Some project management history

In the 1950s is when we first start to see some modern project management techniques being put to use. Two individuals that can be viewed as forefathers of project management are Henry Gantt and Henri Fayol. Both men studied Frederick Winslow Taylor’s theories of scientific management. One could say that modern project management stems from several fields including engineering, heavy defense activity, and civil construction. 

Modern project management emerged in the 1950s. Project management arose as a discipline from management disciplines, combined with the engineering model. Before the 1950s projects were managed mostly on an ad-hoc basis in the United States. Two mathematical project-scheduling models were developed in the nineteen fifties, the “Critical Path Method” (CPM), and the “Program Evaluation and Review Technique” or PERT.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed in the United States in 1969. The PMI publishes A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. They currently offer seven certifications that recognize knowledge and competency in the project management field.