WEEK 1:

Introduction to Project Management

Definition of a Project
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
It has a definite beginning and end, defined objectives, and consumes resources.
Unlike ongoing operations, projects are unique and non-repetitive.

Meaning of Project Management

If we define a project as an important piece of work, project management is the planning,

organising, directing and controlling of resources for a relatively short-term objective that
has been earlier established to complete specific goals. For example, the construction of a 50-
bed hospital at Ikeja by the Lagos State government will require a lot of resources: financial,
material and labour.

There will be need for procurement of land. There will also be need for architects to design
the hospital. There will be need for structural engineers, civil and building engineers and
electrical engineers. Different types of equipment will be sourced for e.g. X-ray machines,
laboratory equipment, etc. to equip the hospital.

There should be a way in which all these resources should be coordinated and managed for
effective and time management. In situations like these, project management comes in handy
to provide much needed expertise.

Purpose of Project Management

From the onset, it will be necessary to stress that many projects are very complex in nature.
The complexities may be introduced by the nature of technology required to execute the
project. For example, a census project is one of the most difficult and complex projects that
public sector managers may face. Also, managing the 2007 election in Nigeria was another
complex project.

Most projects such as we have mentioned may require elements of critical risks and
uncertainty. For example, how do we predict what will happen next year? Even if we could
predict the political future with a measure of certainty, predicting the movement of prices
and costs of materials in Nigeria involves a lot of risks and uncertainty. In all cases
therefore, we would say that the purpose of project management is to foresee the future and
associated problems and therefore, plan, organise and control key activities so that projects
are completed successfully and on time too.

If we see project management from that perspective, it follows logically that project
management starts even before financial resources are committed and lasts until the
completion of the project.
Types of Projects

We have discussed the meaning of project management and also the purpose. Let us go
further and discuss the various types of projects that we might encounter in our different
organisations as managers. Some of the types include:

Tangible Projects

Tangible projects are those projects whose output are tangible and can be seen with the
naked eye. They may include the following:

• a civil engineering project

• a hospital building project

• a water borehole project

• an aircraft manufacturing plant

• a milk manufacturing plant

• an urban play ground.

Intangible Projects

Intangible projects are those that require commitment of resources but whose output cannot
be seen with the naked eye. In most cases, they are social projects and in some cases they
may be political projects. Examples of intangible project in Nigeria include the 2007 elections
and the national census.

Projects Objectives
Projects must have objectives. It is one of the important tasks of project managers to see that
the projects they manage meet their objectives. Let us now discuss the objectives of projects.

Completion Time

Most projects, when formulated, have completion times. A normal football match lasts for
about 90 minutes. It is the duty of the referee to ensure that the football match is completed
within the set time. Most public sector projects even at the time they are awarded or
initiated always have a time frame attached to them. For example, the rehabilitation of the
Lagos-Benin expressway may be projected to be completed in 24 months. That is the
projected duration of the project. Any contractor who is given the contract for such a job
should ensure that the road is completed on time.

Another point to note about completion time of projects is that late completion or delivery of
an agreed project will not please the sponsor of a project. Consider, for example, that the
Federal Ministry of Works awards a contract for the dualisation of the Owerri-Onitsha road
to Julius Berger and the road is to be completed in 24 months under the terms of the
underlying contract. If Julius Berger, the contractor, fails to complete the road project in 24
months, the Ministry of Works will not be pleased with it. Besides, time is money and if a
contractor fails to operate within a time frame, inflation may set in and delay the project
completion or increase the cost.

Performance

All projects have objectives which they set out to achieve. For example, a public hospital
project should have the objective of providing safe and affordable healthcare to the
community. Also, a private sector fast food project has the objective of manufacturing
hamburgers, fish cake, hot dogs, etc. for its customers. This is a performance objective.

Also, apart from the performance objective, most projects have a quality objective. For
example, a hospital should have the objective of providing healthcare. This is a performance
objective. But the provision of the service should be safe. For example, hospital workers
(nurses, doctors, etc.) while treating patients must take adequate care so as not to infect the
patients with the HIV through use of unsterilized needle. This is a quality objective.

Most organisations have quality as one of their major objectives. See, for example, what
Daimler Benz has done with Mercedes Benz cars.

Sony products are reputed for their amazing quality. Finally, another aspect of performance
is reliability. A good product should also be reliable especially in the case of medical testing
devices like PH meters.

In patient care, an unreliable thermometer may raise a false alarm concerning the health of a
patient and lead to wrong diagnosis.

Budget

All projects involve financial outlays. The financial outlays (expenditures) attached to a
project are usually controlled by the budget. The budget sets a limit as to the quantity of
funds a project can consume. In most organisations, the budget for every project is usually
set aside. The reason why a project should be monitored is that failure to do so in some
cases may lead to exhaustion of funds and abandonment of the project in question.

We have seen that projects may have three main objectives, namely: time, performance and
budget objectives. A major task facing project managers is how to balance these three
objectives. What it means is that at all times the focus of managers must be on the three
items. To retain our understanding of project objectives, we will go a step further to look at a
simple triangle of objectives.
Fig. 1: The Triangle of Objectives

Discuss the objectives of executing a project.

Characteristics of a Project

- Temporary: Has a start and finish date.

- Unique Deliverables: Results in a unique product, service, or result.
- Progressive Elaboration: Scope and details become clearer as the project progresses.
- Resource Constraints: Limited by cost, time, and resources.

Project vs. Operations

Projects are temporary and unique, while operations are ongoing and repetitive.
Projects drive change, whereas operations sustain the business. Project management applies
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements.

Importance of Project Management

- Aligns project goals with organizational strategy.

- Enhances efficiency through planning and control.
- Minimizes risks and resource wastage.
- Ensures stakeholder satisfaction and accountability.

The Role of a Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for leading the project team, managing scope, time, and
cost, communicating with stakeholders, and ensuring that the project delivers its objectives
effectively and efficiently.
Practice Questions
1. Define a project and explain how it differs from operations.
2. List and explain four characteristics of a project.
3. Why is project management important in today's business environment?
4. Describe the role and responsibilities of a project manager.

Case Study

You have been hired to manage the development of a new mobile app for a fintech startup.
The goal is to launch the product within six months.
Describe how you would define the project, align it with the company's strategy, and identify
the role of the project manager in ensuring its success.

TEAM BASED STRUCTURE

Team-Based Structures

In a very large organisation including a multinational, we come across situations where there
are many teams within the organisation. The teams may be created for various purposes. Let
us briefly discuss some examples of teams in a practical organisation setting. To organise our
thoughts we shall define team-based structures as "employee teams". It is a design where
work is structured for groups. The groups are then given authority and discretion over
matters such as process improvement, service development, quality management or even
new product development. Team approach to management was developed mainly by
Japanese companies like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Sony, and a whole lot of others. What we
see today are giant Japanese firms which control a large segment of global trade?

Let us briefly discuss some of the team-based structures that are in place in some
organisations.

Pure Project Teams

A pure project team is a specially constituted work group formed within the organisation
and given a special assignment or task. The assignment could be any of the following: a.
installation of a new computer system

b. design of a new product

c. design of a new service format.

Usually, members of a pure project team are nominated to join the team based on certain
criteria. A team leader or manager is usually placed at the head of the team. In most cases,
after the assignment has been completed, the team is disbanded.

Task Force Teams

A task force is created by top management to tackle or solve a major problem. In the Nigerian
setting, we have witnessed the advent of one task force or the other. There was the task force
on ports congestion. Members of a task force are usually drawn from various organisations
with a team leader as the head. Usually at the end of the assignment or when the task force
loses focus, it is disbanded.

Quality Improvement Teams

Today, quality has become an issue that has taken the front line in business discussions. Most
organisations are drawing heavily from the Japanese firms that have long imbibed quality as
their watch word.

In Nigeria today, total quality management (TQM) has become an important issue and many
firms are setting up internal quality teams specially empowered to address ways to improve
quality.

Group Dynamics and Team Building

Recall that organisations grow out of the need for people to cooperate for the achievement of
set goals. The coming together is based on the fact that different people have different skills.
That precisely explains briefly the origin of teams or groups.

Although groups have been variously defined in the literature, our working definition is that
a group is a collection of two or more people who perceive themselves as a group, share a
common interest, goal, norm and a sense of belonging. They may have a leader.

Invariably, the following can be seen as groups:

a. a computer steering committee

b. a product launch committee.

We have just defined a group but we need to go further to examine the group content. In an
ideal project team or group, there will be different people from different backgrounds and
different skills. When people join a project team or group, they may lose their work identity
especially if the group they joined has a work culture or ethics.

Practically, organisations use groups or teams for the following purposes: a. To distribute
work along clearly defined lines. In a bank, for instance, you could find the energy group,
treasury group, etc. b. To monitor and control work. After a group has been formed, the
group needs to be managed and that is why every group or team should have a leader. c.
Problem solving. At times, groups are used to solve organisational problems as they arise.
Problems facing an organisation are many. They may be major or minor. In most cases, when
major problems arise, management can set up a team to look into the problem.

Team Work

Building project teams is not the end of the task ahead. The most important task is how to
build team spirit. Like we said earlier, members of the team may come from various units or
departments to join a particular team set up at the head office. The critical task and which is
the duty of the team leader is to ensure that the group members see themselves as members
of a team and also work like a team.

If members of a team are to perform as team players and work towards team objectives, then
certain things should be present in the team. Let us examine those things:

One Unit Goal

It is important that every member of a team perfectly understands the goals and objectives
of the team. Every action of each member must be directed towards the set objectives of the
team.

Group Cohesiveness and Support

A group is made up of a number of people with different qualities and characteristics. A good
group is one in which there is that cohesiveness. This cohesiveness binds the group together
and makes them act in one direction and towards the same objectives.

Team Spirit

Individual spirit is not the same as team spirit. Team spirit is based on group affinity and
affection amongst members. Team spirit makes an individual member imbibe the spirit of a
group and behave like the group.

High Expectations

There must be high expectations amongst the various members of a team. For example,
when you form a 15-man football team to represent Nigeria, each team member usually will
have high expectations arising from team dynamics and spirit.

Willingness

Team members must be willing to be members of the team. They should not be unwilling
members because if they are, they will be frustrated and this will affect the team as a whole.

Communication within Project Team

We need to now discuss communication within a project team. In a project team, there will
be a lot of people who need to communicate with each other.

Communication is the process of exchanging information between one person or another or

between one person and a group of persons. Communication also conveys knowledge of or
information about a subject matter. Communication is all about sharing information.
Generally, in a team situation, there is the need for effective communication amongst the
members. The importance of communication is that it is the life blood of any organisation
and by implication the team. Communication as a process assists management functions to
be accomplished. Communication enables the team leader to communicate with other
members of the team and also enables other team members to communicate with the team
leader. Communication provides a link between people in a team or organisation.

The real purpose of communication is to effect change in an organisation and influence

action towards organisational objectives. Communication organises the human resources in
an organisation or team. Let us discuss the lines of communication in a project team.

Vertical Communication

Vertical communication within the project team could be from the team leader to
subordinates or from the subordinates to the team leader. Vertical communication assists in
passing information on policies and provides feedback mechanism through which staffs
respond to communication.

Horizontal Communication

In a project team, communication can flow horizontally across staff at the same level in the
project team. It could be communication to all the managers in the team or at the same level.

External Communication

Within a project team, external communication is a situation where the team or group
exchanges information with the larger organisation. For example, when a team leader
reports progress to the managing director, we regard the information as a form of external
communication as it is outside the team.

Building Good Interpersonal Relations within the Team

An organisation may possess enormous capital, good organisational structure, highly trained
manpower. But if the staff do not relate properly to one another, then problems may likely
occur frequently and retard corporate performance. And so it is with a team. As discussed
earlier, a team can be made up of people from different units and backgrounds. It is
therefore, very important that at all times, managers should be aware of the need to build
and maintain good interpersonal relationship with their subordinates, bosses and peers
within the organisation. Put simply, interpersonal relations are the way and manner people
get along with one another. It could be the relationship between one person and another or
between one group of persons (e.g. staff) and another group of persons. If people are friendly
and understanding, then good interpersonal relations develop and everyone performs his or
her tasks properly.

Effects of Poor Interpersonal Relations

a. Tension between staff and other fellow staff

b. Tension between staff and management

c. Tension amongst management staff

d. Unhealthy internal rivalry between all staff

e. Industrial misery and hostility f. Strike

g. Corruption

h. General dishonesty

i. Crime in the work place

j. Disloyalty to the organisation.

In a situation where there is no good interpersonal relation, obviously productivity is
lowered and this gives rise to lower earnings for the organisation.

Principles of Interpersonal Relations

a. Act like a member of a team. Do not let personal interest affect that of the organisation

b. Remember that other staff come from different backgrounds and will at times behave
differently from your expectations
c. Learn to be accommodative

d. Keep your boss informed of your movements at all times

e. Avoid gossips in the workplace

f. Display a positive attitude to your job

g. Be friendly and cooperative

h. Treat your subordinates with respect

i. Stick to the chain of command

j. Learn to wear a smile on your face always

k. Show interest in other peoples‘ problems

l. Always learn to say "thank you"

m. Avoid aggressive behaviour

n. Always learn to apologise when you are wrong

o. Greet people in the morning, afternoon and evening

p. Be polite

q. Be respectful

r. Be honest

s. Be responsive

t. Show good hygiene.

EXERCISE:

Discuss the effects of poor interpersonal relation within the team.