Project Management: What and Why

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Project ManagementWhat and Why

• Wayne Baggett

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What is a Project?

• PMI (PMBOK) definition
• a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a
  unique product, service, or result
• Important words
• Temporary definite beginning and end
• Could be long term, though!
• Unique
• Product doesnt already exist in exactly the
  same form

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What is Project Management?

• PMI (PMBOK) definition
• the application of knowledge, skills, tools and
  techniques to project activities to meet project
  requirements
• Not the technical work of the project!
• PM enables the technical work to proceed
• PM activities define/control/direct the technical
  work
• Establishes project goals (scope, cost, schedule,
  quality)
• Identifies and deals with risks (technical,
  managerial)
• Establishes the processes to be used by the
  project

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Triple Constraint

• Classically, Project Management works with three
  quantities
• Scope what is being done
• Cost how much you have to spend
• Schedule when it needs to be done
• Project Manager manages these items to accomplish
  the project goals
• These items interact to affect quality

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Why Project Management?

• ?

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Why Project Management?

• Have you
• Ever worked on a project?
• Provided a time estimate for a task?
• Provided a progress estimate on a task?
• Helped decide who would work on a project?
• Helped decide what work is needed on a project?

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Why Project Management?

• Because we do many PM activities as part of our
• work, anyway!

Might as well learn and apply accepted best
practices to what we already do!
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What Are Those Best Practices?

• PMI defines five Process Groups
• Initiating
• Project charter Initial scope
• Planning
• Scope definition schedule, cost, risk, etc.
  planning
• Executing
• Team building, QA, general management
• Monitoring Controlling
• Schedule cost control, risk monitoring,
  performance reporting, contract administration
• Closing
• Contract closure, project closing

Process A set of interrelated activities
performed to achieve a pre-specified set of
products, services, or results.
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What Are Those Best Practices?

• PMI defines nine Knowledge Areas
• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management

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Best Practice Matrix
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Summary

• Project Management
• Is something we do anyway
• Is an organized approach to achieve project goals
• Utilizes best practices
• Well-defined
• Time-tested
• Generally accepted
• Is worth learning and applying to our work