Remember Me
forgot your password?

Is a Political Campaign a Project?

Is a Political Campaign a Project?

I say, a resounding “YES” to the question “Is a political campaign a project?”. Why? Well, a political campaign has a distinctive beginning and end, and in between there is a lot of planning, a great deal of execution, and a great deal of monitoring and controlling. And of course there is a closing – usually with lots of lessons learned. Let us look a bit at these elements and explore if a political campaign is a project.

Project Management Processes in Political Campaigns

We live in an increasingly projectized world, and projects abound all around us. Let’s take a look at how the Project Management Process Groups as per the PMBOK map to a political campaign.

1.Initiating - How many times have you heard candidates say that they are considering running for a particular position? This is part of the initiating process. This involves assessing chances of success, introspection regarding desire to do the campaign and to occupy the office, as well as, effects on personal life and career. Financial and organizational assets are also a major factor in the initiation process for a political campaign.

2.Planning – Once it has been decided to undertake a political campaign, there is a great deal of true project planning. If you use professional project management terminology, a work breakdown schedule is clearly plays a part in managing a political campaign, as there are many tasks to be coordinated. There is a great deal of planning related to where to spend money, where to travel, what to say, and a myriad of other things, to achieve the goal of winning the campaign.

3.Execution – Putting the plan into action is a key to a political campaign. Having the feet on the ground (volunteers and paid), in action, handing out leaflets, putting out posters, organizing others, making phone calls, setting up ads, setting up engagements – all of these are part of the project execution process for a political campaign.

4.Monitoring and Controlling – Just a cursory look at what happens in national campaigns in the United States reveals that the process of monitoring and controlling is not only of critical importance, but has gotten much more sophisticated. One example is the visual graphing of audience reaction - on a word-by-word basis - to what candidates say. Here the candidates get favorable, unfavorable, or in between ratings from listeners on virtually every word or phrase they utter! Campaign rhetoric strategy and approaches is changing constantly to try to adapt to political opinion and developments on the campaign trail.

5.Closing - The ultimate objective of the campaign is to win the election. Win or loose, the campaign will actually end at the conclusion of the election. Eventually, the campaign organization will need to be dissolved and the project will be “in the books”.

Absolutely, Political Campaigns are Projects!

Yes, simply thinking about a political campaign in terms of the PMBOK Project Management Processes makes it clearer than I ever thought before that a political campaign indeed is a project. In fact, I think it is a quintessential project and one that most of us experience simply by living on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, it is plausible to consider that a political campaign is even a series of projects, but that can be a subject for exploration at another time.

John Reiling

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where I went to Central Catholic High School. I excelled at football and basketball. I went to college at Princeton and earned a BS in Engineering. I then entered a career in industry, working in mining, manufacturing, metal fabricating, environmental services, and other related industries. Along the way I earned my MBA from Carnegie Mellon. After about 12 years I made a switch into the information technology field, and became a Lotus Notes developer. I gradually moved into project management in that field. Today, I am in the project management consulting field, and have several web sites, including Project Management Training Online (pmtrainingonline.com), Lean Six Sigma Training Online (leansixsigmatrainingonline.com), and a growing Project Management blog site called PMcrunch (PMcrunch.com).

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Management Articles
  • More from John Reiling

Starting a Business? Understanding Your Estimated Tax Payments

By: K. MacKillop | 27/11/2009
If you organize your business as a single-owner LLC or elect to have your multi-owner LLC taxed as a partnership, you will have to pay estimated quarterly taxes to the IRS after your first year of business. If you are earning a substantial profit during your first year, you may...

A marquee-the flexible choice

By: Tom | 27/11/2009
Marquee hire can be a great solution to where to host a party or event. You can choose the location, hire a suitably sized marquee and it is ready for you to decorate as you please. There are many marquees for hire in all sizes to accommodate a wide range of events. The flexibility and advantages of hiring a marquee are enormous.

What To Do If Your Tender Is Unsuccessful

By: Dr.Irfan Ahmad | 27/11/2009
Whether your firm is unsuccessful or not, it should seek a debrief, either received in writing or in person. Please remember, it is just as important for the winning firm to know precisely why it won the contact as it is for the unselected firm. It could be that the winning contractor only did so because of the default of others, or it may be that your tender was thousand below other tenders, in which case your pricing strategy may be costing you profits.

Role Of Tender Manager

By: Dr.Irfan Ahmad | 27/11/2009
Once the tender response has been agreed and all questions answered, the tender manager is charged with putting the various elements of the tender together. Some of the suggested guidelines for submitting the tender given below which should be considered by the tender manager before submitting the tender.

Finding the Best Property Manager Sydney

By: Benard Worseley | 27/11/2009
Like any managerial tasks, managing a property is not that easy as it seems especially if you have more than one renting property. There are lots of tasks needed to accomplish to be able to get the maximum profit with the use of the best managing system.

A Product of Our Past - Managing the Generational Divide

By: Tammy AS Kohl | 26/11/2009
Understanding how generational gaps or differences affect the success of business and industry is becoming an increasingly important issue. Everywhere you look within business media somebody is sharing research, experiences, or opinions on the generational divide and specifically how it relates to Gen X and Gen Y as they enter...

Solve the Mystery of Increasing Sales

By: Tammy AS Kohl | 26/11/2009
In today's market, sales teams are getting hammered for more sales. Companies are looking for ways to conserve cash and increase revenue, and sales departments are caught in the cross hairs. The fundamentals of sales that drive success remain the same and are even more critical when times are economically...

5 Simple Steps to Incorporate EBilling

By: Shelley Veazie | 26/11/2009
When you already have a set way of doing things, it might feel overwhelming to consider changing a method. However, with the benefits tallied up, there is not one good reason to continue using an outdated invoicing process. Ebilling is no longer considered a thing of the future, it's a...

Is a Political Campaign a Project?

By: John Reiling | 15/05/2008 | Management
I say, a resounding “YES” to the question “Is a political campaign a project?”. Why? Well, a political campaign has a distinctive beginning and end, and in between there is a lot of planning, a great deal of execution, and a great deal of monitoring and controlling. And of course there is a closing – usually with lots of lessons learned. Let us look a bit at these elements and explore if a political campaign is a project.

Top 10 Benefits to Earning a Certification

By: John Reiling | 29/01/2008 | Project Management
Is it worth it for you to put in all of the work? Consider these benefits of earning a certification, and if you see the benefits for your situation, go for it!

Project Management Certifications Worldwide

By: John Reiling | 24/01/2008 | Project Management
There are a number of project management certifications available worldwide.

Virtual Project Management Group

By: John Reiling | 24/01/2008 | Careers
If you want to network directly with some other PMs, but would like to do so 'virtually' - from the comfort of your home, this group could be what you are looking for.

Pmp Pdus: is Inexpensive and More Convenient a Bad Thing?

By: John Reiling | 23/01/2008 | Project Management
I have read a post where the author – ‘daver’ – asserts that there is a “troubling trend” as there “There seems to be the wide array of potentially low-value education PDUs that can be earned from certified education providers.

An 8 Point Plan for Passing the Pmp or Capm Exam

By: John Reiling | 08/01/2008 | Project Management
Any good Project Manager knows the importance of having a good plan. So, if you are preparing for the PMP or CAPM exam, wouldn't it be a great idea to build a plan? As in life, many procrastinate, can't find the time, and myriad other excuses, and do not get where they want to go - to pass the exam. Be a planner, and practice good project management in the process.

The 3 Different Types of Project Management Offices

By: John Reiling | 14/12/2007 | Project Management
There are 3 basic types of Project Management Office (PMO) organizations, varying in the degree of control and influence they have on projects within the organization. You will need to determine which type you need to establish in order to have an effective project office.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.78, 1, w1)