Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM

Morong, Rizal

INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

I. TOPICS : PROJECT MANAGEMENT

a. History of Project Management

b. Project Management Overview
c. Definition of Project
d. Project Attributes
e. Management Practices, Functions and Processes

II. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOPIC

A. History of Project Management

In late 19th century, in the United States, large-scale government

projects were the impetus for making important decisions that
became the basis for project management methodology such as the
transcontinental railroad, which began construction in the 1860s.
Suddenly, business leaders found themselves faced with the
daunting task of organizing the manual labor of thousands of workers
and the processing and assembly of unprecedented quantities of raw
material.

Henry Gantt, studied in great detail the order of operations in work

and is most famous for developing the Gantt chart in the 1910s. A
Gantt chart is a popular type of bar chart that illustrates a project
schedule and has become a common technique for representing the
phases and activities of a project so they can be understood
by a wide audience. Although now a common charting technique,
Gantt charts were considered revolutionary at the time they were
introduced. Gantt charts were employed on major infrastructure
projects in the United States including the Hoover Dam and the
interstate highway system and are still accepted today as important
tools in project management.

By the mid-20th century, projects were managed on an ad hoc basis

using mostly Gantt charts and informal techniques and tools. During
that time, the Manhattan Project was initiated and its complexity was
only possible because of project management methods. The
Manhattan Project was the code name given to the Allied effort to
develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II. It involved
over 30 different project sites in the United States and Canada, and
thousands of personnel from the United States, Canada, and the
U.K. Born out of a small research program that began in 1939, the
Manhattan Project would eventually employ 130,000 people, cost a
total of nearly US$2 billion, and result in the creation of multiple
production and research sites operated in secret. The project
succeeded in developing and detonating three nuclear weapons in
1945.

The 1950s marked the beginning of the modern project management

era. Two mathematical project-scheduling models were developed.

The program evaluation and review technique (PERT) was

developed by Booz-Allen and Hamilton as part of the United States
Navy’s Polaris missile submarine program. PERT is basically a
method for analyzing the tasks involved in completing a project,
especially the time needed to complete each task, the dependencies
among tasks, and the minimum time needed to complete the total
project The critical path method (CPM) was developed in a joint
venture by DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for
managing plant maintenance projects. The critical path determines
the float, or schedule flexibility, for each activity by calculating the
earliest start date, earliest finish date, latest start date, and latest
finish date for each activity. The critical path is generally the longest
full path on the project. Any activity with a float time that equals zero
is considered a critical path task. CPM can help you figure out how
long your complex project will take to complete and which activities
are critical, meaning they have to be done on time or else the whole
project will take longer. These mathematical techniques quickly
spread into many private enterprises.
Project management in its present form began to take root a few
decades ago. In the early 1960s, industrial and business
organizations began to understand the benefits of organizing work
around projects. They understood the critical need to communicate
and integrate work across multiple departments and professions.
B. Project Management Overview

The starting point in discussing how projects should be properly

managed is to first understand what a project is and, just as
importantly, what it is not. People have been undertaking projects
since the earliest days of organized human activity. The hunting
parties of our prehistoric ancestors were projects, for example; they
were temporary undertakings directed at the goal of obtaining meat
for the community. Large complex projects have also been with us
for a long time. The pyramids and the Great Wall of China were in
their day of roughly the same dimensions as the Apollo project to
send men to the moon. We use the term “project” frequently in our
daily conversations. A husband, for example may tell his
wife, “My main project for this weekend is to straighten out the
garage.” Going hunting, building pyramids, and fixing faucets all
share certain features that make them projects. (ADRIENNE WATT)

C. Defining Project and Project Management

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as a
temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product,
service, or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a
definite beginning and end. The end is reached when the project’s
objectives have been achieved or when the project is terminated
because its objectives will not or cannot be met, or when the need
for the project no longer exists.
Project Management is defined as managing and directing time,
material, personnel, labor and costs to complete a project in an
orderly, economical manner and to meet the established objective of
time, costs, and technical/ and or service result.

D. Characteristics of an Effective Project Management Officer

Project management officers are vital to any business as they can

take important decisions that lead to great ideas. While good PMOs
are hard to find, great ones are even rarer. However, all good PMOs
share certain traits and characteristics that make them an effective
and valuable part of the team. Here are six of the best traits you
should cultivate to become an effective and profitable project
management officer in your organization.
1. Transparency. PMOs today have great insight into the cost and
progress of a particular project. They are also knowledgeable in
handling and allocating the right resources for the right projects. An
effective project management officer can distribute resource
information, schedule and talk about costs to the intended
stakeholders to keep all involved parties abreast with the latest
updates.

2. Consistency
Good PMOs have consistent and repeated practices for project
management that are continually used throughout the organization.
To become a success, all projects are regarded with the same quality
standards and other requirements. Good PMOs also eliminate
redundancies and bureaucratic practices that affect projects.

3. Flexibility
The ability to adapt to unique portfolio and project needs is a telltale
sign of a good PMO. Project delivery styles are largely determined
by organizational structures as centralized PMOs bring many
benefits to the business itself.

4. Communication skills
Communication skills is considered to be one of the most important
traits of a successful executive, whether the CEO or PMO. By
creating a stable and transparent line of communication between the
technical team, managers, executives and stakeholders, a good
PMO’s abilities are judged based on his/her capability of
communicating clearly and honestly.
5. Organization
Organizational skills are critical for a PMO as they are responsible
for scheduling and budgeting in the project. The ability to prioritizes
tasks, assess as well as allocate resources and keep a constant tab
on the budget is key to the success of any project. With the right
organizational skills, a PMO can remain in control of the project and
ensure that no resources are being wasted or misused.
 6. Problem solving
Regardless of the nature, size and urgency of a project, mistakes
and problems are bound to emerge. Instead of panicking or playing
the blame game, a good PMO determines the cause of the problem
and takes immediate steps to rectify the mistake. By effectively
handling difficult solutions and taking brave decisions, a project
management officer can make a big difference in a project’s
outcome.

Project Attributes
Project come in all shapes and sizes. The following attributes help to
define a project further:
1. A project has a unique purpose- Every project should have a
well-defined objective.
2. A project is temporary – A project has a definite beginning and
a definite end.
3. A project is developed using progressive elaboration- Projects
are often defined broadly when they begin, and as time passes,
the specific details of the project become more clear. Project
should be developed in increments. Project team should develop
initial plans and then update them with more detail based on new
information.
4. A project requires resources; often from various areas-
Resources include people, hardware, software, or other assets.
Many projects cross departmental of other boundaries to achieve
their unique purposes.
5. A project should have a primary customer or sponsor – Most
projects have many interested parties or stakeholders, but
someone must take the primary role of sponsorship. The project
sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project.
6. Project involves uncertainty- Because every project is unique, it
is sometimes difficult to define projects objectives clearly,
estimate how long it will take to complete, or determine how much
will it cost.

E. Project Management Practices

Several significant management practices are used when applying
project management methods.
- Network Analysis- also called graphic analysis shows the plan
of action through the use of graphic diagram and used in project
planning for preparing the planning diagram.
- Management by Objectives is a technique that defines
objectives and uses a disciplined method to measure
performance against those objectives used in project planning
and project controlling.
- Management by exception is a technique that signals the
specific problems requiring management attention.

Other management practices such as

cost minimizing- a procedure used to reduce the time required to
complete a project with the least amount of additional cost.
Resource allocation – assigning resources required to complete
each project activity.
Resource leveling- a method for scheduling the project activities to
keep day to day resource requirements even.

D.1 Project Management Functions

Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) consists of nine

management functions such as the following:

1. Managing the scope of the project- that is controlling the

project through the aims, goals and objectives of its sponsor.
2. Managing Costs that is required for financial control of the
project, is accomplished through accumulating, organizing and
analyzing data and reporting the cost information.
3. Managing Time is planning, scheduling, and controlling the
project to achieve the time objectives.
4. Managing Human Resources – involves directing and
coordinating the administration of people involved in the project.
5. Managing Communications – keeps information flowing among
members of the project team and management, helping ensure a
successful conclusion of the project.
6. Managing the Quality is the fulfillment of the quality standards
set up for performance of the project.
7. Managing Contract/Procurement includes selecting,
negotiating, and awarding orders and administering procurement
of material equipment and services.
8. Managing Risk is dealing with the degree of uncertainty of the
project through knowledge of and experience with the conditions.
9. Managing Project Integration ensures that the various
functions of the project are properly coordinated.

D.2. Basic Management Processes

Most management models identify three basic management
processes that serve to organize the ongoing activity of the
enterprise:

• Planning-devising a workable scheme to accomplish an

objective

• Executing-carrying out the plan

• Controlling—measuring progress and taking corrective action

when necessary

These processes occur at all levels of the enterprise, in many

different forms, and under many different names. For example,
planning is a constant, not a onetime event.

. A senior manager may develop a strategic plan that looks out 5-

10 years, or a crisis response plan that addresses 5-10 days.

. A line manager may develop an organization plan and execute

it with the aid of an annual staffing plan.

. Major corrective action may require a plan of its own.

Although there are many variations on this basic model, all view
management as an ongoing activity with neither a clear beginning
nor an expected end (except as an event to be avoided). Projects,
however, are temporary; they have both an identifiable starting
 point and an emphasis on timely future termination. Projects thus
include two additional basic management processes:
• Initiating—setting overall project direction and defining project
objectives
• Closing—formalizing acceptance of the product of the project
and bringing the project itself to an end

These additional processes also occur at all levels of the project,

in many different forms, and under many different names. For
example, the initiating process may be called feasibility analysis
while the closing process may be called turnover or start-up.

F. INSIGHTS / IMPLICATIONS

Project Management is not an easy job. Overseeing a project ensures

meeting its goals, time line and budget. It involves many processes once it is
applied to projects within large organizations and involving many people.
Among the first jobs for a project manager is identifying the scope of a
project – in other words, define in detail what the project is supposed to
accomplish.

Next, a project manager must prepare a schedule, delegate tasks to team

members and setting deadlines for each task.

Along with the schedule, a project manager must establish a budget plan
and ensure that it includes enough to cover unexpected contingencies without
allowing exorbitant cost overruns. As the project begins, the manager must make
sure team members have the necessary resources to accomplish their goals.

Project management is one of the toughest job. Critical thinking skills and
strategic planning helps the project manager resolve crises when it appears.
 During the project execution of the training workshop on retooling the 21 st
century teachers teaching strategies as part of our project planning subject, I came
to realize that starting a project needs that everyone in the team must collaborate
and think critically to ensure desired goals. Communication skills is another factor
that affects in project management. If a leader has problem in oral and written
communication, there is a big probability of project failure.

PARADIGM

PROJECT
MANAGEMENT

CHARACTERISTICS
CONSITENCY
TRANSPAREN

ORGANIZATION
COMMUNICATI
FLEXIBILITY

PROBLEM
SOLVING
SKILLS
ON
CY

PRACTICES FUNCTIONS PROCESSES

 Managing the
scope of the
 Network Analysis project
 Management by  Managing costs
Objectives  Managing time
 Management by  Managing
Exception Human  Initiating
Resources  Planning
Others:  Managing  Executing
Communication  Controlling
 Cost  Managing the  Closing
Minimizing Quality
 Resource  Managing
Allocation Contract/Procur
 Resource ement
Leveling  Managing Risk
 Managing
Project
Integration
G. SOURCES
Books :
1. Information Technology
PROJECT MANAGEMENT 4th Edition
Author: Kathy Schwalse
2. Project Management
Principles and Practices
M. Pete Spiner

E-Book
Chapter I: An Overview of Project Management

Internet sources:
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14005/project-planning
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/basic-process-project-
management-2114
https://thinkingportfolio.com/6-characteristics-of-an-effective-
project-management-officer/