Project Management

People have been undertaking projects since the earliest days of organized human activity. The hunting parties of our prehistoric ancestors were projects. Large complex projects such as the pyramids and the Great Wall of China were also projects. Even something as simple as creating a dinner is considered a project. We use the term “project” frequently in our daily conversations. This book covers the basics of project management. This includes the process of initiation, planning, execution, control, and closeout that all projects share.

The primary purpose of this text is to provide an open source textbook that covers most project management courses. The material in the textbook was obtained from a variety of sources. All the sources are found in the reference section at the end of each chapter. I expect, with time, the book will grow with more information and more examples.
I welcome any feedback that would improve the book. If you would like to add a section to the book, please let me know.

Project managers can be seen in public and private sectors and many industries including IT, finance and banking, law enforcement agencies, constructions, municipalities etc. For several decades, public sector projects were managed by contractors whose primary objective was a profit motive. At the end of the project, the contractor would provide the public sector agency with a deliverable, but on many occasions the contractor would walk away with the project management best practices and lessons learned. Public sector agencies now require contractors to share all project management intellectual property accumulated during the course of the project with then. Also with limited resources in terms of time, personnel and finances, public sector agencies are becoming experienced in project management to the point where the projects are managed with internal personal rather than contractors.

Skills learned by your exposure to studying project management can be used in most careers as well as in your daily life. Strong planning skills, good communication, ability to implement a project to deliver the product or service while also monitoring for risks and managing the resources will provide an edge toward your career and professional success.

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. 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.

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.