Operations

The following extract is taken from an essay produced on the topic of Strategy

A project is defined as “a unique set of activities that are meant to produce a defined outcome, with a specific start and finish date, and a specific allocation of resources” (Verzuh, 2003:23). According to Eve (2007) Barber and Warn (2005) a project differs from some other activity because it has clearly defined outputs and requires a specific coordination between people and resources for achieving such outcomes. As Kemp (2006) and Frame (2002) argue, when a project has not clearly defined objectives the roles of the people involved loose their degree of accountability. Englund and Bucero (2006) argue that a project is not merely an ongoing process that has never ending emerging goals and simply responsive to the ever increasing new challenges. As Fringenti and Comninos (2002) argue, a project is strictly defined for its timely nature in the sense of seeking to complete a specific output within a set timeline. Portny, (2007), Atkinson (2004) argue that a project requires the coordination of a number of variables that includes: a) the allocation of responsibilities and resources between the people involved, b) an estimation of the resources required and their associated cost for implementing the project, c) a series of evaluation parameters that are able to assess that progress is made in the project and in relation to the already assigned objectives.