StrategyDriven Project Management Forum

To many, project management represents their worst nightmare. The mere mention of the term conjures images of bloated bureaucracies, large consultant-laden teams, and endless meetings where decisions are seldom made and status is often reported as being behind. Executed properly, project management can be an effective tool for aligning the organization to the successful implementation of simple and complex initiatives.
 
 
“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”

Project Management Body of Knowledge (Third Edition)
Project Management Institute

An art and a science, project management is most effective when implemented with a rigor correlated to the scope and complexity of the work to be performed. Regardless of intensity, the management of projects consists of five phases:

• Initiate – initial, high-level project definition and authorization
• Plan – project scope refinement and approval; task identification and sequencing; resource to task allocation; schedule development; project cost estimation and budget development; project plan creation and baselining
• Execute – project plan execution
• Evaluate and Control – project plan execution performance monitoring and reporting; project scope and plan change control; project risk management
• Close – final project activity documentation; financial closeout; overall project performance assessment and lessons learned development; product evaluation; project administrative closure

 
Focus of the Project Management Forum

Materials in the Project Management Forum are dedicated to discussing the leading practices of companies effectively managing projects for the efficient achievement of mission goals. Additionally, all project management information presented will be aligned with, compliment, and expound on the project management processes described by the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. The following articles, podcasts, documents, and resources cover those topics critical to the effective management of consequential projects.

Articles

Total Access StrategyDriven Insights Library Subscribers can access all of the articles listed below. Sample Subscribers can access those articles annotated as [SL]

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Principles

• Post Implementation Productivity [SL]

Best Practices

• Best Practice – The Project Management Intensity Continuum [SL]
• Best Practice – Define What is Not In Scope
• Best Practice – Line Management Project Ownership
• Best Practice – Team Calendar
• Best Practice – Define Success First
• Best Practice – A+ Players
• Best Practice – Use of Administrative Support
• Best Practice – Roles and Responsibilities Matrix
• Best Practice – Identify the Gatekeepers
• Best Practice – Communication Plans

Warning Flags

• Warning Flag – Unfunded Activities [SL]
• Warning Flag – Breaking-up a Project to Avoid Approval Thresholds
• Warning Flag – Frequent Re-baselining
• Warning Flag – Too Much Time, Too Few People
• Warning Flag – Fast Tracking Everything

StrategyDriven Podcasts

StrategyDriven Podcast – Special Edition

• An Interview with Michael Bender, author of A Manager’s Guide to Project Management
• An Interview with Robert Wysocki, author of Adaptive Project Framework

Documents

Whitepapers

• Project Size Determination

Resources

Books

To supplement the project management information found on the StrategyDriven website, our contributors recommend the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides). This book is a complete process reference covering all aspects of project management including:

• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement management

 
The StrategyDriven Team

Headquartered in Acworth, Georgia, StrategyDriven provides insightful business performance improvement advice to business leaders in Atlanta, the Southeast, throughout the United States, and around the World. Our world class experts are recognized leaders in their chosen fields.

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