Project Management

Question:

The ability to differentiate between project work and operations is a fundamental concept in the study of project management. In this discussion forum:

Discuss the differences between project work and normal operations, and the role of a project manager.

Answer

Project Work A project work is said to be a onetime endeavour with a definite beginning and a definite end. In addition a project work is normally initiated for the following reasons: develop or modify a product or service; start a new business; implement a new process or system, introduce new equipment, tools or techniques; reengineer a process to reduce customer complains, decrease cycle time, eliminate; comply with regulatory mandates; address a community issue; reduce environmental impact. Unit 1 Foundation of Project Management (n.d.)

Normal Operations

This is a constant and repetitive set of action or activity that a company/business or organization depends on to survive. In other words it is the sustainable daily activities that keep the organization afloat. Examples of normal operations for profit based organization are: customer service, the day to day sales and or production of goods and or services etc. Unit 1 Foundation of Project Management (n.d.)

Role of Project Manager

In addition to working across functional and organizational environments- traditionally designed to support functional managers- the project manager has other challenges such as providing leadership without documented, formal authority, and working in matrix organizations where unity of command is an issue (Cleland, 1995). Consequently, project managers are perceived to be leading a diverse set of people with little direct control over the team members (Cleland and Ireland, 2002). Anantatmula, V. S. (Mar 2010)

The following are a list of roles:

* Communicate expectations. Defining project outcomes and establishing what is expected from all the stakeholders will eventually eliminate perceived and actual incidences of not delivering expected results. This is specifically true with stakeholders within and outside the project who are not routinely involved with projects.

* Employ consistent processes. Developing and deploying consistent and formal project management processes assist in improving operational efficiency, managing risk, and reducing ambiguity. Ultimately, these processes would lead to project management maturity.

* Establish trust. An environment of trust is influenced by the organizational culture which promotes transparency and openness in their communications. Trust among the project team members to work cohesively would lead to knowledge sharing and collaboration.

* Facilitate support. Top management support translates into willingness of everyone in the organization to support the project. Obtaining support is a challenge in traditional organizations where functional managers control resources.

* Manage outcomes. Clearly defined project mission and objectives would help us develop a formal evaluation of project outcomes to determine project success. It promotes performance, motivation, recognition, and synergy in teams. Anantatmula, V. S. (Mar 2010)

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