International Leadership Institute
Business Project Management
By Taye Alemu
December, 2023
ILI
General Objectives
At the end of this training participants will
be able to :
Understand the concepts of project
management
Identify potential projects through feasibility
study
Prepare project proposals for appropriate
projects
Appraise projects using market, financial and
economic analysis techniques
… General objectives
Prepare project implementation plan
Design and apply tools and methods for
successful implementation of public projects
Design schemes to monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness of business projects
Structure of the presentation
Unit 1: Concepts of a Project
Management
Unit 2: Project Identification
Unit 3: Project Preparation
Unit 4: Project Market, Financial and
Economic analysis
Unit 5: Project Implementation
Unit 6: Project Monitoring, Evaluation
and Close-out
Mode of delivery
Brainstorming
Lecture
IndividualReflection
Group discussions
Group presentation
Mode of Evaluation
Groups assignment……………….......35%
Test/individual assignment ……....15%
Class activity ……………………….........5%
Final examination……………………....45%
Total……………………………………......100%
Unit One:
Concepts of Project
Management
Session Objectives
Describe a project and project
management
Distinguish between a project and
regular business operation
Appreciate the link between plan,
program and projects
Critically understand the roles, skills,
attributes of project manager
Describe the project life cycle
Contents
1.Overview of a Project Management
1.1Concepts of a Project, Project management
1.2 Plan, program and project
1.3 Operations Vs Projects
1.4 Project managers
1.5 Overview of project cycle
1.1 Concepts of a Project, Project Managemenet
Brainstorming Questions (10 minutes)
Would you mention example of a project?
What do you think are the critical factors that
determine success or failure of a project?
Think about any project you know, List the
major observed chalenges?
What is a Project?
What is a project?
A project is a temporary endeavour
involving a sequence of activities and a
range of resources, which is designed to
achieve a specific and unique outcome
and operates within time, cost and
quality constraints and which is often
used to introduce change.
Project characterstics
Temporary: projects have a limited life, but
the benefit they provide after completion may
continue to exist for several years
Sequences of Activities: The outcome of a
project can only be achieved by the
completion of a variety of separate, but linked,
activities
Resources: A project utilizes a variety of
resources [human, financial, material,
information, etc] to carry out the activities or
Unique Outcome: A project brings about a
unique product or service - something that
has not existed in the organization here-to-
fore
Purpose: the basic reason for the existence of
a project: to solve a problem, address a
need or take the advantage of opportunity.
Introduce change: A project is often used
as an instrument for change – business
growth, change for the betterment of the
society.
Key Dimensions (Constraints) of a Project
Cost (expenditure): the project must be completed
without exceeding the authorized expenditure
Time: any project should be completed on time to
benefit the user before the opportunity is lost and
the project becomes outdated.
Quality: The end result of the project must be fit for
the purpose for which it was intended. The
specification must be satisfied
Scope- boundaries of operations determined by
external constraints and internal capacity of the
organization
Risk : uncertainties that jeopardize project success
…Key Dimensions
The relationship among these factors is such
that if any one of the three factors change, at
least one other factor is likely to be affected
These dimensions of a project are regarded as
the aspects of a project that must be kept in
an appropriate balance to achieve a
successful outcome.
Activity 1. Group Discussion ( 5 minutes)
1. How do you think shortage of budget and completing
the project significantly bellow the expected amount
of budget affects other project constraints. Give
examples
2. How do you think delay or fast completion of a project
affects other project constraints. Give examples
3. How do you think completing the project well above
or bellow the quality specification affects other
project constraints. Give examples
4. How do you think increasing the project scope
(activities) or decreasing the project scope bellow
expectation affects other project constraints? give
1.2 Defining Project Management
Project management is not the same as
ordinary, day-to-day operational management.
In managing the ongoing operations, the main
concerns are stability and continuity
The attention is to set up systems which will
produce the desired results day in, day out.
Managers constantly look for ways to improve
operations to make them more efficient and
effective.
There are established lines of communication and
command, leading from the factory floor to the
Managing Director
...Project Management
In project management is the aim is to achieve a
limited set of objectives within an agreed amount of
time and an agreed budget.
A project manager expected to see the project
throughly from start to finish
The ultimate success or failure of the project
depends the decisions the manager take along
the way.
Project management demands highly developed
planning skills, leadership qualities, an
understanding of the priorities and concerns of a
project team.
...Project Management
Project management is the process of planning,
controlling and directing a project from its inception
to its completion, in a given time, at given cost, and
for a given purpose.
Project management is the application of knowledge,
skills, tools and techniques to project activities in
order to meet project requirements .
Project requirements: refer to the purpose of the project
such as to solve a problem or take advantage of an
opportunity.
Knowledge: acquiring an understanding of the body of
knowledge in areas: scope, time, cost, quality, contract, and
risks.
Skills: an ability to perform something well
Tools and techniques: using PM tools or procedures to
Project Managers
Project managers are important persons in a
project as they often make difference
between project success and failure.
She/he is responsible for planning,
organizing and controlling the project.
It is the project manager who must define the
project goals, sell the project idea to top
management, and negotiate resources for the
project.
Skills of Project Manager:
Technical Skills Conflict Resolution
Leadership Skills Skills
Motivational Skills Interpersonal skills
Team-Building Skills Organizational skills
Communication skills
Time management
skill
1.3 Plan, Program and Project
Planning is defined as the process of
determining organizational goals and
the courses of actions for attaining
these goals.
Courses of action are: Strategy, Program,
and Project
What ? goals
When? time
How ? Method
The how? of the plan can be answered
through programs and projects
Projects exist as components in broader
company plans,
Their identification, formulation and
implementation should be linked to short,
medium and long term organizational plan.
Sound company plans require good projects,
just as good projects require sound planning.
The two are interdependent.
Examples:
Vision: Freeing the Ethiopian People from poverty
and seeing economically strong and prosperous
Ethiopian people
Goal: Improving the living standard of the Ethiopian
People within ten years
Strategy: Agricultural Development Led
Industrialization.
Program: Resettlement /Villagisation Program
Projects: Education projects (opening elementary and
secondary schools), Road construction project, Health
projects such as establishing clinics and hospitals,
Water and sanitation projects, Electricity, etc that are
essential for a new village.
Project Vs program
A program is a collection of associated
projects that are managed together to achieve
goal
Since programs comprise multiple projects,
they are larger in scope than a single project.
However, a project is a temporary investment
activity where resources are used to create
assets, which produce benefits over time and
has a beginning and an end with specific
objectives.
Project Program
Narrow in scope Wide in scope; can comprise
many projects as components.
Specific and detail Comprehensive and general
Differences
More precise and accurate in Broader goal related to
its objectives and features sectoral policy
Possible to calculate the Difficult to calculate costs
costs and returns and returns
• Have purpose/ objectives
Similarities
• Require input (financial, manpower, material)
• Generate output (goods and/or services)
• Operate over space and time
1.4 Projects Vs operations
Organizations perform two types of work:
project work and operational work
Operations are ongoing and repetitive
while projects are temporary and
unique.
The purpose of a project is to attain its
objective and then terminate whereas
the objective of an ongoing operation is
to sustain the business.
The Project Life Cycle
Is a continuous process made up of
separate and complementary stages
(phases) each with its own
characteristics and each setting a ground
for the next one.
The project cycle
Identification
Evaluation Preparation
Proposal
development
Implementation Appraisal
Financing
decision
