The Handbook of Project Management

by Young, Trevor L.

• ISBN13: 9780749449841
• ISBN10: 0749449845
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-01
• Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd

Summary

The Handbook of Project Management is written specifically to help project managers improve their performance using tried and tested techniques. The package comprises a book plus free CD ROM containing a collection of tools, templates and procedures which support the methodology used in the book. Written by an experienced practitioner, it will be particularly useful if you are: looking to develop project management skills; starting a new project; wishing to acquire new skills; or training others in project management skills. Packed with concepts and processes, tools and presentation materials, this comprehensive handbook will assist anyone responsible for converting strategy into reality.

Author Biography

Trevor L. Young was a senior consultant for the Industrial Society of Great Britain where he designed and conducted public training courses in project management techniques and project leadership. He is now an independent consultant specializing in the introduction of program management. He is the author of Successful Project Management, part of the Creating Success series from Kogan Page.

Table of Contents

Preface to the revised second edition	p. vii
The programme and project environment	p. 1
Introduction	p. 3
What is special about programmes and projects?	p. 4
Who is this book for?	p. 5
Change: programmes and projects	p. 7
Change and the programme and project manager	p. 8
What is a project?	p. 9
Projects and sub-projects	p. 10
What is a programme?	p. 12
An example programme	p. 14
Why programme management?	p. 14
What is programme management?	p. 16
What is project management?	p. 17
Why is programme management different from project management?	p. 18
What is different about programme and project management?	p. 19
How are programmes and projects derived?	p. 21
The dynamic life cycle	p. 23
The dynamic action cycle	p. 24
The programme and project process phase gates	p. 26
Is the phase gate a constraint?	p. 28
Is this control necessary?	p. 29
Summary	p. 30
Organizing for programme management	p. 31
Organizing for ownership	p. 33
Establishing the programme steering team	p. 34
Continuous improvement and problem solving: are they projects?	p. 36
The programme register	p. 37
Operating a programme register	p. 37
The key responsibilities of the programme steering team	p. 41
Meetings of the programme steering team	p. 42
Managing the portfolio: selection of programmes and projects	p. 44
The inputs to effective selection	p. 46
The secondary screening	p. 48
The result of effective selection	p. 49
Summary	p. 51
The key roles	p. 53
The project steering team administrator	p. 54
The sponsor	p. 55
The programme manager	p. 55
The project manager	p. 56
The functional manager	p. 56
The stakeholders	p. 57
Frequently used terms	p. 59
The programme and project manager as a leader	p. 60
The dimensions of leadership in the programme and project environment	p. 62
Managing stakeholders	p. 63
Managing the dynamic life cycle	p. 66
Managing performance	p. 66
Programmes, projects and teamwork	p. 67
Building your team	p. 70
Customer satisfaction	p. 71
Summary	p. 72
The programme and project processes and techniques	p. 75
Starting up: ideas and opportunities for projects	p. 77
The fundamental data needs	p. 78
What are the constraints?	p. 79
What data does the programme steering team require?	p. 80
Preparing the initial business case	p. 80
Through Gate Zero to Gate One	p. 81
Presenting the business case to the programme steering team	p. 87
The kick-off meeting	p. 88
Project documentation	p. 91
The project brief and specification	p. 95
Summary	p. 97
Defining the project	p. 99
What is necessary to define a project?	p. 99
The stakeholder list	p. 100
The project brief	p. 101
The scope of work statement	p. 105
Risk management	p. 107
Risk assessment	p. 110
Quantifying identified risks	p. 114
Risk monitoring	p. 120
Getting your project definition approved	p. 120
Summary	p. 123
Planning your project	p. 126
What is not going to be done?	p. 126
Who needs to be involved?	p. 127
Where does planning start?	p. 127
Identifying the key stages	p. 128
The project work breakdown structure	p. 131
Allocating responsibility	p. 132
What is an estimate?	p. 134
Avoid some classic pitfalls	p. 135
The golden rules	p. 137
Effort and duration	p. 137
Estimating the durations	p. 139
Contingencies	p. 142
Time-limited scheduling and estimates	p. 143
Identifying the critical path of your project	p. 145
The programme evaluation and review technique	p. 146
Analysing the logic diagram	p. 149
Using the PERT analysis data	p. 149
Analysing your resource requirements	p. 154
Optimizing your schedule	p. 155
Reviewing your project risk log	p. 159
Reviewing your project budget	p. 160
Intermediate phase gates	p. 161
Seeking approval to launch your project	p. 162
Summary	p. 164
Launching your project	p. 166
Establishing key stage work plans	p. 166
Deriving a milestone schedule	p. 169
Critical success factors	p. 171
Ensuring effective communication	p. 173
Project status reports	p. 174
Deriving a meetings schedule for your project	p. 177
Managing project changes	p. 178
Holding a launch meeting	p. 185
Summary	p. 188
Executing the project work	p. 190
The project control system	p. 191
Monitoring progress	p. 195
Managing issues	p. 198
Reviewing project issues	p. 206
Tracking your project	p. 207
Taking corrective action	p. 212
Problem solving	p. 214
Progress meetings	p. 217
Progress reporting	p. 220
Encouraging good time management	p. 222
Controlling the project costs	p. 228
Balancing the project	p. 234
Approaching the closure phase	p. 238
Summary	p. 239
Closing your project	p. 242
Why have a closure phase?	p. 243
Establishing completion criteria	p. 244
The acceptance process	p. 246
The close-out meeting	p. 247
Evaluating your project	p. 251
Closing down the project	p. 252
Post-project evaluation	p. 254
Post-project appraisals	p. 258
What next?	p. 259
Summary	p. 261
Using a computer	p. 263
What can software do?	p. 264
Using a software program	p. 267
What software does not do	p. 270
Selecting project software	p. 271
The programme management office	p. 271
Common project problems	p. 274
Problem analysis	p. 274
How projects succeed	p. 280
Postscript	p. 282
Glossary of terms	p. 283
Further reading	p. 289
Index	p. 291
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Part 1 The programme and project environment 1 Introduction What is special about programmes and projects? Who is this book for? 2 Change: programmes and projects Change and the programme and project manager What is a project? Projects and sub-projects What is a programme? An example programme Why programme management? What is programme management? What is project management? Why is programme management different from project management? What is different about programme and project management? How are programmes and projects derived? The dynamic life cycle The dynamic action cycle The programme and project process phase gates Is the phase gate a constraint? Is this control necessary? Summary 3 Organizing for programme management Organizing for ownership Establishing the programme steering team Continuous improvement and problem solving: are they projects? The programme register Operating a programme register The key responsibilities of the programme steering team Meetings of the programme steering team Managing the portfolio: selection of programmes and projects The inputs to effective selection The secondary screening The result of effective selection Summary 4 The key roles The project steering team administrator The sponsor The programme manager The project manager The functional manager The stakeholders Frequently used terms The programme and project manager as a leader The dimensions of leadership in the programme and project environment Dimension 1: Managing stakeholders Dimension 2: Managing the dynamic life cycle Dimension 3: Managing performance Programmes, projects and teamwork Building your team Customer satisfaction Part 2 The programme and project processes and techniques 5 Starting up: ideas and opportunities for projects The fundamental data needs What are the constraints? What data do the programme steering team require? Preparing the initial business case Through Gate Zero to Gate One Presenting the business case to the programme steering team The kick-off meeting Project documentation The project brief and specification Summary 6 Defining the project What is necessary to define a project? The stakeholder list The project brief The scope of work statement Risk management Risk assessment Quantifying identified risks Risk monitoring Getting your project definition approved Summary 7 Planning your project What is not going to be done? Who needs to be involved? Where does planning start? Identifying the key stages The project work breakdown structure Allocating responsibility What is an estimate? Avoid some classic pitfalls The golden rules Effort and duration Estimating the durations Contingencies Time-limited scheduling and estimates Practical estimating The programme evaluation and review technique Analysing the logic diagram Using the PERT analysis data Analysing your resource requirements Optimizing your schedule Reviewing your project risk log Reviewing your project budget Intermediate phase gates Seeking approval to launch your project Summary 8 Launching your project Establishing key stage work plans Deriving a milestone schedule Critical success factors Ensuring effective communication Project status reports Deriving a meetings schedule for your project Managing project changes Holding a launch meeting Summary 9 Executing the project work The project control system Monitoring progress Managing issues Reviewing project issues Tracking your project Taking corrective action Problem solving Progress meetings Progress reporting Encouraging good time management Controlling the project costs Balancing the project Approaching the closure phase Summary 10 Closing your project Why have a closure phase? Establishing completion criteria The acceptance process The close-out meeting Evaluating your project Closing down the project Post-project evaluation Post-project appraisals What next? Summary 11 Using a computer What can software do? Using a software program What software does not do Selecting project software The programme management office 12 Common Project Problems Problem analysis How projects succeed