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In its early stages, the project management process consists of developing a series of successively more refined plans and programs for the execution of the project.

In the later stages, the process consists of ensuring adherence to those plans, subject to such modifications as are approved in accordance with the plans. Plans include not only the basic design for the project, but a comprehensive statement of its rationale and objectives, and the prescription of a method for carrying out the project that maximizes the prospects that those objectives will be attained within the budget that has been approved.

The basic techniques of project management may be easily summarized. First, the overall project should be subdivided into small, self-contained modules or phases, each of which is tied to a specific deliverable.

Essentially, each such phase may be viewed as a distinct or discrete stage in the project. Ideally, no phase should take more than six months to a year from its design to completion. In the IT area, particular concern is required with respect to each phase since rapid changes in technology or evolving user requirements may make the system obsolete even before its completion.

To avoid any problems of vampire programs and activity traps, there should be review and “bail-out” or “off-ramp” points at regular intervals, to allow the project to be discontinued where it becomes evident the objectives that served as its rationale can no longer be obtained or can only be obtained at a cost disproportionate to perceived benefit.

Typically, the phases of a project may be broken down into:

• Preparatory: Covering such aspects as a requirements analysis and the development of a business case for carrying forward with the project.
• Consultation: Involving extensive consultation to determine the detailed requirements for the project in order to define the specific project objectives and fix milestones for completion.
• Planning: Covering such aspects of the project as scope definition, the creation of a work breakdown structure, quantity estimating and costing; final budgeting and scheduling, risk management process to be incorporated into the process; developing the tools for development of communications plans, team building and stakeholder management.
• Contract award: Incorporating procurement management, quality management and the development of a project execution management plan.
• Construction: monitoring and control phase, covering tracking and evaluating process, reporting, changing management.
• Take-over-phase: confirming conformity to the plans and specifications; taking delivery, acceptance and administrative closure; putting the project into operation.
• Close-out phase: Building upon the experience (identifying the lessons learned) and factoring those lessons into future decision-making.
• Operational phase: Warranty support, takeover of full responsibility for the project, ongoing user support and facility management, life cycle management.

All too often years ago, project management was equated with the use of GANTT and PERT charts, systems analysis and a critical path method to analyze the network of tasks and develop options for shortening project duration.

In reality, a project can be properly managed without using any of those devices. By the same token, a project can be very badly managed even though the full array of project management tools are employed.

Much as a Saturday afternoon carpenter can ruin a bookshelf even though equipped with the finest tools, the success of project management turns more on the way in which its tools are properly employed than on the number of tools employed.

While good project management is essential, it is not a cure for all manner of ills and it will only work to the extent that the right person is put in charge and given the resources to carry out the responsibility. Bad project management can actually cause project failure.

On occasion, the individuals who are designated as project managers will lack the necessary training and experience to carry out this role.