As a competent engineer, various technical skills are required to complete project tasks effectively and efficiently. One of these skills is Basic Project Management, which is a systematic approach to planning, organizing, and managing resources. Here are the important stages in Basic Project Management:
- Initiation: Define the project at an advanced level by determining project objectives, scope, identifying stakeholders, and preparing a project charter that outlines all components involved in the project.
- Planning: Develop a detailed plan to achieve project goals, which includes defining the project scope, developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), creating a project schedule, budget, risk management plan, and communication strategy. The output from this stage is the Project Management Plan.
- Execution: Carry out the work according to the project plan, coordinate resources, direct the team, and monitor work to ensure it aligns with the plan.
- Monitoring and Controlling: Ensure the project remains on track. This involves monitoring project performance, comparing results with the plan, identifying issues, and making corrections if necessary. The outputs include performance reports, authorized changes, and project plan updates.
- Closure: Complete all project activities. Finalize project documentation, deliver the completed work, obtain final approval from stakeholders, and conduct an evaluation of the project. Finally, the project is officially closed, and a final project evaluation is completed.
Although the five stages above are quite fundamental, they significantly impact both engineers and other responsible parties in a project. It is hoped that all stakeholders can take on their respective roles and execute them with diligence. Projects carried out with genuine effort will yield proportional results.