What is a Project?
The PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition defines a project as:
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.
Breaking down the definition, a project is:
Temporary, which means that it has a defined beginning and end.
Unique because it is not a routine operation but instead a specific set of procedures designed to accomplish a single goal.
Project Management applies knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.
Despite the project's size, it always integrates a particular set of criteria:
· Meets a specific scope
· Has a clear start and end time
· Requires resources such as people and funding
The sole reason a project exists is to produce the results defined in the scope. The project end date is necessary for identifying how successful performance is. The availability of resources outlines the essence of the products the project can produce.
Characteristics of a successful project include:
Stakeholder and customer satisfaction
Meeting business case objectives
Customer or end-user adoption
Quality of delivery
Meeting governance criteria
Benefits realization
Project Management processes consist of five groups:
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring and Controlling
Closing
Project Management knowledge come from ten areas:
Integration
Scope
Schedule
Cost
Quality
Procurement
Resources
Communications
Risk Management
Stakeholder Management
References:
2017. A guide to the project management body of knowledge. 6th ed. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute, pp.10-28.
