Project Planning and Management: An Aspect of Development

A project comprises a series of activities (investments) that aim to solve problems within a given time frame with a clear set of objectives for man’s benefits. It is an undertaking that involves the commitment of scarce resources in the expectation of future benefits. Before achieving the objectives, a project goes through several stages of a project cycle. In this study, the author discusses and analyses concepts of project planning and management. On the one hand, he refers to the project in general, and on the other hand, he represents the different stages of project planning and project management.



Text sample:

Chapter 3.2, Types of management in the Project Cycle:

3.2.1, Integration management:

Describes the process required to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. It consists of the project plan development, plan execution and overall change control. The project integration ensures that the project is managed as a unit of related activities.

3.2.2, Scope Management:

The project scope is the definition of what the project is supposed to accomplish and the budget (time and money) that has been created to achieve these objectives.

Describe the process required to ensure that the project activities include; All the work required to successfully complete the project and realize the objectives specified for the project. It involves the scope definition, scope planning, scope benefaction and scope change control. Grundy (2001: 26) emphasizes the need of scoping the project through identifying the key project objects for effective project management. This may be in form of identifying the size of the project, the stakeholders among other factors needed to bear in mind for effective project management.

3.2.3, Time management:

Relates to the management process required to ensure that the project is completely timely (in time). It involves the definition of the activities the estimation of the duration of the activities developing the schedule for the activities of the project and controlling that schedule.

3.2.4, Cost management:

Involves the process required to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated budget. It consists of resource planning, cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost control.

3.2.5, Quality Management:

Involves the management processes in ensuring that the project delivers outputs that meet the quality specifications set in order to satisfy stake holders. This consist quality planning, quality assurance and quality control.

3.2.6, Project communication management:

Includes processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides the initial links among people, ideas and information that are necessary for the files of the projects. It includes communication planning, information distribution, performance reporting and administrative closure processes.

3.2.7, Project Human resources management:

Includes processes required to make the most effective use of people involved with the project. It includes all the project stakeholders, the sponsors, staff, customers, individual contributors and others. David, N (1999:356), stresses that human resource management not only is important for human resource issues but also vital for total integration within corporate objectives of the enterprise. It involves organizational planning, staff acquisition and team development. Kendrick (2011:83) stresses that building a high performing team involves brainstorming planning and embarking in team building activities that helps to achieve good working relations and mutual trust. Team work helps to assist even the less skilled workers through mentoring and guidance that generally lead to increased labor productivity.

3.2.8, Project risk management:

It involves the process of identifying, analyzing and responding to project risk. It includes maximizing results of positive events. It includes risk identification, risk qualification, risk response development, risk response control etc. Kendrick (2009:2) shows that effective project risk management is needed to understand the challenges ahead so as to anticipate the possible risks. Past failures can be used to avoid future problems through planning for risk management.

3.2.9, Project procurement management:

Involves the processes required to acquire goods/service from outside the performing organization. It includes the processes of procurement planning, solicitation, source selection contract administration, contract close out etc.

A successful manager must effectively manage the resources assigned to the project. (Reh ,1997). This includes the labor hours of the designers, builders, the testers and the inspectors of the project team. It also includes managing any labor subcontracts. Managing the people resources means having the right people, with the right skills and proper tools, in the right quantity at the right time. It also means ensuring that they know what needs to be done, when and how. And it means motivating them to feel a sense of belonging while at work.

Project management means effectively working to coordinate and manage individuals to work towards a common goal or objective to complete a task. The project management requires that one apply their personal knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques towards an activity in order to meet the requirements of a project assigned. Project management involves planning, scheduling, and controlling of all the combined activities in order to ensure a successful completion of the project objectives. There are three concepts that are part of any project no matter what type of project is being worked on. These three concepts include project processes, project life cycles, and project management systems.