The Evolution of Project Management - Research Paper Example

Project Management School Table of contents: ……………………………………………….Pg. # …………………………………………..3 Project Management ……………………………...4 Conclusion ………………………………………..7 References ………………………………………..8 Abstract: Management has always been there wherever a project has been, though it has emerged as a complete field of study in the recent years. In the old days, management skills were considered to be the gift of nature, but now, people believe that these skills can be acquired through in-depth analysis and understanding of the literature based on project management and the incorporation of concepts studied therein into the everyday practice. In light of this realization, a lot of books have conventionally been written on project management. This paper briefly discusses the history of project management, its significance in the contemporary age, some of the obstacles that project managers commonly face in their work and the functions of project management. Project Management: “Project management is the science (and art) of organizing the components of a project, whether the project is development of a new product, the launch of a new service, a marketing campaign, or a wedding” (MPUG, 2011). Project management, as the name implies, includes everything that is required to manage a project. A project is a one time endeavor. It is unique. Some people confuse the definition of project with that of process. The former is unique and non-repetitive whereas the latter is repetitive in nature. According to Lewis (2002), projects have been managed for thousands of years, yet it has been identified as an entirely separate disciple all over the world in the last ten years. This tells how short the history of project management is. The claim of Lewis (2002) has been reinforced with the support of Azzopardi (2009), though Azzopardi (2009) dates the development of project management of tools in organizations to the mid of 1950s. In the contemporary age of increased competition in the market, effective project management has become one of the essential elements for success. ‘Project Management’ is an important topic because all organisations, large and small, are involved in implementing new undertakings as diverse as the development of a new product or service, or a public relations campaign. To keep ahead of their competitors, every organisation is faced with development of complex services and processes. These need cross-functional expertise in a given organisation. (Modesto and Tichapondwa, 2009, p. 15). Every project is different and has its own specifications. The risks and opportunities associated with every project are unique. Two projects may be of entirely same nature with the same project parties, location, and time, yet the two may call for entirely different patterns of management. This can be attributed to the difference of various internal and external factors arising in the micro and macro environment of the company respectively. Stakeholders have different expectations from different projects and their concerns have to be taken care of by the project manager so that the project may run smoothly. In accordance with the different nature of different projects, a project manager has to execute different skills and patterns of behavior. A project manager can not attain perfect and permanent project management skills by reading books on project management, unless the individual goes through a variety of experiences, and learns the art of modifying his/her skills according to the individualistic needs of every project. What fundamentally makes a difference in the requirement of competencies of a project manager is the level of authority that is vested by the top management in him/her. In a vast majority of cases, too much is expected of a project manager and he/she is considered as the sole determinant of the future of a project without giving any consideration to the extent to which he/she is able to exercise his/her individualistic powers and make independent decisions. In many firms, a project manager is no more effective than a dummy, no matter how good he/she might be at managing things, because the decision making fundamentally rests with the top management, yet there are other cases, when a project manager is assigned complete authority along with complete responsibility of the project. This is where an individual can fully explore his/her project management competencies and improve them. Hence, there are many factors that affect the competence of a project manager at work that may or may not be in the control of the project manager. “Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling” are considered to be the four primary functions of project management (Rothbauer-Wanish, 2009). The four areas sufficiently define and describe the job responsibilities of a project manager. Planning is the first and foremost requirement of every project. A project needs a plan in accordance with which, the funds are released and the activities are executed. A plan is essentially the way of doing things. Every project has a goal. There can be hundreds of ways to achieve the objectives of the project. It is the project manager’s responsibilities to work out such a plan for the project, that is the most cost effective, and would yet ensure achievement of a high quality in the work. Most importantly, the plan should be consistent with the duration allowed by the client for the execution of a project. Organizing is the second function of project management. This function requires the project manager to synthesize the work in such a way that it follows a sequence, and a well defined pattern. It is not just the project that requires to be organized. In fact, the whole setup in which the project is executed in general and the company executing the project needs to be organized. In the capacity of a project manager, the individual has to supervise the functioning of all departments of the work. The project manager is responsible for setting the criteria for the recruitment of workforce. He/she has to decide what kind of organization structure the company should have in the context of a specific project or projects. Some projects work best for functional organizations while others require the organization to be strong project matrix. Moreover, the project manager has to identify the performance indicators (PIs), and upgrade or degrade the status of employees according to their individualistic performance. This is what organizing the work is all about! Leading is the most fundamental function of a project manager. A project manager essentially plays the role of a leader in organizations where sufficient power is vested by the top management in him/her. In the capacity of a leader, a project manager directs the workforce and decides the course of action in every matter related to the project as well as the organization. Last, but not the least, a project manager is supposed to control things. This is the fourth function because once things have been set on the right track through compliance with the requirements of the first three functions, all that is required to keep them going is control. This function requires the project manager to supervise the work, pick out the loopholes in the system, and take necessary actions to fill the gap. Moreover, the project manager should evaluate his/her approach through analysis of the results, and modify his/her strategies in order to make them more conducive for the project and organizational success. Conclusion: Project management is a complete discipline of study. People can acquire good project management skills through extensive study of project management literature and practice of the concepts thus gained. A project manager encounters new challenges on every new project. Quite often, he/she is given more responsibility than power, which is a not a favorable condition for a project manager. The functions of project management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. These functions sufficiently define the responsibilities of a project manager. References: Azzopardi, S., (2009). The Evolution of Project Management. Retrieved from www.projectsmart.co.uk. Lewis, J. P., (2002). Fundamentals of project Management. New York : AMACOM. Modesto, S. T., and Tichapondwa, S. P. (2009). Successful Project Management: Insights from Distance Education practices. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/SuccessProjMgt.pdf. MPUG. (2011). What is Project Management? Retrieved from http://www.mpug.com/pages/whatisprojectmanagement.aspx. Rothbauer-Wanish, H. (2009). Four Functions of Management: All Managers Must Plan, Organize, Lead and Control. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/four-functions-of-management-a113463. Read More