Making "What is smth" be a noun phrase

Let's consider two phrases below:

• What makes an effective manager
• What is project management

They both have the same grammar structure: what + verb + noun.

The first phrase can either be a question

• What makes an effective manager?

or a noun phrase

• What makes an effective manager is planning skills.

The second phrase can be a question too

• What is project management?

But how do I make it be a noun phrase, similar to the first phrase's noun phrase?

Applying the same pattern gives

• What is project management is the application of methods, skills and knowledge to achieve project's objectives.

but I suppose that this sentence is grammatically incorrect.

You could say this. However, it needs to be either the project's objectives or project objectives.

What is project management but the application of methods, skills and knowledge to achieve project objectives.

It might sound better if it also began with For:

For what is project management but the application of methods, skills and knowledge to achieve project objectives.