Project Management

Gittinger (1982) states that ‘projects are the cutting edge of development’. The importance of projects and project management should not be glossed over in development work. In trying to achieve development at their specific levels, communities, organizations, regions and nations undertake projects. This papers seeks to give an explanation of what constitute projects, secondly it will explore the characteristics of projects. Thirdly it will explain project management and lastly discuss the duties of a project manager.  

According to the Project Management Institute, a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result henceforth a project can have tangible and intangible deliverables. This definitions highlights that projects follow a specific time line and that they are time bound with specific objectives and goals. The Zimbabwe Independent (2014) cited that most projects in Zimbabwe missed set targets with government citing lack of funds for its failure to implement on time. Donors are particular about time in projects deliverables. Failure to work within agreed timelines in most projects has led donors or funders to pull out their resources or their funds. In some instances failure to adhere to the timelines makes projects costly for example the Zambezi water project aimed at supplying water permanently to Matebeleland which started in 1980 to date remains unfinished because Government does not have the cash to carry out the costly project. The failure of the projects to yield results makes it a failed project.

Similarly Prince 2 defines a projects as temporary organization with a purpose to deliver products according to an agreed business case. It is in this context that projects achieve unique products or services. The famous Tuskegee Syphilis project of (1932) which was carried by the United States government led to the development of penicillin. Though the project was racist and unethical the development of the antibiotic is still beneficial to date. Another unique project has been the development of the orange maize project to increase Vitamin A by Harvest Plus in Zambia. Bio fortified Vitamin A Orange maize has been developed to address the adverse effects of Vitamin A deficiency. The same project is being implemented in Zimbabwe under the Extension and Training for Rural Agriculture (EXTRA) Project, the Ensuring Nutrition , Transforming and Empowering Resilience in Zimbabwe (Enterprise Project) and the Increased Nutrition , Sustainable Production for Increased Resilience and Economic Growth  (INSPIRE) project

Association of Project Management  defines a project as an endeavor in which human material and financial resources are organized in a novel way to deliver a unique scope of work of given specification often within constraints of cost and time to achieve beneficial changes defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. This definition points to a key element that characterizes projects which is budget or cost. Projects have a working budget which are adhered to ensure that the cost does not outweigh the benefits. Monitoring is then used ensure that projects do not move either outside their scope in terms of objectives as well as resources. Most projects have failed because they have failed to adhere to the budget outlines. The Shavi dam project of 2000 to supply water to the Runde rural irrigation scheme is uncompleted due to funds. The Public Works Minister in 2013 Gabbuza cited that Zimbabwe has failed to complete 400 projects resulting in material vandalism and damage  (www.AllAfrica.com). According PMBOK (2013) states that the success of a project is measured by product and project quality, timeliness, budget compliance, and degree of customer satisfaction. In this context it is evident that projects success hinges on project management.

Gittinger (1982) defines a project as an investment activity in which financial resources are expended to create capital assets that produce benefits over an extended period of time. This activity involves planning, financing, implementation and management as a unit. It is in this context projects are intended to address a particular problem or achieve an identified objective. The Improving Water Sanitation and Hygiene in Rural Areas of Zimbabwe program in Gokwe South was made up of a series of temporary projects to achieve certain objectives for example rehabilitations of boreholes and piping of Huchu area. The EXTRA program which is being implemented by a consortium of organizations such Welt Hunger Hilfe, Heifer Zimbabwe and Oxfam has carried a number of projects with specific objectives for establishment of demo plots , formation of Internal Saving and Lending Groups and Supplying of labor saving technologies.

Passenheim (2009) states that Project Management deals with tracking this process' execution, from a schedule and cost perspective. It includes functions for developing the optimal project schedule, producing a financial model of the project, scheduling and tracking of effort against plan, managing costs against budget, and reporting of status. The effectiveness and efficiency of project management ensures the success of projects to meet their objectiveness. Most failed projects are characterized by poor project management. An obscure and faulty management system leads to increased overhead costs and poor quality.

PMBOK (2013) defines project management as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is thus accomplished through integrating project management process which are categorized in five process groups these are Initiating, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Project management in short is balancing the cost, quality and time. Managing a project requires a diverse knowledge and an effective team in order to achieve project objectives. PMBOK (2013) cites that managing requires identification of requirements, addressing concerns and expectations of stakeholders, maintaining communication and managing stakeholders towards the goal.

Kerner (2009) Project management is planning, organizing, directing and controlling of company resources for a relatively short-term objective that has been established to complete specific goals and objectives. Furthermore, project management utilizes the systems approach to management by having functional personnel (the vertical hierarchy) assigned to a specific project (horizontal hierarchy). Project management also utilize planning tool such as The Logical Framework Approach (LFA) which is a specific strategic planning methodology that can be used to prepare many different types of projects. The Logical Framework Matrix aims to present information about the project in a clear, concise, logical and systematic way (Walsch, 2000).

Newton 2015 cites that the primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the constraints on scope, time, quality and cost. Projects need to be managed to meet their objectives, which are defined in terms of expectations of time, cost, and quality. Monitoring of inputs, activities and outputs is important for the success of the project. Assumptions that were made within the project logical framework should be monitored to ascertain their effect on the achievement of the stated outputs and objectives. Work plan which indicates which activities are ongoing should be monitored. The monitoring plan should set measurable indicators of inputs, the activities and outputs to be used as milestones or performance standard for monitoring. Monitoring provides regular feedback that helps to track costs, personnel, implementation, time, organizational development and economic and financial results to compare what was planned to actual events. In addition it provides managers and major stakeholders with regular feedback. The Government of Zimbabwe flawed monitoring system of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) led to rampant misuse of funds resulting in failed projects in most constituencies. According to Chiripasi (2011) out of 210 member of parliaments who received USD50000 only 66 could account for the funds.

Project management requires competent staff for efficiency and effectiveness. A competent project manager will be able to plan and monitor, control and direct resources of the project effectively. An effective and efficient system of management will increase organizational performance and make the organization more efficient and effective through better organizational behavior principles. Project management allow organizations to lower cost of operations by accomplishing more work in less time and with fewer resources without any sacrifice in quality. In some organizations planning tools such as Gantt Charts and Critical plans are employed to ensure that similar task are accomplished simultaneously to save time and cut costs.

The project manager manage the influence, advice and involve stakeholders in the project management. PMBOK (2013) defines stakeholders as individuals, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project. In the Extra project the manager has hold sensitization programs and planning workshops with stakeholders such Ministry of Local Governance, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development. Project manager ensures that stakeholders have active participation in the programme. Reports are given to stakeholders to notify them of activities carried and the impact.

B)

The Project manager is an integral part of the project.  This section will look at the duties of project manager in Welt Hunger Hilfe, EXTRA project. The project aims at reducing food insecurity, stunting, and poverty in Gokwe South. The project manager is responsible of managing a team of ten officers who work in different wards as Field officers. In addition the manager also supervises the Monitoring and Evaluation officer who is stationed at the District Office as well as the Finance and Administration Officer.  

The manager plays a supervisory role of the staff mentioned above. He ensures that the staff have submitted their work plans according to the Gantt chart and objectives of the project. The manager gets reports of the work done as well as carry routine checks and field visits to access progress of activities. The manager is also responsible of reassigning and delegating tasks where there are shortfalls so as to meet set targets. According to Passenheim (2009) a project manager not only requires a particular set of skills - how to communicate, to control and to motivate people, but also the specific knowledge about tools and techniques required to run a project successfully. It is in this case that project management hinges on the project manager competency to run the project.

The duties of a project manager are to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency flow of the project in achieving its mandated goals. The Extra project manager is responsible for controlling and allocating resources according to the budgets outlines. In some cases the manager reserves the right to make changes to budget allocation to ensure that the project is successful. The manager develops strategies to ensure that he is able to balance the scope of the project. Priority areas are emphasized in the project hence resources are allocated accordingly. The manager makes follow ups to ensure that indeed tasks have been completed with the intended and expected quality. In some cases demo plots are visited and accessed on how they have been set up and in some cases on the job appraisal of staff is done in the field. PMBOK (2013) observes that the project manager is responsible for controlling the work of producing the products, services, or results that the project was undertaken to produce.

The project manager is also responsible for requesting and hiring of competent personnel when a need arises or when there is a gap. While the recruitment is done up the Human Resource, initiation is taken by the Project manager and he is invited to interview the candidates.

The project manager reports to the Program Manager. It is in this context the project manager compiles reports that are used by the Program Manager. It is also the Extra project manager who attends feedback meetings at National level to report on the progress of the project.

In conclusion the Project manager is important in project planning. He is the center of operations in project and his ineffectiveness and incompetency can grossly affect the outcome or results of the project. Great caution needs to be taken when hiring one. His planning, monitoring, negotiation and communication skills should be up to standard as he manages the project through the project cycle.  This paper has explained the terms project and project and management and explained the duties of a project manager using the EXTRA project as an example.

Bibliography

Gittinger, JP. (1982), Economic Analysis of Agricultural Projects, Switzerland: Economic Development Institute-World Bank

Newton , P (2015) www.free-management-ebooks.com

Passenheim , O. (2009) Project Management,  Olaf Passenheim & Ventus Publishing, London.

PMBOK (2015) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Institute, Inc., Pennsylvania

Walsch, A.  (2000) Introduction to the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) for GEF-financed Projects; German Foundation for International Development; Berlin.

 www.AllAfrica.com Accessed on 28 April 2018

Linking projects and Development an overview (Matilda)

Projects play a vital role in management of development. Projects provide principal means which can change our world through providing immediate solutions to problems. Projects also gauge the success or failure of any programme as well as act as a rational way of allocating resources and also facilitate tangible results .Projects can also allow development agencies to focus resources and attention or effort on well defined sets of activities in order to achieve specific objectives being on specific location. Grittinger (2001) note that projects are cutting age of development .However projects can only be useful to further development if they are implemented correctly and being the rightful solution to a problem .The gist of this paper is to analyse the role of projects and see if they deliver the goals as in given examples as well analysing why some projects fail to deliver the required outcomes as the vital part of projects.

According to John Clark (1991) projects are temporary organisational units to identify long term improvements by temporary efforts, based on a high degree of freedom. Hirschman alluded that a project is a specified kind of investment which connotes purposefulness, some minimum size, specific location, introducing something qualitatively new and the expectation that the sequence of further development moves will set in motion. Akroyd (2003) describes a project as a discrete or independent package of investment designed to remove or alleviate low development contraits or development opportunities. UNDP(2004)define a project as a temporary and ever undertaken to create a unique product or service .A project has a definite end and must have unique features and non-repeated. Projects also differ in size, duration, geographical coverage as well as in complexity .A project can form a programme.

 Projects are also a rational way of allocating resources. World Bank (2004) recognizes the link between poverty and lack of social organization and empowerment (social capital), participation and voice (political capital) and environmental degradation (natural capital) and it is trying to address these issues through its financing activities. Participation of poor people at all stages of the project cycle is one major concern of the organisation, which uses special tools, such as the Participatory Poverty Assessments and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, to ensure participation of the poor in decision making which is vital to development. However if the participation of the poor in such projects  is not done the project will be in vain or it will benefit the wrong people thereby reducing the purpose of a project as a rational way of allocating resources.

Projects allow agencies to focus resources and attention or effort on well defined sets of activities in order to achieve specific objectives being on a specific location. For example World Bank (2004) has also adopted another intriguing initiative called “Justice for the Poor”, which is funded by the Australian Government (AusAID) with the collaboration of other donors. This program seeks to provide both Bank project teams and client countries with support to address justice issues in development projects. It is housed in the Legal VPU which provides advisory services and disseminates knowledge through publications, a website and training courses for Bank staff. This initiative particularly focuses on the marginalized and the poor aiming at promoting access to justice and protecting their rights. This nature of projects is also transforming societies into human rights development thereby became more valuable in the management of development.

 Further, projects also provide immediate solutions to problems. For example World Vision is committed to enhancing access by the poor, especially women, to productive assets such as properties and credit; supporting commercialization of agriculture in a way that will benefit the poor; developing rural infrastructure; assisting in generating employment and fighting seasonal poverty and to encourage the participation of the poor in designing programs and projects that will benefit them. It is also committed to supporting educational, health and nutritional projects for poor and vulnerable people (Chambers 1994). By doing this a project can be said that it is eliminating poverty and provide immediate solution hence playing a vital role in management of development. However such projects may be affected by corruption and diversion of funds which may reduce the role of projects. Proper monitoring and implementation may facilitate the success of projects to deliver their role in the management of development.

 If one project is successful it gains external attention and increases expectations which are necessary in processes of development. Other projects are, then, more likely to be introduced, what makes the social network grow. In that way the technology is being tested in different environments and scales, lessons learned by the trial and error technique enhance the technology, what makes the expectations grow again (Lusting 2000). For example irrigation projects in Masvingo province specifically Mushandike and Bhuka contribute to expansion of irrigations in the province and people are benefiting much .The project is also contributing more to the development of Zimbabwe through irrigation schemes which are giving incomes to people and also supplement household food. This type of project also acts as a measure of development to different countries.

Projects facilitate tangible results which are a good measure of managing the processes of development and provide clear picture for planners and policy makers. This can be witnessed in Kenya where World Bank conducted a project of renewable energy which produces vital tangible results to the villagers. Small scale renewable energy projects in Kenya greatly improve the quality of life of the local population. Lighting alone creates benefits such as increased study time, extended hours for small businesses, and greater security (World Bank 2003, Foster 2000). Also in sector of health there was introduction of cleaner energy, income generating activities are in the form of jobs and stimulation of entrepreneurship that lead to poverty reduction, savings were made through the introduction of more efficient energy sources, and the daily productivity increased by extending working hours beyond daylight time and by lowering the time spend on collection of traditional fuels such as firewood. Indirectly, spinoffs such as for instance increased knowledge enhanced local development as well.

Projects can also gauge the success and failure of a programme or policy, for example the case of the Solar Entrepreneur project on Madagaskar, a cheaper source of lighting is offered to the poor. The baseline analysis shows that the lamps are rented out against the same price of a candle. Therefore, this does unfortunately not decrease the costs for lighting for a household, and thus it cannot contribute to reduction of extreme poverty in that manner(Valadez and Bamberge 2000). In this case failure of the project provides a gauge which calls for another measure to be implemented in order to enhance development.

More so projects are also a means of channelling resources to specific beneficiaries for example income distribution. World Vision and Care International supports indigenous women because it realizes the great untapped capacity for sustainable development intrinsic in indigenous spirituality and cosmogony. Indigenous women have a significant potential role as ‘stewards’ of national and global natural resources and biodiversity. Indigenous women are also repositories of varied and locally rooted knowledge systems that make an important contribution to the world’s heritage. They are also rich in cultural diversity, a valuable quality. Significantly, indigenous women have a key role to play in peace brokering and

conflict mitigation (Rogers etal 2001). By supporting women such projects are a means of channelling resources as well as empowering women which is a vital step in management of development. However in most developing countries such women projects are also used to manipulate women and to gain political support rather than benefiting them hence reducing the role of projects towards development.

 Another great example of project used as income distribution is in Madagaskar were the twin objectives of that project is raising the incomes of indigenous families in the hills (such as Tamang, Danuwar, Praja, Magar and Majhi) who live below the poverty line and contributing to improving the ecology of the hills – were achieved by granting blocks of degraded forest to groups of poor households through a 40 year-lease agreement. Through the training programme, most women have acquired basic literacy skills, and the group members are much more aware of their legal rights and the importance of education and adequate health, sanitation and nutrition for themselves and their families. With the acquisition of leasehold land, many women have started cultivating mulberries and vegetables for sale. The income generated by this activity is used for children’s school expenses, medicine, food, clothing and group savings (Riely etal 1995). This indicates that projects can help in income distribution and resources which is vital for development.

Projects are also a means or instrument through which policies, plans and programmes are implemented. (Rodrick 2001).For example the Women Empowerment Policy of Zimbabwe was implemented through projects such as Small to medium scale business enterprises where woman were funded to start businesses. The successfulness of such projects were not clearly seen since the projects were highly politicised which hinder projects to act as a measure of development. Also the Youth Empowerment Policy of Zimbabwe was implemented through government loans to youth. This act also failed to materialise due to lack of supervision and politics. However, projects if correctly implemented they can lead to implementation of good policies and programmes which are vital for management of development.

Projects are policy expedience, way of experimenting a policy. For example South Africa Black Empowerment Policy comes with a variety of projects for black people to participate in the economy of South Africa. Projects include loans for business start up and portions of land to develop but this was not fruitful since the benefiters showed less interest therefore led to the formation of another policy. In this case projects tested the successfulness of the policy as well as experimented the policy.(World Bank 2003)

However, projects can be used in building political capital. More recently, projects have become part of the debate on donor harmonization, alignment, and use of country systems in project implementation. A paper released in October 2004 by UNDP states that the isolation of projects from government systems as required by external funding agencies limits the positive impact of development assistance to the individual projects.(World development report 2004) In such a scenario projects can also create dependency syndrome which is not clear to measure the rate of development. Some projects are also used to manipulate people by political parties which give no room for such projects to be useful in management of development.

Projects are also privileged particles of development. They play a great role as figures of development. (World Bank 2003) For instance construction of bridges and roads are just particles of development. For example CBZ and FBC banks are building houses for people for mortgages. Such types of projects are particles of development which can also be used as a measure of development in any country.

Also projects can be used to speed up the rate of development processes through speeding up the processes of development .For example projects must seen as means to achieve larger ends. South Africa is now the number one leading nation in development and this was facilitated through projects like dams, bridges, roads construction as well as construction of infrastructure. These projects promote not only economic development but political and social development. In Malawi the government engaged in draining of swamps to clear land for agriculture which speed up the Agricultural policy of 2004 as well as contributing to its success.(world Development report 2004)

Projects are also a way of mobilising development funds. For example irrigation schemes can produce money for another development programmes .For example Gezira irrigation scheme is benefiting the country by inducing 10 percent of its profits to health sector in the country. Again projects like milling projects, cattle fattening or any manufacturing project mobilise developments funds which is vital in the management of development. (IFAD 2000)

Projects also enable the target groups to gain the knowledge necessary to solve problems as far as possible on their own / to get access to services. This can be achieved through proper management and proper implementation of such projects (Riely etal 1995). For example the Indigenisation policy of Zimbabwe was implemented through projects of which most of them are not successful because of biased implementation especially on political grounds on the funds which were given to youth and women to start up projects.

Locally adjusted solutions are identified and tested in cooperation with target groups and co-operating agencies through projects .For example dam construction in Zimbabwe offer income generation to people as well as paving way for road construction which network the country .Though the project failed to deliver the exact necessities of people, it manage to create a way of income and indicate the rate of development Zimbabwe is going through.

People (especially the poor) are in a position to make appropriate use of their resources and to get access to required services through projects. Successfully tested solutions are disseminated on all relevant subjects through projects (Rodrick 2001). However because of corruption and diversion of funds most projects are half done and they are not very effective in most countries around the globe. Levels and implementing agencies have the knowledge to implement the identified solutions but reduced their participation due to political biases that some areas are neglected because of political background which makes it hard to measure the usefulness of projects.

Projects can also deliver regular well established services if managed properly (Clay 1997). For example dam construction projects which was carried on in Zimbabwe around 1990s was suppose to offer services to the people but the constructions were half done with little supervision which failed to offer the targeted services to the people hence becomes so difficult to use projects to measure development or to establish services to the people.

An intersectional co-ordinated programme system is established and functioning through projects. (IFAD 2004) This indicates that projects give guidance and direction to management of development in an area. Successfully implemented projects  like water projects by Action firm in Zimbabwe  (Gutu district) is giving guidance to their goal of WASH .This implies that small projects are being used to achieve a goal and offer management of development as a goal.

For projects to be fruitful there should be proper monitoring and implementation. Projects must also be vital for a planned purpose and must save a purpose as well as offer guidance and solutions to a problem. However projects need to be a way of creating a road for development as well as a necessity which can be measured in the management of development.

 In conclusion projects play a vital role in the management of development. Projects are a way of channelling resources to the people, they can also be used to raise funds for development as well as offer guidance in management of development among others .To a greater extent projects are necessary in the management of development if they are well coordinated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Administrative Committee on Coordination Sub-Committee on Nutrition. 1993

BAOBAB: Handbook on Development Design- Roles of projects.

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Chambers, R. The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal, Oxford ,Oxford university,1994

 Clay, E.. Food security: A status review of the literature. Research Report

ESCOR No. R5911. London: 1997.

 Determinants of Household Food Security in Honduras. A report on the National Household International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 1998.

Food composition table. The Netherlands: Wageningen Agricultural University, Department of Human Nutrition. Development Administration Report 2007

Hills Leasehold Forestry and Forage Development Project, Draft Evaluation Report, IFAD 2003

Human Stories of Rural Poor, IFAD 2000

 Lustig N and N. Stern “Broadening the agenda for poverty reduction: opportunity, empowerment, security”,  IMF Finance and Development, 2000

Management of Natural Resources in the Southern Highlands Project, External Evaluation Report, IFAD,2008

Riely, F., N. Mock, B. Cogill, L. Bailey, and E. Kenefick. Food security indicators and framework for use in the monitoring and evaluation of food aid programs. IMPACT: Food security and nutrition monitoring project, Arlington, Va., U.S.A.1995.

Rogers, B. L., A. J. Swindale, and P. Ohri-Vachaspati,Roles of projects in implementing programmes,New York. 1996.

 Rodrik D, “Development strategies for the next century” Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation. Geneva:unicef 2009

United Naitons ACC/SCNCTA/ECSA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation/East,Central, and Southern Africa Food and Nutrition Cooperation). 1987. United Nations General Assembly  “Legal Empowerment of the poor and eradication of poverty” 2009. 

Valadez, J, and M. Bamberger. Monitoring and evaluating social programs in developing countries. Washington, D.C.: World Bank 2000.

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Evaluating the role of projects in the management of projects. ( Tariro Gwete)

There is no single role or process that makes management of projects successful rather it is the careful orchestration of a number of different elements. Projects assist in the management of projects as a package of investment designed to remove or alleviate non development constraints or taking advantage of a perceived development opportunity. Akroyd (2003) It also principally works as an introduction and management change. Lokyer and Gordon (1996) Projects also play a pivotal role in the management of project by providing quick fix solutions, acting as an economic way of allocating resources, a cutting edge to development, way of mobilising funds, lowest level of policy making, it is also an instrument through which plans and programs are implimented.

There is no universally accepted definition of the term project. However, the host of definitions contain the same subject matter but expressed differently. A project is “an investment activity in which financial resources are expanded in order to create capital assets that produce benefits over a period of time.” Gittinger (1982) It can also be defined as “a discreet package of investment, policies, institutional and other actions designed to achieve a specific goal. Baum and Tolbert (1988) A project is a co-ordinated series of activities undertaken by individuals or organisations with definite starting and finishing points to meet specific objectives within a scheduled period, costs and defined parameters. Arizona (2000)

In contemporary business and science a project is also defined as a collaborative enterprise, involving research or design which is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can further be defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems or work systems that are constituted by teams within or across organizations to accomplish particular tasks under time constraints. Hamilton (1997) A project is a unique, transient endeavour, undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or benefits. A project is usually deemed to be a success if it achieves the objectives according to their acceptance criteria, within an agreed timescale and budget. Conyers and Hill (1984) A project is a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end in time, scope and resources designed to accomplish a singular goal.

Project management is the planning and organization of an organization's resources in order to move a specific task, event or duty toward completion. Project management is a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes from start to finish. Alkin (1969) Project management typically involves a one-time project rather than an ongoing activity and resources managed include both human and financial capital. Project management is often closely associated with engineering projects, which typically have a complex set of components that have to be completed and assembled in a set fashion in order to create a functioning product. Hamilton (1997) Project management is one of the critical processes of any project and it is the core process that connects all other project activities and processes together. Project management, then is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently to achieve the project objectives. Kerzner (2006) It is a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals thus better compete in their markets. Project management processes fall into five groups that is, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing.

Project management has achieved almost universal recognition as the most effective way to ensure the success of large, complex and multidisciplinary tasks. The success of project management is based on the simple concept that planning, resource allocation, and the direction and control of a single time and budget is done by sole authority. This single point authority and responsibility constitutes the greatest strengths as well as weaknesses of project management. The pressures for the completion of an often almost impossible task must of necessity be focused on how effectively the project manager carries out his or her job. http://www.project-management-software.org/

Projects are separate to business-as-usual activities, requiring people to come together temporarily to focus on specific project objectives. As a result, effective teamwork is central to successful projects. Project management is concerned with managing discrete packages of work to achieve objectives. The way the work is managed depends upon a wide variety of factors. A good distinguishing factor is often to look at the nature of the objectives.Objectives may be expressed in terms of outputs, outcomes, benefits or strategic objectives. Investment in effective project management will have a number of benefits to both the host organisation and the people involved in delivering the project. It will provide a greater likelihood of achieving the desired result; ensure efficient and best value use of resources and satisfy the differing needs of the project’s stakeholders.

A project is an instrument through which plans and programs are implimented. Relating to project management it gives the project manager to work with the project sponsor, stakeholders and beneficiaries thus it gives a leeway to plan and impliment projects for the benefit of the community. The project manager lists all activities or tasks, how the tasks are related, how long each task will take and how each tasks is tied to a specific deadline. At this phase on project management it also gives a scope to the project manager to list of project deliverables and the outcome of a specific set of activities. A project is also of paramount importance in that it helps in the management of projects by project activities which will be used by the project managers in the management process. So the role of a project is to provide the activities thus it then allows the project manager to define relationships between tasks as well so that, for example, if one task is x number of days late, the project tasks related to it will also reflect a comparable delay. Likewise, the project manager can set milestones dates by which important aspects of the project need to be met.

Moreso, a project provides with a budget this helps the project manager to identify how many people often referred to as resources and how much expense or cost is involved in the project, as well as any other requirements that are necessary for completing the project. The project manager will also need to manage assumptions and risks related to the project. The project manager will also want to identify project constraints. Constraints typically relate to schedule, resources, budget, and scope. A change in one constraint will typically affect the other constraints. For example, a budget constraint may affect the number of people who can work on the project, thereby imposing a resource constraint. Rossi (1998) Likewise, if additional features are added as part of project scope that could affect scheduling, resources, and budget.

Gittinger (1982) argues that projects are the cutting edge of development. To many scholars of development as well as practitioners, this means that development is primarily achieved through the execution of projects and programmes. In trying to achieve development at their specific levels, communities, organizations, regions and nations undertake projects and programmes of various kinds and scale. In defining ‘development’ Todaro (2003), states that the process of development “should be perceived as a multi-dimensional process involving the reorganization and reorientation of entire economic and social systems”. It is therefore not just about economic growth but also more importantly about people’s lives. Therefore, projects pave a way for development and this helps in the management of projects to plan and organise resouces for the project and to ensure that it is people driven and also benefits a community at large.

Projects also get into existence when there is need to compliment other investments such as providing rail and port links to a mining project. Kezner (2006) Project ideas also emanate from abroad as a result of investment proposals by multinational firms.The influence of investment strategies adopted by other developing countries. Projects also create opportunities created by international agreements to improve the welfare of people or even the infrastructure thereby alleviating poverty through the initiation of project which will be eventually be supervised and guided by project managers thus enabling them to manage the projects.

Projects are also an economic way of allocating resources. This helps in the management projects on how to allocate resources and how much budget he or she has to work with for the project. The project manager then assigns those resources and allocates budget to various tasks in the project. Now the work of the project begins and this is called the execution of projects in the management of projects. The rationale of any management system is to achieve results in the most effective manner in terms of efficient use of material, financial and human resources.  The assumption here is that the key considerations in project planning and execution are effective, economic and efficient.  This is illustrated in process of project management in that it involves taking responsibility in decision making, controlling and supervising personnel and other resources. Project management ensures systematic co-ordination and integration of tasks and procedures for better control and productivity. Arizona (2000) It then defines specific output in terms of quality, quantity and time frame and involves management techniques and tools including work breakdown structures and scheduling.

Projects assist in the project management processes in that it gives or provides project requirements such as scope, budget and timelines. Details of a project are generally unknown at the beginning, so part of project management is estimating what activities and tasks are needed in order to execute the project. The scope is made up of these various activities and tasks and ultimately produces the actual item that you will deliver. The project scope will also help in determining the time and budget needed to finish the project. A good way to begin building a project scope is to simply start writing down what you think is needed to complete the task. Consultation with others to gain a comprehensive view of all activities to include is needed. Depending on the budget and the schedule, the resources are then allocated to the project. This phase is the most important phase when it comes to project cost and effort. Project management is a responsible process and connects all other project activities together and creates the harmony in the project.

Once an initial scope is established, assigning time to each activity and task will begin. During this time there is also need to look at the projects bigger picture. Can some activities happen at the same time or will each activity or task have to happen sequentially.  Also, paying close attention to how many people will need to review the project activities as this can affect the time it will take to complete a step. After calculating the time it will take to complete the cumulative activities and tasks, you can create a project schedule for the project team to follow.

Much like calculating time for a project, you will often have to consult others, including department leads to generate an accurate budget. The budget will be comprised of multiple considerations including, people and materials that are affected by what activities or tasks they are performing (scope) and how long they will be needed (time) to complete them.This involves the planning, organising, directing, co-ordinating and controlling of resources in order to achieve specific goals and objectives. (Kerzner, 1983) It is also the application of the systems approach to the management of complex project activities whose objectives are explicitly stated in terms of time, cost and performance parameters (Cleland and King 1983).The term project management mean “getting things done with and through people.”Charvat (2003) So for this to be fulfilled it is the role of the project provides the scope for things to be done through people and latter it will be supervised by project managers thus the management of projects. 

In conclusion, projects play a pivotal role in the management of projects by providing with activities, mobilising funds, acting as a development aspect and way of allocating resource to people. While Project management, by itself is a discipline that can apply to any project intended to deliver solutions for any purpose, it is often tailored to accommodate the specific and repeatable needs of different and highly specialized industries. For each type of project management, project managers develop and utilize repeatable templates that are specific to the industry they're dealing with. This allows project plans to become very thorough and highly repeatable, with the specific intent to increase quality, lower delivery costs, and lower time to deliver project results. As a resullt this makes the roles of project very important in the management of project by the project managers.