Project Management is the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria. It requires a skill set that includes not only general management abilities and knowledge – such as team building, communication, problem solving, decision making, and analytics – but also specialized skills and expertise in areas such as resource management, budgeting, and scheduling. Project management is essential for ensuring successful project completion and delivery and is often the difference between success and failure.