What is a Project?
Definition
A project is defined as: "a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case" (PRINCE2).
What does this mean? Of note are the characteristics that make projects different from business as usual:
- Change Projects are the means by which we introduce change
- Temporary As the definition above states, projects are temporary in nature. Once the desired change has been implemented, business as usual resumes (in its new form) and the need for the project is removed. Projects should have a defined start and a defined end.
- Cross-functional Projects involve a team of people with different skills working together (on a temporary basis) to introduce a change that will impact others outside the team. Projects often cross the normal functional divisions within an organization and sometimes span entirely different organizations. This frequently causes stresses and strains both within organizations and between, for example, customers and suppliers. Each has a different perspective and motivation for getting involved in the change.