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Project management involves a variety of skills and we'll discuss these over the length of this course, including project planning, the management of resources, and how to lead a team.
The same methods that are used to manage the design of airplanes can also be used to remodel a house, plan a wedding, or learn a new language. All of these can be the results of a well-managed project.
EXAMPLE
The design of a software application is an example of a product deliverable.So what is a project? A project has a defined start date and end date. Sometimes the end date is specified by factors external to the project, such as products that must be ready by a certain time of year. And sometimes it is defined during the project scheduling phase.
The result of a project can benefit an organization, such as a marketing plan for a new model of a car. Or individuals, such as a method to apply for a new car loan.
And finally, a project has a specific budget. Just as with a schedule, a budget might be determined before the project starts, or it might be the responsibility of the project manager and his team to establish the budget.
There are some instances where a project won't have a budget. The project cost might be limited by other means, such as limiting the number of people on the project, for example. Or it might have been determined that the results of the project are necessary no matter what the cost. Now that we've defined projects, we need to discuss how they differ from operations.
Projects have start and end dates. Operations, on the other hand, do not have specific start and end dates.
EXAMPLE
A smartphone was designed and now actual production is ready to begin. Production would continue until it was decided at an unknown time in the future to halt the production.EXAMPLE
An example of a project would be to design a more efficient process to evaluate a new hire. An example of operations would be repeatable and continuous evaluation of new employees.Since operations are ongoing, they often include temporary projects that assist with changes to the operation. Projects do not include operations, but projects might make use of the results of an operation.
EXAMPLE
A software application is developed by a project and will be shipped on CDs. The manufacturing operation should not be considered part of the project because that will be ongoing without an end date.The person who oversees projects is the project manager. This is an individual who uses a range of knowledge, skills, and tools to lead a project to successful completion.
Project managers have many responsibilities including:
In each industry, you'll find project managers with different titles, such as project leads, project coordinators, project owners, and of course, project managers — all different job titles, but often with the same responsibilities.
EXAMPLE
An individual who manages house construction is a general contractor. Individuals who develop movies and video games is a producerSometimes deliverables are too large or too complex for a single project. Or the staff and the details are too much for a single project manager. That's where program management comes in.
Program management provides oversight of multiple related projects.
EXAMPLE
A mission like the Mars Rover is a perfect example of program management. Many interrelated disciplines needed to coordinate their efforts all for one goal: placing a remote control robot on Mars.Program management is not just a collection of projects, though. It is a grouping of projects that are solving the same problem or addressing the same opportunity.
EXAMPLE
An insurance company is releasing a new product to members. For the product to be successful, the following projects may be needed:The oversight of all these projects is program management. And it is often handled by a program manager. The program manager guides the overall direction of all projects within a program through interactions with the project manager and directly with the teams. The program manager may also manage one or more projects within the program, effectively acting as a project manager too.
A program will always have projects within it, but projects do not need to be part of a program. Some organizations will manage all project managers as a single group instead, regardless of the goals and products produced by their projects.
Source: This work is adapted from Sophia author Jeff Carroll.