Most business people would, if asked, say they had managed projects to some degree. Some would claim to be professional project managers but few would be able to identify what it was about project work which was different from any other sort of work within a company or organisation.

In general, projects should be run where the work involved is very specifically targeted at delivering one or more well-defined outcomes, or where the impact of the work is much wider than just within the section where the work is being undertaken.

For example, the development of a new procedure for service delivery may not be considered a project. It is after all just about doing an existing job a bit better, more cost effectively perhaps - something all organisations strive to do all the time. Isn't this just continuing the normal daily progress of a organisation? Perhaps it is but consider the possible impact of such a piece of development work. As a result of the new procedures, new or redesigned processes in another department may be required because the timing or output of the new procedures may have had an effect.

A project will take all these aspects and ensure that the impact of the work in any one area will be effectively managed within all the others.

There are several different methodologies available to manage projects and now programmes of work. All are similar in so far as they provide a framework within which work must be done, progress monitored, targets identified and achieved and authorisations and approvals given.

The professional project manager uses the framework sensitively to ensure the most important aspects get preference whilst maintaining a steady progress towards the eventual customer-driven result. A strong audit trail, approvals and authorisations at appropriate levels and times, clearly defined roles and responsibilities for project and company staff involved, are all essential if a project is to deliver the end result in a timely and cost effective manner.

The personal skills required in a project manager are not those necessarily of the good business manager and vice versa. It is now commonly accepted that those who are good business people may not be the best to run projects effectively. Frequently the most cost effective project and programme managers are those brought in specifically with no "baggage", pre-conceptions or personality conflicts - able to concentrate solely on delivering a successful project for you.

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