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Project CH - 1
Project CH - 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO
PROJECT
a project is “a unique set of co-ordinated activities, with definite starting
and finishing points, undertaken by an individual or organization to meet specific
objectives within defined schedule, cost and performance parameters.”
What is a Project?
2
A project is
a one-time, multitask job with a definite starting point, definite
ending point,
has clearly defined scope of work, a budget, and usually a
temporary team.
• A Project is:
– a Problem Scheduled for Solution.
– a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a
unique product/service.
Cont…
• An endeavor in which human, machine material and
financial resources are organized in a novel way, to
undertake a unique scope of work, of given
specification, within constraints of cost and time, so
as to deliver beneficial change defined by qualitative
and quantitative objects.
• we can also define project as an organized program
of pre determined group of activities that are non-
routine in nature and that must be completed using
the available resources within the given time limit.
• A project uses one or more scarce resources during a
specific time for the purpose of producing some economic
returns or outputs at a later date.
Features of a project
1. Specific and Unique:
• Every project is unique in that it requires doing
something different than was done previously.
• Each project is unique in the sense that the activities
of a project are non routine.
• A project is a one-time activity, never to be exactly
repeated again. They do not involve repetitive
processes.
• Projects involve doing something that has not been
done before in the same environment: having
different location, different design, different
circumstances and situations and so on.
No two projects, even projects with the same general
objectives, are ever identical in planning or implementation.
Cont…
2. Temporary
• A project has a definite beginning and definite end(finite
duration).
• Temporary does not necessarily mean the duration of the
project is short.
• It refers to the project’s engagement, it can be a
3month project or 25 years project or …
• Temporary does not typically apply to the product, or
service created by the project;
•Most projects are undertaken to create a lasting
outcome.
Projects are temporary activities as an ad hoc organization
of personnel, material, and facilities is assembled to
accomplish a goal, usually within a scheduled time frame.
3. Progressive Elaboration
4. Requires Resources
6. Definable objective
• Project involves a definable objective usually specified in
terms of cost, schedule, and performance requirements.
7. Project has life cycle:
• Project is the process of working to achieve a goal; during
the process, projects pass through several distinct
phases, called the project life cycle. The tasks, people,
organizations, and other resources change as the project
moves from one phase to the next.
Cont…
8. Team Work
• Project is a team work and it normally consists of diverse
areas. There will be personnel specialized in their
respective areas and co-ordination among the diverse
areas calls for team work.
9. Complexity
• A project is a complex set of activities relating to diverse
areas.
Key features
It has a long-term effect: impact extends far into the future. Present outlays
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Cont…
Program
• A group of related projects, subsidiary programs, and
program activities managed in a coordinated manner
to obtain benefits not available from managing
them individually.
• Reliable/achievable :
Do we have the resources (human, financial, material,
information, time) to make the goal happen? Is the
objective achievable with the available resources and
timeframe.
• Time-based :
It should identify a definite target date for completion
and/or frequencies for specific action steps that are
important for achieving the goal on/within a specific
time period.
Key stakeholders of a project
Key stakeholders who are directly linked to most
projects are;
1. Project manager:
• The project manager has primary responsibility for the quality of a
project's deliverables and its successful completion.
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Initiating
This stage defines and authorizes the project. The project manager is named,
and the project is officially launched through a signed document called the
project charter, which contains items such as the purpose of the project, a
high-level product description, a summary of the milestone schedule, and a
business case for the project.
Project charter
1.
defines what is to be done to meet the requirements of project
customers.
2.
3.
should be used to authorize work on the project;
defines the authority, responsibility, and accountability of the project
4.
team; and
Establishes the scope boundaries for the job.
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Factors Affecting Project Success
• Coordination and relations
• Adequacy of structure and control
• Project uniqueness, importance, and public
exposure
• Success criteria analysis and consensus
• Competitive and budgetary pressure
• Initial over-optimism, conceptual difficulty
• Internal capabilities buildup
Chapter End!