"an important book, taking a lead role in growing a new generation of professional project managers." Oded Cohen, The Goldratt Institute. Put yourself and your business through the Project Workout learn to direct and manage the programmes and projects that will deliver results, drive change and improve the health of your business. Project Workout shows you how to: *Identify and overcome common challenges *Measure critical success factors in any project *Master a staged framework for managing a project *Set up your project and manage the team, the schedule, the finances and the risks *Develop the soft (interpersonal) and hard (structured management) skills of the effective project manager *Manage a portfolio of projects *Use project and programme management to direct and deliver change *Improve your project tracking and delivery This book is supported by the Project Workout Live online resource (go to www.live.projectworkout.com), A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE ART OF PROJECT AND PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT Projects are an important strategic management tool and a way of life for every business person. But how do you get started and how do you ensure a successful outcome?This 4th edition of the definitive book on business-led project management offers help at every stage, from building a project team right up to reaping the rewards of a timely and successful project. Project Workoutgives you practical, immediately usable methods for directing and managing complete portfolios of projects as well as individual projects. Throughout the books is a collection of Workouts for you to use: exercises, problem posers, and techniques to help you put the book's advice into practice straightaway. These are also provided on the enclosed CD-ROM, ready for you to print out and use with your team. The CD also contains handy templates including a Health Check, MS Project views and project logs, which can be downloaded to your desktop ready for use. Project Workoutis a valuable companion for project managers and executives at any level and a comprehensive resource for students of project management. About the author Robert Buttrickhas worked in project and programme management in many of the world's most turbulent industrial sectors,includingtelecommunicationsand system engineering. Recently he has been engaged on a GBP1bn program to implement health systems in the UK. Before taking up his corporate career in 1993, Robert was with PA Consulting Group, a management and technology consultancy. There, he specialized in business-led project management, advising clients such as Lloyds TSB Bank, National Rivers Authority, Property Services Agency, Avon Industrial Polymers, National Westminster Bank, and RHM. Robert is a Master of Business Administration (Henley Management College), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. His main pastime is watercolor painting. His one, unknown, claim to fame is that he once stopped a column of Russian tanks dead in its tracks. Robert can be contacted via his website, www.projectworkout.com.

Table of Contents

List of Project Workouts Foreword by Robert Heller Acknowledgments Preface to the Third Edition by Peter Ellwood Introduction Part One: Challenges To Be Faced 1 Challenges We Need to Face Problems, more problems Initiatives fail, are canceled, or never get started why? 2 Advice the Best Companies Give Us The study The lessons and their implications But we're different!: organization context Conclusion Part Two: A Walk Through a Project 3 The Project Framework: an Overview of its Gates and Stages Projects as vehicles of change Stages and gates The project framework Some key questions How can I apply the framework? 4 Who Does What? The players 5 The Proposal: Identify the Need Overview Key deliverable Process steps 6 The Initial Investigation Stage: Have a Quick Look at It! Overview Key deliverables Process steps 7 The Detailed Investigation Stage: Promising ... Let's Have a Closer Look Overview Key deliverables Process steps 8 The Develop and Test Stage: Do It! Overview Key deliverables Process steps 9 The Trial Stage: Try It Out Overview Key deliverables Process steps 10 The Release Stage: Let's Get Going! Overview Key deliverable Process steps 11 The Post-Implementation Review: How Did We Do? Overview Key deliverable 12 Applying the Staged Framework Four types of project Fitting into the staged framework; Small stuff, or simple projects Rapid projects Just do it projects: loose cannons Big stuff, or projects and subprojects Work packages 13 A Few Related Projects: Programs Programs Sharing projects: interdependencies Part Three: Dealing With Many Projects 14 Portfolios of Projects The Business Program What's different about business program management? Managing the portfolio Prerequisites for effective portfolio management 15 There Are Too Many Projects to Do!   Principles for selecting projects Project authorization Selecting the right projects Far too many projects! Putting the brakes on 16 Have I Got the Resources? Conditions for total resource planning White space: the freedom to change How can I meet the three conditions? How detailed does resource forecasting need to be? 17 An Environment for Managing Your Portfolio New structures for old Support offices The tools to help it work: systems Lists: keeping tabs on your projects Harnessing web technology What would such a system look like? Management accounting systems Putting your systems together Part Four: Making Projects Work For You 18 Project Teams and Style Culture: the way we do things around here Project teams Leadership and influence I thought you were doing that!: accountability 19 Project Setup How to go about it Set up the project team Prepare a project definition Prepare the project plan Define your project organization Engage your stakeholders 20 Managing Benefits Benefits and drivers Forecasting benefits Timing of benefits 21 Managing the Schedule The project schedule Summary and detailed schedule plan Tracking progress toward your objectives Schedule reports Reports used when drafting a plan Report used to update the forecast Reports used for progress reporting So why are we nearly always late? 22 Managing the Finances The financial plan Financial management controls Estimating the costs Authorization to spend funds Recording actual costs and committed costs Financial reporting Earned value 23 Managing What Might Go Wrong (or Right): Risks and Opportunities Considering possible risks and opportunities Addressing risk at the start of the project Addressing opportunities at the start of the project Monitoring once the project is in progress Tips on using the risk and opportunity log More sophisticated risk evaluation techniques 24 Managing What Has Gone Wrong (or Right!): Issues What do we mean by issues? When an issue is identified Tips on using the issues log 25 Let's Do It Differently!: Change Control Controlling change The change control process Accountabilities for change decisions The change request form &nbs 26 Reviews and More Reviews Keeping sight of the objectives Review when a proposal is raised Review at the Detailed Investigation Gate Reviews during the project Project Closure Review Post-Implementation Review Recording agreement quality reviews 27 Closing the Project Project closure The closure report The closure meeting Closure actions Part Five: Implementing the Framework 28 Implementing the Framework Advice from other companies Corporate maturity Finding help in implementing a projects approach A strategy for implementation Appendix A Glossary Appendix B A project process framework Index