Your project management coach : best practices for managing projects in the real world /: best practices for managing projects in the real world. (2012)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Bonnie Biafore, Teresa Stover.
• Other Names: Biafore, Bonnie; Stover, Teresa S
• Contents: Introduction xxix Part I Understanding Projects and Project Management 1 Chapter 1 Getting to Know Projects 3 What Is a Project? 3 A Project Is a Unique Endeavor 5 A Project Has Clearly Defined Objectives and Deliverables 5 A Project Has a Beginning and an End 7 A Project Usually Has a Budget 8 How Do Projects Differ from Other Work? 9 Summary 10 Coach’s Review 10 Test Your Knowledge 10 Project Challenge 10 Chapter 2 Getting to Know Project Management 11 What Is Project Management? 12 Project Management Processes: Start to Finish 13 Initiating a Project 14 Planning a Project 15 Executing a Project 17 Monitoring and Controlling a Project 18 Closing a Project 19 Balancing Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality 20 Project Management Methodologies 21 Traditional Waterfall Project Management 21 Iterative and Agile Project Management 22 Project Management Knowledge Areas 23 Scope Management 24 Time Management 25 Cost Management 25 Human Resource Management 25 Procurement Management 26 Communication Management 26 Quality Management 26 Risk Management 27 Integration Management 27 Who Makes a Good Project Manager? 28 Business Savvy 28 Technical Skills 28 Soft Skills 29 Varying Viewpoints 29 Delegating 30 Leadership and Interpersonal Skills 30 Flexibility 30 Doing the Right Things for the Project 30 Summary 30 Coach’s Review 31 Test Your Knowledge 31 Project Challenge 31 Part II Planning a Project 33 Chapter 3 Getting a Project off the Ground 35 From Idea to Project: An Overview of Project Initiation 36 Defining a Project 37 Discovering the Problem or Opportunity 40 Articulating the Project Goal and Objectives 44 Developing the Project Goal 44 Creating the Project Objectives 45 Deciding on the Project Strategy 46 Brainstorming Possibilities 46 Identifying Constraints 47 Choosing the Right Strategy 48 Gathering Requirements 49 Starting with Broad Requirements 49 Mining for Requirements 49 Differentiating and Prioritizing Requirements 50 What Constitutes Success? 51 Documenting Project Scope 52 Elements of the Scope Statement 53 Controlling Scope Creep 55 Specifying the Deliverables 57 Identifying Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints 58 Working with Risks 58 Working with Assumptions 59 Working with Constraints 59 Identifying the Project Stakeholders 60 Preparing the Project Proposal 62 Getting Approval or Sign-Off 65 Publicizing the Project Charter 66 Preparing a Project Charter 67 Distributing the Project Charter 68 Assembling the Project Notebook 68 Using the Project Notebook for Approved Projects 69 Using the Project Notebook for Tabled or Denied Projects 69 Choosing the Form of the Project Notebook 69 Summary 71 Coach’s Review 71 Test Your Knowledge 71 Project Challenge 72 Chapter 4 Getting to Know a Project Plan 73 What Work Has to Be Done? 74 Identifying Work 74 Organizing Work into Major Categories 74 How Much Will the Project Cost? 75 Obtaining Early Cost Estimates 75 Building a Budget 75 Who Will Do the Work? 76 An Introduction to Project Resources 76 Identifying Resources 77 When Will the Project Be Done? 77 What You Need to Build a Schedule 78 Brick Wall Deadlines versus Soft Date Targets 80 How Will the Project Be Managed? 80 The Project Manager and Managing Stakeholders 81 Setting Ground Rules 81 Defining Management Processes 81 Remembrance of Projects Past 82 Summary 83 Coach’s Review 83 Test Your Knowledge 83 Project Challenge 84 Chapter 5 Identifying the Work to Be Completed 85 Understanding the Work Breakdown Structure 86 What Is a Work Breakdown Structure? 86 Why Is the WBS Essential? 87 Identifying Work 88 Who Helps Identify Work? 88 Jump-Starting with Other Sources 88 Planning as a Group 89 Identifying Work from the Top Down 90 Identifying Work from the Bottom Up 92 How Much Is Enough? 93 Validating the WBS 95 Organizing Work in the WBS 96 Calling Out Deliverables 97 Formatting Your WBS 97 Naming Your WBS 99 Numbering Your WBS 99 Specifying Task Details 101 Summary 102 Coach’s Review 102 Test Your Knowledge 102 Project Challenge 103 Chapter 6 Estimating Work and Cost 105 Who Should Estimate a Project? 106 Using a Core Planning Team 106 Obtaining Estimates from Team Members 107 Managing the Uncertainty of Estimates 107 When to Use Different Levels of Estimates 108 Preventing Problems from Padded Estimates 109 Preparing Estimates 110 The Difference between Duration and Effort 110 Estimating Methods 111 Reusing Existing Information 112 Engaging Experts 112 Using a Parametric Model or Estimating Tool 112 Applying the Delphi Technique 113 Using Optimistic, Pessimistic, and Most Likely Estimates 114 Estimating from the Top Down 115 Estimating from the Bottom Up 115 Estimating Project Costs 115 What Goes into Labor Costs? 116 Material, Equipment, and Facility Costs 116 Estimating Other Costs 117 Building a Budget 117 Summary 118 Coach’s Review 118 Test Your Knowledge 118 Project Challenge 118 Chapter 7 Planning Project Resources 121 Documenting Roles and Responsibilities 122 Who’s Involved with What 123 Levels of Involvement 124 Identifying Resource Needs 125 Types of Resources 125 Breaking Down Resource Needs 126 Building a Project Organization Chart 127 Preparing a Resource Plan 127 Summary 128 Coach’s Review 128 Test Your Knowledge 129 Project Challenge 129 Chapter 8 Building a Schedule 131 Tools for Building a Schedule 132 Sequencing with Dependencies 135 Setting Up Predecessors and Successors 135 Understanding the Dependency Types 136 Starting to Schedule 137 Understanding the Critical Path 138 Scheduling with Lead and Lag Time 139 Applying Date Constraints 140 Keeping Date Constraints Flexible 141 Scheduling Specific Dates 142 Marking Deadlines 142 Indicating Milestones 142 Assigning Resources to Tasks 143 Adding Generic Resources 143 Adding Specific Resources 144 Assigning Multiple Resources to One Task 144 Modeling a Realistic Schedule 145 Scheduling around Nonworking Time 146 Defining Non-Project Time 146 Adjusting Tasks for Resource Productivity 147 Managing Part-Timers and Multitaskers 147 Scheduling with the Critical Chain Method 148 Working Back from the Finish Date 148 Balancing
• Publisher Details: Place of publication not identified : Wiley
• Publication Date: 2012
• Extent: 1 online resource (504 pages)
• Subjects: 658.404; Project management
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 9781118238950
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.