What exactly is a project?!

Definitions abound as to what a project is and isn’t, and there are certainly more than one way to skin this cat, but my own view on what constitutes a project is as follows:

• Unique

  Here, I think the ISO 21500 definition perfectly encapsulates how much uniqueness influences project work:

  “A unique set of processes consisting of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an objective. Although many projects may be similar, each project is unique as differences occur in the deliverables provided by the project; the stakeholders influencing the project; the resources used; and the way processes are adapted to create the deliverables.”

• Specific outcomes, goals, objectives

  Projects don't (or shouldn't) start completely open-ended. Resources are allocated to delivering a project because there is something that is expected, and the project team is tasked with getting it done.

  It could be that the mechanism for doing so is open, even the timeline for achieving it could be open, but a well-formed project ought to have an outcome, a goal or an objective that the entire organisation understands to be its purpose and the reason for spending the resources on doing it.

  This clarity is crucial for success of a project as it enhances communication, mitigates risk, wards against scope creep, gives a baseline against which to measures success and unites everyone involved around a fixed point of knowledge in what can otherwise be rather shifting sands.

• Finite

  Projects must always end, always. If they don't end, you don't have a project, you have a process.

  The finite nature of projects is a fundamental characteristic that distinguishes a project from ongoing operations. We have a set window which allows for focused effort against the specific goal, outcome of objective.

• Temporary organisation

  Temporary, but still an organisation. Both parts of this equation matter; just because its temporary doesn't mean it doesn't need any organising, and its temporary nature should influence its structure.

  Projects are a field of well-organised tents, erected not to remain forever, but to create shelter and storage for the period that they are needed, to be dismantled once completed. People working on projects know that this work will eventually end, and aren't setting up camp to live in that field forever - but while they are there, it shouldn't feel like a chaotic mess of muck and misery, with no idea of where the toilet is or where the food is served.

• Multi-player & Multi-disciplinary

  Projects require a team - not an individual working alone. This introduction of a team dynamic is what creates the need for many aspects of the project methodology. If it's just one working alone, on a set of tasks that can be achieved by one alone, with few others particularly interested in what this individual is doing or the outcome of what is changing, it's unlikely you have a project.

  Projects often require a diverse set of resources and skills across multiple disciplines. This approach necessitates collaboration and communication among experts from various fields, and part of the project's job is to facilitate this collaborative effort where the framework for doing so is unlikely to already exist.

  Disciplines may be varied, and in some cases, conflicting in their approach, ways of working, rhythms and working language, and so a project must be structured to address and neutralise this tension in order to benefit from the diversity of skills assigned to the delivery.

  By contrast, operational work is typically more routine. It may require a team, but that team produces the same result or service to sustain a team’s daily affairs. Since they aren't working together for the first time on a unique initiative, working processes and deliverables are well understood and the team is familiar with how to work together to achieve the stability and delivery required.

• Outcome measured in value (not volume)

  Projects are typically measured in terms of value rather than volume to ensure that they are contributing positively to the organization’s overarching or strategic objectives. The goal is not just to complete a large volume of work, but to ensure that the work being done is valuable and contributes to the organization’s success. It’s about quality, not quantity.

  Similarly, this is one of the key ways that project work differs entirely from operational work, which is very often measured in terms of volume, and processes and team thinking is orientated towards the delivery of a targeted volume.