There are as many definitions of the word 'project' as there are management books on the subject of project management.
Sunny and Kim Baker, in their excellent book, 'The Complete Idiots Guide to Project Management' (don't be put off by the title, it really is superb), define a project as:
"A sequence of tasks with a beginning and an end that is bound by time, resources and desired results."
This is as good a definition as any, but how does this differ from ordinary work. Day-to-day work often involves a sequence of task, has a start and an end, and has the constraints of time, money and resources. So can't we define every piece of work as a project? Some organisations do almost that. However, the requirement to bring specific project management skills to a piece of work stems from the 'unique' features of a project. Ordinary work tends to be repetitive, the risks are known and the results are easily predicted. Not so for a project. The uniqueness of projects means that there is no opportunity to rehearse or practice. This means that we need to take special care to define clearly what we want to achieve, how we are going to do it, and how we will know that we have got it right.
Why Projects Fail
Projects can and do fail for numerous reasons and there are many high profile examples to draw from. Almost every organisation, large and small, has a story to tell. How often do we hear of plans being scrapped after millions have been spent? In many cases, the failure was predictable and could have been prevented had proper attention been given. That is really what project management (and project governance) is about.
Typical reasons for project failure include:
Lack of shared vision, lack of resources, lack of management support, scope too broad, lack of commitment from partners/project team, timescales too short, stakeholder hostility, improper planning techniques, changing needs of stakeholders, ineffective monitoring, mission impossible, poor risk management, objectives not clear, poor communication, multiple goals, ineffective teams, moving goal-posts / changing priorities, lack of skills, lack of foresight, poor leadership and conflicting priorities.
And the list goes on! These are all reasons why it is important to adopt a structured approach to project management to ensure that your project is not beset by any of the above.
There are several different project management methodologies, all of which deliver results. Which you choose will depend on several factors, what systems are already in place? What methods your partners or customers use? Which best suits your current method of working? The important thing is that you do use a defined method, so that you can share your approach with those that you work with.
Fred Dinbar is a marketing assistant at silicon beach training. For more
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