What is a project?

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) glossary says a project is an activity or series of activities that has a beginning and an end. A project must produce defined outputs and realize specific outcomes, within a clear schedule and resource plan, and within specific time, cost, and performance parameters.

TBS distinguishes a project from a program. A program is an ongoing group of resources and activities toward related objectives. A program may include various projects at various times. Everyday example: “keeping the community hall clean” can be ongoing work. “Paint the hall before the spring supper” is a project — it starts, it should finish, and you can see the result.

Project management, in the same glossary, is the systematic planning, organizing, and control of allocated resources to accomplish identified project objectives and outcomes. TBS says this is normally for focused, non-repetitive, time-limited activities that have some degree of risk and that go beyond usual day-to-day operations.

Skills for Success adaptability includes setting goals and planning: define tasks and milestones, then choose an order that fits your situation. Those habits help even on a small project, such as organizing a bake sale or setting up a new computer station at work.

This course uses simple community and workplace examples. It does not train you for a PMI exam and does not replace your employer’s own project rules.