What a Project Is and How It s Different from a Program

What a Project Is and How It's Different from a Program

According to PMI, a project is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service." This is an important definition you need to know for the test because it emphasizes that a project is temporary and has a distinct beginning, duration, and clear-cut ending. According to the PMBOK, a program is "a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way and includes an element of ongoing work."

The PMP exam will not be based on memorization only. You must know the definitions and concepts and be able to utilize them in a fictitious situation.

A project is different from a program by this distinction. Processing of daily Accounts Receivable statements is not a project because it is an ongoing function. The development of an annual budget and financial report is considered a project because it is a unique activity that is not done on a daily basis. The easiest way to determine whether an event is a project is to ask yourself these questions:

• Does the event have a definitive beginning?

• Does the event have a duration in which various activities occur?

• Does the event have a definitive ending?

If you answer "yes" to all three of these questions, the event constitutes a project. If the event has a beginning but has stopped before the ending, it may still constitute a project. For example, suppose a military assignment is started and is supposed to end in 6 months. Due to budget cuts, all activities are ended after 4 months. These events would still constitute a project because they have a definite beginning, duration, and ending, even if the events were cut short.

Projects come in all forms and sizes and are done in the areas of government infrastructure, aerospace, pharmaceutical development, telecommunications, and a multitude of different professions. Projects are also done in our daily lives the annual Girl Scout cookie drive, weddings, home building, and preparation of the family Thanksgiving dinner.

Projects at work may include the implementation of software on 200 computers, the introduction of a new product, or the development and distribution of a book. All these events are considered projects that involve planning and the execution of that plan. Each event is considered unique, even though it may be repeated each year.

Progressive elaboration involves various parts of projects that evolve over time. For example, a new style of automobile begins as an idea and is then transformed into blueprints. Many transformations may occur between the idea and the blueprints. The blueprints are then used to develop a prototype with additional modifications and augmentations. The prototype leads to engineering designs for the manufacturing line of the vehicle. The prototype may change as limitations of the manufacturing designs are identified. Eventually an automobile-assembly process and line will develop and cars will be manufactured. This process shows how a project can go through several or even hundreds of progressive elaborations before it becomes a reality.