1. David Fuschi

2. Table of Contents
 Definition
 Purpose
 Origin & Examples
 Methodologies
 Domains
 Sources & Standards
 A personal reflection
 Conclusion

3. Definition

“A project is a temporary endeavour
undertaken to create a unique product,
service or result”
(PMI - Project Management Institute, 2013)

4. Definition

“Project management is the application
of knowledge, skills, tools, and
techniques to plan activities to meet
project requirements”
(PMI - Project Management Institute, 2013)

5. Definition

However, although clearly defined and
benefitting from a number of
methodologies and standards, too often
project management (PM) turns into:
an ART rather than a DISCIPLINE1
1
15-20% US SW project fail due to: poor project management, etc.
(IEEE Spectrum Sep 2005)

6. Purpose

PM aims at providing a solution to the
management of a process (the project)
that represents, per se, a micro-cosmos
(in this respect PM is a DISCIPLINE)

PM also entails learning how to
diplomatically handle situation and
people
(in this respect PM is an ART)

7. Origin & Examples

In construction PM has been used since
the times of:
 Vitruvius (De Architectura 15 BC) or Lucius
Flavius Silva (Masada 73 AD) in the western
word and …
 Li Bing (Dujiang Weir 256 BC) in the eastern
world

8. Origin

The renaissance gave a strong impulse
to PM with its architects & scientists
(Brunelleschi, Palladio, Leonardo, etc.)

9. Origin

Enlightenment and the industrial revolution
gave further impulse to PM (Vanvitelli, Wren,
Telford, Brunel) and led to its progressive
formalisation (Taylor, Gantt, Fayol)

10. Origin

Yet the number of artefacts from the
past that have “not survived” is by far
larger than that of those we can admire
because …
… at the beginning PM was, often,
more a matter of trial and error than a
formalised discipline
(see Saint-Pierre de Beauvais)

11. Methodologies
PRINCE2
 Critical chain project management
 Event chain methodology
 Lean project management
 Process-based management
 AGILE

…

SIX SIGMA, TQC (quality assurance)

12. Domains

Government / Defence

Construction

Software

Pharma/FDA

Etc.

13. Sources of Standards

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Association for Project Management (APM)

International Project Management
Association (IPMA)
OGC
ISO 21500

14. A personal reflection

Project management entails:
 Many different operation areas
 Many different skills
 Constant education and professional development
 Learning from the past and in particular from errors
 Being proactive in identifying potential risks
 Being creative in finding solutions to problems
 Being empathic to manage and interact with people
 Being flexible and adaptable
 At times it requires to:
(Grøtan et al., 2008)

15. Conclusion

Project Management is:
 Discipline (where structures can be applied)
 Art
(when the human factor plays a significant role)

16. Questions?