Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project

Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project

by Richard Newton
Released January 2006
Publisher(s): Pearson Education Canada
ISBN: 9780273707882

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

The proven, practical guide to running a successful project, every time

“This straightforward and insightful approach gives results. It provides enough structure to ensure visibility and reliable delivery without smothering you with paperwork. It's no nonsense real change for the real world.” Matthew Deardon, CEO, BT Directories

You’ve got an important project to run. You need to know what to do, in what order, to make sure it all runs smoothly. You want to come out of it with the desired result, and looking good. This book is for you.

Project Management Step by Step is the proven, practical guide to running a highly successful project, one step at a time. It breaks down the management of the project into easy stages that will ensure you cover everything, at the right time, to bring about a successful delivery.

Refreshingly jargon-free, it’s a book for anybody who doesn’t need in-depth theory and principles of various project management techniques, but rather just wants a foolproof guide to making sure their project runs smoothly, on time and to budget. It offers an approach robust enough to ensure your success, but simple enough to be immediately applicable.

This is the fast track guide to becoming a competent and polished project manager.

“A great approach, simple to understand, yet powerful in application. It delivers the project results!”  Dave Keighley, Managing Director Operations and Logistics, NTL

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. Introduction
    1. What you will be able to do once you have read the book
    2. How this is done
    3. How to use this book
  4. Understand the basics
    1. Setting the scene
    2. Introduction to project management jargon
    3. The step-by-step guide: Step 1 – Understanding the basics
      1. Step 1.1 What is a project?
      2. Step 1.2 What is project management? What is your role?
      3. Step 1.3 The project’s customer
      4. Step 1.4 The project team
      5. Step 1.5 Delivery and deliverables
      6. Step 1.6 The five dimensions of a project – scope, quality, time, cost, risk
      7. Step 1.7 The stages of a project – a lifecycle
    4. Key tips
    5. References
  5. Define the ‘why’ and the ‘what’
    1. Setting the scene
    2. Introduction to ‘why’ and ‘what’
      1. Understanding the ‘why’
      2. Understanding the ‘what’
    3. The step-by-step guide: Step 2 – Defining ‘why’ and ‘what’
      1. Step 2.1 Complete the Project Definition
      2. Step 2.2 Check your role – are you responsible for achieving the ‘why’ or making sure the ‘what’ happens?
      3. Step 2.3 Agree the Project Definition with your project customer
    4. Key tips
    5. References
  6. Create your Project Plan
    1. Setting the scene
    2. Introduction to the Project Plan and estimating
      1. The component tasks and milestones
      2. Estimating time
      3. Ordering the tasks
      4. The people in your project team
      5. Dealing with costs
    3. Can you do the project; should you do the project?
      1. Developing a Project Plan in practice
    4. The step-by-step guide: Step 3 – Creating your Project Plan
      1. Step 3.1 Brainstorm a task list
      2. Step 3.2 Convert the task list to a skeleton plan
      3. Step 3.3 Estimate times, add dependencies and delays
      4. Step 3.4 Add in who will do what
      5. Step 3.5 Build the plan into a schedule
      6. Step 3.6 Work out costs
      7. Step 3.7 Add in milestones and contingency
      8. Step 3.8 Review and amend – can you do it, should you do it, is there a better way?
      9. Step 3.9 Review the plan with your project customer
    5. Key tips
    6. References
  7. Manage delivery
    1. Setting the scene
    2. Introduction to the role of the project manager
      1. Measuring and managing progress on a project
      2. Issues
      3. Risks
      4. Changes
    3. The step-by-step guide: Step 4 – Managing delivery
      1. Step 4.1 Start the project
      2. Step 4.2 Plan your day
      3. Step 4.3 Collect information and reports
      4. Step 4.4 Monitor and manage progress
      5. Step 4.5 Identify and resolve issues
      6. Step 4.6 Identify and manage risks
      7. Step 4.7 Manage changes
      8. Step 4.8 Take action to ensure the project’s success
      9. Step 4.9 Keep your customer informed
      10. Step 4.10 Update the Project Plan or Project Budget
    4. Key tips
    5. References
  8. Complete your project
    1. Setting the scene
    2. Introduction to completing your project
    3. The step-by-step guide: Step 5 – Completing Your Project
      1. Step 5.1 Test the deliverables
      2. Step 5.2 Implement deliverables
      3. Step 5.3 Provide support to your customers
      4. Step 5.4 Release resources
      5. Step 5.5 Review for next time
      6. Step 5.6 Celebrate!
    4. Key tips
    5. References
    6. Conclusion
  9. Appendix
    1. Collecting requirements
    2. Using external contractors and companies on your project
    3. Testing, integration and implementation
  10. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project
  • Author(s): Richard Newton
  • Release date: January 2006
  • Publisher(s): Pearson Education Canada
  • ISBN: 9780273707882