So what is project management?
I can tell you what it's not. I frequently encounter organisations who start by sending their people on a project software training course. After that, they think they are project managers, but they are not. The software doesn't do any management, only people do, and they need to understand the underlying philosophy, process, and techniques. For example, will the software resolve a conflict for you? Will it deal with a team member who fails to deliver? Notice that I don't call it `project management software' - it is really planning software. To be a project manager, you should be able to:

• Choose the best team structure and organisation for your project scale and type.

• Define study designs and protocols which are less liable to change.

• Integrate all the planning elements, so that it's clear who does what, when, and at what cost.

• Build up realistic plans using time and cost data which reflect real life.

• Predict what might go wrong, and set up plans to avoid or limit the damage.

• Manage multiple clinical trials which are competing for resources.

• Update and reschedule your plans, to enable realistic reporting to senior management.

• Conduct progress meetings which get real results, by focussing on what needs to be achieved in the future not on who was to blame for the past!

Click here for more detail on training and consultancy (PDF).