While the term "project management" appears to be ubiquitous in some circles, it appears to remain largely confined to large corporations in practice. While this is true, the fundamentals of project management certification are actually quite simple and adaptable to almost anyone. However, before we continue down this path, I believe it is necessary to define project management...and what it is not.

To begin, management of projects is a methodology. At its heart is a framework that enables efficient time management, but more importantly, this methodology/framework assists in ensuring that the project's objective is met. Second, it is critical to understand that in order for something to be considered a project, it must have a distinct "start date" and "end date." If a project does not have an official start date or an end date, it is a process by definition. 

The distinction between the two is critical. A project is initiated in order to accomplish a specific objective or requirement within a specified timeframe. For instance, if you're organizing a wedding, you'll want to employ project management techniques. This is because if certain details are not resolved prior to the wedding day, the proverbial heads will roll. However, a process can be thought of as a collection of repeatable activities and tasks that will be carried out repeatedly. A good example of a process would be brewing coffee. However, coordinating all of the elements necessary to pull off a successful wedding is a project.

There are numerous project management methodologies; however, for our purposes, we will examine the fundamentals of effective project management. Rather than memorise a particular methodology, our objective is to apply the fundamentals of sound project management.

According to my experience, it is frequently believed that projects must be somewhat complex in order to be managed effectively. However, the beauty of project management is that even if there is little complexity to manage, these principles will still be extremely beneficial to the individual who applies them. At its heart, project management is about efficiency as much as it is about bringing something new to life. Let's begin by establishing some ground rules.

Each phase of a project is typically five. While some phases contain only a few events, the total number of phases is approximately five. Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing are the phases. We'll go through them one by one, and keep in mind that the methodology is more important than anything else. Effective project management always strives to divide the project's enormity into manageable components. Phases refer to these manageable sections.

Before we begin, it's sometimes easier to understand a concept by applying it to a scenario or hypothetical situation. We'll use the scenario "Planning a Wedding" to help us grasp various concepts and points.

This is a critical aspect of the project that is frequently forgotten. Consider the Project Charter to be your "Approval" to proceed. You may well ask why you require permission. Because communication failure accounts for approximately 80% of project failures. Have you ever had a boss explain to you what they require of you and then ask you to do something completely different? I'm guessing that you not only clarified precisely what they desired, but also spent considerable time creating it. Finally, they'll inform you that you must have misunderstood. A project charter is truly your safeguard against this type of management and communication failure.

What you include in the Charter is essentially the project's objective, its scope, the activities that will be undertaken to complete the project, and who will be formally authorized to do so. And the best part about the Charter is that you cannot do anything that is not specifically stated in the Charter. This prevents your boss and others from changing their minds and interfering with your ability to complete the task at hand.

Regarding the Charter's mechanics, the following definitions are provided. The term "objective" refers to what the project is intended to accomplish. The scope of the project is simply a way of defining the parameters or bounds of the work that will be performed to complete the project. Deliverables are the tasks that must be completed in order for the project to succeed. These are tasks that must be completed, either individually or collaboratively, in order for the project to proceed as planned. Finally, authorizers have the authority to say yes or no to a project and are ultimately responsible for its funding. Authorizers are also referred to as Stakeholders...not because they eat beef, but because they have the greatest "stake" in the project's success. To continue with our wedding planning theme, stakeholders could include the bride, groom, parents, and minister

This is the very beginning of the project, during which you begin brainstorming about what you believe will need to happen in order for the project to succeed. For instance, if we continue with our wedding planning theme, we know that several things must happen in order for this wedding to run smoothly...so you begin listing them. There must be a location for it, someone to open and close the facility, catering must be determined, and the family's anticipated budget or cost must be determined. Indeed, this could simply be a list of items or bullet points that will need to be further broken down later. Bear in mind that this is merely brainstorming to determine the critical "things" that must occur in order for the project to be completed properly. This is where we begin to give this wedding some shape. We need to take it from conceptualization to reality, from thought process to paper, in some way. This is a rough outline of what we believe will occur or, more precisely, what we believe should occur. While planning is necessary to get started, it is not necessary to be completely accurate. We'll make adjustments along the way.

The planning phase is really just gathering the key individuals who will be responsible for a portion of the project's work and determining how they will do it and what they will need to complete it. These are called Subject Matter Experts in the business world. A project manager does not have to be an expert in everything, but they do need to identify those who are and bring them on board. Additionally, this phase is where you assign task-specific start and finish dates. 

This is critical for the successful completion of the project. There will be tasks that occur concurrently that are unrelated to one another. However, some of these tasks will take longer to complete than others. Additionally, you can use start and stop dates to ensure that tasks are completed on time. This makes sense because the project has an end date (otherwise, it would be a process), and thus all tasks must conclude at some point. A word of caution here: you are still in the "planning" stage. Avoid becoming paralyzed by a dearth of details. Before a house can be built, it must have a framework. However, before the frame is built, a rough estimate of the total square footage of the home is made, as well as the number of rooms, bathrooms, and so on. That is the purpose of the planning phase...to establish the final appearance of this thing.

To track activities and tasks, project plans are created. Consider a project plan as a four-column Excel spreadsheet (Task Name; Start Date; End Date; Assigned To). This allows for the formal tracking and completion of each activity and task. Perhaps you're wondering what the distinction between an activity and a task is. In simple terms, an activity is the result of one or more tasks. Consider the morning ritual of consuming a cup of coffee. If you enjoy coffee, starting your morning with a cup is a pleasant activity. However, you must complete several tasks before that activity can occur. 

For instance, you must clean the coffee maker; insert the coffee filter; scoop in the coffee; refill the coffee maker with water; and obtain a clean cup. Now, just because there are numerous tasks involved in brewing coffee does not mean they must all be included in a project plan. You must delve deeply into the activity to ensure that it is completed on time, but you do not need to list all 15-20 tasks required to make a cup of coffee. Bear in mind that these are procedures, not tasks. Finally, tasks should always be attainable...yes or no items...did you do it or not? This means that tasks are named using action verbs on purpose. As a result, the activity is brewing coffee. We previously discussed the tasks that comprise this activity. One of these tasks could be dubbed "Scoop the coffee into the filter." Now we have an action-oriented task that is also tractable.

This is a technique for condensing or categorizing activities and tasks to their most fundamental component. For instance, coffee could be included in a milestone titled Provided Beverages for All Age Groups. The milestone serves as a reminder to ensure that all beverages are purchased and prepared prior to the arrival of the guests. The "Provided Beverages for All Age Groups" milestone may then include activities and tasks for water, punch and soda, iced tea, coffee, and ice. They complete the project's Provided Beverages for All Age Groups milestone together (once purchased, delivered, and prepared to be served to guests). Milestones enable you to keep a more detailed track of the progress of your project. This simplifies both report generation and tracking.