THE ART OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

What is a project?
A project is temporary so it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore
defined scope and resources. (PMI�s Definition)
What is Project Management?
Project management, then, is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and
techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. (PMI�s
Definition)
A project may be well conceived and adequately financed, the resources may be
specialists, and consultants may be highly experienced, but if the efforts of all
the participants are not skillfully coordinated and managed, the project may
overrun the budget, fail to meet the schedule, or fall short in functional and
technical quality.
Who is responsible to manage a project?
In the construction industry it would be unthinkable to conduct a construction
project without a project manager. Some businesses, however, still see a project
manager as overhead rather than integral to success.
There is not one agreed-upon definition of �project manager� nor his/her
responsibilities: scope of duties range anywhere from administrator to
multimillion-budget manager. Project managers, in general, have no formal
authority, though they are held responsible for the overall success of the project.
They are responsible for managing the interaction between all stakeholder groups,
each of whom; have their own expectations and project success criteria.
In a nut shell, the position of project manager demands an overall defined skill
set and personality profile.
Key Project Management Competencies and Skills:
1. Leadership
2. Developing People
3. Communication
4. Interpersonal
5. Stress Handling
6. Problem-Solving
7. Time Management
8. Delegation
9. Motivation