Like many things in life, project management is an art form as well as a science. It's a delicate dance, a blend where intuition meets precision. While some may possess a natural flair for orchestrating chaos into order, the true mastery of this craft lies in understanding its scientific backbone. Fortunately, you don’t need to... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
PRINCE2 is one of the world's main project management methodologies. It was developed by the UK government and is administered by Axelos, a company partially owned by the UK government. Axelos administers the two PRINCE2 certifications: PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner. The latter is the main certification, and the former is the more basic, "associate"... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Risk management is not a new concept but has been growing momentum as of late. Project managers are expected to know the risks inherent in their projects and give them the appropriate level of scrutiny. Definition Project risk is defined by the Project Management Institute as an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs,... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Risks are the wild cards of any project—those sneaky “what ifs” that can turn a smooth ride into a rollercoaster. Risk planning isn’t about eliminating all risk. That would be impossible. Rather, it’s about knowing potential negative events are coming and having a plan to deal with them. Whether you’re launching a product or renovating... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Projects are magnets for surprises—think missed deadlines, budget slips, or that vendor who ghosts you midstream. A Risk Management Plan is the part of the Project Management Plan that plans, identifies, and analyzes project risks. It provides the project management team with a defined plan to identify and manage the risks that can arise and negatively... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Few projects go off without a hitch, especially when client/sponsor relationships are not strong. That's why I would argue that risk management is one of the most important components of project management. When unexpected events occur, it is clear that the identification and analysis of risks is a central cog in the wheel preventing small... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Many people become project managers simply by receiving additional responsibility or via promotion into the role. As such, project management fundamentals are often unknown to the very people who manage projects. The Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a very structured, analytical outline of a somewhat abstract topic. Although the relevant... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
In this day and age, project success is no longer a matter of luck. So long as the project schedule and budget are realistic and achievable, project management fundamentals provide more than enough tools for the project manager to implement project controls that provide sufficient early warning of variances that require action. Projects, by their... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Putting out fires is practically part of the job description for some project managers. Every project has changes throughout its life span, sure, but how do you control them, or better yet, how do you stop them from popping up? Project controls are where the project manager earns their wages. Assigning work is relatively easy,... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that only 64% of projects meet their intended goals. The difference between a successful project and an unsuccessful one can usually be narrowed down to one word: Planning. Even small projects can benefit from a Project Management Plan. The following Project Management Plan checklist is... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Active project risk management is a concept that has been growing momentum as of late. Project managers are expected to know the risks inherent in their projects and give them the appropriate level of scrutiny. Risk is defined by the Project Management Institute as an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Knowledge Areas Risk Management Project Risk Management Risk Identification Risk Analysis Plan Risk Responses Control Risks In an effective project risk management system, the project managers must focus their attention on the highest priority risks. Thus, upon determination of the primary risks to a project, this step seeks to sort the list into priorities and... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Knowledge Areas Risk Management Project Risk Management Risk Identification Risk Analysis Plan Risk Responses Control Risks Project risk is defined by the Project Management Institute as an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives. Risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing,... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Knowledge Areas Risk Management Project Risk Management Risk Identification Risk Analysis Plan Risk Responses Control Risks Once the risks to the project have been identified, their probability and impact given a value, and an overall priority established, risk responses should be drawn up. For each response plan, trigger conditions should be identified. These are the... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Knowledge Areas Risk Management Project Risk Management Risk Identification Risk Analysis Plan Risk Responses Control Risks Risk monitoring and control during project execution is crucial to ensure a that project risks are accounted for and properly dealt with. Many things change during the course of the project which render parts of the risk register obsolete.... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Putting out fires is rarely a good project management strategy. Project controls are where the project manager earns their wages. Assigning work to someone is relatively easy, but how do you ensure the quality of the work is acceptable, or that the deadlines will be met? Fortunately, project management theory contains techniques which are used... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
The largest projects in the world, from the summer olympics to big petrochemical projects, have one major thing in common at the project management level: A relentless focus on risk. What happens if there is a riot? Or a catastrophic explosion? What if protestors disrupt the project, or regulatory agencies reject it? These large megaprojects must allocate... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Risk analysis is an often omitted area of project management, probably because you can't see its results in a direct way. On top of that, small projects just don't seem like they have the time and budget to justify the time spent. But I would argue that analyzing risk is one of the easiest ways... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer
Three point estimating is a technique which utilizes an optimistic and pessimistic estimate to determine the ideal estimate value for a project task. It is a shoe-in for PMP exam questions, which is not likely to change anytime soon. It allows known risks to be quantified and built in to the project budget. Formula There... [Read More]| ProjectEngineer