project management course chapter 1

1. Chapter 1: General
Introduction

2. Planning Ahead — Key Takeaways
◦Meaning and Definition of project
◦Features of a Project
◦Projects and Plans

3. 7
Exercise
 Planning a wedding
 Designing and implementing a computer system
 Hosting a holiday party
 Designing and producing a brochure
 Executing an environmental clean-up of a
contaminated site
 Holding a high school reunion
 Performing a series of surgeries on an accident
victim

4. 1. Meaning and Definition of Project?
What is a Project?
The Project Management Institute's (PMI) : ".... a
temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique
product or service/result.
 Temporary means that every project has a definite
end.
 Unique means that the product or service is different
in some distinguishing way from all similar
products or services."

5. Cont’d.
 Turner defines a project as: ".....an endeavour in which
◦ human, (or machine), material and financial
resources are organised in a novel way,
◦ to undertake a unique scope of work,
◦ of given specification,
◦ within constraints of cost and time,
◦ so as to deliver beneficial change defined by
quantitative and qualitative objectives.“

6. Cont’d.
A project can be considered to be any series of
activities and tasks that:
 Have a specific objective to be completed within
certain specifications
 Have defined start and end date
Have funding limits (if applicable)
 Consume human and nonhuman resources (i.e.,
money, people, equipment)
 Are multifunctional (i.e., cut across several
functional lines)

7. ….
 Traditionally work in the construction industry and
defense procurement were seen as projects, but in
recent years most pro-active companies are
structuring their work as projects (management-by-
projects) and using project management techniques to

8. 7
Examples of Projects
 Developing a new product or service
 Effecting change in the structure, staffing, or
style of an organization
 Developing or acquiring information system
 Construction a building or infrastructure
 Implementing a new business process or
procedure

9. Types of Projects 1 (FPM2ed p.21)
 Construction Projects
 Engineering Projects
 Defence Projects
 Aerospace Projects
 Offshore Projects
 Advertising and Marketing Projects

10. Types of Projects 2 (FPM2ed p.21)
 Petrochemical Projects
 Computer Projects
 IT Projects
 Product Development Projects
 Banking Projects

11. Types of Projects 3 (FPM2ed p.21)
u Advertising Projects
u Marketing Projects
u Up-Grade Projects
u Event Management

12. Types of Projects 4 (FPM2ed p.21)
u Sports Events
u Music Concerts
u Fashion Shows
u Disaster Recovery Projects

13. Primary Features of a Project:
a. A start and finish (although they may be difficult to
define - the start may have crystallized over a period
of time and the end may be a slow phase out).
b. A life-cycle (a beginning and an end, with a
number of distinct phases in between).
c. A budget with an associated cash-flow.
d. Activities that are essentially unique and non-
repetitive.

14. Cont’d….
e. Use of resources, which may be from different
departments and need coordinating.
f. A single point of responsibility (i.e. the project
manager).
g. Team roles and relationships that are subject to
change and need to be developed, defined and
established(team building).
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15. Project Management
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16. Project Management
Project management is defined by the body of knowledge
as:
 The application of knowledge, skills, tools and
techniques to project activities
 To meet stakeholder's needs and expectations from a
project."
 Purpose of a project: to meet stakeholders needs and
expectations. Fundamental requirement:
 who are the stakeholders (besides the client) and analyse their
needs and expectations
 to define, at the outset, the project's scope of work and
objectives)

17. Project Management

18. Importance of Project Management
 Project management effectively controls
organizational change, allowing organizations to
introduce new products, new processes, and new
programs effectively.
 Projects are becoming more complex, making
them more difficult to control without a formal
management structure.
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19. Importance of Project Management
 Projects with substantially different
characteristics, especially in IT, are emerging.
 Project management helps cross-functional teams
to become more effective.
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20. Project Management Process
1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Monitoring and Controlling and
5. Closing
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21. Managing a project
 Identifying requirements
 addressing various needs, concerns, and
expectorations of stakeholders
 balancing competing project constraints: scope,
quality, schedule, budget, resources, and risk
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22. Project Manager
 Person assigned by performing organization to achieve
the project objectives.
 Single point of responsibility,
 integrates and co-ordinates all the contributions,
 Guides to successfully complete the project
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23. Project and Plans
Project planning is
 a logical process to ensure the work of your
project can be carried out: in an organized and
structured manner;
 reducing risks and uncertainty to a minimum;
 establishing clear standards of quality and
performance;
 securing the results in the minimum time and
cost.

24. Project and Plans
 Regardless of project sizes, a workable and effective
plan are a must to every project.
 Project planning is the pre-formulation stage in the
total project life cycle.
 Involves scanning of the environment to find out
investment opportunities.
 Projects have to be planned within the framework of
business strategies or national policy directives
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25. Plan of A Project
Defined Plan of a Project will include the
following:
 A subject – Purpose of the project (intention)
 A start point – (present situation at
commencement, what to do?)
 A target outcome – ( A situation on project
completion)
 The cost budget - the amount of resources to be
committed for the project

26. Cont’d.
 A quality result – (based on project standards
accomplishments must be met) i.e. some essential
ingredients of the outcome.
 A study date/time – for careful study and
decisions.
 A project date to final completion (end result)

27. Programme Management (FPM2ed p.33)

28. Nine Factors Critical to
the Success of Many Projects
 Clearly defined goals
 Competent project manager
 Top management support
 Competent project team members
 Sufficient resource allocation
 Adequate communication channels
 Effective control mechanisms
 Use of feedback for improvement
 Responsiveness to clients
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J. Pinto and D. Slevin (1987)