Project Management is the discipline of planning, organising, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives
The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while adhering to classic project constraints—usually scope, quality, time and budget
The secondary challenge is to optimise the allocation and integration of inputs necessary to meet pre-defined objectives
"Project management is the centralized management by an individual to plan, organize, control and deploy key milestones, deliverables and resources from conception through retirement, according to customer goals. Often project managers are skilled to use specific templates and techniques to manage through the preferred project life-cycle." [IAPPM -2003]
Project Management Resource Centre
Project definitions:
Projects are performed by people, constrained by limited resources, and planned, executed, and controlled. A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite ending. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar products and services. Projects are often critical components of the performing organizations' business strategy
Planned set of interrelated tasks to be executed over a fixed period and within certain cost and other limitations
A structure to complete a specific defined deliverable or set of deliverables. A project has a specific begin date and end date, specific objectives and specific resources assigned to perform the work. A project manager has overall responsibility and authority over a project. When the objectives are met, the project is considered complete
A human endeavour legitimately regarded by its stakeholders as a project because it encompasses a unique scope of work that is constrained by cost and time and the purpose of which is to create or modify a product or service to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives