A project is an assignment or task taken up to achieve a specific goal. The development and introduction of new services or of a management information system are instances of a project. A project is different from the continuous or day-to-day processes of a company. It is confined within cost, time, and quality constraints. As a consequence to it a special team of expertise is appointed to manage a project.

Project management as the name suggests is all about nurturing or handling a project. This is done with the aid of requisite knowledge about the project, skills and techniques to complete the project within fixed tenure and resources. Project management involves step-by-step procedure along with a prudent approach towards the project.

At first the concerned organization prepares an outline of the project. This includes knowing and writing down what the project is all about, the cost involved in the project, the amount of resources needed. A thought is also given to the tentatively earliest possible time within which the project can be completed. Once the budget and other nitty-gritty’s about the project are known the organization looks for sponsors and a project manager. If the individual sponsoring the project is skilled and efficient enough, he too can be its manager.

The project manager then appoints a team of people to work under him. Together with the team the manager of the project prepares a project plan. This plan is not just about the cost and time factors but also regarding the manner in which the project is to be initiated and covered up later. This requires lot of discussions and settlements between the project manager and the team of employees.

The implementation stage of a project is where the project is put to execution as decided. While executing a project its progress and managing changes need to be carefully monitored. At this point in order to harness the resources well the project manager might feel the need to expand his team. For instance marketing of the product may be suffering due to more heed being paid to its manufacturing or due to lack of good marketing executives. This may also involve contacting new companies and organizations. Thus a set of people needs to be readily appointed to take charge of this. However then it is always at the onus of the manager to equip the new members with a proper and complete knowledge of the project. In some cases training may also be imparted.

After all these stages are over, the project comes at its stage of completion. This is known as the close down stage. Here the project manager safely handles the completed work in the hand of the client or the customer. Once a project is finished and handed over, a project review meeting should be held to study the work done, encourage if something good was discovered during the project and also learn from the mistakes made. These should also be documented and later published in warts and all. This acts as a great help in future assignments

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Mansi gupta writes about Project Management . Learn more at http://www.enjoyprojectmanagement.com

As with any goal or activity to get any percentage chance of success, you need to know what success is.

What are you aiming for? What is the purpose of beginning the activity? The same applies with projects.

A project, be it a multi-million dollar construction development, or a scrapbook, needs to have an end point - that particular final event which marks completion.

Whatever the scope the end point needs to be identified before the project begins. It could be domestic, a new kitchen installed, decorated and working; paint a bedroom; install a water heater etc. It could be industrial, install and commission a piece of machinery; implement a safety management system; design and build an accounting package etc. Or it could be personal, run a marathon; drop 2 clothes sizes, walk the Kokoda Trail; climb Everest etc.

Each project is different and each has a unique defined end point. To be successful in managing a project, you need to define (or have defined for you) that end point. So begin with the end in mind.

Similarly to goal setting; the end point can be more easily defined using SMART as an acronym.

Specifically stated - Stated positively in present tense

Measurable - What will I see, hear, smell, taste, feel and touch upon completion

Achievable - Can I achieve it by myself, what input do I need from others?

Resources - What resources do I need?

Time based and Towards - When precisely will this outcome happen?

Whilst it’s possible to hit an invisible target, it is much easier to plan and to hit a visible one. So get defining.

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Liz Cassidy, founder of Third Sigma International is an author, Speaker, Trainer and Executive and Performance Coach dedicated to facilitating results in the businesses, professional and personal lives of her clients. For more information http://www.thirdsigma.com.au

If you have ever had responsibility for managing a project, regardless of how little or how big, you will understand the many nuances and special considerations that have to be taken into account behind-the-scenes. Project management success stories rarely show the struggles, problems or weaknesses of the project or team to the public. One author, Herbert Lovelace, likened this to the kitchen, which "…tends to be cleaned up before it is shown to guests! "

Understanding how projects should be managed or "by the book" methodology is a good reference guide and tool for everyone. But, in order to succeed the project manager must understand the myriad of people, their needs, and the potential problems and issues that need to be tackled before the project can be called successful. In my own experience, project management is a culmination of all the experiences and knowledge I have gained on past projects and is modified based on circumstance. There are, however, some very broad guidelines that can be implemented to help ensure the project stays on track.

• 1.Identification:
  make sure the problem, or project purpose, is clearly identified before starting. This is best done by putting the purpose into writing and having the entire team review the text. Next, solicit the team's agreement to the purpose in a roundtable meeting. This will also help to identify the customer's concerns and issues that need to be addressed throughout the project and help to stratify the resources and potential conflicts the team may encounter.
• 2.Preparation:
  is all about figuring out what to do and how to do it. Although most of us can handle the mechanics of preparation fairly well on an independent basis, it may be more difficult to ensure that all project team members are in agreement. It is advisable to have everyone sign off on what is to be done and his/her role in the project as part of the preparation. People are far more likely to support something that they understand and have had a role in developing. In our organization we use a document, called a Scope of Work agreement, as part of the contracts and negotiation process that details the work to be done on the project. By using this document we can clearly set the project tasks, milestones and timeline before the contracts are finalized. Here's one tidbit, if you are trying to implement systems, and you can't explain it easily, don't implement it!
• 3.Implementation:
  just remember, it is always tricky! Try to keep implementation as simple as possible and have a rollback strategy in place. How you react to unexpected issues will make the difference between success and failure. Don't demoralize a team working long hours by letting critical decisions hang or go unanswered. Make sure that everyone on the team is in the communication loop and has a stake in the project. By the same token, don't be afraid to use the rollback strategy if unexpected events sabotage the time line.
• 4.Reflection:
  is your most valuable tool. We all learn a lot after the project is over about what or how we might have done something differently. It is helpful to keep a written log during the project. The log can also be used as a tool after the project is over to figure out how things could have been improved. A post-project team meeting where all team members can contribute to the feedback is warranted and will produce valuable information from all stakeholders.

Project managers should take the time to learn from formal methodologies and utilize the help from mentors and other experienced project managers. In my humble estimation, though, there is no substitute for the "hands-on" approach to project management and planning. Regardless of the methodology or set of ideals you start out with, nothing will replace the amount of sweat, teamwork, hard work and personal involvement required to successful project management. You can reduce the number of problems and issues you deal with, however, by following these four simple guidelines.

Copyright 2005, Michele Webb. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
The author owns her own website and is a member of a number of organizations for women Netpreneurs and business owners and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada USA with her two dogs. You can contact Michele at mailto:news@ebooksnstuff.com or visit her website at: http://www.ebooksnstuff.com

By S. Maurer.
From small and big businesses managing their client and internal projects, to professors managing their classrooms, to individuals managing their home improvement projects (and weddings), everyone is using Project Management to keep whatever it is they're working on organized and on track.

Project managers can be found in all industries. Their numbers have grown rapidly as industry and commerce has realised that much of what it does is Project Management work.

Project Management PM is one of the world’s most in-demand skill sets and is one of the fastest growing professional disciplines in the World.

The focused Project Management principle: No one has to play detective to discover the goals nor play lawyer to defend them.

In business, Project Management is an art, a skill, and a demanding full-time job. Project managers are key employees in such industries as construction, engineering, architecture, manufacturing, and real estate development, but many opportunities for PMs exist outside these areas. In high tech, for example, or biotech or pharmaceuticals, project managers are responsible for launching new products, developing new technologies, and managing alliance programs with strategic partners.

Project Management includes implementing the project plan, along with careful controls to stay on the critical path, that is, to ensure the plan is being managed according to plan.

Whether your Project Management covers creating a new administration system or building a new office block, the Project Management will give you the skills, knowledge and competencies required to balance the time, the budget and the scope.

About the Author
S. Maurer is a 53-years old college graduated IT professional, with 30 years of experience in the computer & technology fields. Now is the Academic Director of http://mba-open-university.net/pm.htm and http://cio-certification-ccio.net.