Understanding project management in relation to PMP certification
This article will provide an overview of projects and the relationship between portfolios, programs, and projects, an overview of the processes within project management, and discuss it in the content of the PMP certification and the PMBOK, the knowledge book of Projects management.
Many organizations today have a renewed interest in project management and its many benefits. Project management is used at all levels of the organization and is now considered a valuable profession. Organizations have realized that project success depends on the knowledge, processes, skills, tools, and techniques that trained project managers can bring to the project.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the governing body that issues internationally recognized project management certifications.
There are six different types of certifications that can be earned after completing required courses, field experience, and passing the exam. These include the following:
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Program Management Professional (PgMP)
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
- PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
- PMI Programming Professional (PMI-SP)
Successful completion of the PMP® exam will demonstrate to employers that you are an internationally recognized project manager.
A project is a unique company, so the approach to managing projects must be different compared to normal operations. Projects are temporary endeavors and have a clearly defined start and end date.
There are clear differences between projects and the normal daily operations of the organization. Operations characteristics include tasks that are ongoing and are generally in a continuous cycle, with no completion date, as they are crucial to the day-to-day functions of the organization.
Operations are also repetitive and inputs and outputs are expected and routine. Usually there is nothing unique about operational tasks. Projects, on the other hand, are temporary endeavors; they have a definite beginning and end, they are also unique and imply a new enterprise for the organization, and they are uncharted territory that the organization has not explored before.
Projects can include one or more people, one or more departments, and even one or more organizations. They can create a variety of tangible or intangible products, deliverables, services, or results.
Some examples include the following:
- A product might be unique to the organization and one that has never been produced before, or it might be an add-on to an existing product.
- Being focused on improving a service or process for an organization.
- A project can be an enhancement to an organization’s existing products or service lines, or it can also be results-based, such as the implementation of a computer system or the production of an analysis or research paper.
Some examples of projects from various industries are:
- A young couple hires a company to design and build a new house for them.
- A college campus upgrades its technology infrastructure to provide wireless Internet access.
- A Bank decides to implement a NEW Customer Service computer application
- A group of musicians start a company to help children develop their musical talents.
- A pharmaceutical company launches a new drug.
- A television network develops a system that allows viewers to vote for contestants and provide other commentary on the shows.
- A government group develops a program to track children’s vaccinations.
These various examples show the diversity of projects and the importance of project management in different industries.
In project management, there is a key relationship between portfolios, programs and projects. As we have discussed, a project is a unique undertaking, so the approach to managing projects should be different compared to operations.
Projects are temporary endeavors and have a clearly defined start and end date.
A program is a group of projects that are similar in scope, activities, and similar subprograms. The purpose of a program is to manage projects in a coordinated way that would not be possible from managing them individually.
The portfolio includes all programs, projects, and subprograms that meet the strategic objective of the organization. Programs and projects do not need to be related to be in the portfolio; The only requirement is to be related to the general strategic objectives of the organization.
So what is project management? The simple definition is project management. However, project management is much more than just a definition. A more useful definition for understanding project management is the application of knowledge, tools, skills, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.
As defined by the PMBOK GuideThere are five distinct processes that projects go through.
These include the following:
- starting
- Calendar
- running
- monitoring and controlling
- Closure
During the Initiation Process, the need for the project is clearly defined. This is an important first step as the scope, budget, and schedule will be based on the need and expected results of the project.
In the Startup Process, the Return on Investment Analysis is also performed. The organization will determine if the expected outcome of the project is worth the time, cost, and resources required to complete the project. Based on this information, the organization can determine whether to move forward with the project or stop the process. If the project goes ahead, the final step in the initiation process will be to begin budget development.
During the planning process, the scope of the project is defined, the budget is established, the time frame is determined, and the project team meets. As the planning process progresses, the project activities will be determined and the various tasks will be assigned to the responsible members of the project team.
During the execution process, the actual tasks and activities of the project begin to be worked on and are finally completed. The Monitoring and Control Process is actually carried out together with the Execution Process. During this process, the various tasks and activities being executed are monitored to detect any variance in terms of scope, time, and budget from the original project plans. If there are variances, corrective action may be necessary to prevent the project from failing. During this Process, risk management is carried out to ensure that unforeseen interferences do not derail the project. Change is likely to occur with any project, so project managers must assess the various situations and make the necessary changes to keep the project moving forward.
The final process is the Closing Process. During the Closing Process, the project is completed and delivered to end users.
The client will review the project to determine if all scope requirements have been met. Once the approval of the end users is obtained, the project is officially completed and all documents, accounts and activities related to the project are closed. The final task of the project team is to complete the “lessons learned”. This is the process of evaluating and communicating what went well with the project and what could be done differently in the future to make similar projects work better.
In summary, in this article we have focused on understanding what a project is and where it fits within programs and portfolios.
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