Project management is a science in that it relies on proven and repeatable processes and techniques to achieve project success. It is an art because it has a lot to do with managing and relating to people, and requires intuitive skills to apply in situations that are totally unique for each project. A good project management methodology provides the framework, processes, guidelines and techniques to manage the people and the workload. A good methodology increases the odds of being successful, and therefore provides value to the organization, project and the project manager. |
The Project Management Process is a methodology for managing work as a project. It is designed to be as flexible as you need to manage your project. For instance, it may not make sense to spend a lot of time on risk management for a project that is 500 hours and similar to many projects that were done before. That does not imply that you ignore potential risks - just that you do not spend as much time as you might on another project - say one where you were implementing new technology.
Project management refers to the definition and planning, and then the subsequent control and conclusion of a project. Before we even begin, let?s first recognize that all projects need some level of project management. You are doing it today - even if it is in your head. The larger the project and the more complex it is, the more there is a need for a more formal, standard, structured process. You may be able to manage a project of two people for 200 hours in your head. However, you cannot manage a project of five people and 1000 effort hours the same way. A project of ten people with 5000 effort hours needs more formal management and a project of 20 people and 20,000 hours needs even more.
Obviously there is a cost to the effort associated with project management.
The Value of Project Management
There are some companies that have built reputations for being able to consistently manage projects effectively. However, the vast majority of organizations have a more spotty reputation. Does your organization have any of the following characteristics?
Projects completed late, over budget, or not meeting the functionality requirements of your client
Weak standard processes and techniques used inconsistently by project managers
Project management is reactive, and not seen as providing value
The time required to manage projects proactively is not built into the work plan, since it is considered ?overhead?
Projects are ?successful? in spite of a lack of planning and project management, though heavy stress and overtime work throughout the life cycle.
Good project management discipline is the way to overcome these shortcomings. Having good project management skills does not mean you have no problems. It does not mean that risks go away. It does not mean that there are no surprises. The value of good project management is that you have standard processes in place to deal with all contingencies.
Project management processes and techniques are used to coordinate resources to achieve predictable results. However, it should be understood up front that project management is not totally a science, and there is never a guarantee of success. Since projects involve people, there is always complexity and uncertainty that cannot be absolutely controlled. Project management is also partly an art that requires flexibility and creativity, especially in the management of people.
Project management is a science in that it relies on proven and repeatable processes and techniques to achieve project success. It is an art because it has a lot to do with managing and relating to people, and requires intuitive skills to apply in situations that are totally unique for each project. A good project management methodology provides the framework, processes, guidelines and techniques to manage the people and the workload. A good methodology increases the odds of being successful, and therefore provides value to the organization, project and the project manager.
The value proposition for project management goes something like this. It takes time and effort to proactively manage a project. This cost is more than made up for over the life of the project by:
Resolving problems more quickly
Not working in areas that are outside of the scope of the project
Resolving future risk before the problems occur
Communicating and managing expectations with clients, team members and stakeholders more effectively
Building a higher quality product the first time.
People who complain that project management is a lot of ?overhead? forget the point. Your project is going to face issues. Do you want to proactively resolve them or figure them out as you go? Your project will face potential risks. Do you want to try to resolve them before they happen, or wait until the problems arise? Are you going to communicate proactively or deal with conflict and uncertainty caused by lack of project information? Are you going to manage scope or deal with cost and deadline overruns caused by doing more work than your budget covers? Are you going to build quality into your process, or fix problems later when they will be more costly to resolve?
The characteristics of the project are not going to change whether you use a formal project management process or not. What changes is how the events are dealt with when the project is in progress. Are they dealt with haphazardly and reactively, or proactively with a smoothly running process?
Good project management requires an upfront investment of time and effort.
Many people consider themselves to be ?doers?. They might not be as comfortable with their planning skills. Many times there is a tendency to discuss a problem, and then go out and fix it. This works when you have a five-hour change request. It doesn?t work on a 5,000 hour project. Resist the urge to jump right in. The project will complete sooner if you properly plan it first, and then have the discipline to manage the project effectively.
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