Published here April 2019

Foreword | Introduction
Terms and Definitions Relating to Project Management in This Paper
The Essence of Core Concepts of Project Management
Proposed Core Concepts of Project Management - Part 1, Part 2
Discussion | Conclusion

The Essence of Core Concepts of Project Management

To identify a set of project management postulates, we must set criteria for their inclusion or exclusion. The following criteria are proposed.

A Core Concept of project management must:

  1. Express a general and apparent fundamental truth, an idea that is applicable to most projects most of the time.
  2. Make for a high probability of project/product success in terms of acceptability of the product or outcome. The corollary is that the absence of the condition will render project success as highly improbable.
  3. Provide the basis for establishing logical processes and supporting practices that can be proven through research, analysis and practical testing.

In addition and ideally, a Core Concept should:

  1. Be universal to all areas of project management application.
  2. Be capable of straightforward expression in one or two sentences.
  3. Be self-evident to experienced project management personnel, and
  4. Carry a concise label reflecting its content.

If these criteria are not met, then the postulate should not be included in the list of Core Concepts.

Terms and Definitions Relating to Project Management in This Paper  Terms and Definitions Relating to Project Management in This Paper

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