\PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Definition of Project Management

achieving specific and measurable project goals including, ultimately, successful project

completion.

OR

Is the process of planning, organising, executing and overseeing tasks and resources to achieve

specific goals within a defined timeframe and budget.

Key Dimensions of Project Management

The five dimensions of project management are interconnected and essential for achieving

project goals.

1. Scope: This defines what is included and excluded from the project. Clear boundaries

help prevent scope creep.

2. Time: This relates to the schedule for completing the project. Managing timelines is

critical to ensure delivery.

3. Cost: This includes budgeting and financial management. Keeping the project within

budget is vital for success.

4. Quality: This dimension focuses on meeting project requirements and standards. It

ensures that deliverables meet the expected thresholds.

5. Risk: Identifying potential risks and planning for them can prevent setbacks. Effective

risk management can safeguard your project’s objectives.

the project.

Importance - Proper allocation and management of resources prevent bottlenecks and

delays.

7. Stakeholders: Definition- Individuals are groups affected by or involved in the project.

Importance - Effective stakeholder management ensures alignment,support and

satisfaction.

8. Communication: Definition - The flow of information among team members,

stakeholders, and decision-makers.

Importance - Clear and consistent communication prevents misunderstandings and

keeps everyone informed.

9. Integration: Definition - The process of coordinating all project elements to work

together effectively.

Importance - Ensures the project functions as a cohesive whole and aligns with broader

organizational goals.

Phases of Project Management

1. Project Initiation
2. Project Planning
3. Project Execution
4. Project Monitoring and Control
5. Project Closure
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOL
Critical Path Analysis (CPA)/ Critical Path Method/Network Analysis
This is a network map of a project or activity that traces the sequence of tasks from start to

finish. The sequence of activities is very important as any change in the activity may affect the

entire network.

Using CPA allows the businesses to:

1. Forecast the length of time needed for the completion of a project

2. Monitor the progress of the project while identifying delays

3. Identify the resources needed for the project

4. Highlight activities where timing is critical

1. Improved Project Planning and Scheduling - CPA helps break down complex projects

into manageable tasks, making it easier to plan and allocate resources effectively.

2. Efficient Resource Allocation - Highlights resource bottlenecks and ensures resources are

allocated to critical tasks first, optimizing overall efficiency.

3. Identification of Dependencies - CPA shows task dependencies and interrelationships,

ensuring that work is sequenced correctly and avoiding delays due to missed

prerequisites.

4. Focus on Critical Activities - It pinpoints the critical path, helping Project Managers

focus on activities that directly impact the project’s timeline.

5. Time and Cost Optimization - Enables Managers to explore alternative ways to shorten

the project duration (e.g., fast-tracking or crashing) while analyzing cost implications.

6. Risk Management - Identifying the critical path helps in recognizing high-risk activities,

enabling managers to prioritize risk mitigation strategies.

7. Monitoring and Control - Provides a framework for tracking progress, comparing actual

performance against the schedule, and taking corrective action as needed.

8. Enhanced Decision-Making - Facilitates informed decisions about trade-offs, such as

balancing time, cost, and scope when constraints arise.

9. Improved Communication - Visual Representations like Gantt charts and network

diagrams improve stakeholder understanding of the project schedule and critical tasks.

10. Flexibility in Managing Changes - By showing task relationships, CPA allows managers

to assess the impact of changes on the schedule and critical path.

1. Dependency on accurate estimates - the effectiveness of CPA relies on precise time

estimations for each task, and any inaccuracies can lead to an incorrect critical path and

poor resource allocation.

2. Over emphasis on critical tasks - focusing solely on the critical path can lead to

neglecting non-critical tasks which could become more critical if delayed, potentially

causing project delays.

3. Limited flexibility - CPA can be rigid and not adapt well to unexpected changes or

disruptions, as it primarily focuses on the most time-sensitive activities.

4. Complexity in large projects - large projects with many dependencies, creating and

managing a critical path diagram can become very complex and time consuming.

5. Resources constraints not considered - CPA primarily focuses on time management and

does not inherently account for resource limitations or potential conflicts when assigning

tasks.

6. Requires skilled personnel - effective use of CPA requires knowledge of project

management tools and techniques, which may necessitate training or hiring experienced

personnel.

7. Does not address risk directly - CPA does not consider risks or uncertainties, which can

lead to unrealistic project timelines if risks are not addressed separately.

8. Potential for over optimization - over optimization of the critical path may overlook

qualities factors, such as team morale or long term sustainability of the project plan.
The critical path is the longest time taken to complete the project.

ICONS

1. Activity
This line / arrow represents an activity. An activity is a time consuming task.

2. Nodes
These are small circles, referred to as nodes. They are used to show the start or completion of an
activity.

3. Dummy
This represents a dummy. These are represented by broken lines. This is where an activity
depends on two or more activities to finish before it can begin. This requires no time or
resources.

4. Path
A path is a sequence of activities.
NB: Activities must be sequenced in a logical manner.

5. Parallel activity
This is where more than one activity is done at the same time
 6. Sequenced activities
This is doing one activity after another (dependent on each other).

NB:

● No two activities can have the same beginning and end point

● The critical path is the longest path in the network diagram

● A network diagram is drawn up to show how activities flow

NODE

Earliest Start Earliest Finish

ES Duratio
EF

LS Activit LF
Latest Start Latest Finish

1. Earliest Start Time (EST)

The earliest start time for an activity is the earliest finish time of the immediately

preceding activity

● It is the earliest time each activity can begin taking into account all of the proceeding

activity

NB: For activities with more than one proceeding activity, the earliest start time is the latest of

the earliest finish time of the proceeding activity.

This is equal to its earliest start time + its estimated finish time (duration)

3. Latest Start Time (LST)

This is the latest finish time - its estimated duration

4. Latest Finish Time (LFT)

This is the latest start time of the activity that immediately follows. It is the latest time an

activity can finish without delaying the whole project.

NB: For activities with more than one activity that immediately follows, the latest finish time is

the earliest of the latest start time of those activities.

Steps to approach question

1. Draw up Network diagram

2. Put in the duration of the activity

3. Work out all EST then EFT

4. Work out all LFT from the end

NB: when you have an activity following immediately:

1. EST - use the latest finish of the two activity

2. LFT - use the earliest finish of the two activities