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    The Seven Key Characteristics of A Project

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    ilyas
    The document outlines seven key characteristics of projects: 1) they have a single definable purpose, 2) they are unique one-time activities, 3) they are temporary activities with a specific timeframe, 4) they cut across organizational lines to draw from multiple skills, 5) they involve unfamiliarity due to their unique nature, 6) the organization has something at stake in their success or failure, and 7) they follow a defined life cycle process from initiation to completion.

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    The Seven Key Characteristics of A Project

    Uploaded by

    ilyas
    10K views2 pages
    The document outlines seven key characteristics of projects: 1) they have a single definable purpose, 2) they are unique one-time activities, 3) they are temporary activities with a specific timeframe, 4) they cut across organizational lines to draw from multiple skills, 5) they involve unfamiliarity due to their unique nature, 6) the organization has something at stake in their success or failure, and 7) they follow a defined life cycle process from initiation to completion.

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    The seven key characteristics of a project

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    The document outlines seven key characteristics of projects: 1) they have a single definable purpose, 2) they are unique one-time activities, 3) they are temporary activities with a specific timeframe, 4) they cut across organizational lines to draw from multiple skills, 5) they involve unfamiliarity due to their unique nature, 6) the organization has something at stake in their success or failure, and 7) they follow a defined life cycle process from initiation to completion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    10K views2 pages

    The Seven Key Characteristics of A Project

    Uploaded by

    ilyas
    The document outlines seven key characteristics of projects: 1) they have a single definable purpose, 2) they are unique one-time activities, 3) they are temporary activities with a specific timeframe, 4) they cut across organizational lines to draw from multiple skills, 5) they involve unfamiliarity due to their unique nature, 6) the organization has something at stake in their success or failure, and 7) they follow a defined life cycle process from initiation to completion.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    The seven key characteristics of a project

    Much has been written over the years about project management. In
    actuality Project Management is a recognized discipline in its own right
    whose underlying education extends today right up to the tertiary level.

    One can spend years studying the subject in all its many facets and still feel
    that one is still a novice. 

    From experience I have learned over the years that there a number of key
    “project” characteristics. These characteristics are elements that make a
    project a project. To put it simplistically, if what your doing does not
    conform to all of the items in this short list, then it just isn’t a project!

    These seven characteristics are;

    1. A single definable purpose, end-item or result. This is usually specified in


    terms of cost, schedule and performance requirements.
    2. Every project is unique. It requires the doing of something different,
    something that was not done previously. Even in what are often called “routine”
    projects such as home construction, the variables such as terrain, access, zoning
    laws, labour market, public services and local utilities make each project different.
    A project is a one-time, once-off activity, never to be repeated exactly the same
    way again.
    3. Projects are temporary activities. A project is an ad hoc organization of
    staff, material, equipment and facilities that is put together to accomplish a goal.
    This goal is within a specific time-frame. Once the goal is achieved, the
    organization created for it is disbanded or sometimes it is reconstituted to begin
    work on a new goal (project).
    4. Projects cut across organizational lines. Projects always cut across the
    regular organizational lines and structures within a firm. They do this because the
    project needs to draw from the skills and the talents of multiple professions and
    departments within the firm and sometimes even from other organizations. The
    complexity of advanced technology often leads to additional project difficulties, as
    they create task interdependencies that may introduce new and unique problems.
    5. Projects involve unfamiliarity. Because a project differs from what was
    previously done, it also involves unfamiliarity. And oft time a project also
    encompasses new technology and, for the organization/firm undertaking the
    project, these bring into play significant elements of uncertainty and risk.
    6. The organization usually has something at stake when undertaking a
    project. The unique project “activity” may call for special scrutiny or effort
    because failure would jeopardize the organization/firm or its goals.
    7. A project is the process of working to achieve a goal. During the process,
    projects pass through several distinct phases, which form and are called the project
    life cycle. The tasks, people, organizations, and other resources will change as the
    project moves from one phase to the next. The organizational structure and the
    resource expenditures build with each succeeding phase; peak; and then decline as
    the project nears completion.

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