Project management consulting is a core discipline that’s been around for ever, because the need to manage a specific set of business activities to achieve a specific goal has always been there too.  But project management brings a certain rigour to this basic management task.

A project has to be delivered within the constraints of scope, time, budget and quality to meet the project objectives.  But as implementation proceeds, the risks, issues, dependencies (with other projects), assumptions made and the desired benefits have to be addressed too.  It is these demands, plus the complexities of project portfolios and programs of projects, that have resulted in well-defined methodologies and standards emerging.  And this in turn has resulted in project management consultants obtaining certifications in those methodologies.  Not all projects will require a certified project management consultant, but all will require the foundation principles of project management to be followed.

In summary, project management is about planning, organising, controlling and even motivating resources (mostly people) to achieve a specific business objective.  Clearly, this is a set of temporary activities which expire when the objective is achieved, and give life to the new and desired business-as-usual.

Key areas of project management consulting

• Program management and evaluation – when the requirement is to define and manage the delivery of programs made up of multiple projects that are related – so a ‘network’ of projects being carried out in parallel, or sequentially, or a mix of both
• Project / portfolio / program governance – to define and implement appropriate project / portfolio / program governance policies and procedures
• General project management – the very act of project management, sometimes in line with a specific certifiable methodology or standard
• Project portfolio management 
• Training – where there is a need for trained project managers – via workshops, courses, coaching, mentoring
• Vendor management – to define, develop, evaluate and implement vendor management policies and procedures.

Three important questions to answer 

First and foremost, does this project require a certified project management consultant?  If your answer is “no”, please ensure that a disciplined approach is taken.

Does this project or portfolio or program also create significant change within your organisation?  If your answer is “yes” then bring a change management consultant into the team, and refer to our Change Management category page for tips and tricks.

Will your project / portfolio / program governance vary as the intermediate project objectives are achieved?  If the answer is “yes” then bring in a project governance consultant to get the governance structure, policies and procedures in place.

If you are ready to speak to a project management consultant for your needs, select the "Project Management" category in our quick online wizard.