Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavour with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.
Project Management is the skills, tools and management processes required to undertake a project successfully. It incorporates:
• A set of skills: Specialist knowledge, skills and experience are required to reduce the level of risk within a project and thereby enhance its likelihood of success.
• A suite of tools: Various types of tools are used by project managers to improve their chances of success. Examples include document templates, registers, planning software, modelling software, audit checklists and review forms.
• A series of processes: Various processes and techniques are required to monitor and control time, cost, quality and scope on projects. Examples include time management, cost management, quality management, change management, risk management and issue management.
Traditionally, project management includes a number of elements: four to five process groups, and a control system. Regardless of the methodology or terminology used, the same basic project management processes will be used. Major process groups generally include initiation, planning or development, production or execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. In project environments with a significant exploratory element (e.g., research and development), these stages may be supplemented with decision points (go/no go decisions) at which the project 's continuation is debated and decided. Most projects have four or five phases, but some have nine or more. Even within a single application area there can be significant variations—one organization’s software development life cycle may have a single
References: Jason Westland. The Project Management Life Cycle: A complete step-by-step methodology for initiating, planning, executing and closing a project successfully. www.wikipedia.org Project Cycle Management Handbook. A GUIDE TO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.