Project Management 101: What is a Project?

Job responsibilities have shifted from standard processes to project-oriented work increasing the emphasis on project management. More and more job descriptions require or prefer experience in project management. Project management is obviously important, but what is a project anyways? As defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result.

Two key characteristics form the definition of a project: temporary and unique. A project is temporary, this means that there is a defined end date and start date. A project produces something unique, the purpose of the project is to develop something that does not currently exist. When you are trying to determine if a task is a project next time, ask yourself, “Is this task temporary?” “Is the outcome of task completion something unique?” If the answer to both questions is yes, you have a project on your hands! Remember projects can come in all shapes and sizes, from building a hospital to writing an article.

Now, let’s test your knowledge on identifying projects! Determine whether each of the situations below is a project (answers at the end of the post).

1. Fulfilling a new traveler request at an operations center
2. Designing a report to track metrics for management
3. Factory production of a car
4. Developing new functionality in an information dashboard
5. Preparing standard reports to management
6. Establishing an operations center

Answer time!

1. Fulfilling requests would be part of routine operations and does not produce a unique result, No
2. Designing the report would create a unique product for tracking and is temporary starting with the design and ending with the completed report, Yes
3. Factory production of pretty much anything is routine work and does not produce unique products, No
4. Developing new functionality creates unique functionality not previously available. If the development is part of the standard maintenance process then this task is routine not temporary (not a project), but if the development is not part of standard maintenance then this task is temporary (a project), It Depends
5. Standard is a key descriptor, anything standard is not unique unless you are creating that initial standard, No
6. Establishing an operations center as a specific instance (unique, temporary) to meet a need (a project), but if establishing operations center is part of your standard scope of work i.e. establishing customer support call centers around the world then this would not produce unique results and this work is routine, It Depends

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the blogger and are not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.