In offering this contribution to this site I am considering the more junior members of those entering a career within Project Management as I reflect on my own early experiences many years ago.  One of the issues I had at the start of my career was understanding what a project actually was, and importantly what was not a project but rather activities that can be termed normal business operations.  This article hopes to make the distinction clear to those at the start, or early stages of their career in Project Management.  So what is a project?  What are the phases of a project?  How are Projects Managed?  What about tools and techniques?  What follows is a brief introduction to the world of project management.

Definition of a Project

Note that maintenance work is not a project as it does not have an end-date, though maintenance work often leads to projects such as development of a more modern system, or a system with a better production rate. Maintenance work is part of an ongoing process, and ongoing processes are modelled by what is called a systems in operation, which is a repetition of common projects and has no specific start and end. All the constraints mentioned in individual projects accumulate into constraints for the whole system in operation.

A project is considered to be successful still if it is functional, and has met its cost, time and resource constraints, for meeting these constraints buys you a better quality product or a better production rate. "More for the same or the same for less". An example of this could be an engineering project, where there is a new development in a product which will make it more cost effective to produce. This new development is considered a project, which will have new set cost, time and resource constraints.

Importantly, projects are a temporary activity with a start and end date, and are constrained by the resources they require. Outcomes of a project include end items, which could be physical (i.e., bridges) or nonphysical (i.e., a better environment). Projects are unique, and are a basis for common systems in operation today.

A project can be considered to be any series of activities and tasks that: - Have a specific objective to be completed within certain specifications. - Have defined start and end dates. - Have funding limits (if applicable). - Consume human and nonhuman resources (i.e., money, people, equipment). - Are multifaceted - involving several activities or possibly another sub-project. - Affect at least one of the project's constraints (i.e., cost, time or resources).

Characteristics of a Project

A project is a unique venture with a beginning and an end, conducted by people to meet established goals within parameters of cost, schedule, and quality. Projects are often conducted to develop a new product, change a process, or solve a problem. Projects require resources defined in broad terms including people, materials, and costs. In a project, resources are considered adequate if they provide a reasonable chance of success. Projects are performed by people. They have sponsors (the person or group that provides the financial resources and is committed to ensuring the project's success, and it's also the individual who assigns the project manager). Finally, projects produce a unique product or service. Whether the project is to construct a building, implement a new system, or provide a service, the end result is always something new and exciting. Users of the product or service are always looking for something different from the current situation.

Importance of Projects

Project management provides a unit of work in any particular project. The project is subdivided into many manageable small units which are assigned to individual persons, with start and finish dates. These units are referred to as tasks. Without tasks, there is no project, so the saying goes in the project management world. If a project is to be known as a collection of tasks, then what is project management? It may be handy to start with an understanding of what is a project and then what is management. Throughout this assignment, it is understood that a project is a unique, transient endeavor, undertaken to provide benefits and added value, which consist of a set of tasks and a finite end date. This is in contrast to ongoing operations that provide repetitive services or produce repetitive products. Transient means that every project has a start and a finish. Added value can be defined as the difference between the final state of a product and the resources used to produce it. Operations may also run a project to implement a new product or change an old one. An example is the production of a new flavored drink. It tries to solve an uncertain problem for the customer, such as the development of a new process, deciding on the best solution for an engineering problem. The aim and end date of the project should also be defined as a success criterion. For the above development of a new process, the project may be aimed at identifying the process and its benefits, and then demonstrating that the process can be done, prove that it is the best method and it will finish when the principle is accepted by the company. The customer is the person who is providing the resources and has the problem, but the project may also be undertaken by a company for an internal problem. This is the case for the author's automotive project, which was to develop some software to improve an internal efficiency problem. This defines the project that most engineers, who have a technical job, are working on and it provides the context to define project management for the technical audience.

Understanding the Phases of a Project

The execution phase is where deliverables are developed and presented to the customer. This phase also involves risk management, as well as a change in the project's methods and the management of those changes. An essential element of the execution phase is monitoring and control. This involves making sure the project is going according to the plan. Quality control is an important factor in all projects, making sure everything is up to the high standard that is expected. This can be achieved through constant improvement, seeking to do the best way in the shortest amount of time. Any defects and/or errors should be rectified through iterative improvement. Failure to control and monitor your project effectively can waste time and reduce the quality of the finished project.

The planning phase involves creating a set of clear, defined, and feasible objectives. Project planning will allow project managers to define high-priority tasks, set realistic schedules, and allocate resources based on priority, task, and skill set. Planning should always be supported by a risk analysis and a contingency plan so if needed, there is a way to recover the project if the initial plan fails. Being the most time-consuming and thorough phase of the project, it requires participation by all team members. This will ensure there's a clear understanding of what is required and has to be delivered in the project. Meetings should be held to update and re-prioritize the plan with the added flexibility to re-evaluate old objectives and set new ones.

During the initiation phase, the project's objective or need is identified; this can be a business problem that needs to be addressed, an opportunity that can be taken advantage of, or a requirement to develop a product or service. At the end of this phase, a feasibility study should be carried out and a decision made as to whether the project is possible or not. If it is to proceed, it should be adequately defined in a project brief or charter.

The Initiation Phase

Initiation phase is the first phase of a project. In this phase, the feasibility of the project is determined and the purpose of the project is set. If this phase is not performed well, then there are more chances that the project will not be completed. In this phase, a huge number of stakeholders are involved and they are very much concerned about the feasibility and the cost of the project. This phase is very important for the project. This phase is about initial planning. In this phase, the problems are defined and many alternative solutions are generated, and then the most optimal solution is eagerly searched. After that, the best alternative is selected to do the work. At the end of phase one, the objectives are set in measurable terms, and that is the point where the project is considered to be started. These are the tasks that are performed in phase one of the STARBUCKS website project. The duration of the initiation phase is around 3 to 6 weeks. At the end of the phase, a report will be presented, and that is the project charter. It includes the summarized results of our efforts to think through the issues and make the decisions. This is used as a reference point throughout the implementation of the project to help us stay focused.

The Planning Phase

Planning: The main aim of the planning sub-stage is to develop a plan that the teams will follow and the resources will execute against. This is usually the tasks and subtasks developed in MS project. In simple terms, planning is the act of thinking, envisioning, defining, and organizing the activities that are required to reach a future goal. This can be differentiated from thinking about the future based on depth, formality, and the process of thinking. An effective plan must be very specific regarding the future, it must be documented, and it must provide direction. The plan which is being implemented against should be derived from the plan which was previously developed. This is an important check to ensure that no scope creep has occurred in the project.

Scope: During this sub-stage, the project's future and past are determined. At first, the customers' end objective of the project will be assessed and then evaluated against their past experiences. This will allow a clear understanding of what the customer is looking to achieve. The second step is to develop what is called a WBS (Work breakdown structure). This is a tool used in order to define and group a project's tasks in a way that helps to organize and define the total work scope of the project.

The success of the project phase will determine the overall success of the project. In order for the project phase to be a success, the resources and the timeline need to be well defined and the objective of the project needs to be cleared. Phase consists of 2 substages. These are:

A project is a well-defined task, which is a collection of several operations done in order to achieve a goal (for example, software development and delivery). An operation is work done in one or more departments, such as the shipping department. Projects and operations differ primarily in that operations are ongoing and repetitive while projects are temporary and unique. As per the definition of the project, this is the most important phase in the project lifecycle. In this phase, the boundaries and scope of the project are well defined and the teams are well established. The big difference in the project phase and any other phase in the project is the outcome. You have a defined result for the project and if the project was executed successfully, the product of the project should meet the customer's satisfaction.

The Execution Phase

This is known as doing the work. The project is being implemented during this phase. Projects are often complex and made up of a wide range of different activities and as such, the planning phase will identify a large number of tasks that the proposed team will need to accomplish. During the execution phase, the team will do the work to complete the project. It is important to manage the work that is being done, and so the execution phase is often monitored and controlled by the project manager. The emphasis of the monitoring and control is to: - Ensure that the work being done is on time and on budget. - Handle any issues or problems that threaten to delay the project or overrun the budget. - Compare the state of the project to the original plan. It is a common misconception that the execution phase is the same as the implementation phase. The execution phase is the third phase of the project as a whole, while the implementation phase is a more fine-grained look at the work being done in a specific part of the project.

The Monitoring and Control Phase

Above I defined the nature of a project and identify its phase. That phase or state is characterized by change and is unique to the project. Change will be planned, an altered state from the original, in order to achieve a certain goal. The first task that is common to wanting to change and having an original state is to compare the two states in order to identify and understand what the change was, and the second task is to assess the difference. Any feedback from assessment could potentially lead to re-planning and re-implementation in order to achieve the desired goal. Monitoring and control concerns those project management disciplines that help us to keep track of what is happening. The purpose of monitoring is to provide a clear, timed picture of what is happening. It could be compared to watching a film of the project at the point of time being monitored. The picture should be used to highlight any elements deviating from our plan. Any element deviating from the plan would invoke the control process in an attempt to bring the project back on course. The nature of control is not always to repair deviations. In comparing the actual picture to our plan, it is sometimes the plan that is found to be at fault, and it would be more appropriate to change the plan. For example, a software project planned to have a form of one type ready by a certain date may reach that date to find that most users are still using dial-up internet. The form type would be less efficient over slow internet, so rather than try to get the form finished, it could be more beneficial to change the plan and move straight onto forms for high-speed connections.

The Closure Phase

The bullet points which follow identify the key activities within the closure phase of any project.

• Release project resources. This can be a release of human resources and the return of all project resources that are loaned from the other party or purchased. This activity must be documented to prevent any future claims or possible repetitions of the project.
• Store all the documents, project results, and unused resources for potential use in the future. Storage can be in the form of archiving or a warehouse, and all things that have been stored must be documented. A report is also made to clarify the things that are being stored.
• Evaluate the project, which aims to appraise the project team's performance and also to acquire lessons learned in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency in the same field in the future.
• Disband the project team, which can be done gradually as the project starts to slow down and the project members start to pursue another project. A project team gathering event can be held to say goodbye and to evaluate the project.

During the closing phase, the project result is evaluated technically and decided whether it is successful or failed. If it is successful, then the result will be delivered to the customer. The operation, maintenance, and result usage will be the responsibility of the customer. The project closure will involve several things to do, such as the following:

This is the last phase in the project life cycle. The primary focus of this phase is to conclude the project, whether it's a new project or an ongoing project. The project can be concluded in the case where the result has been produced or the project has been terminated and the result has failed to materialize. The closing phase is initiated at the stage where the project has been completed and approved.

Introducing the Project Management Process

It is vital that a fully qualified and experienced person is assigned to the Project management role when seeking to deliver successful project management. Having the right person in the right role can make all the difference in attaining success for a particular project. The project manager, typically the person who has the most to lose if the project fails, is in charge of the project teams as well as the project as a whole. It is his/her responsibility to maintain focus on the goals ahead and keep the team(s) on track. The project manager's dedication to the project should be unrivalled. The project manager must be willing to take on this huge responsibility and stay with the project until its completion. A significant amount of damage can be done if a project manager decides to abandon the position before the project is complete. This could lead to disarray amongst the ranks and result in a failed project. However, the roles of the project teams are also very important. A team could consist of multiple people each with a different role. For larger projects, there could be multiple teams. It is important for each team to have a team leader. This is the person who communicates with the project manager and has the best understanding of the team's goal. This person is responsible for keeping the team on track and helping to prevent any outside interference from other teams. The team leader reports regularly to the project manager recapping the team's progress and addressing any changes that may have occurred. The leader maintains close contact with the project manager to ensure the success of the project. As you can see from the excerpt above, the entire project life cycle is a series of steps that are to be used to guide a project, its team, and team leaders from start to finish. It is vital that everyone understands the project life cycle, for each step has a clear set of goals and expectations. Task initiation involves recruiting a team, setting project goals, and planning the timeline for task completion. Next is planning and planning verification. During this step, the team evaluates the goals set down in task initiation and determines if these goals can be met. If the goals are in fact achievable, planning can proceed. This step is a series of brainstorming sessions to determine the best intel available and how well the goals can be met. A timeline for task completion can prevent project drift. Task analysis involves dividing task goals into a series of elemental functions that can ultimately provide a guide for best implementation. This step provides a clear map to the best path of task completion and eliminates confusion among team members.

Roles and Responsibilities

To enable the successful implementation of a project, it is vital to clearly define the role of everyone involved. Different people and organizations have different interests in a project, so it is important to document and agree upon their specific roles. Involvement in a project has implications on the resources a functional manager has available to support ongoing work and the resources a functional employee will have for performing project-related activities. Key concepts in the matrix organizational form are the dual reporting relationships and the balance of power between the project and functional managers. As the project progresses, there may be changes in the level of involvement of certain team members and certain functional departments. It is therefore useful to revisit the issue of roles and responsibilities several times during the life of the project.

Project Management Processes

Link and clarify the various sub-processes identified above with a project life cycle in Figure 2. Note that to be classified as a project, the specific processes involved should deliver a unique and verifiable product or result. This is an important point because many organizations have ongoing processes which may be 'business as usual'. For example, an internal IT department may keep all their systems operational and current through ongoing development work known as system maintenance. Yet, this ongoing work may not result in a unique product or result and as such may not be classified as a project. The project life cycle represents the full definition and life of a project from its start to finish. Figure 2 is an example of a life cycle, but in reality, it can be different for every organization. Many industries have a standard project life cycle that is used as a framework for projects, yet it is wise not to assume there is one that fits all. Any project life cycle, though, will have the same generic framework, but the details within it may be different.

Project Management Tools and Techniques

PERT and CPM are techniques used to analyse the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the time needed to complete each task and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project.

There are a number of tools that can be effective in simplifying complex tasks. Gantt charts provide a visual representation of a project. This is helpful in identifying the length of project tasks, scheduling, and task dependencies. They are popular in project management due to the ease with which they can change and adapt. Colours can be used to represent certain types of information.

The use of cycle-based planning involves breaking down the project into a sequence of cycles, each involving planning, an element of action, and a review phase. This is particularly effective for complex projects, as a successful phase must be clearly identifiable.

Logical Framework Analysis is a specific way of defining a project with a focus on achievements, results, and impact. It is undertaken at the planning stage involving project stakeholders (people with an interest in the project and its outcomes). The analysis provides a structure to help produce the project plan. The main features include objectives, verifying indicators, sources of information, assumptions and risks, and clear identifiable monitoring and evaluation plans.

There are a number of ways to carry out project management, which include the application of tools and techniques. This includes the use of logical frameworks, cycle planning, and process management. Tools and techniques are the most effective way of improving the probability of project success. They provide a way to predict a project's success through empirical evidence, generally through practice.

Concluding Remarks

In authoring this submission I hope that I have successfully introduced the reader to project management and given the respondent a base line knowledge of the distinction of the project from other organisational activities.  I am a member of the IET Project Cost and Controls Management Committee and I am sure that any of the committee members would welcome any of our junior members reaching out through the blog should they wish to engage and take an active role within the group.  I will submit further articles throughout the year and I hope you find them an interesting read.