Fundamentals of Project Management and Project Manager
By: Orkhan Aslanov
Tags: Startup, Risk Management, Beginners Guide, Project Management, Project Manager

If you are like most people, you are “pretty sure” you know what projects are, you should understand what project is.

A project is the work performed by an organization one time to produce a unique outcome. By “one time,” we mean the work has a definite beginning and a definite end, and by “unique,” we mean the work result is different in one or more ways from anything the organization has produced before. Examples of projects would include the following:

Building a new house

Developing a new software application

Performing an assessment of current manufacturing processes

Creating a new radio commercial

These are true projects that have a defined start and end date, a goal, a scope, and resources. And, they all require some level of management. I think it is enough to understand project meaning.Let`s talk about what is project management exactly?!

Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters.I think it`s very “understandable” definition.Briefly, anything that has a start, a finish and produces a deliverable is a project. Project management, therefore, is the method by which a project is planned, monitored, controlled and reported on — in other words, managed.

Why is project management so important? Because nothing ever gets done without first building a project plan, and no project plan ever gets executed without the proper environment or the proper processes. Project management then is the action that helps create and execute that project plan. It applies managerial and interpersonal skills to the process of successfully bringing a project from conception to completion according to stated requirements. But if you know what is project management do exactly,you should know phases of project management.

What is Phases of project management and types?

Projects big and small have a lot of moving parts. There’s so much to coordinate and track to get from Point A to Point B and execute a successful project. That’s why projects are broken down into smaller, more digestible pieces, also known as project phases.There are 5 phases to the project life cycle (also called the 5 process groups) — initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing. Each of these project phases represents a group of interrelated processes that must take place.

Initiation:

The initiation phase consists of just two separate processes: the project charter and stakeholder register. The point of this phase is to determine the vision for your project, document what you hope to accomplish, and secure approvals from a sanctioning stakeholder. The key components of the project charter include:

Deliverables

Objectives

Resources needed

Milestone plan and timeline

Cost estimate

Risks and issues

Dependencies

When you take the time to establish a clear and cohesive vision, think through who should ideally be involved in bringing the project to life, and secure the resources you’ll need up front, you give your project a strong start that sets the stage for everything that comes next.

Planning:

The planning phase process group is where you build the project infrastructure that will enable you to achieve your goal within your predetermined time and budget constraints, starting with a project management plan, project scope,work breakdown structure and more — and wrapping up with qualitative and quantitative risk analyses and risk responses. This is your detailed roadmap — your blueprint for success. When you reach the end of this phase of the life cycle, everyone on your team will not only understand the vision of the project, they’ll also understand precisely what they need to do to reach the finish line on time and within budget.

Executing:

The executing phase is where the rubber hits the road — where most of the budget is allocated and most of the project deliverables are produced. You take your project plan and put it into action, whether that takes weeks, months, or even years. The executing phase often includes team development, stakeholder engagement, and formal or informal basis.

Monitoring and Controlling:

This part involves keeping an eye on the actual progress of the project against your plan and taking corrective action where necessary. No amount of perfect planning will exempt you from the need to be constantly vigilant with tracking and reporting. You know what they say about the best-laid plans, after all.

Closing:

The closing phase is the final phase of the project life cycle includes just one solitary process, and it’s more than simply checking off the project as done. It’s essential to formally close the project and secure a sign-off or approval from the customer, stakeholders, and/or project sponsor. This process might include:

Delivering the project

Archiving project records

Celebrating or acknowledging the achievement

Officially disbanding or releasing the team

The importance of this final step of the project life cycle can’t be overstated, especially as more organizations are adopting the Hollywood model of work, where temporary teams come together around a specific project, and then disband and regroup for another project, much the way film crews operate. Every film production ends with a “wrap party,” and so should every major work project.

We touched on project and project management fundamentals.Now talk about project manager.

What project manager do and her/his responsibilities?

A project manager is the person responsible for successfully overseeing a project from start to finish. The job responsibilities of a project manager can range from planning the project, to creating a schedule and timeline, to executing each phase, to managing the budget, to serving among all stakeholders, to troubleshooting and maintenance. I know it is formal definition,that`s why i tell another definition.Project manager or PM to mean “person doing project management tasks, even though it’s not her primary job” or “person thinking about the project at large.”( From”Making Things Happen Mastering Project management” book). We mentioned before that project manager has responsibilities, and we should inform a little about it.

Planner — Ensures that the project is defined properly and completely for success, all stakeholders are engaged, work effort approach is determined, required resources are available when needed, and processes are in place to properly execute and control the project.

Organizer — Using work breakdown, estimating, and scheduling techniques, determines the complete work effort for the project, the proper sequence of the work activities, when the work will be accomplished, who will do the work, and how much the work will cost.

Point Man — Serves as the central point-of-contact for all oral and written project communications.

Quartermaster — Ensures the project has the resources, materials, and facilities it needs when it needs it.

Facilitator — Ensures that stakeholders and team members who come from different perspectives understand each other and work together to accomplish the project goals.

Persuader — Gains agreement from the stakeholders on project definition, success criteria, and approach; manages stakeholder expectations throughout the project while managing the competing demands of time, cost, and quality; and gains agreement on resource decisions and issue resolution action steps.

Problem-Solver — Utilizes root-cause analysis process experience, prior project experiences, and technical knowledge to resolve unforeseen technical issues and to take any necessary corrective actions.

The Umbrella — Works to shield the project team from the politics and “noise” surrounding the project, so they can stay focused and productive.

Coach — Determines and communicates the role each team member plays and the importance of that role to the project success; finds ways to motivate each team member; looks for ways to improve the skills of each team member; and provides constructive and timely feedback on individual performances.

The Bulldog — Performs the follow-up to ensure that commitments are maintained, issues are resolved, and action items are completed.

Librarian — Manages all information, communications, and documentation involved in the project.

Insurance Agent — Continuously works to identify risks and to develop responses to those risk events in advance.

The Police Officer — Consistently measures progress against the plan; develops corrective actions; reviews quality of both project processes and project deliverables.

Salesman — An extension of the Persuader and Coach roles, but this role is focused on “selling” the benefits of the project to the organization, serving as a “change agent,” and inspiring team members to meet project goals and overcome project challenges. (Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Project Management)

I hope I could inform you at least basic knowledge about project management and project manager.