Project Management

 

What is a Project?

A project is a task that has been developed and set into motion.  The task has to be executed, monitored, and finally concluded.  A project could include the following:

• Buying a house or car
• Planning a wedding, thanksgiving dinner, or vacation
• Designing and building a particular type of computer
• Damming up a river
• Hiring an employee
• Writing a PhD thesis
• Deciding which college to attend

Project Management is a set of guidelines to follow if someone wants to become a certified.  These guidelines and certification revolve around the PMBOK...  Project Management Body of Knowledge.

PMBOK PROCESS GROUPS

1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring
5. Controlling
6. Closing

NOTE:  the title of each group pretty much explains what each group covers, although some people might think that monitoring and controlling are the same.  One monitors the fuel depletion when driving a vehicle but that has very little to do with controlling the vehicle and keeping it from running off the road.

PMBOK KNOWLEDGE AREAS

1. Integration
2. Scope
3. Schedule
4. Cost
5. Quality
6. Resource
7. Communications
8. Risk
9. Procurement
10. Stakeholder

There are many people currently working under the title of project manager and while there is no problem with that, they are NOT a CERTIFIED PMPs or a Project Management Professional...   that is not to say that over time, they teach themselves through experience to deal with all these areas.