The Principles of Project Management

by Williams, Meri

• ISBN13: 9780980285864
• ISBN10: 0980285860
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

"The Principles of Project Management" lays out clear steps that anyone can follow to get projects done right, and delivered on time. This full colour book covers: Why Project Management is important - The 6 fundamental truths of project management Getting started: Discovering, Initiating, Planning and Resourcing a project Getting the Job Done: Executing and controlling Keeping it Smooth: Communication, collaboration and managing change Following through: Ongoing support and maintenance, measuring operational success Resources: Review of various tools, recommended reading, professional resources for project management. Short, and to the point, this book aims to do to provide a solid foundation for anyone who finds themselves responsible for executing projects.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
Who Should Read This Book?	p. xv
What's Covered In This Book?	p. xvi
The Book's Web Site	p. xvi
Project Management Cheat Sheets	p. xvi
Updates and Errata	p. xvii
The SitePoint Forums	p. xvii
The SitePoint Newsletters	p. xvii
Your Feedback	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xviii
Conventions Used In This Book	p. xix
Tips, Notes, and Warnings	p. xix
So What Is Project Management Anyway?	p. 1
What Is Project Management?	p. 2
Understanding the Project Life Cycle	p. 3
Failure to Launch ... or Land	p. 4
Negative Perceptions of Project Management	p. 6
It's Boring	p. 6
It Takes Too Long	p. 7
It's Too Hard	p. 7
What Project Management Isn't	p. 8
Why You Need PM Skills	p. 9
What's In It for Me?	p. 9
The Underlying Principles of Project Management	p. 10
Doing PM Right Is an Investment In Making the "Real Work" Matter	p. 10
People Problems Can't Be Solved with Software	p. 11
If it Doesn't Add Value, it Won't Get Done	p. 12
The Best Tool Is the One that Works and Gets Used	p. 12
The Best Way to Communicate Is the Way That Gets You Heard	p. 14
Choosing the Right Tools and Processes Is the PM's Most Important Job	p. 14
Summary	p. 15
Getting Started	p. 17
Discovery: Finding the Projects	p. 17
Picking the Best Projects	p. 21
Identifying the Opportunities	p. 21
Comparing the Opportunities	p. 23
Ranking and Choosing Opportunities to Pursue	p. 24
Spotting Bad Projects	p. 26
Project, or Day-by-day Improvement?	p. 28
Discovery Tools and Practices	p. 29
Who Are All These People?	p. 33
Stakeholders	p. 33
Stakeholder Tools and Best Practices	p. 39
Initiating Your Project	p. 43
The Purpose of Initiating	p. 43
The Process of Initiating	p. 44
Initiation Tools and Best Practices	p. 44
Seven Essential Steps for a Successful Initiation	p. 50
Summary	p. 51
Getting The Job Done	p. 53
Planning	p. 53
Why Plan?	p. 54
What to Plan	p. 55
How to Plan	p. 56
Tools and Best Practices	p. 71
Executing	p. 77
Let Your Team Have Ownership	p. 77
The Link to Personal Productivity	p. 78
Tools and Best Practices	p. 78
Controlling	p. 80
Are You on Track?	p. 80
Measuring Deliverables	p. 81
Measuring Everything Else	p. 82
Risks, Issues, and Bugs	p. 84
Verification Versus Validation	p. 85
Looping Back to Plan	p. 86
Tools and Best Practices	p. 86
Summary	p. 88
Keeping It Smooth	p. 91
Communication and Collaboration	p. 91
Communication	p. 92
Collaboration	p. 99
Tools and Best Practices	p. 113
Managing Change	p. 122
Types of Change	p. 122
Change Control	p. 124
Tools and Best Practices	p. 127
Summary	p. 131
Following Through	p. 133
Closing the Project	p. 133
Knowing When You're Done	p. 134
Handling a Total Disconnect	p. 137
Closing a Project	p. 139
Tools and Best Practices	p. 142
What Comes Next?	p. 147
Defining Your Role	p. 147
The Superstar Handover	p. 149
Tools and Best Practices	p. 151
Summary	p. 153
Looking to the Future	p. 153
The Next Project ... and the Rest	p. 154
Tools	p. 155
Initiating	p. 155
Project Proposal Template	p. 155
Measuring Value Creation	p. 156
Project Organization Chart	p. 158
Communication Plan Template	p. 159
Project Initiation Document	p. 159
Typical Kickoff Meeting Agenda	p. 162
Planning, Executing, and Controlling	p. 162
Project Plan Template	p. 162
Work Breakdown Structure	p. 163
Gantt Chart	p. 164
Risk Management Plan Template	p. 164
Balance Quadrant	p. 165
Estimation Techniques	p. 165
Issue List Template	p. 166
Project Status Update Template	p. 169
Change Request Template	p. 169
Planning Software	p. 170
Tracking Software	p. 174
Closing	p. 175
Project Sign-off Template	p. 175
Customer Feedback Questionnaire Template	p. 176
Lessons Learned Summary Template	p. 177
Project Documentation Template	p. 178
Resources	p. 181
Books	p. 181
Blogs and Web Sites	p. 183
Professional Qualifications	p. 185
Associations and Qualifications	p. 185
Glossary	p. 187
Index	p. 193
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