The overall aim of the management in an enterprise is to create within the enterprise, an environment which will facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives. In doing this, management has to perform certain functions. Although the development of a theory and science of management suffers from disagreement among scholars and managers, a general pattern of functions which management has to perform, has emerged. Traditionally, management functions are grouped under six headings, namely planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling, and common to all these functions is the function of coordination. These functional areas, with some adjustments on account of the special characteristics of construction projects are equally applicable in project management. The project management functions of planning, organizing, procuring, leading and controlling are outlined below:

Planning

Planning involves deciding in advance what is to be done, how and in what order it is to be done in order to achieve the objectives. Planning aims at deciding upon the future course of action. A plan shows the committed course of action. Schedule depicts when the planned activities are to be carried, it puts the plan on calendar date scale. In brief, planning and scheduling involves the following:

a)    Crystallizing objectives.

b)    Collecting and synthesizing information.

c) Developing alternative courses of action within specified constraints.

d)   Comparing alternatives in terms of objectives feasibility and consequences.

e)     Selecting and scheduling the optimum course of action.

f) Establishing policies, procedures, methods, Schedules, programmes, systems, standards and budgets for accomplishing project objectives.

Organizing

Organizing is the process of establishing a structural relationship among functions of people, so as to formulate an effective machinery for streamlining the achievement of assigned objectives. Organizing involves the following main tasks:

a)     Dividing the work into component activities.

b)    Designing job structures.

c)     Defining performance targets and responsibilities.

d)    Allocation resources.

e)     Delegating authority commensurate with responsibility.

f)      Establishing structural relationship to secure coordination.

Procuring

It implies managing and keeping manned, the positions created by organization structure and providing them the right quality resources at the right time. These resources include people, materials, machinery and money. The connected project management tasks include the following:

a)     Preparing resource procurement schedules.

b)    Developing specifications for required resources.

c)     Deciding appropriate sources of procurement.

d)    Budgeting resources and arranging approvals and purchases.

e)    Preventing wastage during resource holding at site.

f)  Supplying on time requirement quality and quantity of resources to project construction sites.

Directing or Leading

It involves influencing people so as to enable them to contribute to organizational goals efficiently and effectively. Direction implies the following tasks:

a)     Providing effective leadership.

b)    Motivating participants behavior.

c)     Communicating instructions and orders.

d)    Providing a suitable climate for subordinates development.

Controlling

Controlling involves monitoring of the performance and applying corrective measures in case of deviations from the plan. The process of control can be sub-divided into the following stages:

a)     Specifying the factors to be controlled.

b)     Stating the methods of measuring control factors.

c)     Evolving systems for generating performance data.

d)    Monitoring data received and formulating corrective options.

e)   Applying corrective measures to put a plan on the scheduled  path.

f)      Replanning, when necessary.