Definition of a Project

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end.

Types of Projects

A unique product that is created via a project could be a new mobile application for the iPhone. A unique service delivered as a project could be the service labor involved in landscaping the front yard of a new house. A unique result from a project could be streamlining the business processes for creating and supporting a product in order to reduce costs.  

There are many different  types of projects but the most important from Cognitra’s perspective includes preparing students for home projects (Ex. Making a new shirt), school projects (Ex. Working with other students to create a team presentation), volunteer projects (Ex. Getting more food for the local food shelf), and work projects (Ex. Figuring out how to spend less time making a good pizza for customers).

Definition of Project Management

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

Project Management Process Groups

There are five (5) major project management process groups (more information will be in another post under Overview):

1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing

Project Management Knowledge Areas

There are nine (9) major project management knowledge areas (more information will be in another post under Overview):

1. Integration
2. Scope
3. Time
4. Cost
5. Quality
6. Human Resource
7. Communications
8. Risk
9. Procurement

Project Management and Operations Management

Operations management is different than project management. Operations management activities are permanent endeavors (not temporary) that produce repetitive outputs, with resources assigned to do basically the same set of tasks. An example is manufacturing operations where the same type of product is produced over and over again each day. 

Project Manager

The project manager is the person assigned to run the project and achieve the specific project objectives.

Project Management Learning Goal

The goal is to start out with very simple project management concepts when children are young and get more sophisticated as the age of the student progresses. Each lesson should build on the one before it. If we teach kids how to manage projects when they are young, over time they should get much better at managing projects. Attaining these project management skills at an early age should help in school, at home, volunteering, and eventually at work.