The History and Evolution of Project Management

The project management field has endured decades of trial, error, innovation and evolution. What was once an undefined flow of tasks slowly morphed into a strategic and sophisticated set of processes. The history of project management can be sectioned into four time periods: prior to 1958, 1958 to 1980, 1980 to 1994, and 1994 to present day. To truly understand today’s project management field, you must look back at its humble beginnings. 

Prior to 1958 

The years prior to 1958 includes all of human history. For much of that time, project management wasn’t backed by any particular methodologies. Instead, project success depended on a variety of random factors, like a worker’s capabilities. Notable projects in this time include the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China. In the early 1900s, engineer Karol Adamiecki created what would become known as Gantt Charts, a horizontal bar chart that shows a project’s planned schedule and its required tasks. These charts offer the first glimpse of project-focused structure. 

1958 to 1980 

A monumental time for the project management, 1958 was the year the critical path method (CPM) and the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) were developed. CPM was leveraged to predict project duration, and PERT was created to analyze anticipated project tasks. In both instances, these methods represented the first strategic processes created to tactfully manage and execute projects. Techniques advanced from there, notably with the waterfall model during the first United States-sponsored trip to the moon. This era also saw the launch of the Project Management Institute (PMI). The next decade brought ongoing development, with project management strategies moving from the defense and construction sectors to a wide variety of sectors. 

1980 to 1994 

The 1980s saw project management’s wide development across all industries. Project managers were now gaining definitive titles, with companies listing “project manager” as an actual job position. Adding to the field’s ongoing organization, in 1981, PMI released its first Ethics, Standards and Accreditation report, which has since been revised every five years. While “agile” wouldn’t officially be used for another decade, early development of agile project management was underway. This era ends with PMI’s first certification tests and the subsequent development and use of project management software. 

1994 to present 

The mid ’90s played a definitive role in project management today because it was the first time the field applied early internet technology to increase efficiency and spread a variety of methodologies. At the same time, government entities and large organizations began leveraging project management organizations to oversee massive projects. Then in 2001 the Agile Manifesto was created, and as of 2021, seven editions of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) have been released, along with countless revisions and ongoing innovation surrounding agile project management. 

There is no doubt that the future of project management is bright. In less than a century, project management has become a strategic and vital aspect of all projects. It will continue to be an important player in the ongoing development and execution of massive enterprises for decades to come.