Project Management Basics

Basics of Project Management

What is Project Management?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations.

Project Constraints

Scope/Cost/Time/Quality

Systems and Standards for Project Management

1. PMBOK Guide by PMI (Project Management Institute)
2. Books of the FIDIC (Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs-Conseils = International Federation of Consulting Engineers)
3. ISO standards

Project Life-Cycle

(Phases, Sequence, Processes - Use diagrams!)

1. Project Management Processes
   • Initiating processes
   • Planning processes
   • Executing processes
   • Controlling processes
   • Closing processes
2. Product-Oriented Processes

Nine Knowledge Areas of Project Management (According to PMBOK Guide)

1. Integration Management
2. Scope Management
3. Time Management
4. Cost Management
5. Quality Management
6. Human Resource Management
7. Communication Management
8. Risk Management
9. Procurement Management

Integration

• Ensures the coordination of the various project elements
• Consists of:
  • Project plan development
  • Project plan execution
  • Overall change control
  • Product description
  • Strategic plan
  • Project selection criteria
  • Historic background
  • Project manager
  • Constraints
  • Assumptions

Scope

• Ensures the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, for its success
• Consists of:
  • Initiation
  • Scope planning
  • Scope definition
  • Scope verification
  • Scope change control

Time

• Ensures proper time management and finishing by the deadline
• Consists of:
  • Activity definition
  • Activity duration estimating
  • Activity sequencing (time sequence)
  • Schedule development

Cost

• Ensures the project is completed within the approved budget
• Consists of:
  • Resource planning
  • Cost estimating
  • Cost budgeting
  • Cost control

Quality

• Ensures the project satisfies the needs it has been undertaken for
• Consists of:
  • Quality planning
  • Quality assurance
  • Quality control

Human Resource

• Ensures the most effective use of professionals in the project
• Consists of:
  • Organizational planning
  • Staff acquisition
  • Team development

Communication

• Ensures the proper treatment (generation, collection, dissemination, storage, etc.) of project information
• Consists of:
  • Communication planning
  • Information distribution
  • Performance reporting
  • Administrative closure

Risk

• Identifying, analyzing, and responding to risks of the project
• Consists of:
  • Risk identification
  • Risk quantification
  • Risk response development
  • Risk response control

Procurement

• Acquiring the required goods and services from outside the performing organization
• Consists of:
  • Procurement planning
  • Solicitation planning
  • Solicitation
  • Source selection
  • Contract administration
  • Contract close-out