- Project Management Needs Good Communications - Concrete Forms:Creative Commons
Project management can be defined as: “The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project.” (‘Everything in Business Relates to Everything in Business’, Fig. 5.11, Northeastern Illinois University, neiu.edu, accessed 12 May 2010)
Project management is not just carrying out routine work or completing a single task. It can be best understood as a planned undertaking with a course of action leading to the fulfillment of defined objectives.
It therefore involves planning the project, defining a course of action for the project, and managing the available resources until the objectives of the project have been achieved.
Projects must have a Leader
Every project has a leader who is responsible for achieving the objectives of the project. The usual title given to that leader is Project Manager. This person must have sufficient training and/or experience to manage the project, and be able to access the resources needed for its completion.
Project Managers work to a Plan
Every project has a plan that states the project’s objectives and details the actions needed to achieve them. The project manager is responsible for putting the plan together and for communicating the details of the plan to others in the team.
All Projects have Objectives
The project can have a single objective or any number of objectives. It is essential that the objectives of the project are clearly stated so that everyone involved understands what it is they’re working to accomplish. The statement of the objectives will also be a definition of the way those involved will know that the project has been completed.
The Project’s Stakeholders Must be Identified
Every project has at least one stakeholder, but usually there are more than one and each needs to be identified. Any person, group or organization that will benefit from the project’s successful completion is a stakeholder. Stakeholders can benefit in different ways, and the way in which each will benefit should be clearly defined in the project’s planning stage.
Projects Have a Timeframe
Every project runs to a predetermined timeframe that details the steps that need to be taken during the project and when each step is to be commenced and completed. The timeline of events is monitored by the project manager who has the responsibility of ensuring that all tasks are completed on time.
Milestones are Part of the Project Plan
A series of milestones should be stated in the overall project plan. Milestones are targets that need to be accomplished at specific points in time as elements of completing the overall project. If a milestone isn’t reached on time the project manager will determine appropriate action to get the project back on track toward its scheduled completion time.
The Project Follows a Budget
The project plan must incorporate a budget relating to the timeframe. It details the expenditure and other resources that will be needed during the project’s lifetime and identifies when they will be needed and from where they will be sourced.
Communications are a Key Project Element
Good communications between the project manager and the stakeholders and between the project manager and the project team are essential. The project manager should ensure that all parties are kept up-to-date on progress and have the information needed to prevent misunderstandings or duplication of effort.
There is one other key point that must be made. No organization can reasonably expect a project manager to satisfactorily complete a project without giving the manager the authority and resources needed to carry out the project.
According to a 2004 study, this support plays a key part in determining the successful outcome of projects: “...include top management support by having the project management organization report to upper management levels by allocating some full-time staffing, which avoids the appearance of a project management organization having a ‘watchdog approach’ rather than functioning as a supportive and facilitating unit.” (Measuring the Value of Success in Project Management Organizations, Robert Cook, Argosy University, December 2004)
The level of the project manager’s responsibility must be matched by a level of authority conferred on the manager by the sponsoring organization.
Philip Keeffe - Phil Keeffe is an Australian journalist originally from California who has lived in Sydney since 1968. His communications background ...
