4.4 Project Management

Abstract

According to the Project Management Institute, A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. Since a project is temporary, it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. Further, a project is not a routine operation, so it often includes teams of people who do not ordinarily work together, sometimes from different organizations and different walks of life. Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet project requirements.

Project management is a lexicon and set of procedures meant to synchronize work on various projects. As you read, you will find that the project management vocabulary is quite intuitive and quite rational. For that reason, you can expect at least one or two boards questions on these chapters. Even if you are not familiar with all the terminology, there is a good chance that you will be able to answer the questions just by knowing some key terms. Most of these chapters are based on the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK), published by the Project Management Institute (A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK^® guide). 5th ed. Sydney, NSW: SAI Global; 2013). A nice read if you have the time.