What exactly is a project? A project is a temporary group of activities designed to produce a unique product, service or result. It is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.

A project has four essential elements:

• A specific timeframe with well-defined start and end date and set milestones

• A well-coordinated approach to co-dependent events and the sequence by which these events occur

• A desired outcome such as a measurable milestone, timeline, goal or objective

• Unique characteristics and challenges dependent on the project resources, scope and environment

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Projects are delivered in stages with common project management processes running across these stages.

Project management processes fall into five groups:

• Initiating

• Planning

• Executing

• Monitoring and Controlling

• Closing

Phases, or stages, are very important for project managers to ensure that the deliverables produced at the end of each phase meet their purpose, and that project team members are properly prepared for the next phase.

Remember as a project manager you need to be ready to plan, manage, implement, control, support, measure & report, communicate and face unplanned challenges and risks.