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Five letters is all that is needed to summarize the basics of Project Management. IPECC. This is the acronym for the phases of a project: Initiate, Plan, Execute, Control and Close. It is also an effective way to explain the basics.

But first we must start with a definition of a project. According to the Project Management Institute, "a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service." Within this definition is the nuance of temporary, in that a project is an effort with a defined and tangible beginning and end. Additionally, to meet the unique parameter, it is separate from continuous operations or repeating activities like production or assembly lines. Once identified as a project you can begin the act of project management.

In initiating a project, the keys are defining a scope of what the project is, the need or purpose behind the project, and the constraints and assumptions the project will work within. This all helps sell the commitment by management and the organization to tangible and specific project and provides a reference for the project manager to make on-going decisions on activities that should or should not be part of the endeavor. Many organizations and teams make the mistake of immediately jumping to the execution of a project without an unambiguous scope defining the project and its measurable completion. Short circuiting the early phases is a primary cause of many project failures.

With commitment and scope definition in place its time to start planning. Note that this phase in planning, not doing. Planning involves determination of the steps or tasks needed, the sequential dependencies of those tasks and the resources human or otherwise - necessary to complete the project. Also within the planning phase you should be establishing how the project will be managed; what reports will be generated, meeting schedules, milestone deliverables, progress measurements to be used and reporting hierarchy of resources committed to the project.

Putting the plan into action is the bulk of the project management effort. Keeping on track through alignment of resources and schedules to reach target milestones is where the true management skills within project management come into play. The project manager is people and process to achieve the work result.

Like all work effort performed over time, a project during execution is subject to changes. The control phase overlaps the execution phase, as tools are applied to the project tasks to help manage change, measure quality, and maintain schedules. It also is where communication and notification plans get launched when updates or re-planning is required.

As the temporary element in the definition of a project implies, there must be a point of closure in a project. This is when the measurable outcome, initially decided in the initiation phase, has been reached and is confirmed as delivered by the customer of the project's output. This phase is where resources are released from the project and documentation is collected for future reference and use. The cycle into future endeavors is complete with the application of lessons learned into the future project management efforts of the project manager, stakeholders and the organization.

Not all projects will require all the elements of every phase, but every project goes through all these phases. The differences between project to project, even among successful and unsuccessful ones, is the amount of time and effort put to each phase. Effective project management is not following some formula or outline, but a good project manager determines the right elements and the amount of time spent in each phase, based on the needs of the specific project.

Learn more about this author, Chuck Moyer.
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