Mastering Project Management: Surviving the Maelstrom and Delivering on Commitments

As we advance a variety of technologies forward, and innovations become commonplace in electronics and software, we are discovering a rapid explosion in the complexity of work. No longer is it commonplace for us to enter machine shop and start to assemble parts to create a product that will be offered in the marketplace. We can no longer sit down and begin coding a piece of software in the hopes that as we add more complexity of detail that we will create a valuable application that people will be willing to purchase. We are instead discovering that the complexity of work demands that we spend appropriate time planning and considering how to best approach the work and how to best undertake the efforts in order to assure that we ultimately produce a product worthy of the marketplace. This text is intended to introduce the student to many of the basic concepts of Project Management, culminating in a wide variety of examples provided to demonstrate potential applications of the methodology and reducing the anxiety of the first time practitioner. In general, Project Management is not a technically challenging domain, it is more a discipline that requires fervent attention to detail in order to achieve success. The text relies upon tools and techniques developed through the many organizations, from commercial corporations, non-profits, the United States Department of Defense, as well as academic studies undertaken to further the project management domain. Although this methodology is capable of supporting very large programs, the concepts are easily applied to smaller efforts typically facing medium and small businesses today. Mastering Project Management is a pragmatic and practical method to develop project management capabilities for the inexperienced student as well as the seasoned practitioner. The focus of the text is on walking the reader through the traditional Project Life Cycle. Beginning with the identification of the stakeholders and users, and progressing through the methodology until final acceptance of the project is achieved, the student gets a taste of the myriad skills and expertise needed to successfully execute a complex project. This text has been designed to create for the reader a 'how-to' methodology that will enable them to recreate project management in their own organization. Mastering Project Management then discusses the concept of Project Management culture, providing an instrument for measurement and a methodlogy that enables tangible changes to be implemented within the organization in order to move toward a more effective project management organization.