Audience: University of Arkansas affiliates
Responsible Group: IT Project Management Team
Overview
The IT Project Management team can be utilized by any University of Arkansas staff or faculty to implement projects or request services. Understanding the distinction between a project and a service will help answer requests quickly. This article addresses the difference between a project request and a consultation request from the IT Project Management Office (IT PMO).
What is a Project?
A project is an activity or operation with a distinct beginning and end and clearly defined scope, resources, plan, and goals to create a unique product, service, or result. A project will have a Project Manager (PM) who oversees the project's success and resource allocation.
Key characteristics of a project include:
- Temporary: Specific start and end dates.
- Unique: Produces new, modified, or retired goods/services.
- Defined Deliverables: Specific outcomes or outputs.
- Temporary Teams: Assembled for the project's duration.
- Project Manager: Oversees the project's success.
- Defined Scope and Goals: Clearly defined starting point, goals, and a plan to achieve them.
- Resource Allocation: Defined boundaries and required resources.
Examples include new software implementation, and data integrations between multiple systems.
What is an IT project?
An Information Technology Project Management Office (IT PMO) Project is a project that will include an IT component, such as hardware or software using the university infrastructure and their supporting staff, and meets at least three of the defining criteria. A hardware or software purchase alone would not constitute a project. See the full list of IT PMO Project Criteria for more information.
Access
Requesting an IT PMO Project or IT PMO Consultation can be done by completing the request form on the IT Project Management page or from the Service Catalog.
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