Your Project Management Coach: Best Practices for Managing Projects in the Real World

534 Pages·2012·7.26 MB·English

by  Bonnie Biafore

Table of Contents
Part I: Understanding Projects and Project
Management
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Projects
What Is a Project?
How Do Projects Differ from Other Work?
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 2: Getting to Know Project Management
What Is Project Management?
Project Management Processes: Start to Finish
Balancing Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality
Project Management Methodologies
Project Management Knowledge Areas
Who Makes a Good Project Manager?
Summary
Coach's Review
Part II: Planning a Project
Chapter 3: Getting a Project Off the Ground
From Idea to Project: An Overview of Project Initiation
Defining a Project
Identifying the Project Stakeholders
Preparing the Project Proposal
Getting Approval or Sign-Off
Publicizing the Project Charter
Assembling the Project Notebook
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 4: Getting to Know a Project Plan
What Work Has to Be Done?
How Much Will the Project Cost?
Who Will Do the Work?
When Will the Project Be Done?
How Will the Project Be Managed?
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 5: Identifying the Work to Be Completed
Understanding the Work Breakdown Structure
Identifying Work
Organizing Work in the WBS
Specifying Task Details
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 6: Estimating Work and Cost
Who Should Estimate a Project?
Managing the Uncertainty of Estimates
Preparing Estimates
Estimating Project Costs
Building a Budget
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 7: Planning Project Resources
Documenting Roles and Responsibilities
Identifying Resource Needs
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 8: Building a Schedule
Tools for Building a Schedule
Sequencing with Dependencies
Applying Date Constraints
Assigning Resources to Tasks
Modeling a Realistic Schedule
Optimizing the Schedule
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 9: Planning for Quality
Defining Quality
Quality Standards and Methods
Developing the Quality Plan
Building in Excellence with QA
Verifying the Standards with QC
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 10: Setting Up a Communication Plan
Guidelines for Good Communication
The Components of a Communication Plan
Who Are the Audiences?
What Do You Communicate?
What's the Best Communication Method?
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 11: Setting Up a Change Management Plan
When to Manage Changes
Who Sits on a Change Review Board
The Anatomy of a Change Management Process
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 12: Managing Risk
Identifying Risks to a Project
Analyzing the Risks
Choosing the Risks to Manage
Planning Risk Responses
Establishing Contingencies
Tracking Risks
When a Risk Becomes Reality
Tracking Issues
Summary
Coach's Review
Part III: Executing a Project
Chapter 13: Kicking Off a Project
Preparing to Execute the Project
Obtaining Resources
Next Steps
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 14: Taming Processes, Problems, and Conflicts
Defining Project Processes
Guidelines for Effectiveness
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 15: The Keys to Successful Meetings
Running Effective Meetings
Types of Project Meetings
Following Up after Meetings
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 16: Transforming People Into a Team
Developing a Team
Evaluating People's Performance
Summary
Coach's Review
Part IV: Monitoring and Controlling
Chapter 17: Gathering Progress Information
Choosing the Data to Collect
Obtaining Time and Status
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 18: Evaluating Progress and Performance
Evaluating Progress and Variance
Earned Value Analysis
Evaluating Financials
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 19: Getting a Plan Back on Track
Ways to Correct Course
Who Approves Course Corrections
Getting a Project Out of Trouble
Summary
Coach's Review
Part V: Closing the Project
Chapter 20: Obtaining Acceptance and Other Wrap-Up
Tasks
Determining Whether the Project Is a Success
Obtaining Sign-Off
Documenting the Project: The Project Closeout Report
Financial, Legal, and Administrative Closeout
Project Transitions
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 21: Documenting a Project for Posterity
Gathering Information
Organizing the Project Archives
Storing the Project Archives
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 22: Don't Forget Lessons Learned
How Lessons Learned Help
Gathering Lessons Learned
Documenting Lessons Learned
Summary
Coach's Review
Part VI: Taking the Next Steps in Project
Management
Chapter 23: Running a Project Management Office
Defining PMO Functions
Setting Up a PMO
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 24: Managing a Portfolio of Projects
What Is Project Portfolio Management?
Evaluating and Prioritizing Projects for the Portfolio
Tracking and Managing the Project Portfolio
Summary
Coach's Review
Chapter 25: Selecting the Right Projects
Capturing Ideas for Projects
Selecting Projects
Summary
Coach's Review
Part VII: Reference
Appendix A
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Projects
Chapter 2: Getting to Know Project Management
Chapter 3: Getting a Project Off the Ground
Chapter 4: What Goes into a Project Plan
Chapter 5: Identifying the Work to Be Completed
Chapter 6: Estimating Work and Cost
Chapter 7: Planning Project Resources
Chapter 8: Building a Schedule
Chapter 9: Planning for Quality
Chapter 10: Setting Up a Communication Plan
Chapter 11: Setting Up a Change Management Plan
Chapter 12: Managing Risk
Chapter 13: Kicking Off a Project
Chapter 14: Taming Processes, Problems, and Conflicts
Chapter 15: The Keys to Successful Meetings
Chapter 16: Transforming People into a Team
Chapter 17: Gathering Progress Information
Chapter 18: Evaluating Progress and Performance
Chapter 19: Getting a Plan Back on Track
Chapter 20: Obtaining Acceptance and Other Wrap-Up Tasks
Chapter 21: Documenting a Project for Posterity
Chapter 22: Don't Forget Lessons Learned
Chapter 23: Running a Project Management Office
Chapter 24: Managing a Portfolio of Projects
Chapter 25: Selecting the Right Projects
Appendix B
Chapter 3: Getting a Project Off the Ground
Chapter 6: Estimating Work and Cost
Chapter 7: Planning Project Resources
Chapter 10: Setting Up a Communication Plan
Chapter 11: Setting Up a Change Management Plan
Chapter 12: Managing Risk
Chapter 15: The Keys to Successful Meetings
Chapter 17: Gathering Progress Information
Chapter 18: Evaluating Progress and Performance
Chapter 20: Obtaining Acceptance and Other Wrap-Up Tasks
Chapter 21: Documenting a Project for Posterity
Chapter 22: Don't Forget Lessons Learned
Chapter 25: Selecting the Right Projects
Glossary
Introduction