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Project Smart was launched in the year 2000 to offer independent and easy access to information about project management
The website aims to provide free, high-quality, ethical content in an accessible form while encouraging an open discussion through our forums.
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Articles
Discover Our Articles
Our library of articles provides valuable insights into the discipline of project management across thirty-two categories.
Agile Project Management
Agile project management takes the ideas from agile software development and applies them to project management.
Best Practice
A best practice is an accepted method or technique that is regarded as the standard way of doing things.
Business Case
The business case records the justification for starting a project. It describes the benefits, costs and impact, plus a calculation of the financial case.
Case Studies
These case studies show the use of project management in practice. Studying real-life situations will help you see how others have been successful.
Change Management
Change management is the practice of tracking changes during a product or service development and is a vital part of project management.
Communications Management
A communication plan is a necessary part of a project. It's been said that communication is the lifeblood of projects.
Cost Management
Cost management is one of the fundamental and yet most challenging tasks for a project manager.
Earned Value Management
Earned Value is the most comprehensive trend analysis technique available to project managers.
History of Project Management
Before the 1950s, projects were managed on an ad-hoc basis, mainly using informal techniques and tools.
IT Project Management
IT project management is a sub-discipline of project management in which we plan, monitor, and control information technology projects.
Lessons Learned
The purpose of lessons learned is to bring together any insights gained during a project that project managers can apply to future projects.
Lifecycle & Methodology
A project management methodology provides a framework through which the project manager delivers projects.
Pareto Principle
The value of the Pareto Principle for a project manager is that it reminds you to focus on the 20% of things that matter on a project.
Project Documentation
Project documentation defines and records the way we manage projects and the governance surrounding them.
Project Management Office
The PMO is the department or group that defines and maintains the standards and processes related to project management within an organisation.
Project Planning
Project planning is a discipline for stating how the project team will accomplish a project within a specific timeframe, scope and budget.
Project Portfolio Management
Project portfolio management is the coordinated and controlled management of a portfolio of projects to achieve a set of business objectives.
Project Sponsorship
Project sponsorship is an active senior management role responsible for identifying the business need, problem or opportunity.
Quality Management
The cost of quality is a substantial cost on any project, so prudent managers look for ways to keep these costs in check.
Requirements Management
A critical part of any project is requirements management. If you are unsure about what will be delivered, how will you know when you get there?
Rescue & Recovery
Rescuing a project that's failing is no easy task for a project manager, so here are some ideas to point you in the right direction.
Risk Management
Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing and mitigating threats to a project.
Role of the Project Manager
The project manager's role, in a nutshell, is the overall responsibility for the successful planning, execution, monitoring, control and closure of a project.
Scheduling
Project scheduling is the art of planning dates for starting and completing activities and milestones.
Scope Management
The scope is the most important element to understand about any project. All planning and allocation of resources are anchored to this understanding.
SMART Goals
Setting goals is easy but achieving them isn't, so make sure they're SMART, and you'll have a better chance of success.
Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder management is the process of managing the expectation of anyone that has an interest in a project or will be affected by its deliverables.
Team Building
Team building is a project focused process that builds and develops shared goals, interdependence, trust and accountability among team members.
Time Management
Time management is planning and exercising conscious control of our work activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
Training
The first step in selecting a good training course for project managers is to understand the role of the project manager as it is today.
Work Breakdown Structure
A work breakdown structure is a valuable and well-used project management tool. It sets the foundation for the rest of the project planning.
Tools
Check our Tools
Below are a collection of essential project management skills, methods, tools and competencies needed for project success.
BOSCARD (Terms of Reference)
The BOSCARD is a strategic planning tool used to give the terms of reference for new projects. It originated with consulting company Cap Gemini in the 1980s.
Delphi Technique a Step-by-Step Guide
The Delphi Technique is a method used to estimate the likelihood and outcome of future events. For projects, it can predict future risks and opportunities.
MoSCoW Method
What is the best method for creating a prioritised list of project requirements? The MoSCoW method can help. MoSCoW stands for must, should, could and would.
Pareto Analysis Step by Step
Pareto Analysis or the 80/20 rule enables you to see what 20 per cent of cases are causing 80 per cent of the problems on a project.
PEST Analysis
PEST is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the political, economic, social, and technological factors impacting a project.
Project Management Tools
A Gantt chart, Logic Network, PERT chart, Product Breakdown Structure and Work Breakdown Structure are standard tools used in project planning.
RACI Matrix
Delegation is an essential part of a project manager's role, so identifying roles and responsibilities is an important skill. Applying the RACI model can help.
RAID Log
A RAID log is one of the easiest and most effective tools you can create for your project. RAID stands for risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT is a strategic planning tool that involves specifying the objective of a project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable to achieving that objective.
Videos
Watch our Videos
Here are some project management videos from our YouTube channel, plus some of our favourite videos from other publishers.
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- Project Smart
- Other Publishers
What Does a Project Manager Do?
What exactly does a project manager do? Many of us will have worked alongside project managers, but how much notice did you actually take? This video looks at the role of a project manager and the skills needed for a career in project management.
Fully Featured Excel Gantt Chart
In this video, learn how to create a more complete Gantt chart that not only shows percentage completed for each task and conditionally formats the progress bars but also allows you to compare actual project plan to planned project plan.
Project Management for Beginners: A Simple Guide
Are you new to project management and looking for a beginner's guide? Then this is the video for you! I'll talk you through what it means to be a project manager and cover all of the important topics.
12 Terms You Should Know | Project Management Fundamentals
A project management tutorial video on 12 key terms we think everyone should know (from beginners to experts).
4 Habits of Highly Productive People
If you want to know how to make the most of your available time and achieve your goals, start with these four essential habits.
How to Build a High-Performance Project Team
What makes a winning project team? Why do some teams achieve greatness while others struggle? Anna looks at the factors present in winning project teams.
Approaches to Risk Management
In this video, Brad Egeland talks about risk management's importance and discusses tools and common risk management mistakes.
How to Report Status on a Project
In this video, Brad Egeland explains how to prepare for the project status reporting process, carry it out, and talks about why it is valuable.
Intro to Scrum in Under 10 Minutes
What is Agile Scrum? Learn Scrum in under 10 minutes in this video introduction to the Scrum software development methodology.
SCRUM: Twice the Work, Half the Time
This video details why Scrum is so much better than traditional project management methods and how you can use it on your next project.
How to Write a Smart Goal
The acronym SMART tells us to write achievable and effective goals, but how do you write a SMART goal? This video tutorial looks at the dos and don'ts of writing SMART goals.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Leaves the Audience Speechless
Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Mr Universe, Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, and Governor of California, delivers one of the best motivational speeches you will hear.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Try here first if you have a question.
- What is Project Smart?
Project Smart was launched in the year 2000 to offer easy access to information about project management. The website's philosophy is to provide free, high-quality, ethical content in an accessible form while encouraging an open discussion. We are here to help you make the best decisions for your projects.
- What's so smart about Project Smart?
Unlike some other project management websites, we don't publish everything we can find on the subject regardless of quality. We quality check all articles and only post them if they give a helpful insight into the project management profession. You won't find any advertisements thinly disguised as articles or advertorials to waste your time.
- Can I republish content from this website?
No, copyright law protects the material on this website. You may not sell or publish the material in any form without written permission from the content owner. You may read, print and download it for private use. Use for dissertations and essays does not need specific permission, as long as you use applicable copyright and website source.
In general, teachers, trainers and lecturers may use or adapt content for educational purposes. We request you to show the relevant copyright and website source.
- Why is spelling on the site different from American English?
We use British English throughout the website. Often British English spellings differ from American English. If you find a genuine spelling error, please get in touch with us to correct it.
We use the abbreviation tag for abbreviations and acronyms. A mouse hover over the abbreviation or acronym in question will reveal the full description in a tooltip.
- Where can I apply for my Project Management Professional (PMP) exam?
The Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org) certifies project managers who lead and direct project teams as professionals or PMPs.
- How do I post a topic in a forum?
To post a new topic or question in a forum, click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You will need to register before you can post a message. Moderators oversee the forums to prevent the posting of spam and undesirable content. For more information, visit our forum help page.
- Do you accept guest posts or link requests?
No, we do not accept guest posts and prefer to approach the people that write for us. Similarly, we do not accept requests for links to infographics, guides or other content. We will not respond to these requests and are aware many are automated bot requests.
- How should I academically reference articles from your website?
We suggest you use the following citation format:
Darter, K. (2016). How to Finish Strong on Your Projects. Online at www.projectsmart.co.uk/best-practice/how-to-finish-strong-on-your-projects.php (accessed 23/09/21).
Haughey, D (n.d.). Introduction to Project Management. Online at www.projectsmart.co.uk/lifecycle-and-methodology/introduction-to-project-management.php (accessed 23/09/21).
(n.d.) = no date.