Project Management Introduction

"Growth, change and projects go together. We face an increasingly turbulent world in which business becomes faster paced more complex and more competitive. In this environment the rewards will go to those organizations which are more flexible, more in tune with their customers' wants, more focused on their main product or service, and more professional in every aspect of their business."

"It must be remembered that project management is first and foremost a philosophy of management, not an elaborate set of tools and techniques. It will only be as effective as the people who use it." - Bryce's Law

"If you do not make the decision, the decision will be made for you," Project manager should be active, not reactive.

Managers don't wait for things to happen, they make things happen.

The primary areas of competence required by every project manager include communication; the ability to get the best out of the real specialists; and planning, forecasting and decision-making skills ¯ the very stuff of future senior management

The Project Management Process

In planning a project you need to know:

* First and foremost, what is it that is to be delivered?

i.e. The project's Scope

* To what standards are these things going to be delivered?

i.e. The Quality of the products

* How long is it estimated to take and in what sequence will we do the necessary work

i.e. The Time involved

* Now, and only now, can we seriously estimate what will be the estimated funding required?

i.e. The Cost involved

* How certain are we that we can do all of this?

i.e. The associated Risk (and opportunities)

* What is the quality of human performance required to achieve these results?

i.e. The Quality of the process

* What skills are needed to do the work?

i.e. The Human Resources required

* What resources must be outsourced (contracted for) or what corporate commitments must be obtained (procured internally)

i.e. The Contract/Procurement arrangements

* How is all of this to be melded into an effective and efficient whole?

By Information/Communications of course!

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