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Planning A Career Course In Project Management...

All processes can benefit from the discipline of Project Management. Those considering training or retraining to build a career in this sector will find it a stimulating and exacting profession, and extremely rewarding. It appeals to people who are numerate and logical, and who have a good technical aptitude. Additionally, people skills will stand a project manager in good stead as exacting projects need everyone's compliance.

...On Time, On Budget

For most companies time and money are critical, yet they don't want to compromise on quality and delivery. All stages of a business or production process need to be professionally controlled and optimised, hence the need for Project Management. Learning how to use scarce resources efficiently in a commercial context will allow you to get into this valuable sector.

There are many colleges and training companies offering courses in Project Management. You'll be taught about project planning, lifecycles, initiating executing and completing a project, time management, scheduling, budgeting and cost control and people management among other things.

De-mystifying The Jargon

The phraseology in project management is often the first thing to understand. Along with learning about the essential characteristics of each project, you'll need to get in tune with modern accepted wisdom. Not all project managers use the same approach, but introductory programmes will equip you with a certain amount of flexibility to join most teams.

The History Of Project Management

Project Management really isn't the young profession you might think it is - we can actually trace its roots back for millennia! Techniques such as brute force may have been common in early projects, but the discipline evolved over the centuries. Henry Gantt and Henri Fayol were born in the mid-nineteenth century and are considered to be two of the key forefathers of project management.

Gantt was called the father of planning and control techniques. F W Taylor's great scientific management contribution is still in evidence today, as modern project management tools have their origins in much of his work including WBS (work breakdown structure) and resource allocation.

The Beginnings Of PM As We Know It Today

You could begin the story of modern planning project management in America in the 1950's, but of course it hadn't yet really got into the human attributes of motivation and leadership. When the US Navy was developing the Polaris Missile system, a new technique was needed to cope with all the various aspects of the job. The answer was to produce a revival of Taylor's scientific management, a project model known as PERT. Private enterprise quickly caught on to this and other mathematical techniques for managing projects. At the same time, technology was being developed in other areas, which led to the formation of the American Association of Cost Engineers.

The IMPA

In the late 1960's the International Project Management Association (IPMA) was founded. It was an amalgamation of several national Project Management associations, and now boasts worldwide membership. Training from the IMPA comes as a four level program that is designed as an on-going competence development process.

PMI

Shortly afterwards in 1969 the American 'Project Management Institute' was launched. A project management guide, the 'Project Management Body of Knowledge' from PMI is now on its fourth edition. It documents and standardises internationally accepted project management practises, information and procedures. A thorough understanding of the fundamentals covered would make you a subject matter expert. Professional training programs can teach you what you need to know. They will prepare you for some of the most the industry-respected qualifications, the PMP (Project Management Professional) and the CAPM (Certified Associate of Project Management).

PRINCE2

PRINCE was introduced in the UK in 1989 as a government standard for IT project management. PRINCE2 is now aimed at all other types of projects as well. It offers a structured approach, combining the original PRINCE program with IBM's MITP (managing the implementation of the total project) methodology. It has recently been updated to the 2009 version, so students of PRINCE2 will learn the latest techniques of this framework model.

PRINCE2 covers procedures for co-ordinating people and activities, design and supervision and how to make adjustments if things don't go to plan. It's product focus clarifies to all what and when a project will deliver.

You'll find a number of other PM courses that will allow you to train for a successful career, or give you a good understanding of the principles. Learning how to manage people has been found to be just as important as learning how to manage processes - the best courses will deal with both aspects. Start looking for training now - and get your personal project on track!