PrintLesson 1-Introduction to Project Management
Lesson 1 Overview
In this lesson, you are introduced to project management concepts and practices. This will set the stage for subsequent lessons, in which you will apply key practices and methods to practical project scenarios. The lessons in this course follow the approaches and practices espoused by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and other authoritative sources on best practices for project planning and execution. These best practices apply generally to all types of projects, but in this course, we will be focusing on their application for IT and GIS projects. First, let's review some key terminology:
- The PMI defines a project as a, "temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service". Take special note of the words, "temporary" and "unique product or service". Every well-conceived and well-planned project should have clear start and end dates and well-defined end results or deliverables.
- Most projects focus on the creation of one or more deliverables. A deliverable is a specific product or defined result for work carried out in the project. In a GIS context, this could be a report or document (e.g., GIS Needs Assessment), a GIS data product (e.g., traffic sign inventory with point locations and sign attributes), or a tested and deployed Web-based GIS application.
- The PMI defines project management as, "the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project's requirements". Project management is accomplished through the application and integration of what the PMI refers to as process elements--interrelated sets of activities for launching, planning, successfully executing, and formally closing out a project. We will take a closer look at these process elements in the next lesson.
Why get serious about project management? For some very good reasons that directly impact the project's cost, timing, and how well it accomplishes stated requirements:
- to put the project manager, team, and the organization in the best position to meet project objectives and deliver results;
- to make the best and most efficient use of resources--primarily money and people's time; and
- to provide an effective means to anticipate and deal with changes and problems--which arise in nearly all projects.
Taking the time to put in place a sound project plan and applying best practices for project execution and monitoring just makes sense!
Learning Objectives
By the end of Lesson 1, you should be able to:
- understand what a project is, and the difference between a project, a program, and a product;
- grasp the relationship between a project's objectives and the mission and goals of the organization for which the project is being carried out;
- describe project management and its key elements;
- characterize the organizational and business context of a project (project team, stakeholders, and business requirements); and
- recognize the factors that contribute to an effective project plan and management approach.
See the checklist page for readings, quiz, and assignment work in this Lesson.
Questions or Topics to Post
Questions about this assignment or any other topics for the instructor are best submitted to the email address or by direct phone call to the instructor. Also, feel free to communicate with your fellow students via the Discussion Forum or email.