Understanding Project Management Note

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UNDERSTANDING PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Definition :

PROJECT: can be considered to be any series of activities and tasks that have ;

• A specific objective to completed within certain specification

•

Start and finish dates

• Funding limits (if applicable)

•

Consume resources (e.g: money, people, equipment)

@

A project is a carefully defined set of activities that use resources (money,

people, materials, energy, space, provisions, communication, etc.) to meet the

pre-def ined objectives.

@

Any non-repetitive activity

@A unique set of coordinated activities with definite starting and finishing

points, undertaken by an individual or organization to meet specific

performance objectives within defined schedule, cost and performance

parameters ( BS 6079, 2000)

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or

result (PMBOK Guide)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT :

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and

techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.(PMBOK Guide)

@

Project management is the complete set of tasks, techniques, tools applied

during project execution.

1.2.1 Classical Management Classical Management is the school of management thought, which includes bureaucratic,

scientific, and astoiipts^lve management. It pursued the one best way to perform tasks. The

classical approach of-management emphasizes finding way to manage work and

organizations more efficiently. The influence of the following innovators is still evident inthe business community as well as the classrooms.

Management of Works.

Systematic or Administrative Management: Created to develops systematized

manufacturing. The main concept was to coordinate procedures and processes into internal

operations to ensure coordination of effort. Emphasis was placed on economical operations,

inventory management, and cost control. It was the beginning of formal management with

promotion for efficiency. The main limitation was that it ignored differences between the

views of the managers and the workers. It is also the branch of classical management that

emphasized the flow of information and how organizations should operate.



Classical Approachi) Frederik W Taylor

• Father of Scientific Management

•

Taylor believed:

Workers of his time were performing below their capacities.

Can be corrected by: proper directions, support by supervisors & monetaryincentives.

• Four principles of Scientific Management

Develop a science for every job

Select workers with right abilities

Provide proper training & incentives

Support workers

•

Established the concept of “A fair days work”

The amount of work justifies the days pay

• Present time application: Maids International

ii) Frank & Lillian Gilbreth - Pioneers of Motion Study

• Motion Study: The science of reducing a job or task to its basic physical motions

•

One famous study: Bricklayers (reduced nos. of motions resulted in tripling

productivity)

•

Established foundation for later advances in the following:

• - Job 'simplification, Work standards, Incentive wage plans Application of

Motion Study: United Parcel Services ,1

iii) Henry Fayol –

•

Five basic management functions

−

Foresight

− Organization

−

Command

− Coordination

− Control

• Believed that basic management concepts should be taught to employees

• Introduced management principles

− Cleat line of authority/communication

− Unity of command

−

Unity of direction

iv) Max Weber

• Bureaucratic management

− A professional management structure

− A rational structure which comprises of logic, order & authority

•

Major principles:

− Division of labour

−

Hierarchy of authority

− Formal rules and orders

−

Impersonal− Career development based on merits



• Advantages: Efficiency, Fairness, Well structured & well ordered

organization.

• Disadvantages: Red tapes Rigidity, Reggtanc to change

•

"Bureaupathology" - A sickness in the bureaucracy

Human Resources Approachv)

Hawthorne Studies

• The Illumination experiment at the Hawthorne Plant

• The level of Fatique experiment – Elton Mayo (engineering Prof.)

• The Hawthorne effect:

When workers are paid attention to, chances are they will respond positively

People have different sources of job satisfaction

Style of supervision effects level of productivity

Interpersonnal relations are required in the job setting

• “No stroke is worse than a negative stroke”

•

Prof James lee (Harvard alumni) – engineer turned manager Author of – “The Gold and Garbage of management theory”

Critised the Hawthorned Effect as being a big hoax: wrong experimental

procedures, etc.

Project Management is accomplished through the application and integration of the project

management processes.

Process of Project Management;

• Initiating

• Planning - definition of work requirements, quantity and quality of work,

definition of resources needed

• Executing

• Monitoring - tracking progress, comparing actual outcome to predicted

outcome, analyzing impact, making adjustment

• Controlling

• Closing

Project management is composed of several different types of activities such as:

• Analysis & design of objectives and events

• Planning the work according to the objectives

• Assessing and controlling risk (or Risk Management)

• Estimating resources

• Allocation of resources

• Organizing the work

• Acquiring human and material resources

• Assigning tasks

• Directing activities

•

Controlling project execution • Tracking and reporting progress (Management information system)



• Analyzing the results based on the facts achieved

• Defining the products of the project

• Forecasting future trends in the project

• Quality Management

• Issues management

•

Issue solving • Defect prevention

• Identifying, managing A controlling changes

• Project closure (and project debrief)

• Communicating to stakeholders

• Increasing/ decreasing a company's workers

Successful project management can be defined as having achieved the project objectives;

• Within time

• Within cost

• At the desired performance/technology level

•

Utilizing the assigned resources effectively and efficiently

Understanding Project Management Note

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