Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- About the Author -- Credits -- Contents at a Glance -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- Part I Defining and Using Project Management Process Groups -- Chapter 1 What Is a Project? -- Defining a Project -- Sequence of Activities -- Unique Activities -- Complex Activities -- Connected Activities -- One Goal -- Specified Time -- Within Budget -- According to Specification -- A Business-focused Definition of a Project -- Defining a Program -- Establishing Temporary Program Offices -- Establishing Permanent Program Offices -- Defining a Portfolio -- Understanding the Scope Triangle -- Scope -- Quality -- Cost -- Time -- Resources -- Envisioning the Scope Triangle as a System in Balance -- Prioritizing the Scope Triangle Variables for Improved Change Management -- Applying the Scope Triangle -- Managing the Creeps -- Scope Creep -- Hope Creep -- Effort Creep -- Feature Creep -- The Importance of Classifying Projects -- Establishing a Rule for Classifying Projects -- Classification by Project Characteristics -- Classification by Project Application -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 2 What Is Project Management? -- Understanding the Fundamentals of Project Management -- What Business Situation Is Being Addressed by This Project? -- What Do You Need to Do? -- What Will You Do? -- How Will You Do It? -- How Will You Know You Did It? -- How Well Did You Do? -- What Are Requirements - Really? -- Introducing Project Management Life Cycles -- Goal and Solution Clarity -- Traditional Project Management Approaches -- Agile Project Management Approaches -- Extreme Project Management Approach -- Emertxe Project Management Life Cycle Model -- Recap of PMLC Models -- Choosing the Best-Fit PMLC Model -- Total Cost -- Duration -- Market Stability -- Technology -- Business Climate.

Number of Departments Affected -- Organizational Environment -- Team Skills and Competencies -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 3 Understanding the Project Management Process Groups -- Defining the Five Process Groups -- The Scoping Process Group -- The Planning Process Group -- The Launching Process Group -- The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group -- The Closing Process Group -- Defining the Nine Knowledge Areas -- Integration Management -- Scope Management -- Time Management -- Cost Management -- Quality Management -- Human Resource Management -- Communications Management -- Risk Management -- Procurement Management -- Mapping Knowledge Areas to Process Groups -- What the Mapping Means -- How to Use the Mapping -- Using Process Groups to Define PMLCs -- A Look Ahead: Mapping Process Groups to Form Complex PMLCs -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 4 How to Scope a TPM Project -- Using Tools, Templates, and Processes to Scope a Project -- Managing Client Expectations -- Wants versus Needs -- Project Scoping Process -- The Project Scoping Meeting -- Project Scoping Meeting Deliverables -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 5 How to Plan a TPM Project -- Using Tools, Templates, and Processes to Plan a Project -- The Importance of Planning -- Using Application Software Packages to Plan a Project -- Determining the Need for a Software Package -- Project Planning Tools -- How Much Time Should Planning Take? -- Running the Planning Session -- Planning and Conducting Joint Project Planning Sessions -- Planning the JPPS -- Conducting the JPPS -- Building the WBS -- Using the RBS to Build the WBS -- Uses for the WBS -- Generating the WBS -- Using the WBS for Large Projects -- Iterative Development of the WBS -- Six Criteria to Test for Completeness in the WBS.

Approaches to Building the WBS -- Representing the WBS -- Estimating -- Estimating Duration -- Resource Loading versus Task Duration -- Variation in Task Duration -- Six Methods for Estimating Task Duration -- Estimation Life Cycles -- Estimating Resource Requirements -- Resource Planning -- Estimating Cost -- Constructing the Project Network Diagram -- Envisioning a Complex Project Network Diagram -- Benefits to Network-Based Scheduling -- Building the Network Diagram Using the Precedence Diagramming Method -- Dependencies -- Constraints -- Using the Lag Variable -- Creating an Initial Project Network Schedule -- Analyzing the Initial Project Network Diagram -- Compressing the Schedule -- Management Reserve -- Writing an Effective Project Proposal -- Acknowledgments -- Contents of the Project Proposal -- Format of the Project Proposal -- Gaining Approval to Launch the Project -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 6 How to Launch a TPM Project -- Using Tools, Templates, and Processes to Launch a Project -- Recruiting the Project Team -- Core Team Members -- Client Team -- Contract Team Members -- Balancing a Team -- Developing a Team Deployment Strategy -- Developing a Team Development Plan -- Conducting the Project Kick-Off Meeting -- Sponsor-Led Part -- Project Manager-Led Part -- Purpose of the Project Kick-Off Meeting -- Establishing Team Operating Rules -- Situations that Require Team Operating Rules -- Team War Room -- Managing Scope Changes -- The Scope Change Management Process -- Management Reserve -- Scope Bank -- Managing Team Communications -- Establishing a Communications Model -- Managing Communication beyond the Team -- Assigning Resources -- Leveling Resources -- Acceptably Leveled Schedule -- Resource-Leveling Strategies -- Utilizing Available Slack -- Shifting the Project Finish Date -- Smoothing.

Alternative Methods of Scheduling Tasks -- Cost Impact of Resource Leveling -- Finalizing the Project Schedule -- Writing Work Packages -- Purpose of a Work Package -- Format of a Work Package -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 7 How to Monitor and Control a TPM Project -- Using Tools, Templates, and Processes to Monitor and Control a Project -- Establishing Your Progress Reporting System -- Types of Project Status Reports -- How and What Information to Update -- Frequency of Gathering and Reporting Project Progress -- Variances -- Applying Graphical Reporting Tools -- Gantt Charts -- Stoplight Reports -- Burn Charts -- Milestone Trend Charts -- Earned Value Analysis -- Integrating Milestone Trend Charts and Earned Value Analysis -- Managing the Scope Bank -- Building and Maintaining the Issues Log -- Managing Project Status Meetings -- Who Should Attend Status Meetings? -- When Are Status Meetings Held? -- What Is the Purpose of a Status Meeting? -- What Is the Status Meeting Format? -- The 15-Minute Daily Status Meeting -- Problem Management Meetings -- Defining a Problem Escalation Strategy -- Project Manager-Based Strategies -- Resource Manager-Based Strategies -- Client-Based Strategies -- The Escalation Strategy Hierarchy -- Gaining Approval to Close the Project -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 8 How to Close a TPM Project -- Using Tools, Templates, and Processes to Close a Project -- Writing and Maintaining Client Acceptance Procedures -- Closing a Project -- Getting Client Acceptance -- Ceremonial Acceptance -- Formal Acceptance -- Installing Project Deliverables -- Phased Approach -- Cut-Over Approach -- Parallel Approach -- By-Business-Unit Approach -- Documenting the Project -- Reference for Future Changes in Deliverables.

Historical Record for Estimating Duration and Cost on Future Projects, Activities, and Tasks -- Training Resource for New Project Managers -- Input for Further Training and Development of the Project Team -- Input for Performance Evaluation by the Functional Managers of the Project Team Members -- Conducting the Post-Implementation Audit -- Writing the Final Report -- Celebrating Success -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Part II Establishing Project Management Life Cycles and Strategies -- Chapter 9 Complexity and Uncertainty in the Project Management Landscape -- Understanding the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain of Projects -- Requirements -- Flexibility -- Adaptability -- Risk vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Team Cohesiveness vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Communications vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Client Involvement vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Specification vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Change vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Business Value vs. the Complexity/Uncertainty Domain -- Putting It All Together -- Discussion Questions -- Chapter 10 Traditional Project Management -- What Is Traditional Project Management? -- Linear Project Management Life Cycle -- Definition -- Characteristics -- Strengths -- Weaknesses -- When to Use a Linear PMLC Model -- Variations to the Linear PMLC Model -- Adapting and Integrating the Tools, Templates, and Processes for Maximum Effectiveness in Linear PMLCs -- Incremental Project Management Life Cycle -- Definition -- Characteristics -- Strengths -- Weaknesses -- When to Use an Incremental PMLC -- Adapting and Integrating the Tools, Templates, and Processes for Maximum Effectiveness in Incremental PMLCs -- Using Critical Chain Project Management -- What Is the Critical Chain? -- Variation in Duration: Common Cause versus Special Cause.

Statistical Validation of the Critical Chain Approach.