Lesson 1: What is a Project?
Definition of a Project 3: Progressive Elaboration
So we've looked at two of the three basic components of our definition of a project:
- Temporary
- Unique
A project is the result of a multi-task job that performs something specific (i.e. a goal).
Ok. What does this mean?
Well, essentially it means that between the start and end dates of your project, the unique thing that your project does involves a series of interconnected processes that performs in a progressively elaborative way to achieve a specific goal.
Progressive elaboration means that you keep creating, modifying, and building upon the raw ingredients of your project, in an organized way, in order to achieve the project's specific goal (also referred to as the product of the project).
Think of the perverbial lemonade stand. Your goal is to make wads of cash selling it on the street to crazed Project Managers. You start by buying some lemons. Then you take those lemons and, through progressive elaboration, you cut them open like there's no tomorrow. And then you squeeze them into another raw ingredient that you've procured: a pitcher. And then you add water to the pitcher, sugar, and ice. Then you take yet another item you've procured, a big wooden spoon, and you stir the contents of the pitcher. Then you pour it into YET ANOTHER item that you've procured, a glass, and sell them to Project Managers for $800 dollars a piece.
As you can see, the items we procured in this example -- lemon, pitcher, glass, spoon, ice -- were all elaborated upon to move us through our project until we reached our goal of selling lemonade.
A typical project outside of the sordid lemonade underworld is a tad bit more complex than this, but the fundamentals are the same regardless of whether you're building a bridge or a house. You take your procured items and progressively elaborate them towards achieving the goal of the project.
Sounds easy, huh?
mhahahahhaahhahaha
Actually, it isn't that difficult. Or to state this another way, it can be made much easier if you have a basic understanding of what some of those processes that you have to manage actually are. We'll look at those processes in our next lesson.
For now, let's wind things down a bit (we've covered a lot of stuff), and summarize what we've learned in our next step.
References used in this section (these books are available for order via the Resources link above):
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, by the Project Management Institute. Chapter 1.
The Project Manager’s Desk Reference, by James P. Lewis. Chapter 1.
