ABSTRACT

Projects are an important strategic management tool and a way of life in every business. But how do you get started and ensure you realize the benefits you need? Now in its 5th edition, the Project Workout is the definitive book on business-led project management. It is a valuable companion for every executive and project manager as well as a comprehensive resource for students of project management.

Projects are a way of life in every business and an important strategic management tool. But how do you ensure a project realizes the benefits you need? The Project Workout provides practical advice and techniques to direct and manage a project. Aimed at both project sponsors and project managers, it works through the life cycle of a project from initial idea to successful result. The practical approach is enhanced throughout with a series of "Workouts": exercises, techniques and checklists to help you put the book’s advice into practice. The Workouts are supported by an on-line resource of tools, including MS project views, project logs and templates. This expanded edition contains a wealth of new information, including how to work with standards and methods, such as ISO 21500, BS6079 and PRINCE2 and PMBoK.

The companion to this book, The Programme and Portfolio Workout, deals with directing and managing whole portfolios of projects, making sure everyone in your organization is working towards the same goals; together these books give you what you need to ensure all your projects succeed.

part I|48 pages

Challenges to Be Faced

part II|119 pages

A Walk through the Project Life Cycle

chapter 4|24 pages

The project framework

An overview of its gates and stages

chapter 5|20 pages

Who does what?

chapter 6|6 pages

The proposal

Identify the need!

chapter 7|6 pages

The initial investigation stage

Have a quick look at it!

chapter 8|7 pages

The detailed investigation stage

That looks promising . . . let's have a closer look

chapter 9|6 pages

The develop and test stage

Do it!

chapter 10|6 pages

The trial stage

Try it out

chapter 11|6 pages

The release stage

Let’s get going!

chapter 12|4 pages

The post-implementation review

How did we do?

chapter 13|21 pages

Tailoring the staged framework

chapter 14|9 pages

A few related projects

Simple programmes

part III|303 pages

The Essentials You Need to Know

chapter 15|11 pages

Project teams and style

chapter 16|18 pages

Project governance

chapter 17|40 pages

Project setup

chapter 18|14 pages

Monitoring, controlling, and reporting

chapter 19|23 pages

Managing benefits

chapter 20|43 pages

Managing the schedule

chapter 21|20 pages

Managing resources

chapter 22|21 pages

Managing the finances

chapter 23|20 pages

Managing what might go wrong (or right)

Risks

chapter 24|10 pages

Managing what has gone wrong (or right!)

Issues

chapter 25|13 pages

Let’s do it differently

Change control

chapter 26|19 pages

Keeping your stakeholders engaged

chapter 27|12 pages

Reviews and more reviews

Assurance

chapter 28|20 pages

Coping with all that documentation

chapter 29|9 pages

Closing the project

part IV|24 pages

Making Project Management Work for You

chapter 30|10 pages

Being a project manager

chapter 31|12 pages

Project management methods