So is project management an art or a science? In truth, it’s probably a bit of both. There is definitely a fair amount of science and a comprehensive set of tools and techniques associated with the topic. However, the art lies in the people elements of project management, and this is where the real challenges and opportunities lie.

If you can scope and plan effectively, then that is a great first step, but where you really show your project management expertise is in bringing together and motivating a skilled team of people who deliver on time and within budget.

Pause to reflect

Using that same issue from exercises one and two, identify the key blocks of work you will need to deliver the project objective you have identified. What order do they need to be completed in? Can aspects of the project be taken forward together, or are there tasks that need to be completed before moving on to the next? Draw a basic Gantt chart listing the key blocks of work against an outline timetable.