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Stay on track and within budget with this accessible guide to project planning
Project Management For Dummies guides you to a thorough understanding of how to successfully manage projects--and the people who work on them--even if you're brand new to the project management field. You'll learn the basic concepts, key tips and tricks for making things go smoothly, and updated information relevant to today's UK business practices. Even if you aren't entering a project management role, you'll need to learn project planning skills to stay competitive in today's employment market. Now revised with fresh content on everything from a project's start to its finish, this friendly Dummies title will teach you to manage projects large and small.
* Learn the must-know concepts in project management
* Discover planning techniques that will enhance your effectiveness
* Manage projects with in-person or virtual teams
* Avoid common mistakes and know what to do when the unexpected happens
This guide is excellent for anyone in a project management role, students with an eye toward a career in project management, and anyone who needs to organize and complete large tasks.
List of contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Understanding Projects and What You Want to Achieve 5
Chapter 1: Success in Project Management 7
Taking on a Project 7
Avoiding the Pitfalls 8
Deciding Whether the Job is a Project 10
Understanding the four control areas 10
Recognising the diversity of projects 12
Understanding the four stages of a project 13
Defining the Project Manager's Role 15
Looking at the Project Manager's tasks 16
Opposing opposition 17
Avoiding 'shortcuts' 18
Deciding On Your Approach 19
Chapter 2: Thinking Through the Life of Your Project 21
Using a Set Approach 21
Breaking the Project Down into Stages 22
Appreciating the advantages of stages 23
Deciding on the number of delivery stages 24
Understanding the Four Main Stages 25
Starting the project 25
The planning stage - organising and preparing 28
The delivery stages - carrying out the work 32
The closure stage 36
Chapter 3: Defining the Scope and Producing a Business Case 37
Defining the Scope 38
Managing expectations and avoiding disappointment 39
Challenging the scope 39
Understanding the dimensions of scope 40
Being clear 40
Considering the requirements 41
Producing a Business Case 41
Getting to grips with the basic contents 42
Keeping the Business Case up to date 42
Figuring out why you're doing the project 43
Understanding project justification 44
Understanding benefits 45
Writing the Business Case 49
Complying with organisational standards 50
Going Back to the Scope 50
Challenging the existing scope 51
Going the second mile 51
Getting to Grips with Techniques 52
Calculating return on investment 52
Understanding cost-benefit analysis 52
Chapter 4: Knowing Your Project's Stakeholders 55
Managing Stakeholders 56
Identifying stakeholders - the 'who' 57
Analysing the stakeholders - the 'where' 60
Understanding positions - the 'why' 62
Deciding action - the 'what' 63
Working with stakeholders - the 'how' 65
Planning the work - the 'when' 66
Handling Opposition 67
Solving the problems 67
Focusing on the common areas 67
Understanding that you're a threat 67
Spotting facts and emotions 69
Overriding the opposition 70
Handling Multiple-Stakeholder Projects 71
Getting multiple approvals 71
Developing management strategies 71
Part 2: Planning Time: Determining What, When and How Much 73
Chapter 5: Planning with Deliverables First 75
Seeing the Logic of Product Planning 76
Thinking 'product' before thinking 'task' 76
Understanding the problems of an activity focus 78
Knowing What a Product Is - and Isn't 79
Finding Good Product Names 80
Using a Business Project Example 81
Identifying the products 81
Developing a sequence 82
Defining the products 87
Using a Structured Product List 88
Unleashing the Power of the Work Flow Diagram 91
Using the Work Flow Diagram for risk 92
Using the Work Flow Diagram for control 92
Using the Work Flow
About the author
Nick Graham is an experienced project practitioner, trainer and author, with his clear explanations helped by also being a qualified teacher. His training work has taken him worldwide, and he has worked with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Nick is also the author of
Project Management Checklists For Dummies.
