CVEN3101

Project – Definition
• Set of activities with start-end points and defined objectives, constraints and resources.
• Routine à actions done with repetition (operating household, manufacturing goods).
• Project à done once only (building a house, constructing a hospital).

Project Levels
• Personal (preparing for exams).
• Local neighbourhood (school function).
• Organisations (constructing a building).
• National and global (UN peace missions).

Project Features
• Jobs independent and consume time.
• Finite resources.
• Coordination required to meet goals (time, cost, performance).

Project Management Tasks

• Plan.
• Implement.
• Control.
• Utilising people and resources.

Three Project Objectives

• Scope (specified deliverables).
• Time.
• Cost.
Project Success
• How to measure a project’s success (money or performance or stake holders believe it’s
a success).
• Causes for underperformance.

Underperformance and Failure

• Underperformance à implies range from no underperformance to heavily
underperformed.
• Failure à implies a sharp cut-off of either failure or no failure.

Project Outcome – Factors

• Project manager + team.
• Stakeholders + documentation.
• Communication.

Project Manager
• Key individual for a project responsible for the outcome but lacking full authority.
• Must constantly deal with project senior management, client, project team, public,
vendors and subcontractors.

Project Life Cycle

• Does not need to have an “S” shaped curve.
Time Distribution Curve

Risk in Life Cycle

• There is always inherent risk since we are projecting very far into the future.
• Minimise the risk by constantly re-planning the project.