Common elements of successful project management Simply stated, execution is the gap between promises and results.

While we don't live in a perfect world, there are some common elements that ensure success. These include: Active Sponsorship: Making sure that somebody up top will not put a kibosh on a project because it wasn't his or her idea. Make sure somebody high up believes in and champions the project. Competent Project Personnel: Having not just subject matter experts, but people who know the art and science of working with others to achieve results is critical. Sufficient Resources and Funding: Assigning and funding resources is always a challenge, so keep the expectations realistic. Clear Roles and Responsibilities: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Even well-meaning people can trip on each other if their roles are not clear. It should be especially clear who is driving the bus and who is riding it. Proactive Risk Management: Identify the potential risks ahead of time and be prepared to deal with them. As they say, it is better to fix the roof before it starts raining. Change Management: Projects by definition change the status quo. Any time there is a change to the status quo, it creates disruption. Make a plan to manage the change consciously rather than burying your head in the sand. Realistic Project Plan: Miracles do happen, so hope for the best, but prepare for the worst! Vigilant Tracking: Identify what can be measured during the progression of the project and track it methodically. What gets measured gets done.

Timely Issue Resolution: Issues will arise, so deal with them before they grow out of control. Remember the old saying: a stitch in time saves nine. There are three simple steps you should follow: 1. Agreement: Make sure that there is a consensus among all key stakeholders. This can be thought of as a contracting stage in a project. Confirm and clarify assumptions and expectations regarding project scope, constraints, deliverables, dependencies, impacts, timing, and funding. If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. 2. Planning: A goal without a plan is just a wish. Without a detailed project plan, it is impossible to see how all the pieces will fit together. He who fails to plan, plans to fail. A carelessly planned project takes three times longer to complete than expected; a carefully planned project takes only twice as long! 3. Execution: This is where the rubber meets the road: Tracking progress, reporting status, controlling change, managing issues. If the project appears to be going well, something is about to go wrong! As Shakespeare said, "The will is infinite and the execution confined."

The Burj Al Arab, A successful project The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: ,"Tower of the Arabs", also known as" Arab Sail") is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At321 m (1,050 ft), it is the third tallest building in the world used exclusively as a hotel. [2] The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the main land by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat. The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. Despite its size, the Burj AlArab holds only 28 double-storey floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 m2 (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m2 (8,400 sq ft). It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begins at US$2,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, starting at US$28,000 per night. Construction of Burj Al Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of adhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. The architect Tom Wright said "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country." Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 forty-metre (130ft) long concrete piles into the sand. As recently as late 2008 Dubai was still announcing gigantic schemes like the$US95 billion ($A105 billion) Jumeirah Gardens new town and a one-kilometre-high structure,