introduction for project management assignment

Introduction to Project Management Basics

Do you feel overwhelmed with your projects? Learn the basics of project management, including tools and principles, so you can effectively and efficiently manage projects to a successful outcome. Knowing the basics of project management can also help you decide which professional certification to pursue to best meet your career goals.

On this page:

Basic Concept 1: What is a Project?

Basic concept 2: what is project management, basic concept 3: the value of project management, basic concept 4: project management phases, basic concept 5: what is a project manager.

The most basic project management concept is knowing what a project is and when work is not a project. While there are projects in every industry, there may not be formal project management or project-related job titles used. A lack of formal titles does not mean the work is not a project. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as: “ a temporary effort to create value through a unique product, service or result .” From that definition, there are four concepts to call out:

Temporary: a project has a definitive start and end date
Unique: a project’s work is different from the ongoing work required to maintain the business and operations
Team, Budget, Schedule : a project has an assigned team, budget, and schedule
Goal: a project is done when the project goals are met

All work is not a project. For example, the daily maintenance work for cleaning factory machines is part of continuous operations and, therefore, is not a project. However, if a team created a plan to upgrade those machines by a specific date and within a budget, that is a project. There is no maximum or minimum duration to be a project, but there must be a clear start and stop.

The basics of project management can be described as: “ the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people .”

There are multiple formal project management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall (Predictive), Scrum, Kanban, Lean, PRINCE2, and Six Sigma. Plus, some organizations have customized company names for project phases and tools. These methodologies have one or more corresponding professional organizations that set standards and provide related certifications. Companies may require the use of a specific methodology for their projects and, in some cases, what credentials are expected of project professionals.

Project management methodologies differ in tools and terminology. For example, some project management frameworks have 5 project phases while others have 7 project phases.

Also, the names and types of project roles vary by methodologies, such as a Scrum Master or Agile Coach used in an Agile project environment. But the primary purpose of project management, to guide the work for specific deliverables to occur within a set timeframe and budget, is the same.

What is management vs. project management?

Project management is the leadership of a team to complete the specific goals of a project within set deadlines and budgets. Project management is focused on a project with a finite length of time, budget, and scope.

In contrast, basic management is not limited by time or a preset amount of work. Good management is ongoing and part of business operations. Management does not have a set number of phases like a project management process, nor does it stop when the project ends.

However, management and project management have similarities. The skills commonly associated with effective management, such as fostering teamwork, conflict negotiation, and building trust, are greatly valued in project management.

In the 1960s, organizations, in both government and private manufacturing, were taking on not only more complex projects but also multiple complex projects at the same time. Project management as a formal discipline grew out of the need to standardize how complex projects could be consistently led. With the increase in project size and quantity, the fundamental challenges of:

a lack of common terminology within teams
ineffective resource allocation
failure to consistently meet project goals

All of these challenges drove what would become the field of project management. As project management methodologies were developed and refined, the value of this discipline to both professionals and organizations was evident. Today there are multiple project management methodologies and certifications reflecting the diverse ways project management can be applied to a variety of industries. The value attributed to well-executed project management includes:

increase of positive project outcomes |e.g., quality of deliverable/s, staying in/under budget, completed early/on schedule
customer loyalty | due to consistent results and high quality
employee retention and morale | project teams with good work experiences create high morale among employees who want to stay longer
effective use of resources | i.e., employees with needed skills are available when a project needs them, resources are sourced appropriately and used by multiple projects
prioritize work to fit business objectives | e.g., projects that create higher value for the organization have resource priority over optional or low-impact projects.

Companies with a strong project management culture commonly enjoy not only cost savings but also higher employee morale, deep customer loyalty, and organizational efficiencies. PMI’s white paper “ The Value of Project Management (2010)” summarizes the value of project management as follows: “ Organizations turn to project management to deliver results consistently, reduce costs, increase efficiencies and improve customer and stakeholder satisfaction .” When project management is done well, the organization can benefit in many ways.

Studying for the PMP Exam?

When applied correctly and consistently, formal project management tools and processes can increase the chances of a successful project outcome. The project management process, or project lifecycle, details what tools and actions can be completed in a recommended sequence throughout the project.

In waterfall project management, there are 5 basic phases for the progression of work. For some project management methodologies, there are 7 phases. In Agile, work is tracked through a series of increments, such as sprints or cycles. The project management process and what activities and deliverables are included in it should be tailored by industry, company, and project. For example, a project to design new software will probably not have the same project management process needs as constructing a new office building. Both should have a process, but one that supports that unique project type and needs.

Project Management Process/Project Lifecycle

For PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, students should understand the basic project management processes, sometimes called the project lifecycle.

• Project Initiation • Project Planning • Project Execution • Project Monitoring and Controlling • Project Closing

The Project Manager motivates the team and leads the project throughout the project phases. The project scope and the selected methodology, along with organizational requirements, will inform what documentation, tools, and reporting are needed for each phase.

Project professionals, who are ultimately responsible for the project outcome, come from various work and educational backgrounds. Regardless of their title, including but not limited to the Project Manager, Project Lead, or Project Coordinator, the project’s primary leader is responsible for ensuring the team meets as many project goals as possible.

Project Manager Responsibilities

Project management is a complex and demanding field. Successful project managers must have leadership, technical, and organizational skills to lead the team towards the project goals. Every project is unique, but every project needs the project manager to:

• Help determine the project methodology to use for the project • Ensure a project plan is developed • Recruit project staff • Support and train the project team • Manage deliverables according to the project plan • Aid in the establishment of a project schedule • Support the assignment of tasks to project team members • Communicate with stakeholders

Project Managers with a PMP certification will use the basics of project management to meet the specific needs of each project and team.

Project Team Responsibilities in Project Management

A good project outcome is more likely when the project team can:

contribute relevant skills and knowledge to the project work
complete individual deliverables on schedule
provide subject matter expertise to inform project planning and decision making
document processes, risks, decisions, and outcomes for lessons learned
collaborate with others on the project team
communicate in a timely and consistent manner to the project manager and other team members

Team responsibilities vary by project type, scope, and management methodology.

Project Manager Certifications

Obtaining a project management certification helps project managers demonstrate they know how to adjust to best meet the needs of each project, whether using Waterfall or Agile.

Project Management Professional (PMP)® | overseen by Project Management Institute (PMI)®
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® | overseen by Project Management Institute (PMI)®
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)® | overseen by ScrumAlliance
PRINCE2 Foundation/PRINCE2 Practitioner | overseen by Prince2 Foundation

There are many project management certification options beyond the four listed here, each with requirements and testing protocols. Contact a verified source, like Project Management Academy (PMA), and research verified organizations, including Project Management Institute (PMI), to inform which certification to pursue to meet your career goals.

Project Management Resources

Take advantage of the free resources available from PMA and PMI to guide your project management skill development and certification work.

Project Management Academy | Project Management Resources and Training
Project Management Institute | Standards and Publications

One of the exciting elements of pursuing a project management career, or even augmenting your professional skill set with project management knowledge, is its variety. Pursue training and certification in multiple project management methodologies to expand your career opportunities. After all, using Agile project management for your organization does not prevent you from learning about or obtaining PRINCE 2 certification. And the training for project management can enhance not only how projects are managed but your overall leadership and management skillset.

There are proven project management tools and principles that, when applied correctly, can increase the chances of a successful project outcome. Achieving a project management certification is one way to demonstrate your knowledge of the basics of project management, including:

describing what a project is and is not
knowing the difference between management and project management
knowing the basic project management phases used to track project work
understanding the responsibilities of a project manager
knowing the responsibilities of a project team

Having project management skills and knowledge of project management principles will help you lead more projects to success.

Upcoming PMP Certification Training – Live & Online Classes

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Project Management

(16 reviews)

Adrienne Watt

ISBN 13: 9781774200131

Publisher: BCcampus

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Carolyn McGary, Associate Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 10/2/23

From a project management process standpoint, it covers at a high level the majority of what a starting student would need to know. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

From a project management process standpoint, it covers at a high level the majority of what a starting student would need to know.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Principles are pretty universal, so accuracy still seems good.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

A few of the examples in the book are becoming outdated, and could use an update to ensure continued relevancy.

Clarity rating: 5

Written in a straightforward manner, with good separation of topics. Feels clear and provides adequate context.

Consistency rating: 5

Flow was logical, and chapters seem to be consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

Felt the chapters were easily divisible if needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Structure and flow seem to be logical.

Interface rating: 5

Did not see any significant issues with navigation or interface.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Did not see any significant grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I did see a variety of examples for the topics. I did not notice anything insensitive, but I could be biased to that.

Overall the book has good data, I like the flow and the content. I would look at updating some of the examples and if possible update some of the graphics and tables for visual effect. I did like that there have been some improvements in 2019, 2021 and 2022 including some reformatting for accessibility. I have adapted portions of this text for my own Construction Project Management course.

Reviewed by Megan Hamilton, Faculty- Coordinator of Civic Engagement Projects, Emory and Henry College on 6/30/23

It covers all the major points that I want my students to understand when learning about the craft of project management. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It covers all the major points that I want my students to understand when learning about the craft of project management.

While this book does address that project management is applicable to many sectors and careers, it doesn't provide as much a of a non-profit lens on project management as I would like my students to understand. This text is meant to apply to any type of project management though, which is important for my students to understand even though this specific class is about project management in the non-profit world.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

It is very up to date and would be easy to update in the future.

It's very easy to read.

Yes, this text provides consistency in the terminology it uses.

One of the reasons I picked this text besides that it was comprehensive and an easy read was because I could easily divide it up into smaller sections to help support our in class learning sessions.

It is organized well and in a thought out manner.

There were no issues when I read this text.

No major grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There is nothing that jumped out at me reading this text that would be culturally sensitive, but I wasn't reading looking for that either.

This book does a good job of covering all the aspects of project management. It keeps things simple and basic, which is great for students who are just now learning about the craft of project management.

Reviewed by Michael Botyarov, Lecturer, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 7/24/22

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of project management, including associated processes and tools. This introductory text can be an excellent supplement to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) given the flow and structure of the chapters. That being said, project management has evolved over the last several years where a discussion of new methodologies, such as Agile and Critical Chain, could provide additional benefit to readers.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The textbook accurately describes project management fundamentals and provides accurate definitions of terms.

The fundamentals of project management are unlikely to shift much given the relevance of traditional waterfall approaches. Given that the purpose of the PMBoK, and other introductory texts such as this, is to provide a set of best practices for the field, the material will stay relevant. That being said, new methodology such as Agile is becoming increasingly common, so readers should keep that in mind and review newer methodologies on their own.

The textbook is very clear, providing definitions of key project management terms where needed. Additionally, case study examples provide insight into practical application(s) of the discussed topic, further elaborating on key terms and providing more clarity.

Throughout the entire textbook, the same terms are used and the formatting of chapters is similar such that the reader can get comfortable with the flow of material.

Modularity rating: 4

The textbook does an excellent job of decomposing project management topics into easy-to-digest sections, which the reader can comfortably read in one sitting. That being said, the textbook could benefit from sample exercises or problems after each chapter so the reader could apply the new knowledge in a practical way to enhance retention.

All topics in the textbook are presented in a logical way, similar to the sequence in an actual project, where you begin with stakeholder analysis and conclude with project completion. This organization further allows the reader to understand the structure of project management processes.

The textbook has clear examples, with graphics as needed, that are free from errors and are clearly displayed.

The textbook does not contain any evident grammatical errors and is therefore easy to read and digest.

Given the nature of the textbook and the way material is presented, it is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

This textbook provides an excellent introduction to project management by decomposing relevant structure and processes. I would highly recommend this textbook to students seeking to learn the fundamentals of a dynamic field. Supplemental material regarding Agile, and other new project management processes, can be provided separately to further guide class discussions.

Reviewed by Smita Singh, Lecturer, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 5/13/22

The textbook is pretty comprehensive and covers all aspects of project management. The book is well - organized and provides power points and audio files in the end of each chapter. However some of the chapters are not much in detail. For... read more

I did not identify any accuracy issues.

The book is recommended for a senior level class. All the topics can be introduced in the junior sections, and thereafter, can be reintroduced in the senior sections.

The book is consistent with industry standards.

Consistency rating: 4

Some of the topics in this book are inconsistent and don't follow PMI standards. For instance, the phases of the project lifecycle can be reframed.

All the chapters can be divided into smaller reading sections and the language is very easy to understand.

No issues with the organization of this book.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

The book provides basic understanding of the project management discipline in a global environment and is politically correct.

Few of the chapters can be updated with the upcoming trends in the project management discipline.

Reviewed by Abdullah Oguz, Visiting College Lecturer, Cleveland State University on 7/4/21

The text covers all project management knowledge areas and process groups. The table of content shows all of the topics in an organized way. However, I think some chapters are short, and therefore they should include more content. For example, Chapter 3 “The Project Life Cycle (Phase)” consists of four main phases with limited information for each of them. This chapter can be considered as a summary. There is a lack of clarification regarding the structure of the text after this chapter. Agile project management is addressed with only the Scrum framework in Chapter 4. One important advantage of this OER is that it provides PowerPoint presentation files and audio files for each chapter.

The content looks accurate. However, some parts need more explanation with exercises and case studies.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The book was published in 2014. There are three updates in 2017 and 2019. However, they are mostly related to the formatting, not the content. Although the book covers the main topics in project management, there have been updates in the primary body of knowledge guide (PMBOK Guide) published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The sixth edition was published in 2017, and the seventh edition will be released in August 2021. Besides, in the meantime, new and emerging technologies changed the corporate and social environment with new opportunities, and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the understanding of risk evaluation and mitigation strategies. The content cannot be considered obsolete, but updates are required throughout the chapters.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is well-written, and it can be understood without ambiguity. However, a lack of explanation for some chapters and topics may leave doubts in many students’ minds.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The text was structured for modularity with 19 chapters and sections inside each chapter. Therefore, it can be easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections although some chapters such as Chapter 19 cannot be considered a chapter, but a short conclusion.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The chapter titles emphasize planning. Actually, planning is the most important part for a project manager. However, in project management, project monitoring and control, as well as execution (implementation), should be highlighted separately beside the planning. Therefore, it can create a perception that undermines the importance of other phases and process groups.

Interface rating: 4

Although chapter titles are available in the Table of Content, sections of chapters are not provided. The quality of the images is good in general. However, several figures such as Figure 1.1 don’t have a good resolution.

I did not find any grammatical errors. However, this issue should be addressed by an expert in this field.

In parallel with the global nature of project management discipline and diverse teams, the book provides examples of the implementation of projects in other cultures. For example, the “Project Management Expertise” section in Chapter 2 has a subsection “Understanding the Project Environment”. The last paragraph of this section reads “Project managers in multicultural projects must appreciate the culture dimensions and try to learn relevant customs, courtesies, and business protocols before taking responsibility for managing an international project. A project manager must take into consideration these various cultural influences and how they may affect the project’s completion, schedule, scope, and cost.” This positive approach is implemented throughout the book.

I found this book very helpful and included it in my two summer courses as a supplementary resource.

Reviewed by Debbie Austin, Part Time Faculty, Portland Community College on 1/11/21

This text is a comprehensive overview of the basic functions and processes of project management. It is not an in-depth study in any one area of project management but does a great job of covering the end to end process for a survey or basics course. read more

I found the text to be accurate and sufficient for project management topics.

I like this text for the coverage of project management topics for a basic understanding of project methodology. Because it is a basics book, it does not cover agile methods sufficiently or address non-standard approaches to project management that could make it more relevant for today's project environments.

I really like this book for it's easy to understand language and straightforward layout. Students seem to be able to navigate and understand this book and are able to follow the direction that references the textbook.

This book is very consistent throughout with nicely structured chapters that are easy to digest in a single sitting.

This text has equally weighted chapters that are named appropriately and easy to understand. Within the chapters, there are section headers that make it easy to follow the content progression.

I use this book because it is so well organized. The chapters are clear and follow standard project management practice. They are structured by topic so it is easy to assign chapters that align to the content of the course.

The text is well designed with supporting images and examples that make the content more clear.

I have not found any grammatical issues.

I have not found any issues related to cultural sensitivities.

This is my go-to book for basic project management course needs. It is easy to read, understand, and use and I love the basic coverage of project management practice that it provides. This would not be a text for any specific project management topics that need more depth but it is a great basics book for those just starting out in project management. I highly recommend this text.

Reviewed by Andrea Peterson, Faculty: Lecturer, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 8/5/20

This text is perfect for a beginner's level course in Project Management. read more

This text is perfect for a beginner's level course in Project Management.

The text includes all the standard body of knowledge components making up the traditional framework of project management.

As the text is organized according to this traditional framework, it is readily adaptable to updates of current examples and processes.

The text is definitely easy to read and at a level commensurate with a beginner's course.

The text is consistent in its use of terminology true to the body of knowledge of project management.

The text contains 16 chapters which readily fits the format of most college-level courses of 15-16 weeks of study. Additionally, chapters can be easily combined for a more topical study and/or a compressed delivery.

The text follows the traditional methodology of study of the phases of project management and remains true to the body of knowledge required.

The text includes clickable links for some images and figures making it highly interactive.

No grammatical errors were found in this text as it is written in a very professional manner.

There are no cultural issues within this text.

The examples used in this text for explanation of the difficult subject of precedence planning and diagramming are that of planning a wedding, making this a highly valuable text for the hospitality industry and specifically meeting and event project management.

Reviewed by Keivan Sadeghzadeh, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on 6/27/20

This textbook covers many topics in the area but could include more such as "Communications Management" and ... read more

This textbook covers many topics in the area but could include more such as "Communications Management" and ...

I found the textbook error-free and unbiased ...

The textbook is almost up to date but there are rooms for improvement such as numerical examples and case studies. Using more interested real-word examples id recommended ...

Clarity rating: 2

The textbook lacks adequate context for many technical terminologies and concepts specifically quantitative methods such as CPM and PERT. Many project management techniques are not discussed and explained in details and major improvement in this category (clarity) is required ...

Terminology and framework are almost consistence but minor reorganizing in topics using the order of the project management areas according to the standards and guidelines is suggested ...

More breakdown in chapters is suggested specially in chapters 10 to 16. These chapters require developed structure using different level to make the concept and content clear and easy to understand ...

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

As mentioned in "Consistency", using the order of the project management areas according to the standards and guidelines in order to apply minor reorganizing could be effective ...

More graphical presentation and visualization techniques are required. Many areas of project management could benefit table, figures, and charts to present the context in a clear fashion ...

I don't see any errors ...

The textbook is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way ...

Reviewed by Jonathan de Alderete, Associate Teaching Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell on 6/10/20

This book is an excellent high level overview perfect for both business majors and engineers who are learning the ropes for staging a project. read more

This book is an excellent high level overview perfect for both business majors and engineers who are learning the ropes for staging a project.

This is a standard overview. I would have liked to see a bit more in depth on the techniques for planning but it is laid out in a similar way to how industry tackles problems.

Luckily barring a major industry overhaul, this is a well established workflow.

The book was written in an approachable non-technical fashion, with minimal use of jargon. Additionally lighthearted graphics increase the engagement.

The table formatting is a bit jarring at times (Colors, styles and fonts) which can be distracting.

The chapters are about the right length for a student to read before class, these would go well with a comprehensive case study.

There is a bit of a jump toward the end of this book (From project development to implementation is a bit glossed in my opinion), and I would have loved to see some implementation case study, but otherwise clear.

While the book does play some service to other cultures, I think a little more expansion on how regions can effect deliverable items as well as expectations is a major player. This won't be an issue to students or to the book, but I would add it as a consideration.

Overall this is a great primer on project management. I plan to use this book with Senior mechanical engineers to drive context on project planning.

Reviewed by Elaine Luther, Professor, Point Park University on 9/5/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Table of Contents should provide short description of content for each Chapter. Would like to see more Business Examples, since this was listed under Business Area. Missing major projects such as; New Product Development/Acquisition, Capital Expenditures, Business Plans, Administrative Projects (Health Care Choices, etc.) Also, examples were confusing; some were project types, while others were job types, in C2. The Preface had 5 elements of Project Management, but then C3 only had 4, missing Control. That should be the structure for the textbook, and it should be consistent. Communication Planning should be an earlier Chapter rather than C15. Too late by then. Good coverage of Group Dynamics, Gantt Charts, Budgeting, Quality Conrol, Risk Management, and Implementation. Would like to see links to Excel for NPV calculations. It would also be nice to have a case study of a project that flows through all of the Chapters. ,

As referenced above, there was a discrepancy in steps in Project Management; preface listed 5, C3 only had 4 - dropped Control. I assume this is a country of original difference, but Third Party Contracting is often used over Outsourcing. Same with Charter versus Contract. Not sure. It seemed to be well edited.

It has been around for a long time, but history should be more current/relevant - with examples students could understand. Perhaps steps to develop the iPhone?

Planning a wedding might not be a good example for business. Even planning a vacation or building a tiny home would be more relevant.

I prefer more lists, rather than long paragraphs.

Also, there could be concrete examples.

Have links or examples for finding budget details - trade organizations, franchises, etc.

Chapter 10 and 11 seem to cover the same steps of preparing timelines.

I think there should be an overview chapter that describes the process from start to finish, perhaps with an outline or workbook.

C15 Communication should be up front. Have Overview Chapter.

Interface rating: 2

I could not find the slides. I could not get the audio files to open. Each time I tried, there was no back button, and I had to reopen the PDF and scroll down to the page.

Do PDF's have a find or go to page option?

It was well written. Very clear.

I would skip the wedding example for a business textbook. Event planning could be a substitute.

I was looking for a textbook that I could use with a Capstone course where senior develop a business plan. I wanted a stronger business focus. However, this is close. Thanks.

Reviewed by Micheline Al Harrack, Visiting Faculty, Marymount University on 7/26/19

This book covers all the topics relevant to Project Management. It outlines an overview of Project Management, the Project Life Cycle, and covers all knowledge areas as identified in the PMBOK 5th edition. It does not integrate using a software like Microsoft Project. The book references Implementation instead of Executing even though it mentions Execution as an alternative. It goes briefly over Integration, and Monitoring and Controlling. It can be used as a textbook to be supplemented with a software package and the changes in the PMBOK 6th edition.

The book is accurate and in line with the PMBOK 5th edition.

The book is relevant and covers the principles of Project Management. It can be used as a basic reference even after the PMBOK 6th edition is out.

This book is clear. The style is simple, easy, and to the point.

The book is consistent in terminology and framework.

The chapters can be easily divided and assigned as readings and reference materials in a course. The chapters are short, to the point, and simple to read and understand.

The book is organized. It starts with the overview, the project life cycle, framework, stakeholder management then moves to the initiation phase and dedicates 9 chapters to planning the different knowledge areas. It covers the Executing phase very briefly in the "Project Implementation Overview" chapter and the Closing phase in the "Project Completion" chapter.

The book interface is clean. It is easy to navigate. Even though the charts are small, they are clear. I did not identify any problems in the display features.

The text is free of grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive. Most examples are universal. None are offensive, in my opinion.

This book is a good Project Management book. The style is clean and far from verbose. The text can be revised at a certain point to align the terminology with the PMBOK .

Reviewed by Paul Szwed, Professor, Massachusetts Maritime Academy on 4/21/19

The textbook offers a broad look at project management and provides a high-level treatment of most areas of project management. It would be a good introductory book on the subject, but due to its relatively abbreviated length, it does not go into... read more

Like most general texts on the subject, it provides an accurate view of what is commonly referred to as the traditional (or waterfall) framework for project management. There are alternative frameworks (e.g., agile) and other than a short mention in chapter 4, this text does not cover such alternative methods.

Most of the content in this text is useful and will benefit students in courses with introductory project management modules, or even entire introductory courses in project management. However, without additional support, the select tools and techniques described may not be in sufficient detail to enable a student to effectively apply them as a project manager.

The text is narrative in style and will be accessible and approachable from students of virtually any background or discipline. The text is not written for a specific discipline and adopts only jargon / technical terminology used broadly across project management professions.

The text lacked a bit of internal consistency in that the order of presentation of the chapters did not follow the framework for project management that was put forward in chapter 4 at the beginning of the book.

While I found the text to be a bit too abbreviated for my semester-long course, the chapters themselves were sufficiently short to be easily consumed by my undergraduate students. The text lacked any ability to easily decompose chapters further into sections or subsection, such that they might be adopted into specific modules.

Perhaps because I come from a PMI / PMP orientation and bias, I found the order of presentation to be slightly disorienting. It not follow the PMI order (mentioned in chapter 1 and illustrated partially in Table 4.1) nor did it necessarily follow the typical chronology of a project. Instead project phases were interspersed within project knowledge areas. For example, there was an extended section on project selection (NPV, ROI, etc.) in chapter 7 that typically proceeds initiation. Also, there was an extended section on interpersonal skills (e.g., personality, conflict resolution, meeting management, leadership) contained in chapter 11 on resource planning - this is usually separated from the technical skills of project management processes and could have easily been presented in a separate chapter or appendix.

The interface was simple and easy to navigate.

Overall, it was well-written and easily understood.

I think the text is acceptable, however when it is updated, the selection of examples could be more global and varied. There was a chapter devoted to culture that would provide an opportunity for readers to think more deeply about their own perspective and biases.

This is a decent textbook for project management, particularly when it is intended to be introductory. If educators are interested in developing technical project management competencies of its students, it may require supplemental materials. The next edition would also benefit from additional interactivity to further engage readers. Thank you to the authors and contributors for their solid work in putting forward one of the foremost OER texts in the discipline of project management.

Reviewed by Deborah Hommer, Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State University Altoona on 2/1/18

I feel the book touches upon all the topics of a typical Project Management Book except use of a software tool like Microsoft Project. The book does not go into great detail on many of the project deliverables identified by PMI or PMD. Also... read more

Also recommend: Chapter 12-take slide 8 and add formulas and add to text content.

I believe because it is high level, it will remain relevant. Additionally, the level will negatively impact it use in higher level classes (400-level).

I believe it is well written with nice examples.

I found the book to be consistent within and with industry information.

The chapters are assignable as smaller reading sections. They are in fact very small, high level information which I would augment with case studies.

This books is organized like most other Project Management Books-Project Life Cycle.

I did not experience any issues with the interface when reviewing this text. Limited graphics used had no issues displaying. Might recommend more graphics.

I feel the book is well written with no grammar errors.

I did not note any cultural issues with this text.

I think this would be good for a 100 or 200 level Project Management class. I would like to see some case studies and depth to be added so it could be used for a 400-level course.

Reviewed by Sang-Phil Kim, Assistant Professor, Winona State University on 6/20/17

Project management has soft skills and hard skills. Though the text covers all area and ideas of the subject it seems too concise, especially on hard/quantitative skills, such as critical path method (CPM), earned value analysis (EVA), and risk... read more

It can be used a supplementary material.

Content is accurate.I didn't find any error.

Content is up-to-date. The text is written and arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be easy and straightforward to implement.

The text is written in clear, accessible prose. It provides enough explanations for jargons.

The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The text has 19 chapters. It is easy to divide, to modify, or to rearrange.

The text has a logical structure/organization.

The text has no significant interface issues. The figures and tables are too small, but it can be seen in large version if a reader clicks the figure/table. I reviewed PDF version, but not sure in different formats.

I didn't find any grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive.

More contents for technical/quantitative skills and examples.

Reviewed by Ziko (Ziad) Rizk, Computer Systems Faculty, LinnBenton Community College (LBCC) on 6/20/17

The book covers the project management topic very well. The author begins the book with why businesses should leverage project management, then moves on to the project definition, the project life cycle, the Project Management Institute (PMI) and project methodologies, and finally to each phase of the project life cycle (initiation, planning, implementation, and closing). The book does include an index, a slide set for each chapter, and is available in several different formats (HTML, PDF, etc.)

The book is accurate, up-to-date, and unbiased. The implementation chapter is light. I think a complete chapter on monitoring and controlling would have added much value to the book.

The book content is up-to-date. While the project management field continue to evolve, and core processes and knowledge areas are mature and stable. The book is written in such a way that corrections and revisions will be straightforward to implement. Speaking of revisions, the author covers the five PMI process areas (initiation, planning, executing/implementation, monitoring and controlling, and closing); however, the implementation chapter is light with brief mention of the monitoring and controlling activities. A good chapter on monitoring and controlling would have add much value.

The book is easy to read and follow. While the author used many of the project management technical terminology, she did not go overboard. The majority of the chapters cover the content well.

The book is mostly consistent. The one inconsistent, I think, that requiring refinement is the project management processes. While the author used initiation, planning, implementation, and closing, the PMI uses initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. I think, it would be best to stay consistent with PMI.

The book is modular. The book consists of 19 different chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different project management topic. 9 of the 19 chapters focus on planning the different project management knowledge areas, which in my opinion, is appropriate.

The book is well organized and structured. The 19 chapters’ flow well. The content of flow of each chapter is also good. I already stated the implementation chapter is light and a separate chapter of monitoring and controlling would have added value.

The book interface is very good. As far as I can tell, there are no interface and navigation problems. The images and charts are clear and readable. A few of the images are busy and still readable.

The book grammar is very good. While I was not focusing much on grammar, no grammatical errors stood out.

The book is politically correct. I think, I would have noticed if the book was culturally insensitive.

I think, this is a good project management book. I think the implementation chapter should be renamed to executing and beefed up. I also think a new chapter on monitoring and controlling should be added. Finally, the planning chapters could be adjusted to align with the PMI knowledge areas.

Reviewed by Dave Amato, Adjunct Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17

I think the book does a pretty good job of this although I think the representative graphics were difficult to view as part of the book content. They are too small and required enlargement if you wanted to try to get anything out of them. read more

I was pleased with this aspect of the book.

As long as there are projects to manage, this book will be relevant. As an elementary guide to the process of project management it does a good job.

Many text books are pedantic and verbose. This one is not. Basic language drives to the elemental point.

I think the author did a very good job with her organization of the material, sequential steps and references.

The graphics are poor. I think there should be more use of charts and flow charts. The graphics provided are difficult to interpret or even see in the PDF version.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Very little opportunity in the subject matter to deal with cultural relevance. I found no insensitive or offensive references of any kind.

The graphics provided were frustrating. Given the nature of this subject, I believe more graphics should be provided; flow charts, story boards, scheduling forms, etc. I am a visual learner and find subjects like this are easier to grasp with visual aids and case studies. Some examples were used but I think following an actual, completed project; supported by photos of the product of the project management effort would be helpful in keeping the learners interest.

1. Project Management: Past and Present
2. Project Management Overview
3. The Project Life Cycle (Phases)
4. Framework for Project Management
5. Stakeholder Management
6. Culture and Project Management
7. Project Initiation
8. Overview of Project Planning
9. Scope Planning
10. Project Schedule Planning
11. Resource Planning
12. Budget Planning
13. Procurement Management
14. Quality Planning
15. Communication Planning
16. Risk Management Planning
17. Project Implementation Overview
18. Project Completion
19. Celebrate!
Appendix 1: Project Management PowerPoints
Appendix 2: Chapter Questions
Appendix 3: Chapter Audio Files
About the Author
Versioning History

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This book covers the basics of project management. This includes the process of initiation, planning, execution, control and close out that all projects share.

About the Contributors

Adrienne Watt holds a Computer Systems Diploma (BCIT), a Bachelors in Technology (BCIT) and a Master’s in Business Administration (City University).

Since 1989, Adrienne has worked as an educator and gained extensive experience developing and delivering business and technology curriculum to post-secondary students. During that time she ran a successful software development business. In the business she worked as an IT Professional in a variety of senior positions including Project Manager, Database Designer, Administrator and Business Analyst. Recently she has been exploring a wide range of technology related tools and processes to improve delivery methods and enhance learning for her students.

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2. Project Management Overview

Adrienne Watt; Project Management Open Resources; and TAP-a-PM

Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.

The starting point in discussing how projects should be properly managed is to first understand what a project is and, just as importantly , what it is not.

People have been undertaking projects since the earliest days of organized human activity. The hunting parties of our prehistoric ancestors were projects, for example; they were temporary undertakings directed at the goal of obtaining meat for the community. Large complex projects have also been with us for a long time. The pyramids and the Great Wall of China were in their day of roughly the same dimensions as the Apollo project to send men to the moon. We use the term “project” frequently in our daily conversations. A husband, for example may tell his wife, “My main project for this weekend is to straighten out the garage.” Going hunting, building pyramids, and fixing faucets all share certain features that make them projects.

Project Attributes

A project has distinctive attributes that distinguish it from ongoing work or business operations. Projects are temporary in nature. They are not an everyday business process and have definitive start dates and end dates. This characteristic is important because a large part of the project effort is dedicated to ensuring that the project is completed at the appointed time. To do this, schedules are created showing when tasks should begin and end. Projects can last minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years.

Projects exist to bring about a product or service that hasn’t existed before. In this sense, a project is unique. Unique means that this is new; this has never been done before. Maybe it’s been done in a very similar fashion before but never exactly in this way. For example, Ford Motor Company is in the business of designing and assembling cars. Each model that Ford designs and produces can be considered a project. The models differ from each other in their features and are marketed to people with various needs. An SUV serves a different purpose and clientele than a luxury car. The design and marketing of these two models are unique projects. However, the actual assembly of the cars is considered an operation (i.e., a repetitive process that is followed for most makes and models).

In contrast with projects, operations are ongoing and repetitive. They involve work that is continuous without an ending date and with the same processes repeated to produce the same results. The purpose of operations is to keep the organization functioning while the purpose of a project is to meet its goals and conclude. Therefore, operations are ongoing while projects are unique and temporary.

A project is completed when its goals and objectives are accomplished. It is these goals that drive the project, and all the planning and implementation efforts undertaken to achieve them. Sometimes projects end when it is determined that the goals and objectives cannot be accomplished or when the product or service of the project is no longer needed and the project is cancelled.

Definition of a Project

There are many written definitions of a project. All of them contain the key elements described above. For those looking for a formal definition of a project, the Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end. The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved or when the project is terminated because its objectives will not or cannot be met, or when the need for the project no longer exists.

Project Characteristics

When considering whether or not you have a project on your hands, there are some things to keep in mind. First, is it a project or an ongoing operation? Second, if it is a project, who are the stakeholders? And third, what characteristics distinguish this endeavor as a project?

Projects have several characteristics:

Projects are unique.
Projects are temporary in nature and have a definite beginning and ending date.
Projects are completed when the project goals are achieved or it’s determined the project is no longer viable.

A successful project is one that meets or exceeds the expectations of the stakeholders.

Consider the following scenario: The vice-president (VP) of marketing approaches you with a fabulous idea. (Obviously it must be “fabulous” because he thought of it.) He wants to set up kiosks in local grocery stores as mini-offices. These offices will offer customers the ability to sign up for car and home insurance services as well as make their bill payments. He believes that the exposure in grocery stores will increase awareness of the company’s offerings. He told you that senior management has already cleared the project, and he’ll dedicate as many resources to this as he can. He wants the new kiosks in place in 12 selected stores in a major city by the end of the year. Finally, he has assigned you to head up this project.

Your first question should be, “Is it a project?” This may seem elementary, but confusing projects with ongoing operations happens often. Projects are temporary in nature, have definite start and end dates, result in the creation of a unique product or service, and are completed when their goals and objectives have been met and signed off by the stakeholders.

Using these criteria, let’s examine the assignment from the VP of marketing to determine if it is a project:

Is it unique? Yes, because the kiosks don’t exist in the local grocery stores. This is a new way of offering the company’s services to its customer base. While the service the company is offering isn’t new, the way it is presenting its services is.
Does the product have a limited timeframe? Yes, the start date of this project is today, and the end date is the end of next year. It is a temporary endeavor.
Is there a way to determine when the project is completed? Yes, the kiosks will be installed and the services will be offered from them. Once all the kiosks are installed and operating, the project will come to a close.
Is there a way to determine stakeholder satisfaction? Yes, the expectations of the stakeholders will be documented in the form of requirements during the planning processes. These requirements will be compared to the finished product to determine if it meets the expectations of the stakeholder.

If the answer is yes to all these questions, then we have a project.

The Process of Project Management

You’ve determined that you have a project. What now? The notes you scribbled down on the back of the napkin at lunch are a start, but not exactly good project management practice. Too often, organizations follow Nike’s advice when it comes to managing projects when they “just do it.” An assignment is made, and the project team members jump directly into the development of the product or service requested. In the end, the delivered product doesn’t meet the expectations of the customer. Unfortunately, many projects follow this poorly constructed path, and that is a primary contributor to a large percentage of projects not meeting their original objectives, as defined by performance, schedule, and budget.

In the United States, more than $250 billion is spent each year on information technology (IT) application development in approximately 175,000 projects. The Standish Group (a Boston-based leader in project and value performance research) released the summary version of their 2009 CHAOS Report that tracks project failure rates across a broad range of companies and industries (Figure 2.1).

A bar chart showing 32% of projects succeeding, 44% challenged, and 24% failed

Jim Johnson, chairman of the Standish Group, has stated that “this year’s results show a marked decrease in project success rates, with 32% of all projects succeeding which are delivered on time, on budget, with required features and functions, 44% were challenged-which are late, over budget, and/or with less than the required features and functions and 24% failed which are cancelled prior to completion or delivered and never used.”

When are companies going to stop wasting billions of dollars on failed projects? The vast majority of this waste is completely avoidable: simply get the right business needs (requirements) understood early in the process and ensure that project management techniques are applied and followed, and the project activities are monitored.

Applying good project management discipline is the way to help reduce the risks. Having good project management skills does not completely eliminate problems, risks, or surprises. The value of good project management is that you have standard processes in place to deal with all contingencies.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques applied to project activities in order to meet the project requirements. Project management is a process that includes planning, putting the project plan into action, and measuring progress and performance.

Managing a project includes identifying your project’s requirements and writing down what everyone needs from the project. What are the objectives for your project? When everyone understands the goal, it’s much easier to keep them all on the right path. Make sure you set goals that everyone agrees on to avoid team conflicts later on. Understanding and addressing the needs of everyone affected by the project means the end result of your project is far more likely to satisfy your stakeholders. Last but not least, as project manager, you will also be balancing the many competing project constraints.

On any project, you will have a number of project constraints that are competing for your attention. They are cost, scope, quality, risk, resources, and time.

Cost is the budget approved for the project including all necessary expenses needed to deliver the project. Within organizations, project managers have to balance between not running out of money and not underspending because many projects receive funds or grants that have contract clauses with a “use it or lose it” approach to project funds. Poorly executed budget plans can result in a last-minute rush to spend the allocated funds. For virtually all projects, cost is ultimately a limiting constraint; few projects can go over budget without eventually requiring a corrective action.
Scope is what the project is trying to achieve. It entails all the work involved in delivering the project outcomes and the processes used to produce them. It is the reason and the purpose of the project.
Quality is a combination of the standards and criteria to which the project’s products must be delivered for them to perform effectively. The product must perform to provide the functionality expected, solve the identified problem, and deliver the benefit and value expected. It must also meet other performance requirements, or service levels, such as availability, reliability, and maintainability, and have acceptable finish and polish. Quality on a project is controlled through quality assurance (QA), which is the process of evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards.
Risk is defined by potential external events that will have a negative impact on your project if they occur. Risk refers to the combination of the probability the event will occur and the impact on the project if the event occurs. If the combination of the probability of the occurrence and the impact on the project is too high, you should identify the potential event as a risk and put a proactive plan in place to manage the risk.
Resources are required to carry out the project tasks. They can be people, equipment, facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition (usually other than labour) required for the completion of a project activity.
Time is defined as the time to complete the project. Time is often the most frequent project oversight in developing projects. This is reflected in missed deadlines and incomplete deliverables. Proper control of the schedule requires the careful identification of tasks to be performed and accurate estimations of their durations, the sequence in which they are going to be done, and how people and other resources are to be allocated. Any schedule should take into account vacations and holidays.

You may have heard of the term “triple constraint,” which traditionally consisted of only time, cost, and scope. These are the primary competing project constraints that you have to be most aware of. The triple constraint is illustrated in the form of a triangle to visualize the project work and see the relationship between the scope/quality, schedule/time, and cost/resource (Figure 2.2). In this triangle, each side represents one of the constraints (or related constraints) wherein any changes to any one side cause a change in the other sides. The best projects have a perfectly balanced triangle. Maintaining this balance is difficult because projects are prone to change. For example, if scope increases, cost and time may increase disproportionately. Alternatively, if the amount of money you have for your project decreases, you may be able to do as much, but your time may increase.

Your project may have additional constraints that you must face, and as the project manager, you have to balance the needs of these constraints against the needs of the stakeholders and your project goals. For instance, if your sponsor wants to add functionality to the original scope, you will very likely need more money to finish the project, or if they cut the budget, you will have to reduce the quality of your scope, and if you don’t get the appropriate resources to work on your project tasks, you will have to extend your schedule because the resources you have take much longer to finish the work.

You get the idea; the constraints are all dependent on each other. Think of all of these constraints as the classic carnival game of Whac-a-mole (Figure 2.3). Each time you try to push one mole back in the hole, another one pops out. The best advice is to rely on your project team to keep these moles in place.

Here is an example of a project that cut quality because the project costs were fixed. The P-36 oil platform (Figure 2.4) was the largest footing production platform in the world capable of processing 180,000 barrels of oil per day and 5.2 million cubic metres of gas per day. Located in the Roncador Field, Campos Basin, Brazil, the P-36 was operated by Petrobras.

In March 2001, the P-36 was producing around 84,000 barrels of oil and 1.3 million cubic metres of gas per day when it became destabilized by two explosions and subsequently sank in 3,900 feet of water with 1,650 short tons of crude oil remaining on board, killing 11 people. The sinking is attributed to a complete failure in quality assurance, and pressure for increased production led to corners being cut on safety procedures. It is listed as one of the most expensive accidents with a price tag of $515,000,000.

The following quotes are from a Petrobras executive, citing the benefits of cutting quality assurance and inspection costs on the project.

“Petrobras has established new global benchmarks for the generation of exceptional shareholder wealth through an aggressive and innovative program of cost cutting on its P36 production facility.” “Conventional constraints have been successfully challenged and replaced with new paradigms appropriate to the globalized corporate market place.” “Elimination of these unnecessary straitjackets has empowered the project’s suppliers and contractors to propose highly economical solutions, with the win-win bonus of enhanced profitability margins for themselves.” “The P36 platform shows the shape of things to come in the unregulated global market economy of the 21st century.”

The dynamic trade-offs between the project constraint values have been humorously and accurately described in Figure 2.5.

Project Management Expertise

In order for you, as the project manager, to manage the competing project constraints and the project as a whole, there are some areas of expertise you should bring to the project team (Figure 2.11). They are knowledge of the application area and the standards and regulations in your industry, understanding of the project environment, general management knowledge and skills, and interpersonal skills. It should be noted that industry expertise is not in a certain field but the expertise to run the project. So while knowledge of the type of industry is important, you will have a project team supporting you in this endeavor. For example, if you are managing a project that is building an oil platform, you would not be expected to have a detailed understanding of the engineering since your team will have mechanical and civil engineers who will provide the appropriate expertise; however, it would definitely help if you understood this type of work.

Let’s take a look at each of these areas in more detail.

Application knowledge

By standards, we mean guidelines or preferred approaches that are not necessarily mandatory. In contrast, when referring to regulations we mean mandatory rules that must be followed, such as government-imposed requirements through laws. It should go without saying that as a professional, you’re required to follow all applicable laws and rules that apply to your industry, organization, or project. Every industry has standards and regulations. Knowing which ones affect your project before you begin work will not only help the project to unfold smoothly, but will also allow for effective risk analysis.

Some projects require specific skills in certain application areas. Application areas are made up of categories of projects that have common elements. They can be defined by industry group (pharmaceutical, financial, etc.), department (accounting, marketing, legal, etc.), technology (software development, engineering, etc), or management specialties (procurement, research and development, etc.). These application areas are usually concerned with disciplines, regulations, and the specific needs of the project, the customer, or the industry. For example, most government agencies have specific procurement rules that apply to their projects that wouldn’t be applicable in the construction industry. The pharmaceutical industry is interested in regulations set forth by government regulators, whereas the automotive industry has little or no concern for either of these types of regulations. You need to stay up-to-date regarding your industry so that you can apply your knowledge effectively. Today’s fast-paced advances can leave you behind fairly quickly if you don’t stay abreast of current trends.

Having some level of experience in the application area you’re working in will give you an advantage when it comes to project management. While you can call in experts who have the application area knowledge, it doesn’t hurt for you to understand the specific aspects of the application areas of your project.

Understanding the Project Environment

There are many factors that need to be understood within your project environment (Figure 2.7). At one level, you need to think in terms of the cultural and social environments (i.e., people, demographics, and education). The international and political environment is where you need to understand about different countries’ cultural influences. Then we move to the physical environment; here we think about time zones. Think about different countries and how differently your project will be executed whether it is just in your country or if it involves an international project team that is distributed throughout the world in five different countries.

Consider the cultural, social, international, political, and physical environments of a project

Of all the factors, the physical ones are the easiest to understand, and it is the cultural and international factors that are often misunderstood or ignored. How we deal with clients, customers, or project members from other countries can be critical to the success of the project. For example, the culture of the United States values accomplishments and individualism. Americans tend to be informal and call each other by first names, even if having just met. Europeans tend to be more formal, using surnames instead of first names in a business setting, even if they know each other well. In addition, their communication style is more formal than in the United States, and while they tend to value individualism, they also value history, hierarchy, and loyalty. The Japanese, on the other hand, tend to communicate indirectly and consider themselves part of a group, not as individuals. The Japanese value hard work and success, as most of us do.

How a product is received can be very dependent on the international cultural differences. For example, in the 1990s, when many large American and European telecommunications companies were cultivating new markets in Asia, their customer’s cultural differences often produced unexpected situations. Western companies planned their telephone systems to work the same way in Asia as they did in Europe and the United States. But the protocol of conversation was different. Call-waiting, a popular feature in the West, is considered impolite in some parts of Asia. This cultural blunder could have been avoided had the team captured the project environment requirements and involved the customer.

It is often the simplest things that can cause trouble since, unsurprisingly, in different countries, people do things differently. One of the most notorious examples of this is also one of the most simple: date formats. What day and month is 2/8/2009? Of course it depends where you come from; in North America it is February 8th while in Europe (and much of the rest of the world) it is 2nd August. Clearly, when schedules and deadlines are being defined it is important that everyone is clear on the format used.

The diversity of practices and cultures and its impact on products in general and on software in particular goes well beyond the date issue. You may be managing a project to create a new website for a company that sells products worldwide. There are language and presentation style issues to take into consideration; converting the site into different languages isn’t enough. It is obvious that you need to ensure the translation is correct; however, the presentation layer will have its own set of requirements for different cultures. The left side of a website may be the first focus of attention for a Canadian; the right side would be the initial focus for anyone from the Middle East, as both Arabic and Hebrew are written from right to left. Colors also have different meanings in different cultures. White, which is a sign of purity in North America (e.g., a bride’s wedding dress), and thus would be a favoured background colour in North America, signifies death in Japan (e.g., a burial shroud). Table 2.1 summarizes different meanings of common colours.

Table 2.1: The meaning of colours in various cultures.
Colour	United States	China	Japan	Egypt	France
Red	Danger, stop	Happiness	Anger, danger	Death	Aristocracy
Blue	Sadness, melancholy	Heavens, clouds	Villainy	Virtue, faith, truth	Freedom, peace
Green	Novice, apprentice	Ming dynasty, heavens	Future, youth, energy	Fertility, strength	Criminality
Yellow	Cowardice	Birth, wealth	Grace, nobility	Happiness, prosperity	Temporary
White	Purity	Death, purity	Death	Joy	Neutrality

Project managers in multicultural projects must appreciate the culture dimensions and try to learn relevant customs, courtesies, and business protocols before taking responsibility for managing an international project. A project manager must take into consideration these various cultural influences and how they may affect the project’s completion, schedule, scope, and cost.

Management Knowledge and Skills

As the project manager, you have to rely on your project management knowledge and your general management skills. Here, we are thinking of items like your ability to plan the project, execute it properly, and of course control it and bring it to a successful conclusion, along with your ability to guide the project team to achieve project objectives and balance project constraints.

There is more to project management than just getting the work done. Inherent in the process of project management are the general management skills that allow the project manager to complete the project with some level of efficiency and control. In some respects, managing a project is similar to running a business: there are risk and rewards, finance and accounting activities, human resource issues, time management, stress management, and a purpose for the project to exist. General management skills are needed in every project.

Interpersonal Skills

Last but not least you also have to bring the ability into the project to manage personal relationships and deal with personnel issues as they arise. Here were talking about your interpersonal skills as shown in Figure 2.8.

Communication

Project managers spend 90% of their time communicating. Therefore they must be good communicators, promoting clear, unambiguous exchange of information. As a project manager, it is your job to keep a number of people well informed. It is essential that your project staff know what is expected of them: what they have to do, when they have to do it, and what budget and time constraints and quality specifications they are working toward. If project staff members do not know what their tasks are, or how to accomplish them, then the entire project will grind to a halt. If you do not know what the project staff is (or often is not) doing, then you will be unable to monitor project progress. Finally, if you are uncertain of what the customer expects of you, then the project will not even get off the ground. Project communication can thus be summed up as knowing “who needs what information and when” and making sure they have it.

All projects require sound communication plans, but not all projects will have the same types of communication or the same methods for distributing the information. For example, will information be distributed via mail or email, is there a shared website, or are face-to-face meetings required? The communication management plan documents how the communication needs of the stakeholders will be met, including the types of information that will be communicated, who will communicate them, and who will receive them; the methods used to communicate; the timing and frequency of communication; the method for updating the plan as the project progresses, including the escalation process; and a glossary of common terms.

Project management is about getting things done. Every organization is different in its policies, modes of operations, and underlying culture. There are political alliances, differing motivations, conflicting interests, and power struggles. A project manager must understand all of the unspoken influences at work within an organization.

Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward expected results. Leaders inspire vision and rally people around common goals. A good project manager can motivate and inspire the project team to see the vision and value of the project. The project manager as a leader can inspire the project team to find a solution to overcome perceived obstacles to get the work done.

Motivation helps people work more efficiently and produce better results. Motivation is a constant process that the project manager must guide to help the team move toward completion with passion and a profound reason to complete the work. Motivating the team is accomplished by using a variety of team-building techniques and exercises. Team building is simply getting a diverse group of people to work together in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This may involve management events as well as individual actions designed to improve team performance.

Recognition and rewards are an important part of team motivations. They are formal ways of recognizing and promoting desirable behaviour and are most effective when carried out by the management team and the project manager. Consider individual preferences and cultural differences when using rewards and recognition. Some people don’t like to be recognized in front of a group; others thrive on it.

Negotiation

Project managers must negotiate for the good of the project. In any project, the project manager, the project sponsor, and the project team will have to negotiate with stakeholders, vendors, and customers to reach a level of agreement acceptable to all parties involved in the negotiation process.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is the ability to understand the heart of a problem, look for a viable solution, and then make a decision to implement that solution. The starting point for problem solving is problem definition. Problem definition is the ability to understand the cause and effect of the problem; this centres on root-cause analysis. If a project manager treats only the symptoms of a problem rather than its cause, the symptoms will perpetuate and continue through the project life. Even worse, treating a symptom may result in a greater problem. For example, increasing the ampere rating of a fuse in your car because the old one keeps blowing does not solve the problem of an electrical short that could result in a fire. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms, which then affords opportunities for solutions. Once the root of a problem has been identified, a decision must be made to effectively address the problem.

Solutions can be presented from vendors, the project team, the project manager, or various stakeholders. A viable solution focuses on more than just the problem; it looks at the cause and effect of the solution itself. In addition, a timely decision is needed or the window of opportunity may pass and then a new decision will be needed to address the problem. As in most cases, the worst thing you can do is nothing.

All of these interpersonal skills will be used in all areas of project management. Start practicing now because it’s guaranteed that you’ll need these skills on your next project.

Image Descriptions

Figure 2.5 image description: The sign says, “We can do good, quick, and cheap work. You can have any two but not all three. 1. Good, quick work won’t be cheap. 2. Good, cheap work won’t be quick. 3. Quick, cheap work won’t be good.” [Return to Figure 2.5]

Text Attributions

This chapter was adapted and remixed by Adrienne Watt from the following sources:

Text under “Project Attributes,” “Project Characteristics,” “Process of Project Management,” and “Project Management Expertise,” were adapted from “What is a Project?,” “Project Characteristics,” “What is Project Management,” and “Project Management Areas of Expertise” in Project Management for Skills for All Careers by Project Management Open Resources and TAP-a-PM. Licensed under a CC BY 3.0 licence .
Table 2.1 was adapted by Merrie Barron and Andrew R. Barron from P. Russo and S. Boor, How Fluent is Your Interface? Designing for International Users , Proceedings of the INTERACT ’93 and CHI ’93, Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. (1993). The table is from “ Project Management Areas of Expertise ” in Project Management. Licensed under a CC BY 4.0 licence .

Media Attributions

Chaosreport2009 © Merrie Barron & Andrew R. Barron is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
Triple constraint triangle © John M. Kennedy T is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
Whac a mole © sakura is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
Petrobras sinking © Richard Collinson is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
Good-quick-cheap © Barron & Barron Project Management for Scientists and Engineers. is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
Areas of expertise © Barron & Barron Project Management for Scientists and Engineers is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
Project environment © Barron & Barron Project Management for Scientists and Engineers, is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
Interpersonal skills © Barron & Barron Project Management for Scientists and Engineers is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license

2. Project Management Overview Copyright © 2014 by Adrienne Watt; Project Management Open Resources; and TAP-a-PM is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Introduction to Project Management

Lifecycle & Methodology | By Dr. Angela Lewis | Read time minutes

3D sphere with the word Project Management on white background

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of project management and to give a brief overview of the methodology that underpins most formally run projects. Many organisations do not employ full time Project Managers and it is common to pull together a project team to address a specific need. While most people are not formally skilled in project methodology, taking a role in a project team can be an excellent learning opportunity and can enhance a person's career profile.

What is a Project?

A project is a temporary and one-time exercise which varies in duration. It is undertaken to address a specific need in an organisation, which may be to create a product or service or to change a business process. This is in direct contrast to how an organisation generally works on a permanent basis to produce their goods or services. For example the work of an organisation may be to manufacture trucks on a continual basis, therefore the work is considered functional as the organisation creates the same products or services over-and-over again and people hold their roles on a semi permanent basis.

What is Project Management?

A project is generally initiated by a perceived need in an organisation. Being a one off undertaking, it will have a start and an end, constraints of budgets, time and resources and involves a purpose built team. Project teams are made up of many different team members, for example, end users/customers (of a product or service), representatives from Information Technology (IT), a project leader, business analysts, trainers, the project sponsor and other stakeholders.

Project management is the discipline of managing all the different resources and aspects of the project in such a way that the resources will deliver all the output that is required to complete the project within the defined scope, time, and cost constraints. These are agreed upon in the project initiation stage and by the time the project begins all stakeholders and team members will have a clear understanding and acceptance of the process, methodology and expected outcomes. A good project manager utilises a formal process that can be audited and used as a blue print for the project, and this is achieved by employing a project management methodology.

Project Management Methodology

Generally, projects are split into three phases Initiation, Implementation and Closure. Each phase then has multiple checkpoints that must be met before the next phase begins. The degree to which a project is managed will depend on the size of the project. For a complex project in a large organisation that involves a number of people, resources, time and money, a more structured approach is needed, and there will be more steps built into each stage of the project to ensure that the project delivers the anticipated end result. For a simple project in a small organisation, agreed milestones, a few checklists and someone to co-ordinate the project may be all that is required.

Initiating a Project

All projects start with an idea for a product, service, new capability or other desired outcome. The idea is communicated to the project sponsors (the people who will fund the project) using what is called either a mandate or project charter. The mandate is a document structured in a way that lays out a clear method for proposing a project and should result in a business case for the project. Once the business case has been approved a more detailed document is prepared that explains the project and it is known as the 'The Project Definition Report' (PD). The PD is not only used to provide detailed information on the project, but is the report on which an assessment is made as to whether the project should proceed or not. Some of the key areas it covers is the scope of the project, results of any feasibility studies, and what it is intended to deliver. As well this document will identify the key people involved, resources required, costs and expected duration as well as benefits to the business. A project usually has a goal (the big picture) and this has to then be broken down into objectives you can use to measure whether you have achieved your aims.

From this list you must then identify what is known as 'Key Success Criteria', and these are the objectives that are 'key' to the success or failure of the project - even if other objectives are met. These obviously vary from project to project. Once the project has been given the go ahead, then a contract document is drawn up and the project sponsor uses this to give formal agreement to funding the project and for the project to begin. The initiation phase is then considered to be completed.

Implementing a Project

The implementation phase is about tracking and managing the project. The first thing that happens when the project begins is to use the Project Definition Report to create a project plan which defines how to perform what is detailed on the PD report. The PD is more of a summary of the project, so a detailed project plan must be created to fill in the fine detail of how the project will be run. The project plan is the central document that is used to manage the project for its duration so getting agreement and acceptance from all of the team on aspects such as the project milestones, phases and tasks, as well as who is responsible for each task, associated timelines and what deadlines are to be met.

Some of the stages in implementing a project are quality control, progress control, change control and risk management. The first aspect we will discuss is risk management , as once you have planned the project it is important to assess any factors that could have an impact upon it. 'Risk' in this case is considered to be anything that could negatively impact on the project meeting completion deadlines. For example losing team members due to illness or attrition, not having taken team members' annual leave into consideration, the possibility of having to retrain new team members, equipment not being delivered on time or contractors going out of business. A risk log is used to record and grade risks and carries an associated action plan to minimise the identified risk. Issues management is an associated area and refers to concerns related to the project raised by any stakeholder. This phase also involves the Project Manager in quality control , whereby regular reviews are made in formalised meetings to ensure the 'product' that is being produced by the project is reviewed against specific pre-defined standards.

Progress Control is another responsibility of the Project Manager and is the monitoring of the project and the production of regular progress reports to communicate the progress of the project to all stakeholders of the project. As most projects do not go exactly to plan, the process of progress control is to keep an eye on the direction of the project and monitor the degree to which the plan is followed and take appropriate action if stages are deviating from the plan by employing regular project tracking. This is achieved by having regular checkpoints during the course of the project that will have been established in the project definition. These meetings may be weekly and are used to monitor and control all that is going on with the project as well as capture statistics from each project team member on actual start and finish dates for their allocated tasks as well as estimates for the next round of tasks.

By the nature of most projects never going exactly to plan, changes will need to be made to the length, direction and type of tasks carried out by the team. This has to be fully documented by the Project Manager in the form of 'change control'. Change control involves the Project Manager in documenting requests for change, identifying the impact on the project if the change is to be implemented (e.g. will it affect the finish time of the project, will the project run over budget, are there enough resources) and then informing all stakeholders of the implications and alternatives that the request for change has identified. The implementation phase ends once the project has achieved its goals and objectives as detailed by the key success criteria in the Project Definition Report.

Closing a Project

All projects are designed for a specific period of time and the process of project closure is an important aspect of project management. The purpose of a formal closedown to the project is to address all issues generated by the project, to release staff from the project and go through a 'lessons learnt' exercise. At this stage a formal acceptance from the customer (the person for whom the process product has been created) is gained to indicate their sign-off on the project. This is generally done in the form of a customer acceptance form and is the formal acknowledgement from the customer that the project has ended. Once signed off, the project team is disbanded and no more work carried out. However the project team will come together for what is called a Project Review Meeting, to formally end the project and go over any outstanding issues such as ongoing maintenance, the closing of project files and conduct a team review of the project. As a result a Project Closure Report is created to formalise how successfully the project has achieved its objectives, and how well the project has performed against its original business case, the scope, project plan, budget and allocated timeframes.

The Project Manager may also create a process improvement document that reviews the processes used by the project (e.g. what did we do well, what mistakes did we make) so that the organisation can learn from this project and make further projects more successful. Because the project was run by a team of people who have spent a lot of time involved in the success of a particular piece of work, that has taken them out of their usual day-to-day activities it is important to hold some type of social closing event. This might be a dinner, drinks or some type of group activity where everyone can be recognised and rewarded for their efforts.

What does it take to be a Good Project Manager?

Aside from understanding the methodology, there are other characteristics to keep in mind for successful project management. Given that any project is involved with a project team as well as the stakeholders, a good Project Manager needs to have not only excellent time management skills but also good people skills such as:

Excellent communication skills
The ability to be a team player
Excellent interpersonal skills
The ability to negotiate

Experienced Project Managers believe there are two key factors in determining the success of a project: 1. Recruitment and selection of suitably qualified project members to relevant project positions is essential. Recruiting of project team members should be handled with the same discipline and rigour as the recruitment of new employees to fulfil the ongoing positions in the business. 2. A well documented methodology that is kept simple and easily adaptable to different sizes of projects is a critical foundation for ensuring project success. This documented methodology needs to be communicated to project team members as part of the initiation stage. This will ensure such things as everyone having a clear understanding of how to progress and what is expected at each stage and that the methodology is adapted to the specific needs of the project being undertaken.

Angela Lewis is a workplace IT Educator, counsellor and social researcher. Her area of interest is in how technology intersects with human relations. She was recently awarded her PhD in Education and she can be found at Angela Lewis Consulting https://www.angelalewis.com.au

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Project Management Plan: Samples, Examples & Free Template

Learn how to create a project management plan that actually works and ensures you get your project over the line on time and on budget, with samples and examples

What is a project management plan, what is a project management plan used for, what are the main elements of a project plan, how to write a project management plan, sample project management plan outline, using our project management plan template to build your project plan, project management plan: faq's.

A project management plan is a comprehensive document that outlines how a project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed. For project managers and their teams, it's the ultimate toolkit for achieving their objectives while managing day-to-day pressures such as time, cost, scope, resourcing and risk. This guide outlines what a project management plan is used for, why it's important , and offers a step-by-step guide on how to make one that actually works.

Your project plan document is where you go deep on the ins, outs, overs, and unders of your project. It's where you break this vision down into the day-to-day execution of your project, covering everything you need to do to reach your project goals.

A detailed project plan will plot out everything from timelines to budget, resourcing to deliverables, and more, giving you a blueprint of what needs to be done (and when) that you can use to guide — and assess — your project.

The key components of a project management plan are:

Project Objectives

Scope Statement

Schedule Management

Cost Management

Resource Management

Communication Plan

Stakeholder Management

Procurement Management

Closure Criteria

Project Organization

Ready to get down to business? Here are 5 key things you need to do when writing a project plan.

1. Identify the baselines for your project

Before you begin writing a project plan, you need to make sure you have the basics down. Start by identifying the baselines for the project’s scope, schedule and cost, as the rest of your project planning will need to fit in around those constraints.

As mentioned above, these baselines should already be roughly outlined in your project charter — but here’s where you really start to map them out and create accurate estimates. And the more detailed, the better, because these are what you’ll be using for comparison to measure how your project performs.

2. Identify your project dependencies

Or in other words, ask yourself: what needs to happen before this other thing can happen? Identifying your project dependencies at the outset of your project means you can plan your timelines more efficiently, spot potential blockers, and ensure that you avoid unnecessary delays.

3. Identify project stakeholders

You’ll already have done the groundwork for this in your stakeholder analysis, but as you flesh out your project management plan and think through the phases of your project in more detail, you’ll likely start to find more project stakeholders at each phase.

Now is also a good time to go deeper on which stakeholders need to be informed and involved at which stages, for a more comprehensive stakeholder management plan you can use at each phase of your project.

4. Identify project milestones

What are the key markers of your project’s progress? It can be a concrete deliverable, the end of a phase in a stage-gate process — whatever milestones make sense to you, breaking your project down into manageable chunks, each with a defined goal, helps to keep the team motivated, allows you to celebrate each achievement, and signposts how the overall progress is coming along. Learn more about using Milestones here .

5. Identify who’s responsible for what

Once you start to get a big-picture understanding of the work that’s needed and the resources you have to complete it, you can start deciding who should do what. Giving each item an owner is essential to getting things done. No more “oh, was I supposed to do that?” — once you identify who’s responsible for what, you can ensure accountability and transparency.

The 5 Stages of Team Development

All teams develop according to some natural patterns and using that knowledge, you can offer some guidance to build the kind of team that communicates well and finds better ways to collaborate and achieve the goals you’ve established. Here’s what you need to know.

Now let's go through a sample project plan. In the below example, we highlight the main sections of the plan and what needs to be included in each one to set your project up for success.

Section 1: Executive summary

The executive summary offers a concise overview of the entire project. It includes key highlights such as the project's purpose, objectives, scope, timeline, budget, and major stakeholders. It's often the first section stakeholders read to get a high-level understanding of the project.

Section 2: Project introduction

This section sets the stage by providing context and background information about the project. It explains why the project is being undertaken and introduces the main objectives and scope of the project.

Section 3: Project objectives

Here, the project's specific goals and objectives are outlined in detail. Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to provide clarity and guidance.

Section 4: Project scope

The scope section defines what is included and excluded from the project. It helps prevent scope creep by establishing clear boundaries and also mentions any assumptions and constraints that may affect the project.

Section 5: Schedule management

This section details the project's timeline, including milestones and deadlines. It breaks down the project into tasks and identifies task dependencies. Often, visual representations like Gantt charts are used for clarity.

Section 6: Cost management

Here, the project budget is presented, including cost estimates for various project components. It may also outline cost control measures to ensure the project stays within budget.

Section 7: Quality management

This section focuses on the quality standards and objectives for the project. It describes quality control and assurance processes, as well as any inspection and testing procedures that will be implemented.

Project management template

Save time on setup without sacrificing attention to detail. With our project management template, you can quickly create project management plans that help you complete your project on time and on budget.

Section 8: Resource management

In this section, the project team is introduced, and roles and responsibilities are defined. It addresses resource allocation, scheduling, and, if applicable, procurement needs.

Section 9: Risk management

The risk management section identifies potential risks and uncertainties that could impact the project. It discusses risk assessment, prioritization, and mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of these risks.

Section 10: Communication plan

The communication plan outlines how project information will be shared with stakeholders and team members. It specifies communication methods, frequency, and reporting channels to ensure effective communication throughout the project.

Section 11: Stakeholder management

This section lists project stakeholders and analyzes their interests, influence, and expectations. It also outlines strategies for engaging and managing these stakeholders to ensure their needs are addressed.

Section 12: Procurement management

If procurement of goods or services is involved, this section explains the procurement strategy, vendor selection criteria, and how contracts will be managed.

Section 13: Change management

Change management procedures are detailed here, including how changes to the project scope, schedule, or other aspects will be requested, evaluated, approved, and communicated.

Section 14: Closure criteria

Criteria for determining when the project is complete and ready for closure are specified in this section. It may also include plans for project handover and post-project evaluation.

Section 15: Project organization

This section describes the project team's structure, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring everyone understands their positions and reporting lines. It may also mention external stakeholders and their roles if applicable.

Once you’ve documented your project management plan, bring it to life with a project management tool that will help you to stay on track, keep your team accountable, and promote transparency.

Here are 3 ways you can use Teamwork.com to supercharge your project management plan.

Add your supporting documentation to Teamwork Spaces

Use the Teamwork.com and Teamwork Spaces integration to link a project in Teamwork.com with a space in Teamwork Spaces, so your important project documents are only ever a click away.

Some documents you might want to add in addition to your project charter and project management plan include:

Scoping documents

Risk assessments

Change management plans

SOPs for important project processes

List of stakeholders and their roles

Outline of approval processes

Communications management plan

Any other best practices documentation or supporting info as necessary

You can even embed task lists into your pages and mark tasks as complete right from Teamwork Spaces, so you can keep work flowing without even needing to switch tabs.

Start adding your Milestones

Break down your work into Milestones and task lists that are going to help you reach them. With Teamwork.com, you can assign an owner to each Milestone, map out your Milestone due dates and see them represented in the project calendar, and even get a full change history for milestones so you can track any edits.

Visualize your task dependencies with a Gantt chart

Gantt chart-style views are a useful way to get a visual representation of your tasks and their dependencies, allowing for better scheduling and resourcing. In Teamwork.com, you can drag and drop to quickly rearrange your project schedule , without throwing everything out of order or straying off-plan.

Remember: software should support the way you work, not dictate it. So regardless of methodology or team type, create a project plan that works for you and your team — and find a tool that helps you put it into action.

Use our project plan template

Now that you know how to create a project management plan that actually works, you’re ready to implement using our team management software . To help you get up and running quickly, we’ve created a ready to use project plan template . Our project template will help you quickly create project plans that ensure all of your projects are completed on time and on budget

What is a project management plan template?

A project management plan template is a pre-designed framework that provides a structured format for creating a project management plan. It serves as a starting point for project managers and teams to develop their specific project plans, saving time and ensuring that key project management components are properly addressed.

How can a template help you build a great project management plan?

A template can help you build a great project management plan by saving time, ensuring comprehensive coverage of project management aspects, and incorporating industry best practices and visual aids for clarity. They also support collaboration, version control, and customization to fit the unique needs of each project, making them a valuable tool for project managers in achieving successful project outcomes.

What is the main purpose of a project management plan?

The main purpose of a project management plan is to provide a comprehensive and structured roadmap for successfully executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing a project. It serves as a central document that outlines project objectives, scope, schedule, budget, quality standards, resource allocation, risk management strategies, and communication approaches.

What tools do I need to help manage a project plan?

To effectively manage a project plan, you'll need a set of tools and software that cover various aspects of project management. These include project management software, communication and collaboration platforms, file and document management solutions, time and task tracking apps, and budgeting and financial management tools.

What steps are involved in the project planning process?

The steps involved in the project planning process include defining specific project objectives and scope, identifying deliverables and key milestones, budgets, risk assessment and quality control measures. It should also include a communication plan and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Get started with Teamwork.com

Start working together beautifully. See how Teamwork.com can help your team with our 30-day free trial.

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Blog Marketing What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One

What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One

Written by: Midori Nediger Dec 11, 2023

Have you ever been part of a project that didn’t go as planned?

It doesn’t feel good.

Wasted time, wasted resources. It’s pretty frustrating for everyone involved.

That’s why it’s so important to create a comprehensive project management plan before your project gets off the ground.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to create and design a successful project management plan.

We’ll also showcase easy-to-customize project plan templates you can create today with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Let’s get started!

Click to jump ahead:

What is a project management plan?

How do you write a project management plan, project management plan templates and examples, what is the importance of a project management plan, what should a project management plan include, 5 key tips for creating a project management plan, project management plan best practices, common mistakes to avoid when creating a project management plan.

A project management plan is a formal document that defines how a project is going to be carried out by outlining the scope, goals, budget, timeline and deliverables of a project. Its crucial role lies in ensuring the project stays on course.

You write a project plan during the project planning stage of the project life cycle , and it must be approved by stakeholders before a project can move on the execution stage.

If some of these terms are new to you, you can get up to speed with this post on project management terms .

This means your project plan must be engaging, organized, and thorough enough to gain the support of your stakeholders.

Further Reading : New to project management? Read our blog post on the 4 stages of the project life cycle .

To write a successful project management plan, follow these 5 steps below to create an effective plan that serves as a valuable tool for project management:

1. Highlight the key elements of your project plan in an executive summary

An executive summary is a brief description of the key contents of a project management plan .

I t’s usually the first thing stakeholders will read, and it should act like a Cliff’s-notes version of the whole plan.

It might touch on a project’s value proposition, goals, deliverables, and important milestones, but it has to be concise (it is a summary, after all). First, make sure you develop a proof of concept .

In this example, an executive summary can be broken into columns to contrast the existing problem with the project solution:

The two-column format with clear headers helps break up the information, making it extremely easy to read at a glance.

Here’s another example of a project management plan executive summary. This one visually highlights key takeaways with big fonts and helpful icons:

In this case, the highlighted facts and figures are particularly easy to scan (which is sure to make your stakeholders happy).

But your executive summary won’t always be so simple.

For larger projects, your executive summary will be longer and more detailed.

This project management plan template has a text-heavy executive summary, though the bold headers and different background colors keep it from looking overwhelming:

Green Stripes Project Management Plan Template

It’s also a good idea to divide it up into sections, with a dedicated header for each section:

Regardless of how you organize your executive summary, it should give your stakeholders a preview of what’s to come in the rest of the project management plan.

2. Plot your project schedule visually with a Gantt chart

A carefully planned project schedule is key to the success of any project. Without one, your project will likely crumble into a mess of missed deadlines, poor team management, and scope creep.

Luckily, project planning tools like Gantt charts and project timelines make creating your project schedule easy. You can visually plot each project task, add major milestones, then look for any dependencies or conflicts that you haven’t accounted for.

For example, this Gantt chart template outlines high-level project activities over the course of an entire quarter, with tasks color-coded by team:

A high-level roadmap like the one above is probably sufficient for your project management plan. Every team will be able to refer back to this timeline throughout the project to make sure they’re on track.

But before project kickoff , you’ll need to dig in and break down project responsibilities by individual team member, like in this Gantt chart example:

In the later execution and monitoring phases of the project, you’ll thank yourself for creating a detailed visual roadmap that you can track and adjust as things change.

You can also use a project management tool to keep your team organized.

Further Reading: Our post featuring Gantt chart examples and more tips on how to use them for project management.

3. Clarify the structure of your project team with a team org chart

One of the hardest aspects of project planning is assembling a team and aligning them to the project vision.

And aligning your team is all about communication–communicating the project goals, communicating stakeholder requests, communicating the rationale behind big decisions…the list goes on.

This is where good project documentation is crucial! You need to create documents that your team and your stakeholders can access when they have questions or need guidance.

One easy thing to document visually is the structure of your team, with an organizational chart like this one:

In an organizational chart you should include some basic information like team hierarchy and team member contact information. That way your stakeholders have all of the information they need at their fingertips.

But in addition to that, you can indicate the high-level responsibilities of each team member and the channels of communication within the team (so your team knows exactly what they’re accountable for).

Here’s another simple organizational structure template that you can use as a starting point:

Create an organizational chart with our organizational chart maker .

4. Organize project risk factors in a risk breakdown structure

A big part of project planning is identifying the factors that are likely to derail your project, and coming up with plans and process to deal with those factors. This is generally referred to as risk management .

The first step in coming up with a risk management plan is to list all of the factors at play, which is where a risk breakdown structure comes in handy. A risk breakdown structure is a hierarchical representation of project risks, organized by category.

This risk breakdown structure template, for example, shows project risk broken down into technical risk, management risk, and external risk:

Once you’ve constructed your risk breakdown structure, you’ll be ready to do a deep dive into each risk (to assess and plan for any triggers and outcomes).

Streamline your workflow with business process management software .

5. Plan ahead: create project status reports to communicate progress to stakeholders

As I mentioned earlier, communication is fundamental in any project.

But even so, something that’s often overlooked by project managers is a communication management plan–a plan for how the project team is going to communicate with project stakeholders . Too often, project communication defaults to ad-hoc emails or last-minute meetings.

You can avoid this by planning ahead. Start with a project kickoff meeting and include a project status report template as part of your communication plan.

Here’s an example of a simple project status report that you might send to stakeholders on a weekly basis:

This type of report is invaluable for communicating updates on project progress. It shows what you’ve accomplished in a clear, consistent format, which can help flag issues before they arise, build trust with your stakeholders , and makes it easy to reflect on project performance once you’ve reached your goals.

You might also want to include a broader status report for bigger updates on a monthly or quarterly basis, like this one:

The above template allows you to inform stakeholders of more major updates like new budget requirements, revised completion dates, and project performance ratings.

You can even include visualization of up-to-date project milestones, like this example below:

Want more tips on creating visuals to enhance your communications? Read our visual communication guide for businesses .

A project management plan is probably the most important deliverable your stakeholders will receive from you (besides the project itself).

It holds all of the information that stakeholders will use to determine whether your project moves forward or gets kicked to the curb.

That’s why it’s a good idea to start with a project management plan template. Using a template can help you organize your information logically and ensure it’s engaging enough to hold your stakeholders’ attention.

Construction project management plan template

Time is money, especially with construction projects. Having a construction plan template brings order to the chaos.

Instead of staring at a messy pile of construction stuff, you’ve got a plan that breaks everything down into bite-sized pieces.

And let’s not forget the paperwork. Construction projects have rules and regulations to follow. Your project plan helps you stay on the right side of the law with all the necessary documentation and compliance measures.

Start with a meticulous project overview, like in the second page of this template:

Though you may think this project will be similar to others you’ve done in the past, it’s important to nail the details.

This will also help you understand the scope of work so you can estimate costs properly and arrive at a quote that’s neither too high or low. Ontario Construction News has great advice on this process.

Simple project management plan template

This simple project management plan template that clearly lays out all of the information your stakeholders will need:

Simple project management communication plan template

A key part of project management is making sure everyone’s in the loop. A project communication plan ensures everyone knows how, where, who and when the team will communicate during the course of the project. Also construction scheduling is a critical aspect of the project management plan as it helps to ensure that all necessary tasks are completed within the allocated time frame and budget.

The key is to figure out what kind of communications is valuable to stakeholders and what is simply overwhelming and won’t lead to better decisions.

This template clearly outlines all of these factors to help manage expectations and eliminate confusion about what will get communicated and when:

Simple Project Management Communication Plan Template

Commercial development project plan template

The below project management plan template is simple and minimal, but still uses a unique layout and simple visuals to create an easy-to-read, scannable project overview.

This template is perfect for building or construction management , or any technical projects:

Nordic Commercial Development Project Plan Template

When picking a project plan template, look for one that’s flexible enough to accommodate any changes your stakeholders might request before they’ll approve the project. You never know what might change in the early planning stages of the project! You can also use project management tools to help you with your planning!

A well-developed project management plan sets the foundation for a successful project by providing a roadmap that guides the project team toward successful project completion. A good project management plan can ensure that:

Project objectives and goals are clearly defined and understood
Project scope is effectively managed
Resources are allocated efficiently to maximize productivity and minimize waste
Risks are identified, assessed and mitigated
Project tasks and activities are well-organized and executed in a timely manner.
Communication among team members , stakeholders and project sponsors is effective and transparent
Changes to the project are properly evaluated, approved and implemented
Lessons learned and best practices are documented for future reference and improvement
Stakeholders are engaged and satisfied with the project outcomes
The project is delivered within the specified timeline, budget and quality standards

Before you start assembling your own plan, you should be familiar with the main components of a typical project plan .

A project management plan should include the following sections:

Executive summary: A short description of the contents of the report
Project scope & deliverables: An outline of the boundaries of the project, and a description of how the project will be broken down into measurable deliverables
Project schedule: A high-level view of project tasks and milestones ( Gantt charts are handy for this)
Project resources: The budget, personnel, and other resources required to meet project goals
Risk and issue management plan: A list of factors that could derail the project and a plan for how issues will be identified, addressed, and controlled
Communication management plan: A plan for how team and stakeholder communication will be handled over the course of the project
Cost and quality management plan: This section encompasses the project’s budget, cost estimation, and cost control mechanisms. It also includes quality assurance testing and control measures as well as any testing or verification activities to be performed.

Basically, a project plan should tell stakeholders what needs to get done, how it will get done, and when it will get done.

That said, one size doesn’t fit all. Every project management plan must be tailored to the specific industry and circumstances of the project. You can use a project management app for smoother project planning.

For example, this marketing plan looks client facing. It is tailored to sell the client on the agency:

Whereas this commercial development plan focuses on specific objectives and a detailed timeline:

Light Commercial Development Project Management Plan Template

With those basics out of the way, let’s get into how to write a project management plan that’s as engaging as it is professional.

Further Reading : If you’re looking to create a proposal, read our in-depth business proposal guide. Then try our job proposal templates or business proposal templates .

Before diving into creating a project management plan, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the project objectives and the expectations of stakeholders involved.

Without a firm grasp of these fundamental elements, your project may face significant challenges or fail to deliver the desired outcomes.

Here are key points to consider when creating a project management plan:

Project Objectives: Clearly understand the project objectives and what you want to achieve. Identify the desired outcomes, deliverables and the purpose of the project.
Scope of the Project: Determine the boundaries and extent of the project. Define what is included and excluded to ensure clarity and prevent scope creep .
Stakeholders: Identify all stakeholders who will be impacted by or have an interest in the project. Understand their needs, expectations and level of involvement.
Resources: Assess the resources required to execute the project successfully. This includes human resources, budget, equipment and materials. Determine their availability and allocation.
Risks and Constraints: Identify potential risks, uncertainties and constraints that may affect the project. Understand the challenges, limitations and potential obstacles that need to be addressed.

Now that you have these key areas identified, let’s get started with creating your project plan.

Before you dive in, remember: a clear and adaptable plan is crucial for project success. Here are some best practices to keep your project plan on track:

Use headers, columns and highlights to make your executive summary easy to read
Plot your project schedule with a Gantt chart (with tasks color-coded by department or team member)
Use visuals like organizational charts and risk breakdown structures to communicate across your team and with stakeholders
Pick a flexible template that you can update to align with stakeholder requests

Creating a solid project management plan is crucial for setting your project up for success. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Lack of clear goals: Don’t just have a vague idea of what you want to achieve. Define clear, SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) for your project. That way, everyone will be on the same page and it’ll be easier to measure progress effectively.
Unrealistic timelines: Be optimistic, but also realistic. Don’t underestimate the time required for tasks. Factor in potential delays and buffer time when creating your project schedule.
Scope creep: New requirements mid-project can affect deadlines and budgets. Plan the project clearly upfront, and take into consideration any changes that might come up.
Poor communication: Communication is key throughout the project lifecycle. Regularly update stakeholders, team members and clients on progress, roadblocks and changes.
Ignoring risks: Things don’t always go according to plan. Identify potential risks upfront and have a mitigation strategy in place for each one.
Not involving stakeholders: Get key stakeholders involved early on. This helps manage everyone’s expectations and that you have the buy-in you need for success.
Neglecting resource constraints: Don’t overload your team or underestimate the resources needed. Carefully consider the skills, time and budget available when planning your project.
Micromanaging: Trust your team! Delegate tasks effectively and give them the autonomy they need to do their jobs.
Failing to document: Keep good records. Document project decisions, plans and communication. This helps maintain transparency and ensures everyone has access to the latest information.
Not adapting to change: Be prepared to adapt your plan as needed. Projects are rarely static, so be flexible and willing to adjust your approach based on new information or developments.

So, that’s the scoop on project management plans! I hope this piece will help you to avoid confusion, keep expectations in check and be ready to tackle any bumps for your upcoming projects.

If you ever need a revision, just follow the steps we talked about, use those best practices and you’ll have a plan that sets your project up for a win. Just remember, even the best plans need some tweaking sometimes. Be flexible and adjust as needed and you’re good to go!

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1. Project Management Basics
2. Project Management Methodologies
3. Project Management Life Cycle
4. Best Project Management Software
5. Team Collaboration Tips
6. Agile Methodology Basics
7. Agile Project Management Tools & Techniques
8. Project Management Frameworks
9. Resources
10. Glossary
Advanced Terminology
Methodologies
PM Software Features
Basic Terminology
Professional Development
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Project Management %09guide

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in Project Management?

Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Project management is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders, tasks, and resources. To ensure the success of a project, it is crucial to assign clear roles and responsibilities to team members and accurately define their tasks.

One tool that can help project managers achieve this goal is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). In this article, we will explore the definition and benefits of RAM, as well as some examples.

If you’re looking for a RAM template that will help you assign roles and clarify responsibilities, Wrike has a customizable template ready to go.

What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) in project management?

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in project management, also known as a RACI chart or RACI matrix, details all the necessary stakeholders and clarifies responsibilities amongst cross-functional teams and their involvement level in a project. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed and each letter corresponds to a team member.

A RAM in project management should be referred to by all parties throughout a project because it helps plan an individual’s roles and responsibilities before work begins. A RACI matrix ensures all stakeholders know who is responsible for completing a task or getting feedback on deliverables.

The four roles are broken down as follows:

Responsible: The person(s) completing the task
Accountable: The team member coordinating the actions, making decisions, and delegating to those responsible for the task
Consulted: The person(s) who will be communicated with regarding decisions and tasks
Informed: The person(s) who will be updated during the project and upon completion

Identify and visualize roles seamlessly with Wrike

Responsibility assignment matrix example.

A common RAM template looks like the example below. Notice how all stakeholders can have more than one role:

Responsibility Assignment Matrix template

Below you can see a powerful RAM template . The chart helps with visualizing roles and workload clearly. Therefore, project managers and team members follow the progress easily and stay on track.

Clarify roles with Wrike

In conclusion, RAM is a useful tool for any project manager who wants to ensure their team is clear on their responsibilities. It helps to establish a structured approach to project management, allowing for better communication, accountability, and ultimately, project success.

Using Wrike’s pre-built template, you can define the roles of each team member so everybody is on the same page. The template will also help you balance your workload and create complete transparency on your team structure.

What is a RACI Chart?

Artem Gurnov

Artem is a Director of Account Development at Wrike. He previously held the role of Project Manager, overseeing a team of customer success managers (CSMs). Over the years of building teams and scaling business processes, he has successfully deployed multiple projects, from automating client outreach to setting up work prioritization tools for sales reps and CSMs.

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Project Management Information System: Revolutionizing Project Management

August 26th, 2024

Project Management Information System (PMIS) in essence, is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline the planning, execution, and monitoring of projects across various industries.

These systems serve as the central nervous system of project management , integrating critical functions such as resource allocation, task management, and performance tracking into a cohesive platform.

Over the years, Project Management Information System (PMIS) has evolved from simple scheduling tools to sophisticated, data-driven ecosystems that leverage advanced analytics and real-time reporting capabilities.

Key Highlights

Core Project Management Information System (PMIS) functions: Planning, scheduling, and resource management
Evolution from basic tools to advanced analytics platforms
Real-time reporting and KPI tracking capabilities
Integration with existing business systems for seamless operations
Customizable workflows and scalable project portfolio management
Emerging trends: AI, machine learning in project management
Implementation strategies for maximizing PMIS ROI

Introduction to Project Management Information System (PMIS)

A Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a comprehensive software solution designed to facilitate the planning, execution, and control of projects throughout their lifecycle.

A PMIS serves as a centralized hub for pro ject-related information, enabling teams to effectively manage resources, track progress, and make data-driven decisions.

Image: Project Management Information System (PMIS)

The primary functions of a Project Management Information System ( PMIS) include:

Project planning and scheduling
Resource allocation and management
Task tracking and workflow automation
Budget management and cost control
Risk assessment and mitigation
Document management and version control
Communication and collaboration tools
Reporting and analytics

Evolution of Project Management Information System (PMIS) Software

Over my 20-year career, I’ve witnessed a remarkable evolution in PMIS software. In the early days, project managers relied on basic scheduling tools and spreadsheets.

Today, we have sophisticated, cloud-based solutions that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide predictive insights and automate routine tasks.

The journey of Project Management Information System (PMIS) software can be broadly categorized into three phases:

Traditional desktop applications: Standalone software focused on scheduling and basic resource management.
Web-based solutions: Introduced collaboration features and real-time updates.
Cloud-based, AI-driven platforms: Offer advanced analytics, integrations, and mobile accessibility.

Importance of Project Management Information System (PMIS) in Modern Project Management

The importance of PMIS cannot be overstated. As projects become increasingly complex and geographically distributed, a robust PMIS serves as the backbone of effective project management .

From my experience working with companies like 3M, Dell, and Intel, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-implemented Project Management Information System (PMIS) can drive significant improvements in project outcomes.

Key benefits of Project Management Information System ( PMIS) in modern project management include:

Improved decision-making through real-time data and analytics
Enhanced collaboration and communication across teams and stakeholders
Increased efficiency through automation of routine tasks
Better resource utilization and allocation
Improved risk management and mitigation
Enhanced project visibility and transparency

Image: Evolution of Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Key Features and Components of Project Management Information System (PMIS)

PMIS offers a comprehensive suite of tools for efficient project planning, execution, and control.

Project planning and scheduling tools

Effective project planning and scheduling are fundamental to project success. Modern PMIS offers sophisticated tools that go beyond simple Gantt charts .

These tools allow project managers to create detailed project plans, set milestones, and manage dependencies.

Key features of planning and scheduling tools in PMIS include:

Interactive Gantt charts
Critical path analysis
Resource leveling
What-if scenario planning
Task dependencies and constraints management

Resource Allocation and Management

Efficient resource allocation is crucial for project success. Project Management Information System (PMIS) provides tools to manage both human and material resources effectively.

PMIS resource management features typically include:

Resource availability tracking
Skill-based resource assignment
Workload balancing
Resource utilization reporting
Capacity planning

Task Management and Workflow Automation

Task management and workflow automation are areas where PMIS truly shines.

These features streamline project execution by assigning tasks, tracking progress, and automating routine processes.

Key task management and workflow automation features include:

Task creation and assignment
Progress tracking and status updates
Automated notifications and reminders
Workflow templates for repeatable processes
Time tracking and timesheet management

Document Control and Version Management

Proper document control and version management are essential for maintaining project integrity and compliance.

Project Management Information System (PMIS) provides a centralized repository for all project documents, ensuring that team members always have access to the most up-to-date information.

Key document management features in PMIS include:

Centralized document storage
Version control and revision history
Access control and permissions management
Document approval workflows
Search and retrieval functionality

Budget Tracking and Cost Estimation

Accurate budget tracking and cost estimation are critical for project success. PMIS provides tools to create detailed budgets, track expenses, and forecast costs.

In my experience working on Six Sigma projects, I’ve found that robust financial management features are essential for demonstrating ROI and maintaining stakeholder confidence.

Key budget and cost management features in PMIS include:

Budget creation and allocation
Expense tracking and categorization
Cost forecasting and variance analysis
Integration with accounting systems
Financial reporting and dashboards

Risk Assessment and Mitigation Tools

Effective risk management is a crucial aspect of project management .

Project Management Information System (PMIS) provides tools to identify, assess, and mitigate risks throughout the project lifecycle.

During my time working on product development projects, I’ve seen how proactive risk management can prevent costly delays and quality issues.

Key risk management features in PMIS include:

Risk identification and categorization
Risk assessment matrices
Mitigation strategy planning
Risk monitoring and tracking
Risk reporting and dashboards

Enhancing Project Performance with Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Leverage real-time data and advanced analytics to drive informed decision-making and project success.

Real-time reporting and KPI dashboards

Real-time reporting and KPI dashboards are powerful features of modern PMIS that provide instant visibility into project performance.

Key aspects of real-time reporting and KPI dashboards include:

Customizable dashboards for different stakeholders
Real-time project status updates
Key performance indicator (KPI) tracking
Trend analysis and forecasting
Drill-down capabilities for detailed insights

Data Analytics and Decision Support Systems

Advanced data analytics and decision support systems are transforming project management.

These features leverage historical data and machine learning algorithms to provide predictive insights and recommend actions.

Key features of data analytics and decision support systems in PMIS include:

Predictive analytics for project outcomes
Pattern recognition for identifying potential issues
What-if scenario modeling
Resource optimization recommendations
Automated risk detection and mitigation suggestions

Critical Path Analysis and Gantt Charts

Critical path analysis and Gantt charts are fundamental tools in project management that have been significantly enhanced in modern Project Management Information System (PMIS).

These visual tools provide a clear overview of project timelines, dependencies, and potential bottlenecks.

Advanced features of critical path analysis and Gantt charts in PMIS include:

Interactive and dynamic Gantt charts
Automatic critical path calculation and highlighting
Resource loading visualization
Baseline comparison for schedule variance analysis
Drag-and-drop task rescheduling

Performance Metrics and Project Health Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of performance metrics and project health is crucial for ensuring project success.

PMIS provides tools to track a wide range of metrics and generate alerts when projects deviate from planned parameters.

Key performance monitoring features in PMIS include:

Customizable performance metrics and thresholds
Earned Value Management (EVM) calculations
Project health scorecards
Automated alerts for metric deviations
Historical performance trend analysis

Collaboration and Communication in Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Foster seamless teamwork and stakeholder engagement through integrated communication features.

Stakeholder communication features

Effective stakeholder communication is crucial for project success.

Modern PMIS offers a range of features to facilitate clear, timely, and targeted communication with all project stakeholders.

Key stakeholder communication features in PMIS include:

Automated status reports and updates
Customizable communication templates
Stakeholder-specific dashboards and reports
Meeting management and minutes tracking
Feedback collection and analysis tools

Team collaboration tools

In my experience leading international projects, I’ve found that robust collaboration tools are essential for keeping distributed teams aligned and productive.

Project Management Information System (PMIS) offers a range of features to facilitate seamless collaboration among team members.

Key team collaboration features in PMIS include:

Discussion forums and comment threads
Real-time chat and video conferencing integration
Task assignment and progress tracking
Shared calendars and scheduling tools
Virtual whiteboarding and ideation spaces

Document sharing and version control

Efficient document sharing and version control are crucial for maintaining project integrity and ensuring that all team members are working with the most up-to-date information.

Key document sharing and version control features in PMIS include:

Centralized document repository
Version history and rollback capabilities
Document check-in/check-out functionality
Collaborative editing and commenting
Access control and permission management

Mobile Accessibility for Remote Teams

With the rise of remote work , mobile accessibility has become a critical feature of modern Project Management Information System (PMIS).

Mobile apps and responsive web interfaces allow team members to stay connected and productive from anywhere.

Key mobile accessibility features in PMIS include:

Native mobile apps for iOS and Android
Responsive web interfaces for access from any device
Offline mode for working without internet connectivity
Push notifications for important updates
Mobile-optimized data entry and task management

Image: Features of Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Integration and Customization Capabilities

Tailor your PMIS to align with existing business processes and scale with organizational growth.

Integration with Existing Business Systems

For Project Management Information System (PMIS) to be truly effective, it must integrate seamlessly with an organization’s existing business systems.

Key integration capabilities in PMIS include:

ERP system integration for financial data
CRM integration for customer-related project information
HR system integration for resource management
Time tracking system integration
API support for custom integrations

Customizable Workflows and Project Templates

Every organization has unique project management needs . PMIS should offer customizable workflows and templates to adapt to specific business processes and project types.

Key customization features in PMIS include:

Configurable project templates for different project types
Custom field creation for capturing unique data points
Workflow builder for automating business processes
Form designer for creating custom data entry forms
Report builder for generating tailored reports

Scalability for Project Portfolio Management

As organizations grow, their project management needs evolve.

A good Project Management Information System (PMIS) should be scalable to support project portfolio management across the entire organization.

Key scalability features in PMIS include:

Multi-project management capabilities
Resource allocation across multiple projects
Portfolio-level reporting and analytics
Program management features
Enterprise-wide user management and access control

Cloud-based Project Management Information System (PMIS) Solutions

Cloud-based PMIS solutions offer numerous advantages over traditional on-premise systems, including improved accessibility, automatic updates, and reduced IT overhead.

Key benefits of cloud-based PMIS include:

Anytime, anywhere access to project information
Automatic software updates and maintenance
Scalable infrastructure to support growing needs
Enhanced security and data backup
Pay-as-you-go pricing models for cost flexibility

Implementing Project Management Information System (PMIS) in Organizations

Successfully adopt PMIS through strategic selection, change management , and ROI measurement.

Choosing the Right PMIS Software

Selecting the right Project Management Information System (PMIS) is crucial for successful implementation.

Based on my experience working with various organizations, I recommend considering the following factors:

Alignment with organizational needs and processes
User-friendliness and intuitive interface
Scalability and growth potential
Integration capabilities with existing systems
Vendor reputation and support quality
Total cost of ownership, including implementation and training

When evaluating PMIS options, it’s essential to involve key stakeholders from different departments to ensure the chosen solution meets the needs of all users.

Change Management and User Adoption

Implementing a new Project Management Information System (PMIS) often represents a significant change in how projects are managed within an organization .

Key strategies for managing change and promoting user adoption include:

Clearly communicating the benefits of the new PMIS to all stakeholders
Involving end-users in the selection and implementation process
Identifying and empowering “champions” within the organization
Providing comprehensive training and support
Gradually phasing in new features to avoid overwhelming users
Regularly soliciting and acting on user feedback

Training and On-boarding Best Practices

Proper training and onboarding are essential for maximizing the value of your PMIS investment.

Develop role-specific training programs tailored to different user groups
Utilize a mix of training methods, including instructor-led sessions , e-learning modules, and hands-on exercises
Create a library of quick reference guides and video tutorials for ongoing support
Implement a “train-the-trainer” approach to build internal expertise
Offer refresher courses and advanced training for power users
Integrate PMIS training into new employee onboarding processes

Measuring ROI of Project Management Information System (PMIS) Implementation

Demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of a PMIS implementation is crucial for gaining and maintaining stakeholder support.

As a statistician and process improvement specialist, I recommend the following approach to measuring PMIS ROI:

Establish baseline metrics before implementation, such as project completion rates, budget variances, and resource utilization
Set clear, measurable goals for improvement in these areas
Track key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly after implementation
Calculate both tangible benefits (e.g., cost savings, increased productivity) and intangible benefits (e.g., improved collaboration, better decision-making)
Use statistical analysis to validate improvements and account for other factors
Present ROI findings in a clear, visually compelling format for stakeholders

Image: Project Management Information System (PMIS) Implementation Process

Future Trends in Project Management Information System

These technologies are set to revolutionize how we manage projects by:

Automating routine tasks and decision-making processes
Providing predictive insights on project outcomes and risks
Optimizing resource allocation based on historical data and project parameters
Enhancing natural language processing for improved communication and documentation
Offering intelligent assistants to guide project managers and team members

The rise of Agile methodologies has significantly impacted project management practices, and PMIS is evolving to support these approaches.

Future trends in this area include:

Enhanced support for Scrum, Kanban , and hybrid methodologies
Improved visualization tools for Agile workflows and backlogs
Integration of Agile metrics and reporting alongside traditional project metrics
Flexibility to switch between Agile and traditional approaches within the same project
AI-driven recommendations for optimal sprint planning and backlog prioritization

In conclusion, the future of Project Management Information System is bright, with emerging technologies set to enhance every aspect of project management .

As these systems become more intelligent and integrated, they will enable project managers to make better decisions, allocate resources more efficiently, and deliver successful projects with greater consistency.

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Project Management Specialist

Advertised on behalf of.

Tirana, ALBANIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application deadline :.

10-Sep-24 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Duration of initial contract :, time left :.

12d 19h 29m

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year (with possibility of extension)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world.

While Albania has made significant progress in promoting gender equality, women continue to face barriers in fully enjoying their human rights. Women are less likely to participate in the labour market, with a labour force participation rate of 15.9% lower than men’s. Stereotypes and gender norms continue to be pervasive and contribute to the persistent marginalization of women, especially those belonging to minorities, including rural women. Young people also face specific challenges: at 27.1%, their unemployment rate is about twice as high as that of the working-age population. Most of the young professionals and students leaving Albania look for opportunities to stay in the host country, rather than returning.

Promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment is a key priority for Albania, underpinning all actions listed in the recently adopted National Strategy for Sustainable Development and European Integration 2022-2030. The Strategy also recognizes rural development as key for Albania’s sustainable development. Agriculture is the sector that employs the majority of Albanian citizens, accounting for approximately 33.8 % of the employees during 2021, however, agricultural activity is challenged by increased transport and production costs, limited maximization of investment limited efficiency of distribution channels. Meeting national and international quality and food safety standards and building an administrative capacity to support these processes also remain a challenge.

Women play an important role in agriculture and rural development in Albania, making up 40% of the agriculture workforce, although in most cases invisible and informal. Male gender roles in agriculture are predominantly associated with tasks that involve control over agricultural assets and implements, mobility, decision-making and access to market; whereas female gender roles are associated with manual work, including pre-harvest and post-harvest activities, food processing, quality control, and household tasks. Furthermore, women’s access to technical and financial resources and information through agricultural extension service remains very limited, and women represent only 10 % of all beneficiaries of extension services. Women are rarely members of, or represented in, formal associations or committees. Their limited access to transportation in rural areas has direct implications for their access to health and social services, education, employment and participation in decision making, making them dependent on male relatives and putting them further at risk of marginalisation. This is especially alarming with the persistence of patriarchal attitudes in rural areas, which often result in GBV.

Women are also strongly discriminated compared to men in term of access to property, While existing legislation guarantees women’s property rights and co-ownership, the implementation of the legislation has been too often hindered by discriminatory cultural and social attitudes, practices at the institutional and community levels, and women’s lack of knowledge of their rights. This has affected women’s inheritance rights as well as entitlements.

To address these challenges, UN Women with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and funding from the by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will implement a project aiming to improve the empowerment of women in Northern Albania and promote their role as active contributors to sustainable rural development. The region of intervention was selected based on latest data on poverty rate and persistency of gender inequalities and stereotypes.

Overall, this project will contribute to the realization of SDG targets 2.3, 5.a, 8.3. The intervention is aligned with the EU Gender Action Plan III, The National Strategy for Gender Equality (NSGE) 2021-2030 and the National Strategy for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of Country Office Representative and in day-to-day coordination with the National Programme Officer, the Project Management Specialist is responsible for managing the project, including relationships with national partners and stakeholders, donor, the monitoring and reporting the activities, the finances and personnel of the portfolio

The Project Management Specialist works in close collaboration with Head of Programmes (NOC), Programme Analyst (P2), Technical Project Analyst (SB4), and the rest of the programme and operations team to ensure successful implementation of UN Women programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage and lead the overall implementation of Empowering Women for Rural Development in North Albania

Manage the overall Project work plan development and implementation according to the project document and UN Women Albania strategic note;
Design, conceptualize and manage work-plans, periodic narrative progress reports and expenditures status reports to the Project Steering Committee, Cooperation Framework Results Groups and UN Women;
Lead and manage systems for project planning, implementation and monitoring, in collaboration with partners;
Ensure project record keeping, documentation and filing of project related files and communications by the project team.

Manage relations with national partners and other stakeholders engaged in the project

Manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Project Portfolio, raise potential problems and provide solutions;
Provide guidance to partners on establishment of performance indicators, and monitoring achievement of results;
Lead the selection of responsible parties for the implementation of specific outputs/sub-outputs of the project as per the approved project document and budget and in line with UN Women partner selection policy and procedure.
Oversee identification of capacity building needs and support provided to partners through technical assistance, mentoring, training, cross-partner learning, and capacity development initiatives.

Manage and lead the monitoring and reporting on the Project

Coordinate the process of gathering information and preparing progress reports on programme implementation; prepare technical reports; Gather and compile all information necessary for monitoring and reporting on project from the planning to the evaluation stages;
Lead the preparation of the project annual progress report and final report including other reports/presentations/updates required for each Steering Committee meeting; review and coordinate the submission of responsible parties’ financial and narrative reports;
Provide inputs from project component activities and results to Country Office and joint UN reporting.

Manage financial resources and supervise project personnel

Supervise and manage a team of professional and administrative personnel, including the Technical Project Analyst, review performance and mentor/ coach subordinate personnel;
Coordinate development and preparation of financial reporting of the Project components including budgeting and budget revisions, and expenditure tracking and reporting;
Oversee and monitor the allocation and disbursement of funds to responsible parties and other contractors.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

Provide technical support to the development of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
Identify potential programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UN Women, country needs and donors’ priorities and develop the relevant partnerships.

Advocate and facilitate knowledge building and management and communication

Ensure documentation of the project implementation process and products produced are in accordance with UN Women guidelines;
Contribute to the exchange of information and knowledge products internally and externally of the project;
Lead major advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops and knowledge products.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent will lead one Technical Project Analyst and one Project Assistant on Service Contract Modality. The incumbent may also lead other part-time affiliates contributing to the project implementation.

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
Strong analytical skills
Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
Good knowledge of UN programme management systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in public administration, law, human rights, gender equality, management, social sciences or other related areas is required.
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

At least 5 years of experience in progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required.
Experience in working in a gender related area is required, including in areas such as Women Economic Empowerment, EVAW, human rights and others.
Experience in setting priorities, budgets, work plans, participating in programme development and programme writing is required.
Experience in leading teams effectively is desirable.
Previous experience working with international organizations, or the UN system is desirable.
Previous experience in Albania or the Western Balkans is desirable.
Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

How to Submit the Application: To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

Download and complete the https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )
Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11) and Cover Letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded.
Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement).
Click 'Apply Now' button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click 'Submit Application;'
Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above).
You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.
UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications, we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

IMAGES

(PDF) Introduction to Project Management Assignment
Project management 1
PPT
️ Introduction of project work. How Do You Write an Introduction to a
Project management assignment 01
Glory How To Write An Introduction For A Project Example Non Technical

VIDEO

Software project management Assignment 6
Project Management
NPTEL Project Management For Managers Assignment 2 Answers
Advance Project Management
An Introduction to Project Management, Fifth Edition: With a Brief Guide to Microsoft Project 2013
CS615 (Software Project Management) assignment no 3 solution spring 2021

COMMENTS

Introduction to Project Management
This module is designed to introduce you to project management, and how project managers support projects. In this course, you'll learn what project management is, the benefits that organizations recognize using project management, and the constraints that project managers need to consider. You'll learn about how project managers control ...
Conestoga College
Stakeholder Management Plan. Mandatory assignments 100% (3) 2. Hari Krishnan Assignment 2 Risk Register MGMT 8370. Mandatory assignments 100% (2) 2. MGMT8310 - Project Planning - Scope and Qua Scope statement for WESU. Mandatory assignments 100% (2) 4.
Introduction to Project Management Basics
Temporary: a project has a definitive start and end date. Unique: a project's work is different from the ongoing work required to maintain the business and operations. Team, Budget, Schedule: a project has an assigned team, budget, and schedule. Goal: a project is done when the project goals are met. All work is not a project.
Project Management
This textbook provides an excellent introduction to project management by decomposing relevant structure and processes. I would highly recommend this textbook to students seeking to learn the fundamentals of a dynamic field. Supplemental material regarding Agile, and other new project management processes, can be provided separately to further ...
2. Project Management Overview
Introduction. Preface. Main Body. 1. Project Management: Past and Present. ... An assignment is made, and the project team members jump directly into the development of the product or service requested. In the end, the delivered product doesn't meet the expectations of the customer. ... Project management is the application of knowledge ...
What is Project Management, Approaches, and PMI
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. It's the practice of planning, organizing, and executing the tasks needed to turn a brilliant idea into a tangible product, service, or deliverable. Key aspects of project management include: Defining project ...
Project Management Foundations, Initiation, and Planning
Welcome to Module 5, which covers project planning processes, documents, and tips. In this module, you will learn end-to-end scope, schedule, budget, support planning techniques, and documents and tips supporting these processes. You will also understand the importance of earned value management and the project management plan approval process.
Project Management: The Basics for Success
Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Learn about the role of high performance teams and leadership in project management 2. Learn about the tools and techniques for developing and strengthening high performance teams and team members 3. Learn about the stages in project cycle 4. Apply best practices to develop competencies and ...
Introduction to Project Management
Project management is the discipline of managing all the different resources and aspects of the project in such a way that the resources will deliver all the output that is required to complete the project within the defined scope, time, and cost constraints. These are agreed upon in the project initiation stage and by the time the project ...
Project Management Project
Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Write a narrative charter statement 2. Create a work breakdown structure 3. Sequence project activities 4. Build a project schedule 5. Create a project budget 6. Create a responsibility assignment matrix 7. Identify project risks and define responses for those risks.
Introduction To Project Management Essay
Management. Project management is the planning, organizing and managing of tasks and resources to accomplish a defined objective, usually with constraints on time and cost. Most projects, whether they are large and complex or small and simple, can be planned by breaking the project into small, easily manageable tasks, scheduling the tasks, and ...
Project Management Plan: Samples, Examples & Free Template
A project management plan is a comprehensive document that outlines how a project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed. For project managers and their teams, it's the ultimate toolkit for achieving their objectives while managing day-to-day pressures such as time, cost, scope, resourcing and risk.
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT Flashcards
the knowledge area of Project time Management. Manage the activities to complete the project within the allotted time. the knowledge area of Project Cost Management. Plan, estimate, and manage resources in order to complete the project within budget. the knowledge area of Project Quality Mangement. Ensures that the project outcomes meet the needs.
Academic Project Management Case Studies
The project management case studies listed below place the students in the position of the project manager, sponsor, and other stakeholders. Students develop problem solving skills by critically analyzing the various scenarios. The case studies are broken down to allow for easy integration with the various lecture topics of PM-1.
What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One
To write a successful project plan, follow these 5 steps below to create an effective project plan that serves as a valuable tool for project management: 1. Highlight the key elements of your project plan in an executive summary. An executive summary is a brief description of the key contents of a project plan.
Introduction to Project Management
Lecture. Project Management is a complex effort, made up of interrelated tasks, to be completed within a pre-determined time frame and budget, with a pre-defined set of objectives. This lecture briefly describe on Characteristics of a Project and Project Lifecycle. Project life cycle definition determines the boundaries of the project.
PDF Overview PMG 240: Introduction to Project Management
Practical Application Assignments (26%): There are four application assignments: Project Management Self-Assessment, Project Charter Assignment, Project Work Breakdown Structure Assignment, and Mind Tools Leadership Self-Assessment. Course Communication All communication will take place via the discussion forums and course announcement page.
Project Management Assignment Sample
project management assignment sample project planning and restructure: general manager report for kfh project management assignment sample table of contents. Skip to document. ... Introduction. The restructuring of KFH involves external and internal project redesign and management. The external level of project management is more important as ...
Project Introductions: What They Are and How To Write Them
Here are the steps you can follow to write an effective project introduction: 1. Write the project introduction last. Because a project introduction discusses the main points from your research or proposal, you should write it once your project is complete. This way, the introduction contains accurate, relevant information.
What Is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)?
Introduction to Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) Project management is a complex process that involves multiple stakeholders, tasks, and resources. To ensure the success of a project, it is crucial to assign clear roles and responsibilities to team members and accurately define their tasks. ... A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in ...
What is a Project Management Information System (PMIS)?
Introduction to Project Management Information System (PMIS) A Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a comprehensive software solution designed to facilitate the planning, execution, and control of projects throughout their lifecycle. ... Task creation and assignment; Progress tracking and status updates; Automated notifications and ...
UN WOMEN Jobs
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage. Experience: At least 5 years of experience in progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required.

Introduction to Project Management Basics

Basic Concept 1: What is a Project?

What is management vs. project management?

Project Management Process/Project Lifecycle

Project Manager Responsibilities

Project Team Responsibilities in Project Management

Project Manager Certifications

Project Management Resources

Project Management

Formats Available

Table of Contents

Ancillary Material

About the Contributors

Contribute to this Page

2. Project Management Overview

Project Attributes

Definition of a Project

Project Characteristics

The Process of Project Management

Project Management Expertise

Application knowledge

Understanding the Project Environment

Management Knowledge and Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Communication

Negotiation

Problem Solving

Image Descriptions

Text Attributions

Media Attributions

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Introduction to Project Management

Introduction

What is a Project?

What is Project Management?

Project Management Methodology

Initiating a Project

Implementing a Project

Closing a Project

What does it take to be a Good Project Manager?

What's Next?

10 Early Signs Your Project's a Failure

Authority Earned, Not Given

The Hardest Word in the Project Management Vocabulary

Project Management Plan: Samples, Examples & Free Template

Table of Contents

1. Identify the baselines for your project

2. Identify your project dependencies

3. Identify project stakeholders

4. Identify project milestones

5. Identify who’s responsible for what

The 5 Stages of Team Development

Section 1: Executive summary

Section 2: Project introduction

Section 3: Project objectives

Section 4: Project scope

Section 5: Schedule management

Section 6: Cost management

Section 7: Quality management

Project management template

Section 8: Resource management

Section 9: Risk management

Section 10: Communication plan

Section 11: Stakeholder management

Section 12: Procurement management

Section 13: Change management

Section 14: Closure criteria

Section 15: Project organization

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What is a Project Management Plan and How to Create One