What does project management primarily involve?

Project management primarily involves the comprehensive process of planning, executing, and closing projects to achieve specific goals and objectives within defined constraints such as time, budget, and resources. This approach ensures that all aspects of a project are aligned towards successful completion, emphasizing the importance of structured phases in the project lifecycle.

In particular, planning is essential because it establishes a clear roadmap detailing how to achieve the project’s objectives, allocating resources, scheduling tasks, and identifying potential risks. Execution then involves putting the plan into action, coordinating people and resources to ensure that tasks are completed as intended. The closing phase is equally crucial as it involves finalizing everything related to the project, delivering the completed product or service, and conducting a review to glean lessons learned for future projects.

This structured methodology is what distinguishes effective project management from approaches that lack planning or oversight, which are reflected in the other options provided.