Week 5 Project
Project Documentation
Project management is different from other styles of management in its reliance on documentation. The
importance is veri�ed by the inclusion of project communications as one of the nine core areas in project
management knowledge in the PMBOK® Guide. Project communications is really about managing the timing and
�ow of information, in the various stages of documentation. There are various project documents that you have already discussed such as project charter, project scope
statement, and work breakdown structure.
Depending on the organization, its level of project management maturity, the legal environment, and other
factors, there are many more types of project documents. This paperwork may make project management seem
like the antithesis of modern management, which emphasizes speed, short cycle times, and control not through
bureaucracy, but through charismatic transformational leadership, and a strong culture that communicates clear behavioral expectations.
Without thorough project documentation, there would be haphazard terminology, chaotic processes and
methods, and lack of process standardization. Benchmarking and continuous improvement would be impossible.
Project management would be a tribal, word-of-mouth practice, handed from one generation of managers to the
next. With proper documentation, project management becomes a core competency of the organization and a
potential locus of sustainable competitive advantage.
One of the �rst things you learned about project management is that each project has a �nite life cycle. That means every project eventually ends by design. It does not drag on forever. Some projects are so successful; they
morph their missions and continue operating with new objectives, taking on some of the characteristics of
permanent programs. There is no particular best way to close a project, especially considering how much they
vary in scope.
Additional Materials
View a Pdf Transcript of Different types of project documents (media/week5/SU_MGT3035_W5_L7_G1.pdf? _&d2lSessionVal=ci8aH3u0fFqOZQwWEPolysax6&ou=85477)
View a Pdf Transcript of The �ve level structure of maturation (media/week5/SU_MGT3035_W5_L7_G2.pdf?
_&d2lSessionVal=ci8aH3u0fFqOZQwWEPolysax6&ou=85477)
View a Pdf Transcript of Impact of a prolonged project (media/week5/SU_MGT3035_W5_L6_G2.pdf?
_&d2lSessionVal=ci8aH3u0fFqOZQwWEPolysax6&ou=85477)
View a Pdf Transcript of The correct way of closing projects (media/week5/SU_MGT3035_W5_L6_G3.pdf? _&d2lSessionVal=ci8aH3u0fFqOZQwWEPolysax6&ou=85477)