Project Management – A Historical Timeline

Our latest paper, Project Management – A Historical Timeline has been published in the January edition of PM World Journal. Read the full journal free of charge at: https://pmworldjournal.com/

The objective of this paper is to put the development of management, and project management capabilities into the wider flow of history for the period from 1000 CE to 2020 CE. This has been done by tabulating some of the significant events in history, with the advances in management thinking documented in our PM history papers, and a brief selection of important engineering and other achievements. The selection may be idiosyncratic but I’m happy to add other important events – just comment or (preferred) send an email with your ideas.

The intent, to quote Joseph Priestley (1733 – 1804) is that a well-constructed timeline becomes “a most excellent mechanical help to the knowledge of history”, and may identify cross linkages that may be worth further research – history does not occur in isolation. Other coincidences may be simply interesting, for example Henri Fayol (France) and Henry Gantt (USA) both published significant books on the management of factories in 1916 while World War 1 was raging.  The full paper (with updates) can be downloaded from: https://mosaicprojects.com.au/PDF_Papers/P212_Historical_Timeline.pdf

For more on the history of project management and its allied disciplines see: https://mosaicprojects.com.au/PMKI-ZSY.php