Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION TO
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Content
◦ Project success
◦ program and project portfolio Management
Project Success
◦ How do you define the success or failure of a project?
◦ The project met scope, time, and cost goals
◦ The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
◦ The results of the project met its main objective, such as making or saving a
certain amount of money, providing a good return on investment, or simply
making the sponsors happy.
Cont…
◦ Why do some IT projects succeed and others fail?
◦ Certain factors
◦ why federal technology projects succeed:
◦ Adequate funding
◦ Staff expertise
◦ Engagement from all stakeholders
Cont…
◦ relationship management VS competent team members
◦ It is also important to look beyond individual project success rates and focus on
how organizations as a whole can improve project performance
 Cont…
◦ How organizations as a whole can improve project performance?
◦ Use an integrated toolbox:
◦ what needs to be done in a project, by whom, when, and how.
◦ They use an integrated toolbox, including project management tools, methods,
and techniques
◦ They carefully select tools, align them with project and business goals
◦ Grow project leaders:
◦ strong project managers OR project leaders—are crucial to project success
◦ a business leader as well, with strong interpersonal and intrapersonal skills
◦ providing them with career opportunities, training, and mentoring
 Cont…
◦ How organizations as a whole can improve project performance?
◦ Develop a streamlined project delivery process:
◦ Winning companies have examined every step in the project delivery process,
◦ All projects go through clear stages and clearly define key milestones.
◦ All project leaders use a shared road map, focusing on key business aspects of their
projects
◦ Measure project health using metrics:
◦ They focus on a handful of important measurements and apply them to all projects
◦ Metrics often include customer satisfaction, return on investment, and percentage of schedule
buffer consumed
 prOgraM and prOject pOrtFOLiO
ManageMent
◦ one-quarter of the world’s gross domestic product is spent on projects
◦ a significant portion of work in most business organizations or enterprises
◦ Two important concepts that help projects meet enterprise goals are the use of
programs and project portfolio management
◦ A program is “a group of related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities managed
in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them
individually
◦ Programs are not large projects; a megaproject is a very large project that typically costs over
US$1 billion, affects over one million people, and lasts several years.
 Cont…
◦ The following are examples of common programs in the IT field:
◦ Infrastructure: such as providing more wireless Internet access, upgrading hardware and
software, enhancing computer security, and developing and maintaining corporate standards
for IT.
◦ Applications development: such as updating an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system,
purchasing a new off-the-shelf billing system, or developing a new capability for a customer
relationship management system.
◦ User support: a project might provide a better e-mail system or develop technical training for
users.
 Cont…
◦ A program manager provides leadership and direction for the project managers
heading the projects within a program.
◦ coordinate the efforts of project teams, functional groups, suppliers, and operations staff
supporting the projects to ensure that products and processes are implemented to
maximize benefits
◦ more than the delivery of project results; success of products and processes developed
by those projects
◦ Program managers often have review meetings with all their project managers to share
important information and coordinate important aspects of each project.
◦ business knowledge, leadership capabilities, and communication skills.
 PrOject pOrtfOliO Management
◦ project managers also support an emerging business strategy of portfolio management
◦ which organizations group and manage projects and programs as a portfolio of
investments that contribute to the entire enterprise’s success.
◦ Program manager; how projects and programs can contribute to meeting strategic
goals
◦ portfolio as “projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios, and operations managed as a
group to achieve strategic objectives

Note: Read table 1-3 Comparative Overview of Portfolios, Programs, and Projects
PrOject pOrtfOliO Management
 Chapter Summary
◦ Many people and organizations have a new or renewed interest in project management
as the number of projects continues to grow and their complexity continues to increase.
successful in meeting scope, time, and cost goals.
◦ A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or
result. An IT project involves the use of hardware, software, and networks. Projects are
unique, temporary, and developed incrementally; they require resources, have a
sponsor, and involve uncertainty. The triple constraint of project management
◦ A framework for project management includes the project stakeholders, project
management knowledge areas, and project management tools and techniques.
◦ There are different ways to define project success, and project managers must
understand the criteria that define success for their unique projects.
 Chapter Summary
◦ A program is a group of related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities
managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control that are not available
from managing the projects individually.
◦ Portfolio management emphasizes meeting strategic goals, while project management
focuses on tactical goals.
◦ Project managers play a key role in helping projects and organizations succeed. They
must perform various job duties, possess many skills, and continue to develop skills
◦ The profession of project management continues to grow and mature. PMI
 Reference
◦ [1] Schwalbe, K. (2018). Information Technology: Project Management 9e.
◦ Chapter 1: SP 26 – EP 46