Strategic planning is the starting point for projects and often the primary reason for a project’s success or failure. Project leaders and project-orientated organisations need to understand strategic planning to understand their position and environment, and make rational decisions when selecting and defining their projects and programmes. The authors provide the reader with a straightforward, comprehensive understanding of the basics of project management, including the present status of the discipline, its history, and theoretical foundations. With emphasis on the project life cycle, it is designed to support the IPMA D, C, or B level qualifications, and IPMA Competence Baseline 4.0, providing you with all the information needed to pursue certification. Project: Execution is also an ideal introductory textbook to progressive programmes on strategic planning, with a focus on collaborative work, open strategy, and an exploration of open strategic planning on a social level. It provides a wealth of learning tools and case studies to demonstrate best practice. This is the ideal guide to project planning for anyone that wants their planning decisions to be as wise as they are savvy.