By Samuel Lartey, Project Manager
I was in a project management conference meant for non project managers. This programme was set for 2 Hours, but a great deal of knowledge was gained. The presenters were simply brief and smart. There were 3 speakers and each spoke for 20 minutes or less.
In the introductory presentation, the resource person asked the participants to share their expectation for attending the programme. As a learner I just saw that as an opportunity to setup my objectives. I believed my expectations and that of the other participants may just become the objectives of the programme otherwise we need not be there. I therefore took my scrabbling pad to jot down the general expectations.
Participants Expectations:
Interestingly the following expectations came up among others:
To know what projects are
Gain an understanding of project management
To know how to initiate a project
To be able to plan a project
To be able to execute a project within the given time frame
To effectively monitor and control a project
To communicate in simple project language
To execute projects within specifications
To manage project teams
To identify 3rd Parties to a project and manage their interests
To be able to estimate, budget for and control project cost
The introductory speaker highly praised our opinions and added that, as project managers he expects us to know what to promise and what to deliver. He concludes that project managers must only deliver what they have promised. 'No Gold plating.'
The 2nd Speaker:
It was the turn of the 2nd speaker as scheduled. He had 20 minutes to deliver. He had this to say: Answer yes or no:
Have you been involved in an activity involving people?
Have you been involved in an activity that needed to be completed within a definite time period?
Have you been involved in any activity that was constraint by limited resources?
Did you plan that activity?
How long was that activity?
One can then concluded that if all these activities were done or your answers were all yes then you have been involved in a project in one way or the other. Projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Birthday celebration, delivering a speech and building your retail outlet shop are all projects.
On the other hand where the activity is an ongoing and repetitive one then it is an operational work. Projects are a means of organizing activities that cannot be addressed within the normal operational and routine limits.
The 3rd Speaker:
The 3rd and final speaker had this to say. He explained that this temporary and unique endeavour's must be undertaken in a well planned and controlled environment so as to derive the full benefit for which it was set up. There is therefore the need for a disciplined approach, hence, the sum of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques within the profession of project management as with other professions such as accounting, medicine and law.
He said this discipline has been categorized under three headings:
Project Management Knowledge Areas, Project Phases and Life Cycle, and Project Competencies, Skills and Ethics.
He named the knowledge areas as follows:
Time Management, Cost Management, Risk Management, Quality Management, Communication Management, Human Resource Management, Procurement Management, Scope Management, and Integration Management.
The Life Cycle was as follows:
Initiation the project, Planning the project, Execution or Implementation the project, Monitoring and Controlling the project and Closing the project.
The General Management skills and competencies required were named as follows:
Managing skills, leadership skills, communication skills, negotiation skills, problem solving skills and influencing skills.
Conclusion:
As managers the stage was set for discussion on how to integrate all these knowledge gained and putting them into practice as project managers. He compared the knowledge gained to our initial expectations described. It was a great discussion. We all left the conference with great satisfaction. We all saw the need of delivering just what had been promised else setting performing activities that would not be terminate.