Project Management

History

Although not formally labeled examples of project management, evidence of successful project management throughout history ranges from the building of the pyramids to the construction of the Eiffel Tower to advances in the industrial world. During the previous century, the main disciplines engaged in adopting and popularizing project-management practices came from the construction, manufacturing, engineering, and defense industries. The establishment of the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 1969 was instrumental in promoting the profession of project management and working to standardize terms and processes across a spectrum of corporations and organizations. In recent decades, information and technology, computer system development, pharmaceutical, and financial companies have contributed to advances in the discipline of project management. Today, project management is rapidly being adopted across a wide spectrum of industries, both large and small. Project management is also being adopted for personal use such as planning a vacation or a wedding. For qualitative researchers, project management could be used to coordinate tasks such as budgeting, hiring research assistants, obtaining appropriate certifications and approvals, collecting and analyzing data, submitting reports to agencies, and preparing presentations and publications.

Phases of Project Management

Typically, the process of project management involves five phases. The labels used to describe these five phases vary somewhat in the literature; however, the generally agreed principles of project management according to the PMI are initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes, and closing processes. During Phase I, initiating processes, the project objectives are defined. Details concerning the overall scope of the project are documented in order to keep the project manageable. At this phase, qualitative researchers may determine the size of the project (regional or national focus) as well as general timelines (e.g., expected deliverables at the completion of a 3-year research grant). Phase II, the planning process, involves detailing all of the activities to be accomplished in order to successfully complete the project. Work breakdown structures are created to illustrate the hierarchy of all work units, subprojects, tasks, subtasks, and the interdependencies among these components. Time estimates and cost factors are carefully considered as well. During this phase, qualitative researchers plan all tasks, responsibilities, and time estimates associated with the project. Once finalized, this plan is considered the baseline plan. During Phase III, the executing [Page 689]process, the activities detailed in the baseline plan are implemented. In Phase IV, the monitoring and controlling process, progress is compared with the baseline plan. Any problems that arise are dealt with by adding, deleting, or adjusting activities to work toward successful completion of the project. For example, the time estimated to transcribe and analyze the interviews may have been underestimated, so adjustments would be made to keep the project on track (e.g., reduce the number of interviews, or hire additional assistants to transcribe and analyze data). The baseline plan is not changed, but revisions and progress are documented. This phase provides flexibility in an emergent research design as the research path evolves. The final phase, the closing phase is an often overlooked but vitally important aspect of project management. This phase allows for reflection and evaluation of what went right and what needed improvement. The changes made during Phase IV are reviewed in preparation for subsequent projects.

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