The critical path method, or CPM, was developed by DuPont, to analyse the process of shutting down plants for maintenance, then restarting them at the end of the maintenance cycle. The process involved in this was so complicated, that the critical path method had to be developed to identify and prioritise the vital activities. Similar to a Gantt chart, the CPM provides a graphical representation of the project, and the times expected to complete each activity. However, the CPM does not fix the start and end times of each activity; rather it is used to determine the activities which fall on the critical path. The critical path is the path where all activities directly follow each other, and hence there is no idle time. As such, the length of the critical path determines the total time taken for the project.

The main difference between CPM and the Gantt chart is that ... Read more »

Considering life, time is a unit of measurement since all events occur within its intervals. In fact, no two recurrent activities in history can be absolutely described without due reference to it. For instance, when intercontinental events such as the Olympics, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) world cup and Wimbledon are occur repeatedly in the same location, they are mainly referenced based on their years or dates of occurrence. Again, time is generally an independent resource which we spend and can never retrieve –we can only attempt to compensate for it presently or in future. Therefore, in achieving project objectives and producing deliverables, time is a critical constraint to which all human resource must be sensitive.

[1]When customers, sponsors and other stakeholders outside an active project team appraise the team or their projects highly, they often adjudge them ba ... Read more »

Creating a Project Budget: What You Need to Know

When starting a project, it is difficult to know how much it will cost. Project managers are held to account for their budget estimates and with so much uncertainty in projects, it can be one of the project managers' greatest challenges.

The ability to create an accurate budget is an essential skill for a project manager. It can be a daunting task, especially for new project managers; however, once you have created your first budget, you will have an approach to use, and it will become easier for future projects.

Budgeting Basics¹

There are two main approaches you can take when creating a budget:

1. Top-down approach: deciding how much the project will cost and dividing the amount between the work packages.
2. Bottom-up approach: estimating th ... Read more »

The Logical Framework Approach (LFA) is a highly effective strategic planning and project management methodology with wide application. It is particularly valuable for water management and sanitation projects, especially because water ― the resource base ― has diverse and competing uses. It comprises an integrated package of tools for analysing and solving planning problems and for designing and managing their solutions (the approach). The product of this analytical approach is the logframe (the matrix), which summarises what the project intends to do and how, what the key assumptions are, and how outputs and outcomes will be monitored and evaluated.

The Logical Framework Approach (LFA) is an analytical process and set of tools used to support project planning and management. According to the World Bank (2000), &ldquo ... Read more »

A functional organization is one where the functional managers have all the power. Here's an example: most software companies have the programmers reporting to a development manager, who is responsible for hiring/firing, reviews, salaries, and also assigning work to the developers. There's often someone with the title "project manager", but this person really only takes down notes at status meetings and does bookkeeping -- but has no actual authority to plan projects, assign work or manage changes. We call that role a project expeditor, and the person filling that role usually reports directly to the functional manager. Any power he or she has is explicitly delegated. All project management decisions need to be cleared with the functional manager, and the only "project management" tasks are simple administrative work. From the perspective of the PMP exam, this ... Read more »

Once you have a complete understanding and appreciation of your project requirements,
including the acceptance criteria, you will have the foundation to produce your work breakdown
structure
Before progressing to the work breakdown structure you need to define the scope of the project
from the project requirements and charter. The scope document provides a detailed description
of exactly what your project objective is, its deliverables, exclusions, and acceptance criteria.
On completion of your project scope statement you can begin to focus on the detailed aspects of
your planning and communications. A key part of any project is planning and anticipating
request for changes, your scope must describe how you will handle such requests.
Your project scope statement also defines the project teams roles a ... Read more »