Project Management For Dummies, 6th Edition

Part 1

Getting Started with Project Management

IN THIS PART …

Discover what project management is all about and whether you have what it takes to be a successful project manager.

Learn about the changes to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 7th Edition (PMBOK 7) from the prior edition and the rationale for the substantial overhaul.

Check out the documents you need to assess a project’s feasibility and desirability, including the business case, the project charter, the preliminary stakeholder register, and the preliminary assumptions list. Consider how the data generated from a preliminary needs assessment, a feasibility study, and a cost-benefit analysis generate information needed to support the decision of whether to consider a proposed project further.

Find out how to identify people who may need to be involved in your project, and decide whether, when, and how to involve them. After you know who should be involved, determine who has the authority, power, and interest to make critical decisions along the way.

Think about the big picture of what your project is trying to accomplish (and why). Then get the scoop on writing a scope statement to confirm the results your project will produce and the constraints and assumptions under which everyone will work.

Outline the work you have to do to meet the expectations for your project, and find out how to break that work down into manageable chunks.