7 Main Project Management Activities + Sample Activity List

It seems like you are ready to take on the challenges of project management!

It is a dynamic process involving various activities, skills, and techniques. The main goal behind project management is ensuring the successful delivery of the project within a fixed timeframe and budget.

Managing projects may seem daunting, but with the right mindset and knowledge of activities, you can ensure a smooth and successful execution.

As per pmi.org, a poor project management plan can waste almost 8.8% of the investment. But don't worry; we've got you covered with a comprehensive guide to the essential project management activities in this article.

What Are Project Management Activities?

As a project manager, you'll need to break down the project into a series of related sub-tasks or activities that need to be completed in order to achieve the project's goals.

Project management activities are nothing but the specific actions project managers take to achieve a project's objectives. Each activity has a specific start and end point and a deadline to be met. Such activities are crucial for the successful delivery of the project.

Every project is unique! So, the key to success is tailoring project management activities to fit your project's needs.

A well-defined and sequenced activity plan provides project managers with a framework for monitoring and controlling the project's progress. It is where tools like network diagrams and Gantt charts come in handy. They will help you with the following:

Understanding the overall flow of the project
Determining project dependencies
Identifying the start and end dates for project activities
Tracking progress throughout the phases of a project lifecycle

Importance of Project Management Activities

Project management activities prove that project managers have a realistic and comprehensive project plan.

It ensures the successful completion of the project, resulting in a project that meets its goals on time and with the desired outcomes.

By breaking down a project into smaller, more manageable activities, project managers can:

Monitor progress
Control development
Identify potential problems at any stage

Project management activities help to identify and address potential problems early on, which can help to prevent them from becoming major issues.

It allows project managers to make informed decisions, stay organized, and keep the project on track, avoiding unnecessary delays.

Lastly, project management activities can reveal what to change in the original plan, enabling project managers to make changes as the project evolves.

Difference Between Activities And Milestones

Complete knowledge of the difference between project activities and milestones is crucial for effective project management and successful completion.

Both play essential roles in making your project a success. So, before we dive deep into the project activities, let's understand the difference between project activities and milestones!

Project Milestones – These are significant events that mark important points in your project's life cycle. These could be completing a project phase, delivering a major project deliverable, or completing a critical task.

Project Activities – Each milestone is achieved by completing a series of tasks and subtasks, which are known as project management activities.

Real-life Example of Project Management Activities and Milestones

The image above is an example of launching a brand new website where we have defined the milestones for each week.

Each milestone includes a series of subtasks (activities) to be met. For Example, to achieve the milestone of designing the landing page (week 5), we need to complete the following subtasks or activities,

Prepare a color palette
Design a hero section
Design header and footer
Write eye-catchy and concise headlines
Strategically include CTAs
Check for responsive design

Note that similar to project activities, milestones help project managers to track progress, identify potential problems, and stay on top of the project's budget and timeline.

What Is A Project Activity List?

Developing and executing a project plan can be time-consuming and challenging.

The key is to create a list that includes all planned project activities. It is a critical step toward the project's success as a project manager or team member.

The project team can identify each task, execute it within a defined timeframe, and ensure successful project completion using a comprehensive project activity list.

An activity list ensures that everyone involved understands their role, the project timeline, the required activity resources, and other relevant information. Additionally, you can manage the project better, track progress, and communicate effectively with stakeholders.

Steps To Creating A Project Activity List

Breaking down all the project work into small units called activities or tasks is crucial for successfully delivering a project. Here are the steps you need to create a project activity list.

1. Project Planning

Planning is the foundation of successful project management.

It allows us to define our objectives, identify the steps required to achieve them, and allocate resources accordingly.

You need to create a comprehensive project plan that outlines all the important details, including its project deliverables, budget, resources, and deadlines. Doing so gives you a project roadmap to keep everyone on track and help them achieve project goals.

Careful project planning allows us to minimize risks and maximize our chances of success.

Note that project plans are not set in stone and may change during the execution phase.

So, it is better to plan for potential problems and be ready to adjust the plan accordingly. With your well-defined project plan, your team can work together to ensure that the project progresses in the right direction while being flexible and adaptable to unexpected changes.

2. Creating WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a project management tool that can help you break down your project into smaller, more manageable tasks to save time and effort.

It can make project management easier and more efficient. It begins with identifying the major activities in project management and then subdividing them into smaller, measurable tasks and subtasks.

To create a WBS,

List all major project deliverables
Break each deliverable into smaller activities
Break each activity into individual tasks and subtasks
Allocate Resources: identify the necessary resources and timelines for each task and subtask

This approach will help you monitor project progress and control the work more effectively.

It would be best to involve the project team in the WBS preparation process so everyone understands the project objectives and requirements.

The completed WBS should be reviewed and approved by the project stakeholders, including the project sponsor, manager, and team members, to ensure everyone agrees on the scope of work and the project plan.

3. Determining Dependencies

After dividing your project into activities, identify the relationship between each activity and the factors affecting its completion.

There are two types of dependencies: internal and external.

Internal dependencies occur when an activity is related to other activities within the project. It means one activity cannot be started until a related activity has been completed.

On the other hand, external dependencies occur when an activity is related to the factors outside the project, such as environmental, regulatory, or technological factors.

The start and finish conditions of activities can be used to classify the dependencies into four types:

Finish-to-start (FS): An activity must be completed before another activity can begin. It is the most common type of dependency.
Start-to-start (SS): An activity must begin before another activity can also begin. This dependency is used when two activities must be synchronized to start simultaneously.
Finish-to-finish (FF): An activity must finish before another can also finish. This dependency is used when two activities must be synchronized to end simultaneously.
Start-to-finish (SF): An activity must start before another activity can finish.

Understanding the dependencies between activities is critical for developing a realistic project plan that can be completed on time and within budget.

4. Sequencing Activities

Once you identify the activities and determine their dependencies, it is time to order them.

Your goal is to establish a highly efficient task flow by prioritizing the order of the activities.

It needs to be done properly to ensure that the project activities are completed in the correct order for a smooth and timely progression.

I suggest using dedicated project management software with Kanban tools for effective activity sequencing for comprehensive insights.

Project management software provides an excellent solution for visually representing the project and its phases. It allows for real-time updates and progress reports, resulting in a smooth and timely project progression. Product and software development teams have to use such tools.

However, you can use tools like whiteboards, note cards, or sticky note pads for sequencing activities.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the project activities, involve the team and gather multiple perspectives. This approach will also help you identify potential issues or challenges associated with your project.

5. Scheduling Activities

Once the sequence is established, you can estimate the duration of each activity and schedule project activities accordingly.

Make sure to properly define the duration and timeline for each activity and allocate resources to achieve your project goals within the given timeframe and budget. It is important to create a realistic schedule and avoid overestimating the work that can be done within a given timeframe. Use workflow management software or Gantt charts to visualize the entire project in one place.

When estimating the duration of each activity, we can use data from previous projects to establish baselines for each task. We must properly allocate internal and external resources such as personnel, equipment, and materials.

Note that we may need to adjust the schedule throughout the project's life cycle due to unforeseen events.

Regularly monitoring the project's progress and communicating with stakeholders can help us identify issues early and make timely adjustments.

6. Risk Management

Risk management is a crucial aspect of project management!

Uncertain events that can positively or negatively impact the achievement of the project goals and objectives are known as project risks.

A robust risk management plan is paramount in confidently delivering your project on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards.

It's essential to implement it throughout the entire project management life cycle to avoid project risks. You can brainstorm with your project teams or use risk management technology to develop a plan outlining the steps to mitigate, monitor, and control the risks.

In general, it includes the following steps,

Creating a comprehensive list of milestones and activities
Determining all the possible risks associated with each milestone and activity
Analyzing the probability of the risk
Assessing the risk impact on the project

Once you identify all the risks, the key is to prioritize the risks and focus on the most critical ones.

Note that you should frequently monitor and review project progress to identify new risks that may arise, assess their impact, and update the risk management plan accordingly.

7. Preparing Activity List

Now is the right time to create a highly detailed activity list that includes project tasks, sub-tasks, the duration for each of them, and the resources required.

An activity list helps ensure everything is always in order and up-to-date, leading to incredible results.

It is not a one-time document but rather a dynamic one that can be regularly reviewed and updated throughout the project to ensure that it remains accurate and up-to-date.

As a project manager, you have a critical role, and creating a comprehensive activity list is crucial. By defining all the major deliverables and tasks mentioned in the previous steps, you will clearly understand what must be done, how, by whom, and when.

With an activity list, you can ensure that everyone involved understands their tasks and the sequence in which they must execute them.

A team leader plays a vital role in executing the tasks defined in the project activity list.

Activity List Example

Imagine that Jason is about to renovate his home; here is the Project Activity List prepared for him:

Start Date – May 13, 2023
Estimated Completion Date – August 30, 2023

Sr. No.	Activity Name	Details	Assigned By	Responsible Person	Notes
1	Project Planning	Define home renovation goals, assign a budget, create a task list, allocate resources	Jason	Contractor	Hire an architect or designer
2	Demolition	Demolish old fixtures and walls as per the plan, avoid damage to the underlying structure of the house	Jason	Contractor	Safety measures should be followed during the process
3	Structural Work	Revise the structural components of the home, including walls, floors, and ceilings.	Jason	Contractor	Obtaining necessary permits may be required.
4	Electrical Work	As needed, upgrade electrical systems.	Jason	Licensed electrician	Safety measures should be followed during the process
5	Plumbing Work	As needed, upgrade plumbing systems.	Jason	Licensed plumber	Safety measures should be followed during the process
6	Installation	Put in new fixtures, appliances, or other features	Jason	Contractor	Make sure the functioning of all items is up to the mark
7	Closure	Finish the renovated space by painting, installing trim, or adding decorative elements.	Jason	Contractor	Ensure that all finishing work is executed as per the plan.
8	Clean-up	Sweep and clean the site thoroughly, removing all dirt, dust, and debris	Jason	Contractor	Debris and waste should be disposed of safely and responsibly

This is a simple activity list where Jason is the project manager responsible for the delivery of the project. It helps Jason with the following,

Project scope management
Project initiation
Cost management
Forming a communication plan with stakeholders
Obtaining the desired outcome.

Note that the key to success is practice! You can start with any project on your mind and create the activity list right away.

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