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For all other uses, see Project (disambiguation).

A project in business and science is a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim.^[1]

Overview

The word project comes from the Latin word projectum from the Latin verb proicere, "to throw something forwards" which in turn comes from pro-, which denotes something that precedes the action of the next part of the word in time (paralleling the Greek πρό) and iacere, "to throw". The word "project" thus actually originally meant "something that comes before anything else happens".

When the English language initially adopted the word, it referred to a plan of something, not to the act of actually carrying this plan out. Something performed in accordance with a project became known as an "object".

This use of "project" changed in the 1950s^{[citation needed]} with the introduction of several techniques for project management. Use of the word "project" evolved slightly to cover both projects and objects. However, certain projects continue to include so-called objects object leaders

Contemporary^[update] Western business — characterized by a modern matrix organization and a cooperative culture — currently^[update] particularly favors project-based approaches. Authoritarian, bureaucratic organizations with rigid, hierarchical structures show less enthusiasm about project-based work, which may not operate as expected in their environment due to conflicts between different cultures.^{[citation needed]}

Specific uses

School Usage

Within public schools in the United States, a project is an assignment given to a student which generally requires a larger amount of effort than normal homework assignments. They can range anywhere from simple written projects to elaborate and well-constructed Science Fair Projects.

Project management

In project management a project consists of a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.^[2] An other definition is a management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to a specified business case^[3].

Project objectives define target status at the end of the project, reaching of which is considered necessary for the achievement of planned benefits. They can be formulated as S.M.A.R.T.E.R^{[original research?]}: Specific, Measurable (or at least evaluable) achievement, Achievable (recently Acceptable is used regularly as well), ealistic (given the current state of organizational resources) and Time terminated (bounded), Ethical and Recorded. The evaluation (measurement) occurs at the project closure. However a continuous guard on the project progress should be kept by monitoring and evaluating. It is also worth noting that SMART or SMARTER is best applied for incremental type innovation projects^{[citation needed]}. For radical type projects it does not apply as well. Goals for such projects tend to be broad, qualitative, stretch/unrealistic and success driven.

Examples of notable projects

Human Genome Project which mapped the human genome
Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapon
Polaris missile project: an ICBM control-system
Project Apollo, which landed humans on the moon
Soviet atomic bomb project
Soviet manned lunar projects and programs

Footnotes

^ Oxford English Dictionary
^ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Third Edition, Project Management Institute.
^ - APM Group - PRINCE2

[1] Oxford English Dictionary

[PMBOK-2] A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Third Edition, Project Management Institute.

[3] - APM Group - PRINCE2

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 : ''For all other uses, see [[Project (disambiguation)]].''
+A '''project''' in [[business]] and [[science]] is a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully [[plan]]ned to achieve a particular aim.<ref>[[Oxford English Dictionary]] </ref>
-A '''project''', as defined in the field of [[project management]], consists of a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique [[Product (business)|product]], [[Service (economics)|service]] or result.<ref name="PMBOK">
-''A Guide to the [[Project Management Body of Knowledge]]'' (PMBOK Guide), Third Edition, [[Project Management Institute]].
-</ref>
-More generically, the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] suggests that [[business]] and [[science]] projects involve
-"a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully [[plan]]ned to achieve a particular aim".
+== Overview ==
-[[PRINCE2]] defines a project as "a management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to a specified [[business case]]"<ref>[http://www.apmgroup.co.uk/PRINCE2 - APM Group - PRINCE2]</ref>.
+The word ''project'' comes from the [[Latin]] word ''projectum'' from the Latin verb ''proicere'', "to throw something forwards" which in turn comes from ''pro-'', which denotes something that precedes the action of the next part of the word in time (paralleling the [[Greek language|Greek]] πρό) and ''iacere'', "to throw". The word "project" thus actually originally meant "something that comes before anything else happens".
+When the English language initially adopted the word, it referred to a plan of something, not to the act of actually carrying this plan out. Something performed in accordance with a project became known as an "[[object (task)|object]]".
-==Origin==
-The word ''project'' comes from the [[Latin]] word ''projectum'' from the Latin verb ''proicere'', "to throw something forwards" which in turn comes from ''pro-'', which denotes something that precedes the action of the next part of the word in time (paralleling the [[Greek language|Greek]] πρό) and ''iacere'', "to throw". The word "project" thus actually originally meant "something that comes before anything else happens". When the English language initially adopted the word, it referred to a plan of something, not to the act of actually carrying this plan out. Something performed in accordance with a project became known as an "[[object (task)|object]]". This use of "project" changed in the 1950s{{Fact|date=January 2008}} with the introduction of several techniques for [[project management]].  Use of the word "project" evolved slightly to cover both projects and objects. However, certain projects continue to include so-called ''objects''  ''object [[leadership|leaders]]''
+This use of "project" changed in the 1950s{{Fact|date=January 2008}} with the introduction of several techniques for [[project management]].  Use of the word "project" evolved slightly to cover both projects and objects. However, certain projects continue to include so-called ''objects''  ''object [[leadership|leaders]]''
-==Applicability==
 {{As of|2008|alt= Contemporary}} [[western culture| Western]] [[business]] — characterized by a modern [[matrix management|matrix]] organization and a cooperative [[culture]] — {{As of|2008|alt= currently}} particularly favors project-based approaches. [[Authoritarianism| Authoritarian]], [[bureaucracy| bureaucratic]] organizations with rigid, hierarchical structures show less enthusiasm about project-based work, which may not operate as expected in their environment due to conflicts between different [[organizational culture|cultures]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}}
+== Specific uses ==
-==Notable projects==
+=== School Usage ===
-* [[genome project]]s
+Within public schools in the United States, a '''project''' is an assignment given to a student which generally requires a larger amount of effort than normal homework assignments. They can range anywhere from simple written projects to elaborate and well-constructed Science Fair Projects.
-* the [[Human Genome Project]], which mapped the [[human genome]]
-* the [[Manhattan Project]], which developed the first [[nuclear weapon]]
+=== Project management ===
-* the [[Polaris missile|Polaris missile project]]: an [[ICBM]] control-system
+In [[project management]] a project consists of a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique [[Product (business)|product]], [[Service (economics)|service]] or result.<ref name="PMBOK"> ''A Guide to the [[Project Management Body of Knowledge]]'' (PMBOK Guide), Third Edition, [[Project Management Institute]]. </ref> An other definition is a management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to a specified [[business case]]<ref>[http://www.apmgroup.co.uk/PRINCE2 - APM Group - PRINCE2]</ref>.
+Project [[goal|objectives]] define target status at the end of the project, reaching of which is considered necessary for the achievement of planned benefits. They can be formulated as [[SMARTER (project management)|S.M.A.R.T.E.R]]{{Or|date=October 2008}}: Specific, Measurable (or at least evaluable) achievement, Achievable (recently Acceptable is used regularly as well), ealistic (given the current state of organizational resources) and Time terminated (bounded), Ethical and Recorded. The evaluation (measurement) occurs at the project closure. However a continuous guard on the project progress should be kept by monitoring and evaluating. It is also worth noting that SMART or SMARTER is best applied for incremental type innovation projects{{Fact|date=October 2008}}. For radical type projects it does not apply as well. Goals for such projects tend to be broad, qualitative, stretch/unrealistic and success driven.
+== Examples of notable projects ==
+* [[Human Genome Project]] which mapped the [[human genome]]
+* [[Manhattan Project]], which developed the first [[nuclear weapon]]
+* [[Polaris missile|Polaris missile project]]: an [[ICBM]] control-system
 * [[Project Apollo]], which landed humans on the [[moon]]
-* the [[Soviet atomic bomb project]]
+* [[Soviet atomic bomb project]]
 * [[Soviet Moonshot| Soviet manned lunar projects and programs]]
-==School Usage==
-Within public schools in the United States, a '''project''' is an assignment given to a student which generally requires a larger amount of effort than normal homework assignments. They can range anywhere from simple written projects to elaborate and well-constructed Science Fair Projects.
 ==See also==
 {{Wiktionarypar|project}}
-* [[Association for Project Management]]
-* [[Enterprise Project Management]] (EPM)
-* [[Gantt Chart]]
 * [[Megaproject]]
-* [[List of project management topics]]
-* [[PRINCE2]]
 * [[Process]]
-* [[Program (management)]]
-* Project [[cost overrun]]
 * [[Project governance]]
 * [[Project Management Institute]] (PMI)