Project Management Basics
What is a Project?
A project is a series of tasks to be completed constrained by time, cost, and the amount of work, (or scope) involved.
Here’s a great definition from The-Project-Management-Starter-Guide.pdf found at workzone.com
A project is a set of tasks grouped together with a common goal in mind that:
1) has a clear start and finish;
2) creates something new (even if it already exists elsewhere);
3) has boundaries (such as project scope and specifications);
4) and has someone in charge or someone personally invested in the outcome.
“A Clear Start And Finish”
What makes a project unique from a program is that it has a definite start and end. Between the start and the end are the tasks or deliverables, called Scope. Scope refers to everything that needs to be completed before the end of the project.
One thing to be watchful of is adding to the project scope. It is because of this pitfall that projects can last too long and success can be hard to define — so DON’T DO IT! Figure out the key players and agree on the start and the end to assure success!
