1

THE HISTORY OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

Job Kimani HDB212-0293/2020

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture And Technology

Business Information Technology

Mr. Samson Munjuru

February 13, 2023

Project management is not a new concept, as people have been managing projects and tasks for

centuries. The earliest record of project management can be found in the writings of the ancient

Egyptians and Chinese, who used a basic system of project management for building their

monumental structures such as the pyramids and the Great Wall of China.

In the 1700s, the Industrial Revolution saw the emergence of project management as a

formalized process. The development of the assembly line and the introduction of new tools and

techniques to improve production and efficiency, led the way for the more structured approach to

project management. The 1900s saw the evolution of project management as the discipline it is

today.

In the 1950s, project management was in its infancy. The term “project management” was not

widely used and the discipline was largely unrecognized. Nevertheless, businesses were

beginning to understand the need to plan and manage projects more effectively, driven by the

increasing complexity of organizational operations and the need to manage large-scale projects.

The 1950s saw the first attempts at formalizing the project management process.

At this time we also saw the emergence of project management software tools.These tools were

primitive at the time, but they allowed for the tracking of project tasks, the management of

resources, and the generation of reports. These tools were the first step towards the development

of the more sophisticated software tools we use today. The 1950s was a formative period in the

development of project management, and it laid the groundwork for the more formalized

methods of project management we see today.

In the 1960s, began with the introduction of the first scientific approach to project management.

This approach was developed by the US Department of Defense, which was seeking to manage

large and complex projects such as the Apollo space program.

A Project Management Institute (PMI) was created and in 1969, the Project Management Body

of Knowledge (PMBOK) was published. This publication provided a framework for project

management, which included the identification of stakeholders, setting of objectives and goals,

tracking of progress, and assessment of the project’s success.

The 1960s also saw the introduction of the Critical Path Method (CPM), a tool used to determine

the duration of a project, and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), a tool used

to identify and analyze the interdependencies between activities within a project. These tools

helped to improve the accuracy of project schedules and costs. The introduction of project

management in the 1960s led to the development of several related disciplines, including risk

management, quality management, and change management. This has enabled organizations to

better manage the complexity of projects and to improve their success rates.

Project management as a discipline began in earnest in the 1970s. The concept of project

management was first formalized in the 1950s, but it was in the 1970s that it began to gain

widespread acceptance. The project management process was first applied to large-scale projects

such as the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which was completed in 1977. This

sparked the development of numerous project management tools and techniques, including the

Gantt chart, which was created by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s and popularized in the 1970s.
 4

The 1970s saw the rise of the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and the

Critical Path Method (CPM). These methods allowed project managers to better plan and control

the progress of a project by taking into account the interdependencies between tasks. This helped

project managers to identify and address potential bottlenecks or delays before they occurred.

The 1970s also saw the emergence of the first project management software. One of the earliest

examples was Microsoft Project, which was released in 1984. This software allowed project

managers to create and manage project plans, as well as track and monitor progress.

The 1980s is seen as the decade when project management formally began to be recognized as a

profession. This was largely due to the increasing availability of project management software.

As technology became more sophisticated, project managers were able to utilize powerful tools

to plan, execute, and monitor projects.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) was founded in 1969, but it wasn't until the 1980s that

it began to gain traction in the business world. In 1981, the PMI created the Project Management

Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which is a set of standards and guidelines for the practice of

project management. The PMBOK has since become the de facto standard for the profession. In

the 1980s, organizations began to recognize the importance of project management and began to

formally implement project management processes. This included the development of project

management offices (PMOs), which are responsible for overseeing the implementation of project

management processes within organizations. These PMOs became the cornerstone of project

management in the 1980s and continue to be an important part of project management today. The

1980s also saw the rise of project management training and certification programs. This enabled

project managers to gain the skills and knowledge needed to manage projects effectively.
 5

Project management in the 1990s saw a significant transformation, as the industry moved away

from traditional methods and towards more modern approaches. During this time period, project

management practices and tools were evolving rapidly in order to meet the needs of the changing

business environment. The 1990s also saw the introduction of project management software,

which greatly simplified and automated many of the processes involved in managing projects.

This software allowed teams to track progress and share information more easily, making it

easier to manage complex projects.

The 1990s also saw the development of project management methodologies such as the Critical

Path Method, which allowed teams to better plan and manage projects. These methodologies

helped to ensure that projects were completed on time and within budget

Project management has evolved significantly from 2000 to 2023. In the early 2000s, project

management involved manual processes such as manual scheduling and tracking of tasks. These

processes were often time-consuming and labor-intensive. By the mid-2000s, project

management software began to become widely available, enabling project managers to automate

many of their processes. This allowed for more time-efficient project completion and better use

of resources.

In the late 2000s, the introduction of cloud-based project management software began to

revolutionize the field. This enabled project managers to access their projects from any location,

allowing for greater collaboration and improved communication between teams. Additionally,

cloud-based software offered increased scalability and access to larger datasets, allowing for

better data analysis and insights.

By the early 2020s, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies had been

incorporated into project management software, allowing for more accurate and efficient

decision-making. AI and ML can be used to automate tasks, detect patterns, and provide insights

into projects. As we move into 2023, project management software is becoming more user-

friendly and intuitive. This is allowing non-technical users to access project management

software with ease. This is further improving collaboration and communication,

Project management has come a long way since its early days. It has evolved from being a loose

collection of project management techniques to a well-defined body of knowledge. Today,

project management is an important part of organizational success, and it is continually evolving

to meet the ever-changing needs of businesses. While the principles of project management

remain the same, the tools and techniques used have become much more sophisticated. As new

technologies emerge, the project management landscape will continue to change. With the right

approach and resources, any organization can benefit from the use of project management.
 7

REFFERENCES:

Weaver, P. (2006). A brief history of project management. APM Project, 19(11), 1-4.

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

Ng, C. H., & Walker, D. H. (2008). International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 1(3), 404-427.

Garel, G. (2013). nternational Journal of Project Management, 31(5), 663-669.

Hall, N. G. (2012) Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, 21, 129-143.

Chiu, Y. C. (2010). From the earliest times to AD 1900. Eburon Uitgeverij BV.

Lock, D. (2017). The essentials of project management. Routledge.