Dave Litten is a leading Project Management Trainer and established Prince2 Guru. He gave me an excellent definition of what makes a Project:
So What Is A Project?
Let’s start with what it isn’t: Your ‘normal’ job might be managing or running a department, carrying out a set of services, managing a team, creating products, etc.This is broadly called ‘operations management’. You come into work each day and perform your normal work duties. Now these can change and be different each day. Imagine for a moment that you are on a help desk of some sort. Each day would be different depending upon what ‘help’ you are asked for. Your daily job itself is permanent.
Now a Project is different. It is a one time event, it is unique, it has an agreed set of objectives, and it has a distinct beginning and end. At its simplest, even making a cup of coffee has all the hallmarks of a project. Project Management is all about managing change.
But not just any change. At your place of work - it's about managing business change. Hold that thought - it's the vital difference.
Project Management IS Business Management!
This is why project management training is vital - both for the individual and the organization.
As a fact, that is why project management is a life skill. But I’m not suggesting for a moment that you treat your cup of coffee as a project!
I’ll give you a personal view here. The cup of coffee is actually a TASK (sometimes called an ACTIVITY). Another example might be you are asked to meet with a client to gather data or to give some advice. Yep! It’s an ACTIVITY.
Your boss might set you an ASSIGNMENT. This is a more complex example, but it is YOU that would normally carry it out. Sure, you may need the help and involvement of others in some way – but it’s not a project.
Now, an example might be you have been asked to write a report on something. It may take you days or weeks to complete.
You may need to organise yourself, even create a simple ‘plan’ to keep on track – but it’s still an ASSIGNMENT.
Next we come to a PROJECT. Here are the key differences:
1. It has an agreed beginning and an end
2. A project is temporary in nature
3. It has an organisation structure (roles and responsibilities)
4. It has agreed Deliverables
5. It has a Business Case (at its simplest, it has an agreed set of reasons and benefits to justify the investment)
6. A project meets or exceeds the expectations of its stakeholders
Now here’s the thing. YOU could talk me into saying ALL the above examples could be run as a project. And I’d have to say ‘Yes’. But I think you can see that running a project has an overhead in terms of people and money.
I’ll stick my neck out here and say that a minimum project organisation must consist of a ‘sponsor’, a project manager, and a specialist to create the project deliverables. Whereas an Activity and an Assignment need only have the specialist to carry it out.
Okay, So What Is Project Management?
The Project Management Institute describes project management as: ”bringing together a set of tools and techniques – performed by people – to describe, organize and monitor the work of the project activities”
One definition of a Project is:
“A management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business deliverables to a specified Business Case”
A simple definition of the project managers job is “day-to-day management (of the project)” Sounds so simple doesn’t it?
There is no doubt that becoming a full-time Project Manager is an interesting and rewarding full-time career choice. But I want to focus on YOU using the skills and techniques to carry out projects in your specialist area as a set of Life Skills.
Let me take you back to the simple ACTIVITY for a moment.
Could you benefit from having a set of planning techniques, estimating techniques, risk management, time management, task progress monitoring, etc. to carry out the Activity?
Yes, of course you could!
You will become a smarter, better, and more competent manager of yourself and others. You will shine above the next person; you will be seen as a valuable asset; you will generate a ‘Can-Do’ image. Needless to say, your career (in terms of choices and progress), will accelerate.
Have I got your attention? Good.
Let me round off by examining the main attributes of a typical project. You may have heard of the ‘holy triangle’. There is nothing of a religious nature here I might add! Just that you will deliver the project against; Time (meeting the end date), Cost; (managing the project against its budget and other resources such as people, materials, equipment and facilities.), and Quality; (meeting the customers requirements).
These attributes of a project are all dynamic and inter-related. For example, a problem may occur that needs extra work and hence cost, and as a consequence the project end date slips out.
One of the many challenges that face a project manager is to prioritise these attributes – and get them agreed with all stakeholders.
And just to really make your day, the ‘triangle’ is really a ‘pyramid’ – the new dimension is SCOPE.
Now scope can be defined as ‘what is included in the project and what is not’ Agreement by all stakeholders is key! Can you also see that a change in Scope could lead to changes in the remaining three elements?
Now you know why a project has to be managed!
