Absolute Beginner[ap]s Guide to Project Management

ISBN: 078973821X
EAN: N/A

Year: 2006
Pages: 169

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Part i. Project Management Jumpstart

Project Management Overview

• Project Management Overview
• What Is Project Management…Exactly?
• What Is the Value of Project Management?
• Why Are Projects Challenging?
• Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers?
• Trends in Project Management

The Project Manager

• The Project Manager
• One Title, Many Roles
• Key Skills of Project Managers
• Qualities of Successful Project Managers
• 15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers

Essential Elements for any Successful Project

• Essential Elements for any Successful Project
• What Exactly Is a "Successful" Project?
• Learning from Troubled Projects
• Learning from Successful Projects
• Essential Project Manager Toolkit

Part ii. Project Planning

Defining a Project

• Defining a Project
• Setting the Stage for Success
• How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?
• Project Definition Document
• Project Definition Checklist

Planning a Project

• Planning a Project
• Key Project Planning Principles
• Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer
• Building a Project Plan
• Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components
• Project Plan Checklist

Developing the Work Breakdown Structure

• Developing the Work Breakdown Structure
• What Is a WBS Exactly?
• Why Is the WBS Important?
• The Process of Building a WBS

Estimating the Work

• Estimating the Work
• Next Step in the Schedule Development Process
• Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates
• Reasons for Estimating Woes
• Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods
• Best Practices

Developing the Project Schedule

• Developing the Project Schedule
• The Impact of the Project Schedule
• The Goal of the Schedule Development Process
• Key Inputs for Building a Schedule
• Creating a Schedule

Determining the Project Budget

• Determining the Project Budget
• The Impact of the Project Budget
• Principles of an Effective Budget
• Creating a Project Budget
• Common Budget Challenges

Part iii. Project Control

Controlling a Project

• Controlling a Project
• What Is Project Control?
• Management Fundamentals for Project Control
• Powerful Techniques for Project Control
• Performance Reporting
• Variance Responses
• Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts
• Common Project Control Challenges
• Lessons from Project Recoveries

Managing Project Changes

• Managing Project Changes
• What Exactly Is a Project Change and Whats the Big Deal Anyway?
• Fundamentals for Managing Project Change
• What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes?
• Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System
• Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes
• Common Project Change Control Challenges

Managing Project Deliverables

• Managing Project Deliverables
• "Managing Project Deliverables" Means What Exactly?
• Why Do This? Its Too Much Work
• Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing Work Products
• Best Practices
• Configuration Management Plan
• Common Challenges and Pitfalls

Managing Project Issues

• Managing Project Issues
• The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management
• Key Features of Issue Management System
• Options for Issue Log
• Best Practices
• Some Special Situations

Managing Project Risks

• Managing Project Risks
• Key Risk Management Principles
• The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks
• The Common Sources of Project Risk
• Typical Problems
• Powerful Risk Control Strategies
• Are You Sure Its a Risk?

Managing Project Quality

• Managing Project Quality
• What Is "Project Quality"?
• Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality
• Principles of Managing Project Quality
• Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality
• Powerful Quality Strategies
• Typical Quality-Related Challenges

Part iv. Project Execution

Leading a Project

• Leading a Project
• More Than Managing
• Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?
• Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership
• Power of Servant Leadership Approach

Managing Project Communications

• Managing Project Communications
• What Are Project Communications?
• The Importance of Project Communications
• Why Communicating Can Be Tough
• Seven Powerful Principles
• Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators

Managing Expectations

• Managing Expectations
• Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management
• Critical Aspects of Expectations
• Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management
• Essential Elements of Managing Expectations

Keys to Better Project Team Performance

• Keys to Better Project Team Performance
• High-Performing Teams
• Ten Key Principles
• Proven Techniques
• Special Situations

Managing Differences

• Managing Differences
• Five Key Principles
• Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects
• Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects
• Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects

Managing Vendors

• Managing Vendors
• First, Lets Clarify a Few Terms
• Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management
• Twelve Tips for Buyers
• Seven Tips for Sellers
• Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better Vendor Management
• Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts

Ending a Project

• Ending a Project
• Three Key Principles
• Project End Checklist13 Important Steps
• Common Project Closing Challenges
• Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project