Characteristics of a project

Projects have a set of common characteristics that separate them from routine work.

Main characteristics

1. Unique purpose: each project creates a specific product, service or result that is not exactly the same as an earlier one.
2. Temporary: a definite start and end. The team is disbanded after completion.
3. Developed in steps (progressive elaboration): planning is rough at first and becomes detailed as information arrives.
4. Needs resources: people, hardware, software, money and time from various areas of the organisation.
5. Should have a primary customer or sponsor: provides funds and direction, and accepts the result.
6. Involves uncertainty: new work, estimates and assumptions create risk.
7. Constrained by scope, time and cost: the triple constraint must be balanced.
8. Cross-functional team: people from different departments work together, often temporarily.
9. Defined objectives and deliverables: success is measured against agreed outcomes.
10. Change: a project brings change to the organisation, such as a new system replacing a manual process.

Illustration

Take a project to develop an e-library for a campus.

• Unique: customised to that campus.
• Temporary: six months from kick-off to hand-over.
• Resources: 5 developers, 1 tester, servers, Rs 8 lakh budget.
• Sponsor: campus chief.
• Risk: students may not adopt it; requirements may change.

Summary table

Understanding these helps the manager choose between project-style management and normal operations management.