Classification of Projects

CLASSIFICATION OF PROJECT

Every Project is different. Projects can be classified on several different points. The classification of projects in project management varies according to a number of different factors such as complexity, source of capital, its content, those involved and its purpose. Projects can be classified on the following factors.

According to complexity:

Easy: A project is classified as easy when the relationships between tasks are basic and detailed planning or organizations are not required. A small work team and few external stakeholders and collaborators are common in this case.

Complicated: The project network is broad and complicated. There are many task interdependencies. With these projects, simplification where possible is everything. Cloudbased apps such as Sinnaps will immensely help to simplify complicated projects by automatically calculating the project’s best work path and updating any changes introduced through its use of different types of project management tools.

According to source of capital:

Public: Financing comes from Governmental institutions.

Private: Financing comes from businesses or private incentives.

Mixed: Financing comes from a mixed source of both public and private funding.

According to project content:

Construction: These are projects that have anything to do with the construction of a civil or architectural work. Predictive methods are used along with agile techniques which will be explained later on.

 IT: Any project to do with software development, IT system etc. The types of project management information systems vary across the board, but in today’s world are very common.

Business: These projects are involved with the development of a business, management of a work team, cost management, etc., and usually follow a commercial strategy.

Service or product production: Projects that involve themselves with the development of an innovative product or service, design of a new product, etc. They are often used in the R & D department.

According to those involved:

Departmental: When a certain department or area of an organisation is involved.

Internal: When a whole company itself is involved in the project’s development.

Matriarchal: When there is a combination of departments involved.

External: When a company outsources external project manager or teams to execute the project. This is common in digital transformations, process improvements and strategy changes.

According to its objective:

Production: Oriented at the production of a product or service taking into consideration a certain determined objective.

Social: Oriented at the improvement of the quality of life of people.

Educational: Oriented at the education of others.

Community: Oriented at people too, however with their involvement.

Research: Oriented at innovation and the gaining of knowledge.

There are other five different types of projects listed below: 

•  Construction projects produce artefacts.
•  Research projects produce knowledge.
•  Reengineering projects produce change.
• Procurement projects produce business relationships.
• Business implementation projects produce working processes.

Some projects are difficult to classify under this scheme.

1.  National symbolic programmes:  Putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

2.  Large medical programmes: 

• Creating an artificial heart.
• Mass inoculation programmes.

3.  Other hybrid or interdisciplinary projects 

•    Pilot projects
•    Moving offices

In most cases, this difficulty arises from an ambiguity about the primary purpose of the project. Are we doing this pilot for its own sake, or merely as an experiment? Are we doing this drug trial to benefit current patients, or to create knowledge that will benefit future patients? What’s the real political agenda? Of course, we must be able to handle hybrid projects - but we may need to surface the underlying ambiguity.