What is a Project?

It is sometimes difficult to tell if a set of activities for a given team or individual should be considered as a project or not. We at PPMO, have provided the following basic definitions to help Tech Solutions' Staff understand and describe their activities.

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

PMI, 2017, p. 4  |  A Guide To PMBOK 6th Ed.

Projects are different from other ongoing operations in an organization because unlike operations, projects have a definite beginning and an end: they have a limited duration.

A project can result in any of the following:

  • A product, or a component of a product
  • A service, or capability to perform a service
  • An improvement in an existing product or service
  • A result, such as a document of findings/research

 

Still Unsure if your idea is a Project?
If your idea meets one of the following criteria it can be considered as a project otherwise it will be a work request.
1. The project is estimated to take over 100 hours.
2. The project is estimated to take longer than six months.
3. The project or probable solution is considered to be complicated.
4. The project involves unfamiliar technologies, new products, or unique solutions.
5. The project will involve more than one department, or multiple units within the organization.
6. The project has dependencies to other projects or vendors.
7. The project has a high impact to other users, or impacts a large number of users.
8. The project is considered to be a high profile project for the department.
9. The project must be delivered within a short or specific timeline.
[Decision Point] We discussed adding a budget amount as criteria for a project. AITS uses different budget amounts to determine project levels. Final amount needs to be decided ($10,000.00 – $20,000.00)?

In accordance with Tech Solutions’ mission and the leadership’s charge to enable excellence through information technology, the Process and Portfolio Management Office (PPMO) provides project management support for Tech Solutions initiatives.

Project Management Framework Heading link

PPMO uses a project management framework and collaborates closely with the project leads, members, and sponsors to support the completion and delivery of high-impact projects related to student success. This framework takes advantage of tools and methodologies that facilitate documentation and clarify roles and responsibilities.

The project documentation system captures the project plan, research outcomes, progress reports, and final reports. The project management framework facilitates the monitoring of the progress of each project and offers transparency about the work. Key project documents, as well as regular status reports, are shared with the campus community via the project website.

Please see the following for additional information on project management templates and guidelines:

Project Management Guide Heading link

A useful guide for the project leads and team members, clarifying the roles and processes used within the project management framework in UIC Tech Solutions PPMO.

Please see the following for additional information on project management templates and guidelines:

In project management, a project charter, project definition, or project statement is a statement of the scope, objectives, and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project’s key goals, identifies the main stakeholders, and defines the authority of the project manager.

A project charter should:

  • Contain the essence of the project.
  • Provide a shared understanding of the project.
  • Act as a contract between the project sponsor, key stakeholders and the project team.

The project charter is usually a short document that refers to more detailed documents such as a new offering request or a request for proposal.

A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project management is a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. The WBS document organizes the team’s work into manageable sections.

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines the work-breakdown structure “A hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.”

A work-breakdown structure element may be a product, data, service, or any combination thereof. A WBS also provides the necessary framework for detailed cost estimating and control along with providing guidance for schedule development and control.

Tech Solutions’ PPMO recommends using the Technology Solutions PPMO’s official WBS template for your project.

The Project Budget is a tool used by project managers to estimate the total cost of a project. A project budget template includes a detailed estimate of all costs that are likely to be incurred before the project is completed.

The project budget allows the project manager to determine how much the project is likely to cost. Throughout the course of the project, it lets the project manager check whether or not the project is sticking to its budget.

Technology Solutions Office of IT Planning recommends using the Technology Solutions PPMO’s Project Budget Template for your projects.

A decision log is a communication tool to assure all stakeholders are made aware of how a decision was reached, what other options were considered, and who is accountable for the decision. The format you employ could be a spreadsheet, automated log, or any other method that suits your environment.

During any project meeting, decisions are continuously made with some of these decisions being essential for project direction. Documenting those during a central location are often useful throughout the project as a fast reference and communication tool to assure most are conscious of the direction.

In projects with large teams, there’s always a high chance of some level of disagreement in the team. Rather than opening a discussion for debate whenever the subject arises, it’s better to resort to the documented decision and advance from the subject.

Tech Solutions’ PPMO recommends using the ITPM Decision Log Template for your projects.

A Project Decision Log may not have been implemented in every Tech Solutions’ Project, but it has started to gain traction being viewed as beneficial for recording impactful decisions and serving as a central repository for those decisions.

Project Managers from PPMO are responsible for updating Technology Solutions projects every week. The PPMO team recommends that projects managed outside the PPMO regularly update the status.

We have an internal KB Article describing the process to update projects in TeamDynamix here: UIC Help Center: Project Update Process

  • Projects

    • Have a limited duration
    • Have a definite beginning and an end
    • Create a Unique Product, Service or Result

  • Operations

    • Have an unlimited duration
    • Doesn’t have a definite end

Interested in Proposing a Project Idea? Heading link

Understand the PM Process at Tech Solutions to get to know what documents and information you should have before proposing the project with the Portfolio and Project Management Office.

Find Information Here