successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

• To master change we must first identify what the desired outcome of change
should be. A successful project begins with a clear and agreed definition of
the outcome.
• Next, it is important to plan the route by which we expect to arrive at the
desired outcome, the resources required and the expected time it will take to
complete the work. These are indeed integral components of any project
plan.
• Change needs to be driven if it is not to be haphazard, lengthy, and costly.
Anyone who has successfully completed a project will know that
implementing even a simple plan, demands drive and determination.
Probably, the best way to begin is to define some of the terms we shall constantly
keep referring to.
Important Terms
Project
A project can be defined as initiative to bring about change. This is done in order to
achieve specific objectives, within a timescale, in a given context. A project is
normally allocated a budget. Viv Martin (cited in Baume, Martin and Yorke, 2002:1)
lists the attributes of a project as follws. A project :
• has a clear purpose that can be achieved in a limited time;
• has a clear end when the outcome has been achieved;
• is resourced to achieve specific outcomes;
• has someone acting as sponsor who expects the outcomes to be delivered
on time; and
• is a one-off activity that would not normally be repeated.
Paradigm
A paradigm is a belief held by someone about what a particular aspect of life is like.
For example, when different people look at a thick forest, they will have different
paradigms. The tourist might see a tourist resort; the carpenter might see good
timber for making furniture; while the poet might see an opportunity to write about
untainted nature. People will, therefore, have different perceptions about a given
project.
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