INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONALS Professional Body Approved by the Professional Bodies Act 1973 (NRCD 143) as a Chartered Body for Project Management Professionals in Ghana Professional Bodies Registration No. PB. 68

Dr. David Ackah, PhD. FPMP. PMP. CPMC. FCISCM. FCICRM. MSc. BSc. Dip. President, Institute of Project Management Professionals, Senior Faculty Member, School of Community & Project Development, Akamia University, - Hawaii, USA

COURSE TITLE MODERN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FREE TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS IN NZEMAH LAND

Learning Outcome By the end of lesson, participant should be able to: What Is a Project? The Importance of Project Management Project Management Today—An Integrative Approach Summary

What is a Project? A project is a task with a beginning an end and identifiable objectives (Dr. Ackah) A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. (PMI) A project has the following characteristics: Each project has its own “unique purpose.” Projects are “temporary” with time constraints. Projects require resources (manpower, funding, and materials), often from various areas. Commercial projects should, and usually, have a primary sponsor and/or customer. All projects involve uncertainty. Every project is constrained in different ways by its: a. scope goals b. time goals c. cost goals.

What is project management? Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project” Knowledge areas describe the ten key competencies that project managers must develop. There are five core knowledge areas that lead to specific project objectives Scope, Scheduling, Time, Cost, And Quality There are also four facilitating knowledge areas that are the means through which the project objectives are achieved Human Resources, Communication Management, Risk Management, And Procurement Management The final knowledge area affects and is affected by all of the other eight knowledge areas. Project Integration Management

Project Life Cycle Another way of illustrating the unique nature of project work is in terms of the project life cycle. A project life cycle is a collection of project phases, which vary with the project or industry. The life cycle recognizes that projects have a limited life span and that there are predictable changes in level of effort and focus over the life of the project. The project life cycle typically passes sequentially through four stages: defining, planning, executing, and delivering. o Defining stage: Specifications of the project are defined; project objectives are established; teams are formed; major responsibilities are assigned. o Planning stage: The level of effort increases, and plans are developed to determine what the project will entail, when it will be scheduled, whom it will benefit, what quality level should be maintained, and what the budget will be. o Executing stage: A major portion of the project work takes place both physical and mental. The physical product is produced (a bridge, a report, a software program). o Closing stage: Closing includes three activities: delivering the project product to the customer, redeploying project resources, and post-project review.

Project Manager A project manager is the person responsible for leading a project from its inception to execution. This includes planning, scheduling, execution and managing the people, resources and scope of the project. Project managers must have the discipline to create clear and attainable objectives and to see them through to successful completion. The project manager has full responsibility and authority to complete the assigned project.

The Importance of Project Management Defines a plan and organizes chaos: projects are naturally chaotic. The primary business function of project management is organizing and planning projects to tame this chaos. A clear path mapped out from start to finish ensures the outcome meets the goals of your project. Establishes a schedule and plan: Without a schedule, a project has a higher probability of delays and cost overruns. A sound schedule is key to a successful project. Enforces and encourages teamwork: A project brings people together to share ideas and provide inspiration. Collaboration is the cornerstone to effective project planning and management. Maximizes resources: Resources, whether financial or human, are expensive. By enforcing project management disciplines such as project tracking and risk management, all resources are used efficiently and economically. Manages Integration: Projects don’t happen in a vacuum. They need to be integrated with business processes, systems and organizations.

Controls Cost: some projects can cost a significant amount of money so on budget performance is essential. Using project management strategies greatly reduces the risk of budget overruns. Manages Change: projects always happen in an environment in which nothing is constant except change. Managing change is a complex and daunting task. It is not optional. Project management manages change. Managing Quality: Quality is the value of what you produce. Project management identifies, manages and controls quality. This results in a high quality product or service and a happy client. Retain and use Knowledge: projects generate knowledge or at least they should. Knowledge represents a significant asset for most businesses. Left unmanaged knowledge tends to quickly fade. Project management ensures that knowledge is captured and managed. Learning from Failure: projects do fail. When they do, it is important to learn from the process. Project management ensures that lessons are learned from project success and failure. The Importance of Project Management

Project Management Today An Integrative Approach Integration is designed to improve project management in the whole organization over the long haul. The rationale for integration of project management was to provide senior management with: An overview of all project management activities; A big picture of how organizational resources are being used; An assessment of the risk their portfolio of projects represents; A rough metric for measuring the improvement of managing projects relative to others in the industry; Linkages of senior management with actual project execution management.

Summary There are powerful environmental forces contributing to the rapid expansion of project management approaches to business problems and opportunities. A project is defined as a non-routine, one-time effort limited by time, resources, and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs. One of the distinguishing characteristics of project management is that it has both a beginning and an end and typically consists of four phases: defining, planning, executing, and closing Effective project management begins with selecting and prioritizing projects that support the firm’s mission and strategy. Successful implementation requires both technical and social skills. Project managers have to plan and budget projects as well as orchestrate the contributions of others.

Exercises Review the front page of your local newspaper, and try to identify all the projects contained in the articles. How many were you able to find? Individually identify what you consider to be the greatest achievements accomplished by mankind in the last five decades. Now share your list with three to five other students in the class, and come up with an expanded list. Review these accomplishments in terms of the definition of a project. What does your review suggest about the importance of project management? Individually identify projects assigned in previous terms. Were both sociocultural and technical elements factors in the success or difficulties in the projects?