Project management

It remains very difficult to anticipate everything, a project always includes unexpected events. – Maria De Nami

What is project management?

Project management is an approach to organise the proper conduct of a project from A to Z.

What is a project?

A project is a response to a need. Its success depends on all participants, including:

  • the prime contractor, or client, who has initiated the project
  • the project owner, who is carrying out this project, namely a team led by a project manager
  • the project manager, who must enforce the choices that have been set up collectively

What is each member’s role?

In an academic setting, the contractor, who initiated the project, defines its content and goals. Besides, he provides the necessary resources and decides whether or not to accept the proposals made to him. As for the faculty tutor, he helps the team ask themselves the right questions. The project manager is in charge of enforcing the decisions that have been made and of coordinating the team. The members of the project team communicate with one another and can then assign roles based on the skills and desires of each member.

Starting a project

The kick-off meeting has a symbolic value: it gives the green light to the entire project team. Everyone must be there to confirm their commitment.

During this meeting, the issues that should be discussed are, on the one hand, the description of the project and its content by the project manager, and, on the other hand, the presentation of the team members and their functions. On that occasion, it is also important to define what resources the team has.

Some tips to get you started:

  • define your objectives and your resources (individual skills, budget…)
  • define a schedule with deadlines (e.g. the Gantt chart, which consists of dividing the final goal into several milestones and setting a deadline to each of them)
  • brainstorm to get different points of view
  • communicate with one another, because a united team that collaborates will more likely succeed
  • ask your tutor and your contractor for advice
  • divide up the tasks between you
  • respect the tasks, the deadlines, the budget and the decisions that have been made
  • value everyone’s contributions
  • identify the risks and have a plan B
  • take stocks in order to take a step back and learn from your mistakes
  • and, above all, respect one another!
agenda avec un stylo

We still have some advice for you! Read the full version of our guide on project management.