Project Management In Non Profit Organization

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

What is Project Management?http://lfb.org/files/2012/11/head.jpg

Definition

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. [1] 

Before getting into research on the role and importance of Project Management in any particular industry, it is necessary to clearly understand what exactly the term ‘project’ means and what it consists of. A Project is a group activity which is carried out within a specific period of time to create a product or service with uniqueness in mind. It has a clearly defined goal with a start time and end time. Hence, a project is not a permanent activity but is a temporary one with a defined ending to attain the set target i.e. development of a product or service. The duration of a project may vary from days to weeks or weeks to months or even months to several years depending upon the type of activity which has to be carried out and finally accomplished.

For Example: Painting your house is in itself a project where a number of activities need to be carried out within a limited time period. For the painting activity to turn out successful, proper planning and implementation is prime important. Therefore, to carry out a defined task within the stipulated time period, in the most efficient and effective manner, it is essential to follow a systematic approach. It is at this point where Project Management takes control in implementing a project and accomplishing it successfully.

Project Management was always present but never had an exact term in the past. Project Manager Jobs existed even in the late 1980s and 1990s but never emerged as a distinct occupation. They were the individuals who remained and demonstrated responsibility when something went good or bad during an activity. They were aware of every single step that was involved in carrying out an activity. These individuals have steadily emerged and named themselves as Project Managers. Today, the project managers have their own association known as the Project Management Institute (PMI) which has improved the value and importance of Project Managers.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines Project Management as the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. [2] 

Project Management in Non-Profit Organization

The prior experience of working in a Non-Profit Organization and the willingness to continue to work in a similar organization after graduating the Global Business Management Programme has been my strong influence in choosing a Non-Profit Organization for research.

Is it a core requirement to know about Project Management in a Non-Profit Organization?

A Non-Profit Organization usually involves in the initiation of several projects which requires continuous planning and implementation. It carries out various activities ranging from preparing action plans, developing content for publicity through social media and other sources, organizing fundraising events, scheduling programmes or managing volunteers etc. All these activities form a part of Project Management. Thus, it is a core requirement to understand the basics of Project Management.

For Instance: A Tree Plantation Project was initiated by the Non-Profit Organization where I was employed. The Tree Plantation Project involved a number of phases. Each phase consisted of various tasks with stipulated time limits. The initial phase consisted of tasks involving the preparation of a project report and official letters. The project report included important information such as Project Objectives, Action Plan, Budget Allocation, Roles and Responsibilities etc. The project report was prime important as it acted as the main medium to attract a wide range of donors and philanthropists to take part in the project and make it successful for the benefit of the society. The objective was formulated by a group of team members after several brain storming sessions. The action plan was developed in order to fix a time frame for project implementation and to understand the various steps that had to be carried out, to complete the project in the most effective, efficient and economic manner. The budget allocation involved accurate cost estimation of the entire project which included the listing down of exact costs for project launch, publicity, communication, saplings, manure, transport, labour, equipments etc. Roles and responsibilities were also determined to efficiently divide work among employees/volunteers. Official Letters were prepared and made ready, to seek permission from Government authorities, to inform other related organizations, individuals etc., for the hindrance-free implementation of the tree plantation project.

How pervasive is the usage of project management in a Non-Profit Organization?

The first phase of the tree plantation project involved a number of complex tasks which was achievable because of the very existence of project management. Employees with basic project management skills outperformed other employees and contributed their best for the faster completion of the first phase.

According to Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, the five groups of project management processes are as follows [3] :

Initiating

Planning

Executing

Monitoring and Controlling

Closing

Unknowingly, the first two groups of project management processes namely Initiating and Planning had been successfully implemented by completing the first phase of the tree plantation project. Majority of the employees in the organization including me, were able to demonstrate some of the project management processes indirectly without having prior knowledge or understanding of the general project management processes. This example from my own experience in a Non-Profit Organization has helped me to understand the pervasiveness of the usage of project management in any Non-Profit Organization.

Has Project Management always been a tool in a Non-Profit Organization?

The second phase of the tree plantation project was bit more complex compared to the first phase since everything that was perfectly planned on paper had to be brought into reality i.e. the plans had to be executed which now represents the third group of the project management processes i.e. Executing.

This involved the usage of a number of basic tools. The first step involved: - 1) Sending out official emails to Government Authorities and other related organizations, requesting permission to carry out the project 2) Sending out Project Reports to CSR Divisions of supportive organizations and other important individuals. The letters were prepared in MS Office Word. Emails were sent with the help of MS Office Outlook. Some of the other steps that were carried out, involved the usage of social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., blogs, email fliers, bulk SMSes to publicize the event and to network with several like-minded individuals, philanthropists etc. Specific jobs were allocated to employees and volunteers. Job Allocations, Budget Allocations and Schedule were prepared in Spreadsheets with the help of MS Office Excel.

The above steps that were carried out in the second phase, reminds us of how some of the basic tools have been used to carry out a project management process i.e. Execution. This clearly implies that Project Management has always been a tool in a Non-Profit Organization.

Who uses the tool and for what?

The usage of latest tools of project management will greatly help the organization in effectively implementing the tree plantation project with the efficient use of available resources.

A Non-Profit Organization keeps itself involved in a number of parallel projects which requires entirely different project plans and strategies. Each project is unique and thus it requires its own set of resources.

For Example: The Non-Profit Organization that implemented the Tree Plantation Project had several other projects under implementation namely a Village Adoption Project, a project involving Installation of Water Treatment Plants in Rural Areas etc. Each of these projects had a separate plan, a separate budget, a separate working team and a separate time frame. But the project management processes involved in all of the above mentioned projects are exactly similar. Here, the Project Management Tools play a major role in planning, organizing, segregating and managing resource pools required for various projects under implementation. This avoids majority of confusion that could occur during project execution. The usage of some of the Project Management Tools such as MS Office Project, Smart Sheet, Base Camp etc. will help the managers as well as employees to manage their work in a well-organized manner and easily achieve defined targets before the specified time.

Generally, Project Managers and employees under different project teams take advantage of these tools in order to notify, report, remind, pull or update information related to a project within a project team or between several project teams. These tools are generally used for messaging, for file sharing, for time tracking, for milestone management, to create to-do lists etc.

For example: Project Managers can easily create a project vision and share it with their team members. In return, team members can contribute to the planning, making the process more transparent and increasing team involvement or participation.

Benefits of using these tools:

Improves communication among the team

Reduces routine work

Brings in a wide variety of perspectives in decision making

Stay connected from anywhere at anytime

Develops project leaders