INTRODUCTION

Project management is defined in the PMBOK as: '...the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet stakeholder`s needs and expectations from a project.'

Project management is the structured system that is used to complete a task successfully to the approval of the stakeholders. It makes use of all available resources and tools to accomplish this task.

A successful project can be defined as the completion of all activities within the scope of the works within the given budget and within the allowed time.

For project management to be effective, the main elements must first be identified. These elements are interdependant and are all critical to the success of the project.

They are scope, cost and time.

This study will discuss the neccesity and importance of the project management elements and how they contribute to the successful completion of a project. We will also touch on other project management aspects such as the tools that are used along with the abovementioned elements as well as the importance of quality during the project life cycle.

THE ELEMENTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SCOPE MANAGEMENT

According to the PMBOK, scope management can be defined as: '...the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. It is primarily concerned with defining and controlling what is or is not included in the project.'

For effective scope management it is important to make sure that the scope of the project is properly identified. The project management team should be certain that they understand exactly what their client expects from them in terms of his needs or problems. Failure could result in additional work and effort which will most likely result in additional costs and time.

A well