Project management- a professional
approach to events
Chapter 1 Introduction
What is project management?
Professional management of a project can prevent many problems and can
ensure that high-quality events and other kind of projects are set up efficiently. In
this way it is possible to respond quickly and flexibly to the demands of the
internal and external environment of an organisation.
The manager makes sure that the company activities remain focused on the
target of the organizational unit. Roughly, a manager can work for two types of
organizations. The first type is the permanent organization. The second type of
organization is a project organisation. This type is aimed at the realisation of a
certain product or result, and is, therefore, only of temporary nature.
Project management is the control of processes within a temporary organization.
Project management is characterised by the systematic and integral control of
the development process from a creative idea to a concrete product or result.
With respect to the input of the manager, a distinction can be made between his
specific skills in the field of project management and his general management
skills. The first relates to activities that are necessary for structuring and
controlling the project, phased management, and management of time, money
etc. and the adjustment of the project to its environment. With regards to the
second, important skills are meeting and negotiation skills, social skills to deal
with clients and other interested parties, motivating team members, handling of
conflicts, solution of problems, applying effective management styles, the
division of tasks within the team and team development.
1
, Chapter 4 The concept of project
management
In general, management relates to the controlling processes within organisations.
Besides directing the collaborative process between all parties involved, the
manager or leader of a project also controls the functional processes within the
project. Thus, he guides the development process from idea to result, but he is
also responsible for making this happen within the terms set in regard to time,
money etc. Structuring the project is necessary in order to make the complexity
manageable, because projects often involve complex processes, in which several
parties are involved and in which many aspects interact.
As a first step in structuring the project, it is often wise to look which milestones
can be distinguished during the process. By using these milestones the process
can be divided into phases. This makes interim adjustment possible on the basis
of the results obtained from each phase. As a second step in the structuring of
the project process, it is recommended that the different tracks and aspects
within the process are distinguished which will play a role form the beginning to
the end.
The basic shape of the concept
Within the project process, first of all, four functional tracks or sub-processes are
distinguished.
The product-oriented track or content track: embraces all those activities
that have to be performed in order to realise the concrete product, for
instance an exhibition.
The marketing or communication track: the communicative process is
concerned with the marketing and promotional activities, polls reflecting
the public opinion, fundraising and sponsoring activities, but also the
acquisition of the necessary permits.
The control-oriented track: the control track is concerned with the control
of six aspects within the project approach, namely quality, organisation,
facilities, time, information, money, which can be abbreviated as QOFTIM.
The decision-making track: the decision-making process ensures that in
each phase decisions are made concerning the possible options and
consequences.
Foundation of the project management concept
The tracks or processes described above make up the concept of project
management. This forms the foundation of the project approach. The basic model
of the systematic or project approach is schematically represented in figure 4.2.
2
