ABSTRACT
Project management is not a new concept, but it has emerged since the Second World War as a methodology that can be applied to intensive periods of work with a specific objective, which can be isolated from general manage - ment so that expenditure can be ring fenced and the synergy of a team is engaged. However not all managers are able to cope with the dynamic nature of projects, where decisions have to be made fast and planning and control have to be very tight. Large projects such as the NASA space programme, the Polaris submarine programme and the Channel Tunnel have developed techniques for project management that have set a pattern for subsequent ones. These projects have also had to develop specific roles and create management structures to suit and satisfy various interests, both within the project and contract and outside. Many tools and techniques are specific to PM, but some have been borrowed from general management. Construc - tion work particularly lends itself to project management because of the temporary and unique nature of the work. PM though is an effective management process used in many contexts.
