I found the following definition in the Oxford English Dictionary which I think encompasses many of the elements of a project:
“a collaborative enterprise, freq. involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim.”
(Oxford English Dictionary Third edition, July 2010; online version November 2010)
The “collaborative” bit suggests a project team. Obviously one can undertake a solo project, but generally in the workplace I have found that there is usually a wider project team (e.g. commissioners, stakeholders etc) even if it is one person responsible for delivering the project outputs.
“Carefully planned” suggests some form of project management and that all aspects of a project should be considered (e.g. cost, time, quality, risks etc). Obviously the more carefully planned the better!
“A particular aim” suggests that there should be a planned output (or outputs) so that all members of a project team know what they’re working towards. It also means you will know when the project is finished!
I also found this joke about projects which I’m sure we all can identify with!:
“At the heart of every large project is a small project trying to get out.”
(Funny-haha.co.uk (2010) Project Management. Bitscape Ltd.)
How would you define a project? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Posted by Anthea (FOLIOz Team)
Here's a good definition on project management from All About Project Management by Kevin Lonergan(I googled it!):
ReplyDelete"Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a successful project. A project is a one-time effort that produces a specific result. Management of the project includes developing a plan, which includes defining and confirming the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and how goals will be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes managing the implementation of the plan."
http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/project/project.htm
Although this definition isn't library specific, it does exemplify the changes we are undergoing here at our Library. We are currently updating our Young Adult Librarian position with new responsibilities and goals. From the initial layout - what we want this position to accomplish to what has been mandated by the City Government to what is possible within the budget, we have been steadily using the position to foster/design new outreach programmes, both onsite and offsite.
The redesign of the position also allows for basic collection development activities such as weeding and buying new titles for the YA collection. I've noticed that there's no real timeline for this, it all seems to be an ongoing process, although I suspect that senior management would like to see some results by the end of the financial year.
Cheers, Michael
I decided to try and give my definition of 'project': "A one-time-only, self-contained, activity with precise beginning and end, that achieves an immediate, tangible outcome."
ReplyDeleteAnd then compare it with Robbins et al (2009) definition: "Project: A one-time-only set of activities that has a definite beginning and ending point in time".
I think 'set of activities' is more correct than just 'activity' and the word 'definite' is more appropriate than 'precise'.
Reference: Robbins, Bergman, Stagg and Coulter. Management, 5th edition. French Forest and Education Australia, 2009, p.323.
Sorry, I forgot to sign my comment above: Silvia.
ReplyDeleteI’ve looked at a few definitions, and two I like are :
ReplyDelete“Projects involve a group of planned, inter-related activities that create a new or improved product or service, to meet the stated project objectives. A project should be achievable within a relatively fixed timeframe and resource constraints, and the scope of the project should take these into consideration.”
Tasmania. Department of Premier and Cabinet. Inter Agency Policy and Projects Unit (November 2008 ) Project Management Fact Sheet: Managing Small Projects
Version: 1.2,
http://www.egovernment.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/78165/Managing_Small_Projects_Fact_Sheet.pdf [accessed 19th March 2011]
“What is a project? Definitions abound but usually boil down to something like this: a project is a one-off, temporary activity with a clear start and a clear end (though some projects never seem to end); it has full or part-time resources clearly assigned to it; it has a temporary management hierarchy that takes precedence over the company hierarchy; and it sets out to deliver something: an IT system, a new product or whatever.”
Roberts, Michael Harding (2011) Project Management Book. Chapter 1 - Introduction and Principles http://www.hraconsulting-ltd.co.uk/project-management-book-0101.htm [accessed 19th March 2011]
My definition:
A formal project is a planned, clearly defined and unique activity that produces a pre-determined outcome in a specified time frame. It is not an on-going process in itself, although it may be related to on-going processes and programmes. For any project to be successful it will need to be adequately resourced, and resourcing will include personnel who will manage the project and its resources as a whole and any sub-projects that evolve from it.
Joan
"Today project management is widely known and acknowledged as the means to convert resources to create something more valuable."
ReplyDeleteDavid I. Cleland, Lewis R. Ireland. Project management: strategic design and implementation.
McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006.
I like this definition because it is broad and it puts the emphasis on the value of what is achieved. Lots of successful projects do not deliver what was originally conceived, but do deliver a valuable new resource. That is not to say a project brief, plan, timeframe and other parameters are discarded, only that they should allow the project team to explore and to develop the best outcome.
-Charlotte
The definition I found for PROJECT is from (The Macquarie Dictionary,3rd edition,1998)
ReplyDeletesomething that is contemplated, devised, or planned; a plan; a scheme; an undertaking.
This definition does not illustrate the complexity of a project.
To me a project is an idea that is implemented and acheived after careful thought and planning, within a set time frame and to a set cost. The project can be performed by a team or single person
Cheryl Woodward
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. It is sometimes conflated with program management, however technically that is actually a higher level construction: a group of related and somehow interdependent engineering projects.
ReplyDeleteA project is a temporary endeavor, having a defined beginning and end (usually constrained by date, but can be by funding or deliverables),[1] undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives,[2] usually to bring about beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast to business as usual (or operations),[3] which are repetitive, permanent or semi-permanent functional work to produce products or services. In practice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and the adoption of separate management.
The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals[4] and objectives while honoring the preconceived project constraints.[5] Typical constraints are scope, time, and budget.[1] The secondary—and more ambitious—challenge is to optimize the allocation and integration of inputs necessary to meet pre-defined objectives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
I like this definition as it indicates project management is different from business as usual.
All of the definitions posted are good, and highlight aspects of the process.
susan M
I liked this definition which comes from an IT perspective, but sums it up quite nicely. I particularly like having a definite end to it! Kareen.
ReplyDeleteA project, by definition, is a temporary activity with a starting date, specific goals and conditions, defined responsibilities, a budget, a planning, a fixed end date and multiple parties involved. You know what you have to do, do it, once, and that's the end of it. That's a project. http://www.softwareprojects.org/project_intake_reasons22.htm (accessed 31/3/11)
I found one of the best descriptions of project management in the book "The Accidental Library Manager" by Rachel Singer Gordon, 2005. I can probably relate to it so well as I also feel like an accidental library manager!
ReplyDeleteOn pages 51-53, she describes project management from the perspective of a project manager. Like others have mentioned, a project is typically set for a certain time period with a particular objective and set of outcomes to be met, according to an agreed budget. The project manager usually leads a team where each member has the skills and/or knowledge for specific responsibilities within the project. It requires a lot of planning throughout the whole project to ensure that individual deadlines are met, budgets are kept, and outcomes are achieved.
Laura
from JoAnne:
ReplyDeletefirst off thanks Anthea for the joke and it has a considerabl element of truth.
Here is the definition I found.
Projects should transform an unsatisfactory (existing or future) state to a better state within a certain time, using a limited effort.(Cleland and Gareis, 1994)
In more pragmatic terms it means:
• in any project situation, there is always someone (the client, customer) who has a
unique need (an idea) for something new,and some, often vague, expectations about
tangible outcomes (the creation) of it, and requires knowledge and resources to conduct
the realization of the concept within the specific constraints of time, money and
specifications;
• the required expertise and resources, either in-house or from the market, need to be pooled together to create the change – the transition from the idea to the creation,according to the client’s expectations –these are provided by professionals, consultants,contractors and sub-contractors;
• there is always a limited amount of time,money, and human and material resources
(project constraints affecting all parties involved) that can be integrated into the
project network at any point of time to deliver the outcome (the tangible change)
with desired quality;
• it all happens within a human, social setting– the project organization, with conflicting strategic, professional and functional interests, hidden agendas and cultural backgrounds;
• effective management processes of planning, monitoring and control are required to translate the idea of change into tangible deliverables that, at the and of the project,
must match the client’s expectation –project success;
• there are always much wider issues of social and behavioural impact of the project
deliverables that go beyond the boundaries of the project organization. Implications
of project success/failure for each party to the project, their internal and external
environments, and for the social context in general are often dangerously overlooked.
Svetlana J.K. Cicmil, (1997) "Critical factors of effective project management", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 9 Iss: 6, pp.390 -396
OK, so this definition isn’t as brief as some, but what I like about this definition is that it is comprehensive and explanatory. It talks about the social dimension. Most definitions include the basics of limits to resources/time and uniqueness. This one includes the human dynamics. How does an organisation cope when a project goes badly? Project team members have their own personalities and possibly competing perspectives