Project Management

The Project Management Institute refers to a project as a temporary group activity geared towards producing a unique service, product or result. It is temporary in the sense that is has a set beginning and end, in contrast with routinised business activities that recur over time, and unique in that it involves a specific set of operations that aim to achieve a singular goal. Project Management refers to the combination of processes and activities needed to ensure that these projects are completed within pre-defined constraints (or objectives), which usually cover quality, time and cost. Together, these three elements are sometimes referred to as the overall project scope, and are the parameters against which the success of a project is ultimately assessed, though they are often adjusted throughout the lifecycle of a project. As a result, successful project managers need to have a solid set of skills in planning, organising, monitoring and managing resources to achieve specific goals.