History of project management

While quality management was developing, around the same time a number of events led to the need for better project management. In the 1950?s and 1960?s   the   complexity   of   task   in   aerospace,   defence,   construction demanded  project  management  skills  at  different  levels.  The  need  to address cost, schedules, scope and quality concerns forced organisation and government bodies to consider project management at an earlier stage and have a more systematic and standard approach.

The Project Management Institute formed in 1969, is a forum for representatives of different industries to discuss and share their experience of project management. As an outcome, some of the factors that led to considering formal project management techniques were:

• The size of the project undertaken was beyond traditional functional resources availability.

• Unfamiliarity of diverse efforts such as crisis situation, major reorganisation and takeover threats.
• Rapid market changes.
• Independence and resource sharing was necessary for engineering (building) new product innovations.

• An ad hoc team which can be immediately deployed to capitalise on a unique opportunity in conditions of uncertainty.

Project Management Institute published A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) in 1987 which recognises project quality management as a separate core knowledge area. Today, individuals can master the PMBOK® Guide and clear certification test to become a Project Management Professionals (PMP).