Project Management: From Idea to Delivery

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1. Slide 1

   What Makes Work a Project?

   • A project is a temporary, organized effort created to produce a distinct product, service, research result, or change.
   • Projects have a defined purpose and boundaries, which help teams decide what work belongs in the effort and what does not.
   • Unlike recurring operations, projects have a start and finish, even when their outcomes later become part of routine work.
   • Projects balance scope, schedule, resources, and quality; changing one of these often affects the others.

2. Slide 2

   Define the Problem and Success

   • Begin by describing the need or opportunity in concrete terms, using evidence rather than assumptions about what stakeholders want.
   • Set measurable objectives so the team can evaluate whether the project delivered the intended result, not merely completed tasks.
   • Identify stakeholders, including people who fund, use, approve, support, or may be affected by the project's outcome.
   • Agree on scope and exclusions early; clear boundaries reduce misunderstandings and help prevent uncontrolled additions.

3. Slide 3

   Plan Tasks, Time, and Resources

   • Break the outcome into manageable work packages, then assign ownership so responsibilities and handoffs are visible to everyone.
   • Estimate task duration and dependencies before setting milestones; the sequence of work can matter as much as total effort.
   • Match the plan to available people, skills, budget, tools, and facilities, and record assumptions that could change those needs.
   • Build contingency into schedules for uncertainty, especially when tasks depend on approvals, suppliers, or unfamiliar methods.

4. Slide 4

   Coordinate Work and Manage Risk

   • Use brief, regular check-ins to compare actual progress with the plan, surface obstacles, and agree on actions with clear owners.
   • Maintain a risk list that records each uncertainty, its likelihood and impact, and a practical response or monitoring trigger.
   • Communicate decisions and changes in a shared record so teammates and stakeholders can rely on the same current information.
   • When scope, timing, or resources must change, assess trade-offs and obtain approval rather than quietly revising expectations.

5. Slide 5

   Deliver, Evaluate, and Learn

   • Confirm that deliverables meet agreed acceptance criteria, and obtain the appropriate stakeholder approval before closing the work.
   • Compare outcomes with the original objectives using relevant evidence, such as user feedback, quality measures, or operational results.
   • Document lessons about what helped or hindered the project so future teams can reuse effective practices and avoid repeated problems.
   • Close responsibly by transferring ownership, organizing key records, and clarifying support needs for the completed outcome.