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April 7, 2023

What is project management and why is it important?

A systems approach to achieving strategic goals

What is Project Management and why is it Important? 2April 7, 2023

Objectives of workshop

To clarify the differences between operations and projects

To introduce participants to project management concepts and tools

To explain why projects should be managed in a systematic and disciplined way

To demonstrate how taking a systems approach to project management:

o Doesn't need to create overhead costs, oro Require time that not-for-profit staff don't have, ando Can help not-for-profits achieve their strategic goals

To present a number of practical project management tools & techniques

To provide participants with a networking opportunity


Organizations and work

Organizations perform work to achieve objectives

Work is:o Performed by peopleo Constrained by limited resourceso Planned, executed and controlled

Work generally involves either:o Operations, which are ongoing and repetitive, oro Projects, which are temporary and unique


What are operations?

Ongoing work performed to sustain the organization

“An organizational function performing the ongoing execution of activities that produce the same product or provide a repetitive service.”1

Examples of operations include:o Production operationso Manufacturing operationso Accounting operations


What is a project?

Work undertaken to achieve an objective not met through operations

“A temporary endeavour undertaken in order to produce a unique product, service or result.”2

Temporaryo Every project has a definite beginning and a definite end

Work producing a unique resulto Something that has not been done before


What is a project? (cont’d)

Work involving a certain degree of uncertainty

Work that must be progressively elaborated

Examples of projects are:o Developing a new product or serviceo Constructing a building or facilityo Developing and running an environmental campaign


What is project management?

“The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.”3

Work performed by the project team, typically involving:o Competing demands for scope, time, cost, risk and qualityo Stakeholders with differing needs and expectationso Identified requirements

Accomplished through an iterative process


Why do projects need to be managed?

They are performed by people

They are constrained by limited resources

They are temporary

They produce unique results

They involve uncertainty

They are critical to the realization of strategic goals4


What is a process?

A series of actions bringing about a result

A way to: o Increase the quality of results producedo Increase the consistency of results produced


What is the project management process?

A set of five process groups:

o Initiating processeso Planning processeso Executing processeso Monitoring and controlling processeso Closing processes


The project management process

I nitiatingProcesses

I nitiatingProcesses Planning

Processes

PlanningProcesses

Monitoring&

ControllingProcesses

Monitoring&

ControllingProcesses

ExecutingProcesses

ExecutingProcesses

ClosingProcesses

ClosingProcesses


What is a project life cycle?

The phases that define the beginning and end of the project

The points at which sign-off is (generally) required

Defined to provide better management control

Useful to operations


A project life cycle

I ntermediate Phases(one or more)

Time

Cost andStaffing

Level

Start Finish

InitialPhase

FinalPhase


What are project phases?

Part of a generally sequential process

Designed to ensure proper control of the project

And to attain the desired product or service o (the objective of the project)

They generally end when deliverables have been completed

They can end without the decision to initiate any other phases


Endnotes

1 Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: Third Edition (PMBOK Guide). (Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute, 2004) 380.2 Project Management Institute 20.3 Project Management Institute 23.4 Project Management Institute 12.


Thank you!

For a copy of this presentation, please visit http://www.importantprojects.com