Project management

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Given the diverse nature of government work, government lawyers are likely to be involved in advising across business as usual matters, portfolios, projects and programmes.

Legal work conducted by government lawyers can be seen as projects, and using project management techniques and tools can be beneficial.

This subtopic contains materials which consider key principles of project and programme management. Some of these materials are aimed primarily at the private sector, but the key principles have broader application and provide a helpful introduction to the subject matter.

What is a project?

A project is an activity undertaken to effect some form of change; it has a clear start and end point. Project management can be defined as 'the process by which a project is initiated, controlled and brought to a successful conclusion'. A project should have a stated scope, deliverables, activity, duration and budget, as defined in the project's terms of reference.

A project may differ from routine operational activities because:

  1. •

    the task is unique

  2. •

    not all the activities will be known at the outset

  3. •

    a new team is often created, comprised of people who do not normally

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