Any activity that is undertaken involves, time, resources, and has an intended outcome. Such an activity could be construction of a physical infrastructure such as a highway, a bridge, a building, other forms of infrastructure; and major and minor maintenance works related to such physical infrastructure. In order to achieve the desired outcome it is essential that the entire activity is undertaken in a professional manner and that it is completed within the allocated time and budget. It is also essential that the entire process and the outcome have minimal social and environmental impact and the stakeholders impacted by it are consulted.
This entire activity can be broadly categorized as a project. Over half a century ago Davies (1951) had defined a project as," any undertaking that has definite, final objectives representing specified values to be used in the satisfaction of some need or desire". Cleland et al (2002) have defined a project as, " a combination of organizational resources pulled together to create something that did not previously exist and that will provide a performance capability in the design and execution of organizational strategies".
The management of a project right from inception to completion can be called as Project Management.
In every project there are deliverables. Davidson (2000) defines deliverables as,‿ Something of value generated by a project management team as scheduled, to be offered to an authorising party, a reviewing committee, client constituent, or other concerned party, often taking the form of a plan, report, prescript procedure, product, or service.‿
The one who coordinates all activities and is accountable for it is called the Project Manager. Davidson (2000) defines Project manager as, “ An individual who has the responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the day-to-day activities in pursuit of a project goal, including coordinating staff, allocating resources, managing the budget, and coordinating overall efforts to achieve a specific desired result.‿
