All about Project Management

Project Management, it looks interesting. This is what my first impression was. As I enrolled in this subject I was inquisitive on what kind of understanding can I obtain with this subject. As the moment I heard that Dr. Randy Gamboa will be the one to handle this particular subject, honestly I was nervous yet excited. Nervous because I know how he handles classes since I have been under his instruction. I am somehow tensed because of strict regulations that must be followed during his session such as the need to observe time since time is so important to him and being an effective student. Yet I am excited because he is so inspiring in which you will be determined to do well and be challenged to be productive which is a positive aspect to look forward for this semester with this subject.

Conversely, on our first meeting we had a quiz that asks us to define 3 words that would greatly be associated with our subject Project Management. We were just limited to the number of lines to be filled up with our answers during that time. Surprisingly upon seeing the exercise on the forum I was shocked by the fact of defining the words in a more expanded description that would be challenging on my part. The questions to be responded comprises: What is a project? , what is a project? And what is project management?

Let us define first what a project is. Project in my own description is an assignment, task or obligation that will give solution or solve any dilemma within a particular matter. A project is a set of tasks that must be executed or performed within a fixed period or time limit. A project must observe time management that must be convened in order to achieve goals. It has to observe scope and limitation. In making a project there are lots of factors that must be considered to make it flourishing. A project could also be a product of the learning that you acquired. Projects must also consider cost. Cost is one of the important issues that must be out looked in making a project. Project also needs focus, attention and hard work. A project is a very critical aspect in which you have to be efficient in any step and thing that will be engaged. A project must be unique. You must possess leadership skills and not management ability. A project must be planned carefully. A project has many types. A project may be at school, it may be on the engineering phase or in business or corporation. A project at school may be an assignment, a final requirement, a research or something given to students that need time and effort. It may be individual or by group. It checks on how you are able to understand and study your lessons. It confirms on how independent you are in carrying out tasks. A project at school needs resources such as books, internet or references. Examples of school projects include: Machine problems, essays, assignments, science investigatory projects, thesis, and more. A project may also be an engineering project which uses technological system. This kind of projects must be carried out by professionals or engineers. This kind of project involves companies. . That is, companies with license to carry out such works as design and construction of buildings, power plants, industrial facilities, installation and erection of electrical grid networks, transportation infrastructure and the like. Examples of this kind of project are bridges, roads, buildings or construction phases. This kind of project usually has contracts. Lastly a project could also be a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, result or service which is applicable in project management. It is a management environment which is made for the reason of delivering one or more business products according to a particular business case.

The second word to define is management. What is management? As what I wrote on the first meeting’s activity. Management is holding or carrying out a specific task with responsibility. Management is being able to adapt to the plans and needs of a certain project. Management is the process of organizing, planning and coordination of specific thingss. It also comprises leading with independency. Management is somehow controlling group of people or team for the accomplishment of the common objective. Management can also be defined as human resource to facilitate the production of something. It would also refer to the individual who does perform the act of management. Management is frequently incorporated as an aspect of production along with machines, resources, and funds. Examples of management comprise time management. Time management is one of the most important factors in project management. Time management is the skill to meet deadlines. Time management is being able to accomplish tasks or projects and objectives in accordance to time limit. Time management includes monitoring and scheduling of activities to be set timetable in order to achieve goals. This is the kind of management that let you maximize the given time to accomplish something. Another type of management is people management. It is important and hard to manage people. This kind of management is the process of leading, motivating and encouraging the team within a project.

The last word is Project Management. Project Management is the method of planning, organizing and managing assets to be productive and being able to succeed on definite purposes and objectives. Project management contains planning, developing it, setting goals, determining tasks and ways to achieve a successful project. Project Management is the process of monitoring or operating an objective in order to identify possible changes and adaptations to be done. It is a way of making sure that all the aspects are going well and all the works are done in relation to the plan. Project management includes managing implementations and innovations for the project to be more effective. It ensures of accurate processes that must be applied for the task. A Project Management is the way of being able to meet demands and changes immediately. It is the process of finding solutions to the possible risks or uncertain events that may occur. It follows phases for the effectiveness and succession of a certain project.

Sharing about my reflection/learning's on the first day of class. I can say with confidence that somehow I obtained realizations and learning that I have never learned before. It is all about management of a project. Before our first meeting we was informed to research about Gantt charts which is a prominent tool used in project management for systematic way of illustrating project schedule. Someway I read some articles about definition and sample of Gantt charts but to my surprise our first topic and was about the definitions of project, management and project management. We gave some descriptions about it that served as our first quiz. We also shared our answers and discussed with the class. On the next meeting we finally had our official class. Our instructor gave some points and brief discussions about the concepts in the PM book of knowledge. First on the list was about project. We discussed some key points about project. It was mentioned that project is a sequence of unique, complex and connected activities having one goal. It is important that the project or the task must be unique. Since in our world today it is hard to enter to the business world without having any competent proposal, we must end up on creating something that is uncommon and does not yet exist. A project should be complex. It must be competent for it to be acknowledged. A project possesses key points that consist of temporary, unique products, services or results and progressive elaboration.

First is about temporary. A project is temporary which signifies that it has a definite beginning and a definite end. Of course projects have starting points. It is where you start to plan, organize and set goals for your project. A project must have a good start for it to have a good result. A project must be planned systematically for it to continue its operation. If a project has a definite start it also has a definite end. A project is temporary because it will end on the time it successfully achieve its goals and purpose. In other hand it could also end if it will not meet its objectives. Another reason could also be that the project is not needed anymore or if it seems not useful. It was also stressed that temporary doesn’t apply on the products but in the time duration of the project. Products of a given project usually are created for lasting outcome. The nature of being temporary could also apply on the time frame given. It also refers to the team or unit that performs and manages the project. They are temporary in a way that they wouldn’t last forever because after the project end the team will split up and will be assigned to another project. The second nature was about unique products, services or results. In creating a project it is very vital to make sure that what you are making is unique. Uniqueness should really be considered in project deliverables. A project must be unique in order to gain attention and for it to be competent as well. The third nature was about progressive elaboration. It means that a project must go on a process or a step. It means that you keep creating, adapting, and constructing upon the raw ingredients of your project, in a planned approach. It explains that progressive elaboration is a technique wherein the plan for the fastidious and chosen project is being always and constantly modified, and enhanced as newer and more improved plan.

Examples of projects was also stated such as Developing a new product or service; Effecting a change in structure, staffing, or style of an organization; Designing a new transportation vehicle; Developing or acquiring a new or modified information system; Constructing a building or facility; Building a water system for a community; Running a campaign for political office; Implementing a new business procedure or process; and Responding to a contract solicitation. I also learned about some facts about project and strategic planning. It was stated in the PMBOK Projects are typically authorized as a result of one or more of the following strategic considerations: A market demand, an organizational need, a customer request, a technological advance and a legal requirement.

I also have acquired information as to what factors can make projects fall. It includes the following:
Poor Estimates can lead to project failure. Like what I have written, planning is a very important step in project management. Poor planning could be the reason of poor estimate. Bad estimates direct to bad cost projections which in the end associate to poor release. The trouble being when estimates are wanted for efforts to be completed to project costs. Often a project is estimated for supply effort before it is budgeted. Poor estimates can also be the liability of the client, stakeholders.
Scopes Changes can also lead to project failure. To Control and to manage scope change is critical to the success of any projects because scope changes can significantly affect the cost, schedule, hazards and quality of the total effort. It could also be difficult on the project team to lack direction or to change scopes. They must work hand on hand in order to solve this kind of uncertain event.
Work Breakdown Failures. A work breakdown must be structured well otherwise it can affect your project along the way.
Not Enough time/resources allocated. Estimation mistakes of time or resource cause project related problems. One common problem during the creation of the Work Breakdown Structure is assuming that the time on task equals duration. The time on task is the time the task will take to complete without interruptions, whereas duration is the time the task actually take to complete including interruptions.
One of the reasons is having an incompetent project manager. Choosing a responsible and outstanding manager should be checked. The manager should be competent and can handle risks and can adapt easily to possible changes.
Ineffective use of Project Management discipline and process can make projects fail. Proper education on project management must be learned before indulging into a real project in order to secure project efficiency and to have enough knowledge to solve possible project risks that may occur. Ineffective use of project management disciple and correct process can really affect. Disciplines must be observed because it will serve as guides to achieve goals in a project.
Lack of proper management support, if your team doesn’t work hand in hand your project will really fail just like the saying no man is an island. In large projects human resource is much needed in order to divide responsibilities in order to give focus on different aspects, you cannot be successful on handling everything just by yourself. If you talk about large projects you must need a team that would work independently on the fields assigned to them. Projects sometimes fail due to improper communication along the team, so this must also be considered.
Lastly is the wrong use of technology. Use of proper technology must also be observed in order to succeed on your goals.

Aside from these matters, I also gain knowledge of the natures of a project. As to the natures are, they are the ff:
The first one state that all projects are work but not all work is a project. Indeed, all projects are work. Projects are tasks and are responsibilities which are considered as works since there would be an employer and the other one the employee. As what I have read also on the book Project Management G. Michael Campbell and Sunny Baker, it states there that in business; we could probably breakdown the work that is done and call the repetitious, day to day work operations and the work that is unique and only lasts for a short time as a project. The next nature talks about a job done once. It must be unique. The third cites that a project has a distinct start and end just like what I mentioned above that a project is just temporary. I t has its definite start and its definite end.

A further topic we discussed was Project Management. In the lecture, PM was defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. It is accomplished through the application and integration of the project management processes of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Three faces of Project Management was tackled which includes building the plan, track and manage of project and closing (project). In project management you have to plan well. This is where everything starts. It serves as the foundation of your project. If you build a good plan then you have a bigger chance of succeeding your objectives. You have to consider types of information that would be needed in your project such as tasks. In planning your projects you must be able to think of the tasks that must be done. You must also properly divide the tasks along your team. Next is duration. You must set deadlines for you to be motivated and to follow disciplines in PM to avoid failures. Task dependencies, this is the relationship between two tasks in which one task depends on the finish of another task in order to begin. It can help you decide when a task can be started. For example, a project in programming, you cannot run a program without compiling your codes. Resources should also be included in planning. This will be the things that you will need in order to perform your works. Resources are the things that will help or supplement. Last is a cost. Costs must be observed in planning. Lack of consideration for this aspect can truly make your project fail. In fact one of the major reasons for project failure is the lack of project cost management. The second phase in project management is about tracking and managing of project. This is where the application of you plans is viewed. You must be able to manage your project as well as its track and progression.

Another learning I have acquired was about the project strategy. In which you have to gather or develop information such as the objectives, the assumptions, the limitations and the scope of your project. Sir Randy also mentioned about what his professor said about the acronym SMART. The project must be S-pecific, M-easurable, A-ttainable, R-eliable, and T-ime bounded. What struck me was when he told us that he contradicted his professor and stressed more on the ACRONYM SMARTER than SMART which the letters E and R was added bearing the meaning E-njoyable and R-ewarding. Project Management’s triple constraint was also featured in the discussion which includes project scope, time and cost. High quality projects deliver the required product, service or result within scope, on time, and within budget.

Lastly the most lessons I can consider I learned for that day is that in order to be successful, one must be an effective leader and not a manager. Managerial skills are needed but leadership is more of a must. Several may think that a leader and a manager are the similar yet they are not. An effective manager will have leadership qualities and "manager" will be only one facet of a "LEADER." A Leader has a natural set of talents with the purpose of inspiring people to follow, to be loyal, and to produce while a manager demands and directs dependently. Being a leader is what we all need and not just a manager that would direct us on things we must do. If we will be managers then we are dependent on others faculties. We cannot work on our own which leads to failure while if we will be leaders then we will possibly be successful on our endeavors. Success in being a good follower lies in picking the right leader.

In this world of today, we must be great leaders and would not settle for others help. We must work on our own and bring out the leadership skills that are just keep inside us. Our powers are not in our strengths but in how we use our strengths.