A paper presented to the first Engineering Congress, The Institution of Engineers, India - Calcutta, January 1987

Introduction | Definition | Traditional | Hard-Soft | Environment
Characteristics | Concepts | Control | Breakdown | Fundamentals
Prerequisites | Summary | Appendix A | Appendix B

Project Characteristics

Function-Process-Time Relationship

The time, process, and function components of project management form a relationship which may be viewed as three-dimensional. This relationship is shown in Figure 2. The figure shows functions which are to be managed, the processes which are used by management, and their variation in terms of effort required, as the project progresses from beginning to end.

Project Stages

There are four distinct project phases or stages which make up the typical project life cycle, namely: Concept; Planning; Execution; and Termination. These phases may be more easily remembered by the letters CDEF standing for:

  • Conceive
  • Develop
  • Execute
  • Finish.

Figure 2: The Function-Process-Time relationship in project management

Figure 2: The Function-Process-Time relationship in project management

Note: The diagram shows the relationship which makes project management both universally applicable and unique to all project work

Of special significance to project management is the variation in the level of effort required to conduct a project during its life time. This LOE variation, and the activities involved for, say, building a process plant, is shown in Figure 3.

Project Management Functions

The management functions involved in a project typically include human and material resources, scope, cost, time, quality, communications and risk management. Each represents a special discipline calling for varying degrees of training, and the requirement for each function depends on the size and nature of the project in question.

A breakdown of these various project management functions, into processes, activities and techniques which may be anticipated within each function is now considered to be part of the Project Management Body of Knowledge. It is available from the Project Management Institute, Box 43, Drexel Hull, Pennsylvania 19026, U.S.A.

Figure 3: The four basic periods of a typical project life cycle

Figure 3: The four basic periods of a typical project life cycle
Typical Capital Project Management Environment  Typical Environment

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