Improving Your Project Management Skills, 2nd Edition

Improving Your Project Management Skills, 2nd Edition

by Larry RICHMAN
Released July 2011
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: 9780814417294

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Book description

Based on the bestselling American Management Association seminar! If a full-fledged project management course doesn’t fit your schedule or your budget, check out the new edition of Improving Your Project Management Skills. Based on the hugely popular American Management Association seminar of the same name, this ultra-practical reference offers powerful and repeatable project initiatives that improve processes, streamline productivity, and cut costs dramatically. You’ll get tools, tips, charts, lists, and never-fail advice for: Planning and budgeting • Defining project scope • Project scheduling • Implementation • Performance measurement • Leadership and staff issues • Work breakdown structures • Alignment with business goals • Risk assessment and management • Communication • Project closure • And much more Now completely revised and updated, the book is consistent with the most recent edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) and includes dozens of current practices and real-world examples. Equal parts learning tool and workplace reference, Improving Your Project Management Skills puts the power of a world-class project management seminar right in your hands!

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Introduction to the Second Edition
  6. Part 1: Project Management Foundations
    1. Chapter 1. The Core Concepts
      1. Project Management Vocabulary
      2. Why Project Management?
      3. Classic Functions of Project Management
      4. Processes in the Life of a Project
      5. Knowledge Areas
  7. Part 2: Initiating
    1. Chapter 2. Defining and Authorizing the Project
      1. The Role of Stakeholders in the Authorization Process
      2. The Business Case for Undertaking the Project
      3. The Goal Breakdown Structure
      4. Project Charter
  8. Part 3: Planning
    1. Chapter 3. Collecting Requirements and Defining Scope
      1. The Five Processes of Project Scope Management
      2. Collecting Requirements
      3. Creating a Scope Statement
      4. Example Scope Document
    2. Chapter 4. Creating a Work Breakdown Structure
      1. The Work Breakdown Structure Is an Outline
      2. Considerations in Creating Work Breakdown Structures
      3. The Work Breakdown Structure Is a Validation Tool
      4. Work Breakdown Structures Are Flexible
      5. Techniques in Creating Work Breakdown Structures
      6. Verifying Scope
      7. Controlling Scope
    3. Chapter 5. Defining and Sequencing Activities
      1. Defining Activities
      2. Sequencing Activities Using Network Diagrams
      3. Identifying Dependencies Between Activities
      4. Defining Activity Relationships
      5. Sample Network Diagram
    4. Chapter 6. Estimating Activities
      1. Using the Work Breakdown Structure
      2. Steps in Estimating Activities
      3. Estimating Methods
      4. Guidelines for Estimating
      5. Considering Risk in Estimating: Using Three-Point Estimates
      6. Precision of Estimates
      7. Duration-Based vs. Resource-Based Estimates
      8. Building Contingency in Estimates
      9. Improving Estimates over Time
    5. Chapter 7. Scheduling Activities
      1. Scheduling Activity Dates
      2. Project Float
      3. Accelerating Project Schedules
    6. Chapter 8. Identifying Resources and Budgets
      1. Identifying Resources
      2. Balancing Resources
      3. Creating a Project Budget
    7. Chapter 9. Compiling the Major Components of a Project Plan
      1. Project Charter
      2. Project Scope Statement
      3. Schedule Plan
      4. Resource Utilization Plan
      5. Budget Plan
      6. Milestone Plan
      7. Organization Plan
      8. Risk Management Plan
      9. Communication Plan
  9. Part 4: Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling
    1. Chapter 10. Executing Projects
      1. Project Kick-Off Meeting
      2. Project Control
      3. Project Meetings
      4. Project Control Process
      5. Monitoring Project Work
      6. Collecting Project Information
      7. Schedule Importance
      8. Labor Hours
      9. Data Analysis
      10. Change Control
      11. Sources of Change
    2. Chapter 11. Monitoring and Controlling Projects
      1. Establishing a Project Baseline as a Control Point
      2. Measuring Performance: Earned Value Analysis
    3. Chapter 12. Leading and Directing Project Teams
      1. Leading Others
      2. Directing Others
      3. Managing Others
      4. Conducting Meetings
      5. Interviewing Others
    4. Chapter 13. Managing Risk
      1. Identifying Risk
      2. Assessing and Prioritizing Risk
      3. Responding to Risk
      4. Acting on the Response Plan
  10. Part 5: Closing
    1. Chapter 14. Closing a Project
      1. Project Closure: The Final Process
      2. Ensuring Project Requirements Are Met
      3. How Projects Can End
      4. Administrative Closure
      5. Contractual Closure
      6. Initiating Project Closure
      7. Lessons Learned
      8. Finance and Administration Records
      9. Performance Reporting
      10. Staff Release
  11. Appendix A: Learning Resources
  12. Appendix B: Glossary
  13. Index
  14. Footnotes
    1. page_6
    2. page_27_fn

Product information

  • Title: Improving Your Project Management Skills, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Larry RICHMAN
  • Release date: July 2011
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: 9780814417294