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All About Project Management
Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a successful project. A project is a one-time effort that produces a specific result, for example, a building or a major new computer system. This is in contrast to a program, which is 1) an ongoing process, such as a quality control program, or 2) an activity to manage a series of multiple projects together. In some countries, the term "program" refers to a software tool and the term "programme" can mean a TV or radio show.
Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining and confirming the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and how goals will be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes managing the implementation of the project plan, along with operating regular 'controls' to ensure that there is accurate and objective information on 'performance' relative to the plan, and the mechanisms to implement recovery actions where necessary.
Projects usually follow major phases or stages (with various titles for these), including feasibility, definition, project planning, implementation, evaluation and support/maintenance.
NOTE: There are many software tools that make project management much more effective and efficient. Software Tools to Do Project Management Process lists software resources. The reader might best be served to read about the overall project management process in the section, "Foundations of Project Management" below, and then review some of the software tools. Another approach is to review the tools as the reader progresses through each phase of the project management process. (Thanks for Kevin Lonergan for contributing to this description.)
Sections of This Topic Include
NOTE: The following links are to major sections of this page, included later on below. Each sections includes additional links.
Foundations of Project Management
Basics of Project Planning
Overviews of Project Management
Roles in Project Management (including
Project Manager)
Skills Required to Leading Teams and People
in Project Management
Doing Project Management
Feasibility Studies -- Is the Project
Worth Doing?
Project Planning -- How Do We Determine Project's Outcomes, Goals
and Objectives?
Resource Allocation -- What Do We Need to Implement
the Plan (People, Money and Scheduling)?
Risk Management Analysis -- What Could Go Wrong?
Ethical Analysis of Project -- Are We In Conformance,
Morally and Legally?
Implementation of Project Plan -- How
Do We Ensure Implementation While Managing Change?
Earned Value Management -- How Do We Measure
Progress and Results?
Communicating Your Plans and Status -- What
Do We Communicate to Whom and When?
Evaluating Projects and Results -- How
Do We Evaluate Implementation and Project Results?
When Projects Are in Trouble -- How Do
We Avoid Pitfalls and What Do We Do If They Occur?
General Resources and Topics
Glossaries of Project Management Terms
Resources With Many Resources About Project Management
Software Tools to Do Project Management Process
Organizations Focused on Project Management
Getting PMP Certification
Some Related Fields
Also see
Related Library Topics
Also See the Library's Blogs Related to this Topic
In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to this topic. Scan down the blog's page to see various posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in the sidebar of the blog or click on "next" near the bottom of a post in the blog.
Library's
Business Planning Blog
Library's
Building a Business Blog
Library's
Leadership Blog
Library's
Project Management Blog
Library's
Strategic Planning Blog
Library's
Supervision Blog
FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Basics of Project Planning
It will benefit the reader immensely to have an understanding
of at least the basic planning processes before undertaking the
more detailed process of project management. See
Basic
Guidelines for Successful Planning Process.
Planning is all about making decisions and solving problems,
so it also will be useful for the reader to have some guidelines
for
Decision
Making
Problem
Solving
There are numerous other topics in the Library that could pertain
to project management, but the reader might best be served to
first review the resources linked from this topic on Project Management
and afterwards see
Related Library Topics
Overviews of Project Management
The following links provide an overview of the project management
process, starting with some definitions.
Project Planning A Step by Step Guide
Project
Management
Solid Overview of Project Management
Project
Management 101
Understanding Corporate Project Management
A Short Course in Project Management
Developing a Project Management Best Practice
Project
Management Simply Explained
Finding
Humor in Project Management
From
Project Management to Program Management
Project Life Cycle
How to Teach Yourself About Project Management
The
Virtual PMO
The Key to Successful Project Management
Top 10 Project Management Trends for 2011
Is
PM Just Common Sense
Some
Frameworks and Models of Project Management
Successful International Projects
Does It Have To Be So Hard?
Project Success for the Small Business
Also see
Glossaries of Project Management
Terms
It
Depends On What the Meaning of "Is" Is
Some Remarkable Approaches to Managing Projects
Now that you've gained an understanding of the overall project
management process, it's useful to consider how the projects could
be managed. One rather traditional approach is do the best you
can to ensure that all major phases of project management are
addressed. Here are two approaches that further enlighten how
you might think about managing your projects.
Agile
Management (an approach to management)
Agile
Project Management Methods for IT Projects (a book chapter)
PRINCE2
Project
Portfolio Management (a primer)
The PRINCE2® Training Manual
‘Fusion’ Project Management
PRINCE2: The Most Popular PM Exam In The World
Top 30 Agile Myths Busted
Roles in Project Management (including Project Manager)
Project
Roles and Responsibilities
Role
of the Project Manager
How
to Be Perceived as an Effective Project Manager
Ten
Rules for Project Managers
Stress
and the Project Manager
Project
Roles and Responsibilities
In-House
Project Managers vs. External
The
Role (and Challenge) of the Project Sponsor
What Project Managers Can Learn from Angry Birds
Top 10 Leadership Qualities of a Project Manager
Maximizing Project Managers
How Bad Project Managers are Killing the Profession
Career Path to Becoming a Project Manager
Making
Junior Project Managers More Senior
Managing Projects on a Global Scale
12
Essential Soft Skills for Project Managers
Seven
Deadly Project Manager Sins
On
the importance of field knowledge in project management
Who’s The Boss?
Skills to Lead Teams and People in Project Management
There are certain skills to have when conducting project management.
It's best to have a team of planners when doing project planning.
Therefore, it's important to have skills in forming, leading and
facilitating groups. The following information will help you develop
these skills.
Yes, Project Managers Need Leadership Skills!
Kicking
Off the Project Team
Team
Building
Leadership
(Introduction)
Meeting
Management
Facilitating
in Face-to-Face Groups
Group-Based
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Conflict
Management (this topic provides basics in managing conflict in
groups)
Capturing Lessons Learning During Projects
Decomposition of Projects: How to Design Small
Incremental Steps
Using
Project Teams on Organizational Projects
Project Management, initiative, leadership: How
to Avoid a Work Burnout
Project
Management, Leadership and Making the Right Decision
A Strategic Management Model that Works
Course 19: Managing Projects
Become
a Project Management Minimalist -- Video 1
10
Steps to Project Success
On
the importance of field knowledge in project management
5
Leadership Skills for Project Managers
How Project Managers Can Manage Conflict
DOING PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Feasibility Studies -- Is Project Worth Doing?
A feasibility study determines if a project is really useful
to do.
Project
Management Feasibility Studies
Feasibility
Study -- Can You Mange It?
Project
Feasibility Study Samples
New
Tools for Feasibility Studies
Feasibility
Studies
How to Develop a Prototype
Have Your Project Demo Ready
So Are We Doing This?
Are We All Here?
Project Planning -- How Do We Determine Project Outcomes, Goals and Objectives?
Overview of Project Planning
Project planning includes specifying the overall goals to be
achieved by the project, phases of the project, the objectives
associated with each goal, responsibilities to achieve each objective.
Planning might also include specifying milestones or deliverables
to be produced, and timelines for achieving the objectives and
milestones.
Steps
in Project Planning
Five Steps to Initiating a Project
Project Management Planning
Assumptions
When We Plan and Define Projects
Planning,
Estimating and Managing Government Software Projects
Planning
a Project -- Sample Project Plans
Planning
a Project -- the Basics
Planning
a Project
Project
Planning and Life Cycle
Three Critical Project Management Terms to Know
Project
Planning (an extensive chapter)
What
is Success in Project Management?
How to Use Software to Plan and Prioritize Projects
Putting a people focus into project management
The Project Quality
The Project Scope
Intelligence Gathering: Determining End User Needs
How
to Use the Requirements Creation Process to Improve Project Estimates
Project
Management Definition and Solutions
We need an alternative to Project Management Templates
Avoid That Creep
How Many Trackers Do You Track?
When Working from Requirements
Some projects do planning by working from an initial set of
project requirements. The requirements might have come from other
stakeholders, or people who have a strong interest in the project
and/or will be affected by the project.
Incose: International Council on Systems Engineering
- defining customer needs and requirements in (project) systems
Overview on requirements management by UK's Office
of Government & Commerce
Open Architecture Requirements Management
Some Tools for Project Planning
Project
Proposal Writing
Generic
Project Proposal Template
Project
Proposal and Initiation Templates
Statement
of Work
Writing a
Statement of Work
How a Statement of Work Can Save Your Project
Project
Charter
Project
Charter Example
How
to Create Your Project Charter
What
is a Workforce Breakdown Structure?
Workforce
Breakdown Structure (Wikipedia)
Workforce Breakdown
Structure
Dependency
Structure Matrix
Resource Allocation -- What Do We Need to Implement Project Plan (People, Money, Scheduling)?
Resource allocation identifies the resources needed and schedules
their involvement. It might also consider the efficient integration
of those resources and do contingency planning in case certain
resources are not sufficient or available. Some planners might
include budgeting as part of the resource allocation process.
Resource
Allocation
Effective
Project Team and Resource Allocation
Splitting
a Project Into Small Bits
Estimating Project Costs
Hierarchy
of Project Objectives
Keys
to Resource Allocation
Project
Management Resource Allocation
Resource
Allocation: Do You Overwork Your Resources?
Resource
Leveling
The Project Budget
The Project Schedule
Are Sub-Contractors Good Or Bad?
Five
Techniques So You Don't Have To Be There
How to Manage Your Time as a Project Manager
Some Tools for Resource Allocation
Project
Management Budgeting Tools
Project Budget
and Reporting Tools
Gantt Charts
Gantt
Chart links
Resource
Leveling tools
Resource
Leveling
Risk Management Analysis of Project -- What Could Go Wrong?
Risk management involves identifying real and potential risks
in the project and how to respond to each. It's best if the risks
are identified in a comprehensive and systematic approach.
Project
Risk Management Principles
Overview
of Project Risk Management
Improving
Project Risk Management
10 Golden Rules of Project Risk Management
Project Management: Risk Management
Many Blog Posts About Project Risk Management
Risky Business
Some Tools for Risk Management
A Consistent Project Risk Assessment Tool
Risk
Management Tools
Ethical Analysis of Project -- Are We In Conformance, Morally?
Ethics is clarifying what's morally right and wrong, and influencing
that actions are morally right. Ethics can include codes of ethics,
codes of conduct, guidelines to resolve ethical dilemmas and training
about these ethics tools. Ethics applies in all aspects of project
management.
The
Role of Ethics in Project Management
Business
Ethics
Ethics in Project Management
Ethics Problems in Project Management
Ethics
in Project Management
Customers and Suppliers?
PMI's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Project Management Ethics and Rules of Conduct
Implementation of Project Plan -- How Do We Ensure Implementation, While Managing Change?
To Ensure Implementation of the Project Plan
The best practices to ensure implementation of the plan actually
start early in the planning process. The practices are the same,
whether for strategic, business or project planning.
How
to Ensure Implementation of Your Plan
Course 19: Managing Projects
To Manage Change During Implementation of the Project Plan
Implementation of important plans, such as strategic, business
and project plans, usually impact the strategy, structure and/or
operations of the organization. Therefore, it's important that
project managers understand at least some basics about managing
change in organizations.
Organizational
Change and Development
Earned Value Management -- How Do We Measure Progress and Value?
Earned value management measures the progress and value of
a project, especially during implementation. When done comprehensively
and systematically, it can reduce cost and provide early detection
of problems.
What
is Earned Value?
An
Overview of Earned Value Management
Earned Value Management for Project Performance
Measurement
Earned
Value Management
Why Tracking Percent Complete for Project Tasks
Doesn't Work
US DoD -
EVM Website - substantial resource on EVM
Dr David Christensen - EVM Bibliography
Analyze
the Variance - My Flexible Pencil
Some Tools for Earned Value Management
Program
Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
How
to Use a PERT Chart for Project Management
Why
Critical Path is Critical to Project Management
Critical
Path Method
Earned Value Analysis in Project Cost Estimate
Track Earned Value
Communicating Your Project -- What Do We Communicate to Whom and When?
It's extremely important to communicate project plans, status
and results to stakeholders. Many project managers would agree
that this is one of the biggest problems in project management.
Project
Communication is Critical!
Project
Communication
Methods for Distributing Information on Projects
Real-World Project Communications
10 Tips for Creating Effective Project Reports
Communication is Key to Successful Project Management
If It’s Important, Less Is More
Building a Requirements Document
Inside Technical Specifications
Some Tools for Communicating Project Plans and Status
Communications
Management Matrix
What
Are Some Effective Communications Tools for Managers?
Evaluating Projects and Results - How Do We Evaluate Implementation and Project Results?
Project evaluation is done during project implementation and after completion in order to assess the quality of activities and achievement of results.
Project Management Evaluation
Project Evaluation and Review Technique
Methods for Evaluating Project Performance
An Objective Method for Evaluating Project Managers'
Performance
Systematic Planning and Evaluating the Project
Management Effort
Using Return on Investment to Evaluate Project Management Training
Performance management process
PROJECT
AUDITS -- A necessary evil or a tool for achieving success?
About Project Quality
Some Tools for Evaluating Projects
Program
Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
How
to Use a PERT Chart for Project Management
User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation
When Projects Are in Trouble -- What Pitfalls Could Occur and What Do We Do If They Occur?
Why
Does Project Management Fail?
Tips for Coping with Troubled Projects
Kitchen-Sink
Syndrome (Project Creep)
Pragmatic
Project Management Requires Focus to Avoid Creep
Prevent
Project Cost Overruns With These Four Essential Processes
A
New Approach of Project Cost Overrun and Contingency Management
How
to Kill a Troubled Project
Project
Pitfalls from Symptoms to Solution
One Project - Multiple Consulting and Freelance
Clients
Top 10 Issues for Project Managers
Reasons Why Projects Fail
Project Management, initiative, leadership: How
to Avoid a Work Burnout
5 Strategies for Dealing with Project Management
Chaos
GENERAL RESOURCES AND TOPICS
Glossaries of Project Management Terms
Project
Management Glossary
A
Project Management Glossary
PM Forum's Glossary
Wideman
Comparative Glossary of Project Management Terms)
Resources With Many Resources About Project Management
Free
Project Management Articles published weekly
Webinars on Chartering a Project and Developing
and Using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Free
Project Templates
Open Source book on Project Management
PM
Forum Library
Project
Management Tools
Using a Retreat to Move Your Project Forward
The Key Elements to Managing Projects the Virtual
Way
Department for Business Innovation and Skills
(has numerous templates)
Tutorials
Point
The
Manager.org
5 Project Myths That Won't Die
Software Tools to Do Project Management Process
How To Find The Right Project Management Software
For Your Needs
Dave Farthing's Software Project Management Links
Page
Brad Appleton's Software Project Management Links
10 Free Tools for Effective Project Management
Microsoft Project
Process
Templates and Tools
Project Management
and Tools Directory
How to Use Software to Plan and Prioritize Projects
20
Essential Tools for Project Management
The
Five Best Tools For Quick And Effective Project Management
We need an alternative to Project Management Templates
Exotic Project Management Software
Organizations Focused on Project Management
International
Project Management Association
Project Management
Institute(PMI)
UK Association
of Project Management (APM)
Project Management Organizations and Resources
Getting PMP Certification
Getting the PMP Certification
Project Management
Certification and Training
PMP
Certification Portal
PMP Exam in a Nutshell
PMP
Certification Guide - Online PMP Certification Training
Some Related Fields
Enterprise
Resource Planning
Agile
Management (an approach to management)
Management
by Objectives
Program
Management
For the Category of Planning and Project Management:
To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.
Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
There are many kinds of planning, e.g., strategic planning, business planning, project planning, financial planning, staffing planning, market planning, etc. These kinds of planning often have a common set of terms and activities among them. One of the best approaches to learning about this common planning process, as opposed to studying all of the kinds of planning, is to understand project management. At the end of this section are links to other types of planning that are explained in the Free Management Library.
