Project Definition: The Meaning of a Project

Project Definition: The Meaning of a Project

Projects are a set of tasks that must be completed in order to arrive at a particular goal or outcome. They can take many forms, from constructing a building to planning an event and even completing a certain duty. Stakeholder analysis helps categorize how investors, team members, vendors, contractors and more can affect the project. Milestones are predetermined achievements that help track project progress. Without milestones, it's difficult to know if the project is on the road to success or needs to reroute.

The most important details in this text are the seven key project terms to know. These terms include resources, project lifecycle, project scope, dependencies, tasks, goals and objectives, deliverables, and important dates. Resources are anything necessary to complete a project, while other resources like time, labor and equipment are just as important. Project lifecycle refers to the five phases all projects must progress through, from start to finish. Project scope is a key aspect of the project planning stage, as it defines desired outcomes and all specific factors which will affect reaching them. Dependencies refer to how resources must be shared and allocated within a project, and tasks are broken down into tasks.