Expert Judgment in Project Management: Narrowing the Theory-Practice Gap

Expert Judgment in Project Management: Narrowing the Theory-Practice Gap

by Paul S. Szwed
Released April 2016
Publisher(s): Project Management Institute
ISBN: 9781628251463

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Book description

Too often, however, companies lack detailed processes for finding and consulting with experts—making it hard to match the required know-how with the project at hand. In Expert Judgment in Project Management: Narrowing the Theory-Practice Gap, Paul S. Szwed provides research that will help project managers become more adept at using expert judgment effectively.

The author explores the use of expertise in several sectors, including engineering, environmental management, medicine, political science, and space exploration. He then looks at the informal state of expert judgment and its underutilization in the management of projects.

Szwed’s critical recommendations can help project managers improve the way they select, train, and work with experts to increase the odds of any project’s success.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Table of Contents
  5. List of Figures
  6. List of Tables
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Executive Summary
  9. 1. Introduction
    1. 1.1. Background
    2. 1.2. Problem Statement
    3. 1.3. Objectives and Scope
    4. 1.4. Methodology
      1. 1.4.1. Phase 1
      2. 1.4.2. Phase 2
      3. 1.4.3. Phase 3
    5. 1.5. Data Analysis
    6. 1.6. Organization of Report
  10. 2. State of the Art/Science
    1. 2.1. Theory-Practice Gap
    2. 2.2. Method
    3. 2.3. Data and Sample
    4. 2.4. Analysis and Results
      1. 2.4.1. Planning the Elicitation
      2. 2.4.2. Selecting the Experts
      3. 2.4.3. Training Experts
      4. 2.4.4. Eliciting Judgments
      5. 2.4.5. Analyzing and Aggregating Judgments
    5. 2.5. Findings and Implications
  11. 3. State of the Practice
    1. 3.1. Method
    2. 3.2. Data and Sample
    3. 3.3. Analysis and Results
    4. 3.4. Limitations
      1. 3.4.1. Population
      2. 3.4.2. Sample Randomness
      3. 3.4.3. Sample Size
      4. 3.4.4. Self-Reported Data
      5. 3.4.5. Scope of Study
    5. 3.5. Findings and Implications
  12. 4. Closing the Gap
    1. 4.1. Critical Thinking Experiment
      1. 4.1.1. Participants
      2. 4.1.2. Protocol
      3. 4.1.3. Method
      4. 4.1.4. Results
    2. 4.2. Numeracy and Fluency Experiment
      1. 4.2.1. Participants
      2. 4.2.2. Protocol
      3. 4.2.3. Method
      4. 4.2.4. Results
    3. 4.3. Findings and Implications
  13. 5. Discussion
    1. 5.1. Summary
    2. 5.2. Key Findings
      1. 5.2.1. State of the Art/Science is Established and Growing
      2. 5.2.2. State of the Practice in Project Management is Informal and Emergent
      3. 5.2.3. Expert Judgment Elicitation in Project Management can Mature
    3. 5.3. Suggested Practices
      1. 5.3.1. Use a Generic Process
      2. 5.3.2. Frame the Problem
      3. 5.3.3. Plan the Elicitation
      4. 5.3.4. Select Experts
      5. 5.3.5. Train Experts
      6. 5.3.6. Elicit Judgments Using Appropriate Methods
      7. 5.3.7. Analyze Judgments and Combine (If Desired)
      8. 5.3.8. Document Results and Communicate
  14. Appendix A
  15. Appendix B
  16. Appendix C
  17. References

Product information

  • Title: Expert Judgment in Project Management: Narrowing the Theory-Practice Gap
  • Author(s): Paul S. Szwed
  • Release date: April 2016
  • Publisher(s): Project Management Institute
  • ISBN: 9781628251463