Task 1 - Discussion Question - Individual Work 1. What is a project?

A project is a temporary job or a set of job undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. 2. What are its main attributes? Unique purpose Every project should have a well-defined objective. The unique purpose of this project would be to create a collaborative report with ideas from people throughout the company. The results would provide the basis for further discussions and projects. Temporary A project has a definite beginning and a definite end. Developed using progressive elaboration Projects are often defined broadly when they begin, and as time passes, the specific details of the project become clearer. Requires resources, often from various areas Resources include people, hardware, software, and other assets. Many projects cross departmental or other boundaries to achieve their unique purposes. Primary customer or sponsor Most projects have many interested parties or stakeholders, but someone must take the primary role of sponsorship. The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project. Involves uncertainty Every project is unique, it is sometimes difficult to define its objectives clearly, estimate how long it will take to complete, or determine how much it will cost. External factors also cause uncertainty, such as a supplier going out of business or a project team member needing unplanned time off.

3. How is a project different from what most people do in their day-to-day jobs? A project have focused goal or objective and have definite beginning and ending date whereas day-to-day job is an on-going process which there is no end as a it is a work done to sustain the business. A project will end when their objectives have been reached or the project has been terminated whereas day to day jobs will end not end unless the company or organization shuts down their business. 4. What other factors affect a project? The main factors involve are the triple constraint which include Scope, Time, and Cost. All these are limitations which are constantly changing and must be balanced depending on current situations. Although the triple constraint describes how all three interrelate, other elements can also play significant roles. Quality is often a key factor in projects, as is customer or sponsor satisfaction. Based on the information found in the report Extreme Chaos 2001 study describing in order of importance, the factors contribute most to the success of information technology projects are:1. Executive support 2. User involvement 3. Experienced project manager 4. Clear business objectives 5. Minimized scope 6. Standard software infrastructure 7. Firm basic requirements 8. Formal methodology 9. Reliable estimates 10. Other criteria, such as small milestones, proper planning, competent staff, and ownership