What is a project, more specifically?

Creating a unique product, service, or result is a temporary endeavour. A project is temporary because it has a defined beginning and end in time and, therefore, defined scope and resources.

A project is unique because it is not a routine operation but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So, a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together—sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.

These projects include developing software for an improved business process, building or constructing a building or bridge, assisting in the relief effort after a natural disaster, and expanding sales into a new geographic market.

And all must be expertly managed to deliver the on-time, on-budget results, learning, and integration that organizations need.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

It has always been practised informally but emerged as a distinct profession in the mid-20th century. PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) identifies its recurring elements:

Project management processes fall into five groups:

• Initiating

• Planning

• Executing

• Monitoring and Controlling

• Closing