team is a vital component for a project manager. If the project team has the right attitude, the team would have the opportunity to overcome all difficulties in order to succeed in achieving the project goals (Beaton, Johnson, Maida, Houston, & Pfefferbaum, 2012). Having built a good team, the project manager can rest assured that even in times of great difficulty, the team can overcome most obstacles. Various studies have been carried out to develop theories that would guarantee team building for projects. A project manager must manage to balance the different human behaviors in order to develop a team that has shared values and beliefs. During team building, it is vital for the team manager to select members who understand and are committed to the project.

The three variable that each team must balance are individual autonomy, cooperation, and hierarchical control. Trust is the key to a successful team. Trust must be earned, and trust is built when the members of the team know they can fully rely on each other. Building a collaborative team is the best technique for team building. If there are no hierarchies, the team members will understand that each one has a vital contribution they make to a team. Clearly defined roles ensure that each team member understand what they are required to perform. The project manager is charged with identifying the skills mix. Any gaps in competencies should be filled quickly to ensure that the project does not suffer.

Work breakdown structure

Khera, Ransom, and Speth (2013) posits a work breakdown structure is a project management tool designed to capture the tasks of the project in a visually organized manner. The objectives of the project are detailed at all levels, and there are measurable components that should be achieved or produced in order to achieve the project's overall objective. The work breakdown structure is a hierarchical structure that has the top level representing the entire project, and the lower levels break down the project into detailed component outcomes. When developing a work breakdown structure one should avoid trying to mirror the organizational structure. The first step in creating a work breakdown structure involves representing the entire project as a Level one component, which is subdivided into level two components. The level two components are further divided into level three components. This will continue until the components have all been fully defined and detailed for management and planning purposes.

The project manager will establish the project complexity, customer expectations, and dollar value when they are breaking down the project into packages (Devi & Reddy, 2012). The detail level required for the project is also a key determinant that should be considered to establish the breakdown structure. Visibility for the project will also determine the number of levels the project should be broken into. Most projects would reach level three breakdown, but complex projects would go further down. This would allow the leaders at different levels to monitor the project efforts. The project scope would assist in determination and creation of the work breakdown structure. This would allow for the determination of project deliverables, which is vital for the project manager. Each of the major deliverables would then be divided into components. Each component would be taken individually and subdivided accordingly.