Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th Edition

PART I

PROJECT INITIATION

As noted earlier, the material in Part I of this text (highlighted in the figure) focuses on project initiation, which relates to the context of the project. Although this material may not appear germane to someone who wants to learn about how to actually run a project, having only the planning and execution tools and being ignorant of the context of the project is a recipe for disaster. It's like knowing how to sail a ship but not understanding your role as the captain and the purpose of the trip.

Project initiation begins with the judicious selection of the organization's projects to align them with the organization's overall strategy.

Chapter 2 describes how to evaluate and select projects that contribute to the organization's strategy and discusses the information needed as well as the management of risk during this process. The chapter concludes with a description of an eight-step procedure called the “project portfolio process” that aligns project selection with the strategy.

Chapter 3, “The Project Manager,” concerns the many roles of the project manager (PM), the multiple responsibilities, and some personal characteristics a project manager should possess. It also discusses the problems a PM faces when operating in a multicultural environment.

Next, Chapter 4 covers a subject of critical importance to the PM that is almost universally ignored ...