Coursera - Foundations of Project Management

Week 1. What is project management?

Project?

Project is a series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome

Reaching that desired outcome takes

1. Collaboration
2. Careful planning

that keeps the project on track and on budget

Project Management

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome

Poor project management can lead to trillions of wasted dollars every year

What Project Managers do

1. Planning and organizing
2. Managing tasks
3. Budgeting
4. Controlling costs and other factors

Planning & Organizing

• Gather requirements from teammates or customers
• Figure out what exactly the project's trying to accomplish

Managing Tasks

• Communicates key milestones to the larger team or customers
• Keep updating on how the project is progressing

Budgeting

• Keep the project on track and within budget

Project management job categories and common roles

Introductory-level project management roles

• Junior Project Manager: Performs all aspects of being a project manager alongside a more experienced professional.

• Project Administrator: Assists the rest of the project team with administrative tasks.

• Project/Program Assistant: Supports team members working on a project and offers administrative support. May perform research or create training documents along with other jobs as assigned by program leaders.

• Project/Program Coordinator: Participates in hands-on project work and administrative tasks. Works under a project manager to make sure projects are completed on time and within budget.

• Project Support Specialist: Works alongside a project manager and team members to oversee assigned projects. May also be responsible for training and developing employees to perform designated tasks.

Traditional project management roles

• Project Manager: Responsible for the initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing of a project. Includes industry-specific titles like IT project manager, construction project manager, or engineering project manager, which utilize skills that are transferable among industries.

• Project Analyst: Moves a project along by sharing information, providing support through data analysis, and contributing to strategy and performance.

• Project Leader/Director: Drives core decision-making and sets the direction for the project. Usually knowledgeable about the product or deliverable.

• Project Controller: Primarily responsible for project planning. You are likely to see this job title in industries like engineering and construction.

• Technical Project Manager: Conducts project planning and management for identified goals within a company. Ensures that projects are completed to the requirements within a defined time frame and budget.

• Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst: Manages the progress of complex projects to ensure timely execution and completion.

Program and portfolio management roles

• Program managers: Manage a group of projects that are related or similar to one another and handle the coordination of these projects. They facilitate effective communication between individual project managers and provide support where necessary. They also help create and manage long-term goals for their organization.

• Portfolio managers: Responsible for managing a group of related programs within the same organization. They coordinate various programs in order to ensure they are on track and that the organization is meeting its strategic initiatives. Portfolio managers look at all projects and programs within the organization and prioritize work as necessary.

Operational management roles

• Operations Analyst: Manages and coordinates research, investigates workflows, creates business procedures, and recommends changes to improve the project and company.

• Operations Manager: Oversees strategic decision-making and rolls out plans of action based on financial, schedule, and resource reporting.

• Chief Operating Officer: Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of a business.

Agile roles

• Scrum Master: Coordinates and guides the Scrum team. Knowledgeable in Agile framework and Scrum and is able to teach others about the Scrum values and principles. May also be listed as a Technical Program Manager or Technical Project Manager.

• Product Owner: Drives the direction of product development and progress.

Key Roles of a project manager

1. Creating monthly status reports
2. Implement new and necessary technologies
3. Tracking work plans and performance metrics
4. Assisting other members of the operations team
5. Ensuring timely responses to requests for information