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Project Management

An introductory map of project purpose, planning, teamwork, scheduling, and risk.

For: Learners at any starting point, including people managing a project for the first time.

After this page you can: Outline a project, choose a planning approach, and identify a useful next learning step.

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Part of: Business

About Project Management

Project management applies knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. A project is temporary work intended to create a unique product, service, or result, so the subject concerns how people define the work, organize it, and guide it toward an outcome.

Study the field by moving from the project’s purpose to its deliverables, work plan, schedule, team, and uncertainties. Open resources offer different entry points: a short overview, a university course, or a focused article. You can follow the whole project path first, then return to the area that best fits your goal.

Start here

route

I’m new to project management

Start with a short overview.

Start with: KICKOFF

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I want a fuller course

Revisit the subject through an undergraduate course.

Start with: Project Management

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I have a specific people-focused goal

Focus on stakeholder needs and expectations.

Start with: Stakeholder analysis

Learn the foundations

1.Clarify the project and its purposeStart by describing the intended result and the work’s beginning and end; then consider which phases make sense for the project.

Start by describing the intended result and the work’s beginning and end; then consider which phases make sense for the project.

  • What is a project?

    Use this overview to compare a project definition with examples and lifecycle phases.

Project

Temporary work undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Project life cycle

A framework of related phases used to structure project work.

Try it

Describe a community garden project in one sentence, naming its intended result and its temporary nature.

The project is the temporary work of creating a community garden; maintaining the garden year after year is ongoing work.

2.Define the work and make a planWrite down the intended deliverables, break the work into manageable pieces, and connect those pieces to responsibilities and resources.

Write down the intended deliverables, break the work into manageable pieces, and connect those pieces to responsibilities and resources.

  • Scope Management

    This article describes a work breakdown structure as a way to subdivide a project into manageable work packages.

Deliverable

A product, service, or result produced by project work.

Work breakdown structure

A structured breakdown of project work into manageable components.

Try it

Break the deliverable “hold a public workshop” into two manageable pieces of work.

Prepare the workshop materials; arrange the venue and participant access.

3.Sequence work and coordinate peopleMap task dependencies, estimate the time needed, and decide how the team will coordinate and communicate.

Map task dependencies, estimate the time needed, and decide how the team will coordinate and communicate.

Critical path

The continuous sequence of critical activities in a project schedule; delaying a critical activity delays project completion.

Stakeholder

A person or organization involved in a project or affected by its execution or completion.

Try it

For a workshop, name one task that must happen before invitations can be sent and identify one stakeholder.

Confirm the date and venue before sending invitations; workshop participants are stakeholders because the project affects them.

4.Notice uncertainty and adjustDescribe uncertainties in terms of a possible event and its effect on project objectives, then consider how the plan could respond.

Describe uncertainties in terms of a possible event and its effect on project objectives, then consider how the plan could respond.

  • Project Management

    The course connects project planning with risk factors that may affect schedule, budget, quality, and the environment.

Project risk

An uncertain event or condition that could positively or negatively affect a project objective.

Risk impact

The effect on project objectives if a risk occurs.

Try it

Describe a risk to the workshop plan as a possible event and its effect.

If the venue becomes unavailable, the workshop may need to move, which could delay the event.

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Books

Glossary

Every free Project Management course and book on RedLectern

Free Project Management online courses

  1. Management in EngineeringMIT 2.96 · Browse materials
  2. Project ManagementMIT 1.040 · Browse materials
  3. Project ManagementMIT 1.040 · Browse materials
  4. System Project ManagementMIT ESD.36 · Browse materials
  5. Data ManagementMIT RES.STR-002 · Open on OCW
  6. Materials Project LaboratoryMIT 3.042 · Open on OCW
How these courses are chosen

Listed as Project Management courses:

  • those whose title contains “Project Management”, or
  • those tagged “Project Management” as one of at most 2 topic tags, or as the first of 3.

Free Project Management textbooks and books

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