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Project Management |
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Project Management |
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The Universal Manager from prefaces by Darren O'Conor | |||
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Today, the concept of project management enjoys greater visibility and credibility than ever before. The tools and techniques of the discipline have spread far beyond the industry sectors that developed them, and are now just as likely to be employed within a bank or hospital as in a construction or manufacturing company. Project management textbooks and software packages are available in abundance, and there is no shortage of training and consultancy for organizations and individuals who want to learn how it should be done. There is however a downside to this increasing awareness and buy-in to project management principles. Every sector, every textbook and every software programme seems to have its own unique take on project management - divergence can be found even on fundamental matters such as the definition of key terms (project, programme, design, build, etc.). Round up half a dozen project managers from different backgrounds, leave them to talk for a few minutes, and before long you will have utter confusion. It is not simply that terminologies vary. Even more problematic is that project managers tend to 'specialize' in what they consider to be the essential aspect of project management - for most this is planning, but many focus on the front end definition of a project before detailed planning begins, while others may concentrate on the political realm (relationship building, maintaining a high profile, and so on). Delivering Successful Projects depends largely on what might be considered the 'softer' project management skills: initiating and scoping projects, establishing feasibility, building the project team and dealing with the key players. Planning and Controlling Projects depends on the 'harder' skills which come into play after project start-up: contracting; planning and scheduling; monitoring, review and evaluation. Key techniques include the Critical Path Method, resource allocation, earned value analysis and various financial evaluation tests. Project managers need to understand all the skills of project management in order to operate effectively. To understand why, it is useful to explore the evolution of project management theory from post-war US Department of Defence developments, to the more recent concepts of 'lean thinking' and 'modified design'. |
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Delivering Successful Projects
(UMDP02), The Universal Manager ISBN 0 948672 77 3 Published by Scitech Educational Ltd. | |||
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