This chapter defines a project as a unique product or service that is time-limited and ends when its objectives are achieved or abandoned. It discusses that project success is traditionally defined by being on time, within budget and delivering the promised scope, but more effectively by a satisfied customer. A project has constraints of cost, scope, quality, risk, resources, and time that can be grouped into the triple constraints of time, scope and cost. The chapter also covers that project management requires expertise in various applications and skills in understanding the project environment and managing it through interpersonal, communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Project Management
Overview

2. This work is licensed under a
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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Purpose of the chapter
• Define a project
• Define project success
• Project constraints
• Project management expertise
• The project environment
• Project management knowledge and skills

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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY).
Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Define a project
• Define a project:
• Unique product or service
• Time-limited
• Project ends when the objectives are achieved or
abandoned

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Unique
• How can you tell that an activity is unique?
• Completely new product or service
• Creation of new process
• Product or service new to this group of people

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Time-limited
• May have a start and end date
• May be measured as “will be complete when a
particular objective is achieved”
• If it simply continues forever or to an unspecified end-
date it is probably an ongoing business activity

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Can tell when it is done
• Objective is achieved
• Time limit is reached
• Objective is abandoned

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Project Success
• Traditionally: on time, within budget and delivers the
promised scope
• More effective measure: satisfied customer

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Group work
• In small groups, try to identify the LARGEST project
each of you have been involved with.
• You do not have to have been the project manager—if
not, what was your role? (team member, volunteer,
purchaser, ??)
• With the group, make it clear how the project you have
identified meets the criteria:
• Unique
• Temporary

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Project constraints
• Cost
• Scope
• Quality
• Risk
• Resources
• Time

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Triple constraint
• All the constraints can be grouped into these three:
The triad constraints by John M. Kennedy T. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_triad_constraints.jpg) used under CC-BY-SA license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Project Management Expertise
• Application knowledge
• Industry group
• Technical specialty
• Managerial area
• Understanding the project environment
• Cultural, social, political, international, physical
• Management knowledge and skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication, influence, leadership, motivation, negotiation
and problem solving

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Project Management
Standards
• Standards organizations
• PMI
• Project Management Institute: http://www.pmi.org/
• CAPM, PMP and other professional standards
• IPMA
• International Project Management Association: http://ipma.ch/
• Several certifications

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Summary
• Project definition: unique, time-limited, can tell when it
is over
• Project success: satisfied client
• Project constraints: time, scope, cost
• Project management expertise
• The project environment
• Project management knowledge and skills

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Project Management
Chapter 2: Project Management Overview
Questions?