A Practical Project Management Guide for Technical & Nontechnical Professionals

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Project Management
Key Points    
What Is a Project?
The Project Manager
Project Goals and Success Measurements
What Is Project Management?
The Project Management Process
Wrap-Up    
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise

PROJECT INITIATION

CHAPTER 2 Getting Started
Key Points
Project Initiation Deliverables    
Project Selection Criteria
The Business Case
What is a Business Case?
Business Case Template and Example
The Project Charter
Project Kickoff: Transitioning from Project Initiation to Project Planning
Preparing for the Kick-Off Meeting
Wrap-Up    
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Exercise)

PROJECT PLANNING
Project Planning Deliverables

CHAPTER 3 Project Scope Management Plan
Key Points
Introduction
Project Scope Management Plan Deliverable
What Does the Customer Want?
Gathering, Defining, and Developing Requirements
Methods for Gathering Requirements
5W’s and 1H as Tool for Gathering Customer Requirements
Preparing for Gathering Customer Requirements
Tools for Capturing the Deliverable Requirements (Form, Fit, and Function)
Project Requirements Using the Requirements Matrix
Functional and Nonfunctional Requirements
The Outputs from the Requirements Gathering Process
Translating Requirements to Scope
Developing the Statement of Work (SOW)
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
WBS Formats
The Outline Format
The Hierarchical Format
The Tabulated Format
The Tree Structure
Summary
Creating a WBS
The WBS Dictionary
The Project Scope Management Plan
Why Manage Project Scope?
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “This is Not what I Wanted.”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can be an individual or team effort)

CHAPTER 4 The Art of Estimating
Key Points
The Three Estimating Tools
Analogous (Top Down)
Parametric Modeling
Detail (Bottom Up)
Applying the Three Estimating Methods
Contingencies and Reserves
Estimating Resources
Hardware
Software
Documentation
Human Resources
Tooling
Equipment
Facilities
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “Too Early to Provide Accurate Details”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Problems
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Effort)

CHAPTER 5 Project Time Management
Key Points: Project Time Management Deliverable
What Is Project Scheduling?
Why Project Time Management
Effort Time versus Elapsed Time
Top-Level Scheduling Worksheets and Examples
The Project Scheduling Process: A Five-Step Approach
Step One: Identify Project Activities
Step Two: Sequence Project Activities
Step Three: Duration of Project Activities
Step Four: Resolve Resource Conflicts and Constraints
Step Five: Developing the Project Schedule
Milestone Chart
The Gantt Chart
Critical Path
Developing the Critical Path
The Project Activity Network
Calculating Activity Times and the Project Critical Path
Forward pass
Backward Pass
Calculating the Critical Path
Slack Time
Reducing the Critical Path
Performance Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)
The Expected Value
Variance
Standard of Deviation
Monitoring and Controlling Project Schedules
Schedule Control and Buffers
Crashing Rule
Project Crash Template and Example
Project Fast Tracking
Wrap-Up
Closing Case One: “Let’s get it “done–done”:
The Case of Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough”
Closing Case Two: “ Never Enough Time to Do it Right the First Time, Always Time to Get it Right the Second Time”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Problems
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Project)

CHAPTER 6 Project Cost Management
The Cost Management Process
Key Points
Resource Planning
Cost Estimating
Template for Cost Estimating
Accuracy of Estimates
Improving Estimate Accuracy
Cost Budgeting
Cost Budgeting Template and Example
Project Budget as a Project Management Tool
Cost Control
Wrap-Up
Closing Case One: “Cut it in Half”
Closing Case Two: “Got Reserves?”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Project)

CHAPTER 7 Project Risk Management
Key Points
Project Risk Management Plan
What is Project Risk?
The Goal of Risk Management
The Project Risk Management Process
Project Risk Identification
Project Risk Qualification
Risk Cube
Project Risk Quantification
The Decision Tree Assessment Process
Risk Response
Risk Monitor and Control
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “Manage Risk Carefully”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Problems
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Project)

CHAPTER 8 Project Quality Management
Introduction and Overview
Key Points
The Quality Management Plan
Quality Planning
The Deming Cycle
Defining Quality
Quality Measurement Criteria
Performance
Functions and Features
Reliability
Compliance to Specifications
Durability
Ease of Serviceability
Visual Appeal
Perception
Quality Control
Establish a Quality Control System
Quality Assurance
The Seven Tools of Quality
Histogram
Check Sheet
Pareto Charts
Cause-and-effect Diagrams
Scatter Plots
Flowcharts
Control Charts
Responsibility for Quality
The Cost of Quality
Total Quality Cost
Quality Training
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “Do You Know What it Takes to Make a Dollar?”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise

CHAPTER 9 Project Procurement Management
Key Points
What is Project Procurement Management?
Developing The Procurement Management Plan
Current Trends
Purchasing Versus Procurement
Procurement Planning Considerations
Selecting Contract Type
Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Contracts
Cost-Plus Contracts
Time and Materials (T&M) Contracts
The Right Contract to Facilitate Project Procurement
Soliciting Potential Suppliers
Seller Evaluation Criteria
Request for Proposal (RFP) and Responding to the RFP
Seller Selection
The Review Process
Screening Process
Rating System
Weighting Factor
Setting up the Scoring and Weighting Factors
Contract Negotiations
Putting it Together
Supplier Management
Supplier Management Involves The Following Steps
Typical Steps for Supplier Management
Collaborative Designs
Aggregate Planning
Assembly
Integration
Test
Delivery
Contract Closure
Reconciliation of Deliverables
Administrative Closure
Lessons Learned
Wrap-Up
Closing Case One: “You Wanna do What in Kazakhstan?”
Closing Case Two: “Killing Me Softly with Suppliers”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Exercise

CHAPTER 10 Leading and Managing the Project Team
Key Points
Project Staffing Plan
The Project Management Team and Stakeholders
Roles and Responsibilities
Project Organization Structures
Functional Organization Project Structure
Projectized Organization Structure
Matrix Project Organization Structure
Composite Project Organization Structure
An Effective and Efficient Project Manager
Traits of a Project Manager
Management Expectations from Project Managers
Project Managers’ Expectations from Management
Project Team Expectations from the Project Manager
Forming the Project Team
Acquiring Team Members
Considerations for Choosing Team Members
Developing the Project Team
Project Team Building
Building Trust
Communicate, Coordinate, Collaborate (The 3C’s)
Communicate
Technologies and Communication
Coordinate
Make Coordination a Routine
Collaborate
Tools and Techniques for Developing and Fostering Team Collaboration
Creating a Collaborative Space
Establish Ground Rules for Team Engagement
Colocating the Team
Recognition and Reward
Team Building Stages
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Team Behaviors at Various Stages
Team Building Challenges
Barriers to Team Building
Managing and Leading Project Teams
Leading Project Teams
Managing the Project Team
Managing Project Conflicts
Skills for Managing Project Teams
Authority and Influence
Project Team Member Template and Example
Wrap-Up
Closing Case One: “Too Many Specialists”
Closing Case Two: “I’m Not Getting Any Steaks!!!”
Closing Case Three: “Intoxication during Work Hours?”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Effort)

CHAPTER 11 Stakeholder Management
What is Stakeholder Management?
Key Points
Stakeholder Identification
Stakeholder Impact and Influence
The Power–Interest Grid
The State of the Stakeholders
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Considerations
The Project Stakeholder Management Plan
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “I Don’t Like My Remote”
Closing Case Two: “Delivering Products Crossing Boundaries”
Chapter Questions    
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Effort)

CHAPTER 12 Project Communication
What Is “Project Communications?”
Key Point
The 5W’s and 1H Again
The Many Dimensions of Communications
The Lines of Communication
The Communication Management Plan
Project Escalation
What is a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) and RACI
Building a RACI: Template and Example
Wrap-Up
Closing Case One: Trust Us, We are Professional Pilots
Closing Case Two: “What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate”
Closing Case Three: “Sure. No Problem”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise

CHAPTER 13 Project Execution
Project Execution: Making the Project Management Plan Operational
Key Points
Transitioning from Project Planning to Project Execution
The Make Path
The Buy Path
Putting it Together
Testing Along the Way Until the End
Establishing and Maintaining Quality Standards
Tips and Lessons Learned for Project Execution
Set the Example for Project Management Excellence
Failure to Launch
The Unexpected Will Happen: Be Prepared
Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration: The 3C’s
Consistency Counts
Tools and Templates for Project Execution
Readiness Review and the Checklist
Tracking Critical Path Items with a Dashboard Chart
Issues Log for Tracking Potential Roadblocks
Putting These Tools Together for Multiple Applications
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “I Can’t Build it Like a Swiss Watch”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or Team Effort)

CHAPTER 14 Project Monitoring and Control
Monitoring and Controlling Projects
Key Points
The PDCA Model
Plan
Do
Check
Act
Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action Plan
The Change Management Board
Tools for Tracking Progress
Tools from Project Execution
Project Performance Status Update Template
Change Management Log Template
Change Management Log Example
Wrap-Up
Closing Case: “We Need a Happy Box.”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise (Can Be an Individual or a Team Effort)

CHAPTER 15 Project Closing
Key Points
Project Closure
Testing and Verification and Validation
Testing
The Level of Testing
Types of Testing
Test Plans and Test Procedures
Verification and Validation
Product Delivery
Closing Case: “So, This is What Verification and Validation Means”
Chapter Questions
Chapter Exercise

APPENDIX A Project Templates

APPENDIX B Project Template Examples: Restaurant Renovation

INDEX