Chapter 1:

Introduction to Project
Management

Information Technology Project

Management, Sixth Edition
Introduction (continued)
Many organizations today have a new or renewed
interest in project management
Computer hardware, software, networks, and the
use of global work teams have radically changed
the work environment
The world as a whole spends nearly $10 trillion of
its $40.7 trillion gross product on projects of all
kinds
More than 16 million people regard project
management as their profession

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Advantages of Using Formal
Project Management
1. Better control of financial, physical, and human
resources
2. Improved customer relations
3. Shorter development times
4. Lower costs
5. Higher quality and increased reliability
6. Higher profit margins
7. Improved productivity
8. Better internal coordination
9. Higher worker morale

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What Is a Project?
A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken
to create a unique product, service, or result”
Operations is work done to sustain the business
Projects end when their objectives have been
reached or the project has been terminated
Projects can be large or small and take a short
or long time to complete

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Examples of IT Projects
A technician replaces ten laptops for a small
department
A small software development team adds a new
feature to an internal software application for the
finance department
A college campus upgrades its technology
infrastructure to provide wireless Internet access
across the whole campus

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Project Attributes
A project:
◦ Has a unique purpose
◦ Is temporary
◦ Is developed using progressive elaboration
◦ Requires resources, often from various areas
◦ Should have a primary customer or sponsor
● The project sponsor usually provides the direction and
funding for the project
◦ Involves uncertainty

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Project and Program Managers
Project managers work with project sponsors, the
project team, and other people involved in a
project to meet project goals
Program: group of related projects managed in a
coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not
available from managing them individually .
Program managers oversee programs; often act
as bosses for project managers

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Project Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people involved in or
affected by project activities.
Stakeholders include:
◦ The project sponsor
◦ The project manager
◦ The project team
◦ Support staff
◦ Customers
◦ Users
◦ Suppliers

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What is Project Management?

Project management is “the application of

knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project
activities to meet project requirements”

Project managers strive to meet the triple

constraint by balancing project scope, time, and
cost goals

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Figure 1-1 The Triple Constraints of
Project Management

Successful project
management means
meeting all three
goals (scope, time,
and cost) – and
satisfying the
project’s sponsor!

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Figure 1-2 Project Management
Framework

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9 Project Management Knowledge Areas:

Knowledge areas describe the key competencies

that project managers must develop:
◦ 4 core knowledge areas lead to specific project
objectives (scope, time, cost, and quality)
◦ 4 facilitating knowledge areas are the means through
which the project objectives are achieved (human
resources, communication, risk, and procurement
management)
◦ 1 knowledge area (project integration management)
affects and is affected by all of the other knowledge areas

◦ All knowledge areas are important!

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Project Management Tools and
Techniques
Project management tools and techniques assist
project managers and their teams in various
aspects of project management.
Some specific ones include:
◦ Project charter, scope statement, and WBS (scope)
◦ Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis,
critical chain scheduling (time)
◦ Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)

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Super Tools
“Super tools” are those tools that have high use
and high potential for improving project success,
such as:
◦ Software for task scheduling (such as project
management software)
◦ Scope statements
◦ Requirements analyses
◦ Lessons-learned reports
Tools already extensively used that have been found to
improve project importance include:
◦ Progress reports
◦ Kick-off meetings
◦ Gantt charts
◦ Change requests

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Project Success
There are several ways to define project success:
1. The project met scope, time, and cost goals
2. The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
3. The results of the project met its main objective, such
as making or saving a certain amount of money,
providing a good return on investment, or simply
making the sponsors happy

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 What Helps Projects Succeed?*
1. Executive support 7. Firm basic requirements
2. User involvement 8. Formal methodology
3. Experienced project 9. Reliable estimates
manager 10. Other criteria, such as
4. Clear business objectives small milestones, proper
5. Minimized scope planning, competent
6. Standard software staff, and ownership
infrastructure

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Program and Project Portfolio
Management
A program is “a group of related projects managed
in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control
not available from managing them individually”.

A program manager provides leadership and

direction for the project managers heading the
projects within the program.

Examples of common programs in the IT field

include infrastructure, applications development,
and user support

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Project Portfolio Management
As part of project portfolio management,
organizations group and manage projects and
programs as a portfolio of investments that
contribute to the entire enterprise’s success
Project portfolio management is a formal approach used by
organizations to identify, prioritize, coordinate and monitor projects
that align with their strategy and goals. This approach examines the
risk-reward ratio of each project, the available funds, the likelihood
of a project's duration and the expected outcomes.
Portfolio managers help their organizations make
wise investment decisions by helping to select
and analyze projects from a strategic
perspective.

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The Role of the Project Manager
Job descriptions vary, but most include
responsibilities like planning, scheduling,
coordinating, and working with people to achieve
project goals

Remember that 97% of successful projects were

led by experienced project managers, who can
often help influence success factors

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Suggested Skills for Project
Managers
Project managers need a wide variety of skills

They should:
Be comfortable with change
Understand the organizations they work in and with
Be able to lead teams to accomplish project goals
Has the Project Management Body of Knowledge
Has an Application area knowledge, standards, and
regulations
Has a Project environment knowledge
Has a General management knowledge and skills
Has a Soft skills or human relations skills

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Ten Most Important Skills and Competencies
for Project Managers
1. People skills
2. Leadership
3. Listening
4. Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent
5. Strong at building trust
6. Verbal communication
7. Strong at building teams
8. Conflict resolution, conflict management
9. Critical thinking, problem solving
10. Understands, balances priorities

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Different Skills Needed in Different
Situations
1. Large projects: leadership, relevant prior experience,
planning, people skills, verbal communication, and
team-building skills were most important

2. High uncertainty projects: risk management,

expectation management, leadership, people skills, and
planning skills were most important

3. Very novel projects: leadership, people skills, having

vision and goals, self confidence, expectations
management, and listening skills were most important

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Importance of Leadership Skills
Effective project managers provide leadership by
being:
A leader focuses on long-term goals and big-picture
objectives while inspiring people to reach those
goals
A manager deals with the day-to-day details to
meet specific goals
Project managers often take on the role of both
leader and manager

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