What is a Project?
A project is a temporary, organized effort to complete a set of work to deliver a new product or service. Projects must have a defined start and end date. This is in contrast to operations, which are ongoing, repetitive, day-to-day work which yields the same outcomes, product or service. Operations have no start and end date.
Here's a useful analogy: building a new home is a project. In contrast, keeping a newly built home clean is operations.
Why do we care about project management?
DOIT cares about the practice of project management because it helps us to stay organized and ensure the District is able to deliver high-quality new products and services on-time and on-budget.
We care about project management tools and techniques because they help us communicate more effectively, manage risk, adapt to change, and make better strategic decisions.
Finally, we care about project management as a professional discipline because it supports the continuous improvement of the District through effective strategic planning, increased accountability, improved communication and professional ethics. It also provides a personal and professional development pathway for its practitioners through the development of core competencies across more than 10 knowledge areas.