An Introduction to Project Management Basics

There is this one person in a company that covers tasks in a different area and is included in various processes. Very often, people say: You might be a project manager, especially if they are not quite sure what does the person actually do. Besides, classical operations are sometimes mixed with projects. What is a project, who is a project management and what set of skills does the person need?  

What is a project? 

According to the PMI-u (Project Management Institute), a project is a temporary activity, as it has its beginning and an end so as a scope and resources. To distinguish projects from operations ( day-to-day activities), it has to have a unique set of operations designed to accomplish a unique goal. A project team might include different people, sometimes from more than one organization. 

What is project management?

Project management is managing various resources and aspects of a project in order to get the desired outcome or result within the defined timeframe, scope and budget. All those factors have to be determined at the beginning in the initiation phase so that all stakeholders and team members have a common understanding of the process, methodology and desired outcome. Project management is an integral part of every business, no matter if the company is a startup or big corporation. 

The lifecycle of a project

Every project has something in common, and those are the phases, to name a few: 

#1 Initiation

#2 Planning

#3 Execution

#4 Monitoring and Controlling

#5 Closing

Every step includes certain activities and dedicated team members. Key requires for a successful project: 

#1 Time (duration of the project)

#2 Expenditures (agreed budget)

#3 Scope (results to get)

#4 Quality (project outcome)

Skills and role of Project Manager

Project Managers have a great responsibility. They guide, monitor and control projects from the beginning till the end. They have to define the roles of other project members and be in charge all the time. It often happens that something goes wrong, and the Project Manager is there to make the right decisions and adjust to a new situation. 

The list of skills that makes a good project manager is quite long. Nevertheless, here are some of the desired qualities: people skills, leadership, efficient communication ( oral and written), negotiation skills, conflict management, planning, problem-solving, creative thinking and time management. 

We in SPARK have recognized the importance of Project Management role. That’s why we have the workshop dedicated to future Project Managers. You can learn the basics of project management but also get to know the methodology of IT project management.