Project Management and Development Methodologies

Project Management

Project

 what is a project?

According to Project Management Institute(1996) cited in Burke(1999) project is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar product or services."

Also Turner(2013)cited in Burke(1999) defines project as "an endeavor in which human, (or machine), material and financial resources are organized in a novel way, to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification within constraints of cost and time, so as to deliver beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives."

Stages of a Project

As said in Burke(1999), most projects have to go through a four phased life cycle, where the phases are,

• Concept and Initiation Phase: starts the project by establishing a need or opportunity for the project by establishing a need or opportunity for the product, facility or service. The feasibility of proceeding with the project is investigated and on acceptance moves to the next phase
• Design and Development Phase: uses the guidelines set by the feasibility study to design the product and develop detailed schedules and plans for making or implementing the product.
• Implementation or Construction Phase: Implements the project as per the baseline plan developed in the previous phase
• Commissioning and Handover Phase: Confirms the project has been implemented or built to the design and terminates the project.

                                                                                                                    (Burke, 1999)

Modesto & Tichapondwa (2012) too talks about the stages which have to be there in a successful project in their point of view. Which are,

1. Define the problem
2. Brainstorm Alternatives
3. Plan the project
   (i) Specify what has to be done
   (ii) Decide roles
   (iii) Decide how a task is to be done
   (iv) Set target dates for each task
   (v) Determine cost
   (vi) Establish resources required
4. Brainstorm Alternatives
5. Implement the plan 
6. Monitor the Project 
7. Close the Project

                                                             (Modesto & Tichapondwa, 2012)

Considering the above, there has to be a decent set of steps

Project Management

According to Modesto & Tichapondwa (2012), Project management is the facilitation of the planning, scheduling and controlling of all activities that must be done to achieve project objectives.

As defined by the body of knowledge, cited in Burke (1999) project management is "... the application of knowledge , skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet stakeholder's  needs and expectations from a project". Burke have further simplified the above definition as the project manager is the one who is required to "make the project happen".

Westland (2003), also gives his opinion on project management as Project management is the skills, tools and management processes required to undertake a project successfully.

Considering the above definitions it is clear that project management is composed of a set of components which have to be looked into and project managers have to fulfill their duties well in order to output a successful project as expected from the customer.

Burke (1999) say that projects will generally be divided into phases or stages to provide better management control which is also termed as project life cycle which is discussed above in this letter. 

References

Burke (1999) Project Management Planning and Control Techniques. 4th ed. Sussex: Promatec.

Modesto & Tichapondwa (2012) [online] Available at: http://www.col.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/SuccessProjMgt.pdf [Accessed: 30 Dec 2012].

Westland (2003) Project Management Guidebook. [online] Available at: http://www.thoughtware.com.au/documents/method123-ebook.pdf [Accessed: 9 Jan 2013].