Roots 5. Project Cycle Management (PCM)

Project cycle management (PCM) is the term given to the process of planning and managing projects, programmes and organisations. It is used widely in the business sector and is increasingly being used by development organisations. Development projects sometimes fail because they are badly planned and do not take account of some important factors, particularly the needs and views of stakeholders. PCM is based around a project cycle, which ensures that all aspects of projects are considered. A central value of the PCM method is that aspects of the project are reconsidered throughout the project cycle to ensure that any changes which have occurred are included in the project design. As a result, projects are more likely to be successful and sustainable. Throughout the book we talk about using project cycle management for projects because this is probably the main way in which PCM will be used. However, all of the tools can be used just as effectively for planning programmes and managing and developing organisations. Download (PDF, 913K)