Scribd
Upload
6 views2 pages

Project Management

gg

Uploaded by

Stephen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views2 pages

Project Management

gg

Uploaded by

Stephen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Project Management

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project
activities to meet the project requirements. This simple definition represents a compromise that
resulted from intense discussions within the Project Management Institute (PMI) during the
1980s. One of the priorities of PMI during this time was the development of Project Management
as a profession. Although debate continues on whether project management is a profession with
an enforceable code of conduct and other traditional criteria for recognition as a profession, the
development of a guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) and
the project management certifications that derived from these efforts helped promote the
understanding and development field.
The discussion about what should be in the definition of project management included debates
about the purpose of project management. Is the main purpose to meet client expectations or is
the main purpose to meet the written specifications and requirements? This discussion around
meeting project requirements was not easily settled.
If it is assumed that the project client is the one who defines project requirements, then maybe
project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet the
client requirements or client expectations. PMI’s definition of project management does provide
a good understanding of project management, but it does not help us understand project success.
For that, we must include the client.
Jack Meredith and Samuel Mantel discussed project management in terms of producing project
outcomes within three objectives of cost, schedule and specifications. Project managers are then
expected to develop and execute a project plan that meets cost, schedule and specification
parameters. According to this view, project management is the application of everything a project
manager does to meets these parameters. This approach to defining project management shares
PMI’s focus on the project outcomes in terms of requirements.
Meredith and Mantel added a fourth aspect of project management, the expectations of the client.
One client-centered definition of project management is the application of knowledge, skills,
tools and techniques to meet or exceed the expectations of the client. This definition focuses on
delivering a product or service to the client that meets expectation rather than project
specifications. It is possible to meet all project specifications and not meet client expectations or
fail to meet one or more specifications and still meet or exceed a client’s expectation.
Meredith and Mantel discussed a tendency noted by Darnall that expectations often increase
during the life of a project. Meredith and Mantel suggest that this is a form of scope increase. A
project scope is a carefully crafted document that reflects the performance specifications of the
project deliverable. Defining the project scope and managing scope change is a very different
process from developing an understanding of a client’s expectations and managing those
expectations. Darnall focused on defining and managing client expectations as a critical project
management skill that is distinct from scope development and management.
High Way project
The department of Highways in South Carolina was exploring ways to reduce the road
construction costs and developed new contracting processes to allow the road builders to bring
new ideas for cutting costs. On one project, the contractor proposed cost-cutting ideas through-
out the life of the project. At each phase, the client accepted many of the ideas and then revised
the budget.
The client promoted the revised cost target of the project as an example of the success of the new
process. By the end of the project, the final cost was less than 1 percent over the newest target.
Although the total cost of the project was almost 10 percent less than the original cost projections
and contract obligations, the success of the project was connected to the new expectations
developed during the life of the project. Even though this project performance exceeded the
original goal, the client was disappointed.

You might also like