How This Book Is Organized

EPM6e is organized into 4 parts containing a total of 18 chapters.

Part I: Defining and Using Project Management Process Groups

The purpose of Part I is to introduce you to the tools, templates, and processes that comprise the effective project manager's toolkit. Because many of my readers will be familiar with the PMI PMBOK standards document, I have decided to group the toolkits around the five process groups, which I call Scoping, Planning, Launching, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. The nine Knowledge Areas defined in PMBOK are also introduced and briefly described. Each process group has a chapter devoted to it in which I provide working knowledge material for the tools, templates, and processes in that process group.

All of the subject matter content of EPM5e is contained in EPM6e. The case used in EPM5e, Pizza Delivered Quickly (PDQ), is continued and expanded in EPM6e.

For the college and university faculty who are using my book in their courses, I have revised many of the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. These are designed to actively engage the class in a sharing of ideas about how they would handle the situations presented.

Part II: Establishing Project Management Life Cycles and Strategies

Part II begins with Chapter 9, “Project Management Landscape,” which is defined by the goal and solution that are either clear or not clear. This two-by-two grid defines four types of project management categories: Traditional Project Management (TPM), Agile Project Management (APM), Extreme Project Management (xPM), and a fourth category called Emertxe Project Management (MPx). On the surface the MPx category looks like a solution out looking for a problem. That is one interpretation, but there is another far more serious interpretation. I discuss that in Chapter 9. The TPM, APM, and xPM categories give rise to a landscape of five PMLC models: Linear, Incremental, Iterative, Adaptive, and Extreme. Each of these models presents different challenges to the project manager. Chapters 10–12 discuss each approach in detail, focusing on their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, when to use them, and how to adapt the toolkits to them.

Part III: Building an Effective Project Management Infrastructure

In Parts I and II I developed the PMLC models that I feel span the entire landscape of project types. In this part I develop the Project Support Office, Project Portfolio Management, and Continuous Process Improvement Programs. These are the organizational infrastructures to support project management. Their presence is necessary for any environment in which effective project management takes place. These might be considered advanced topics by some, but they are included to round out your understanding of the project management environment.

Part IV: Managing the Realities of Projects

Part IV discusses two topics. I have encountered both of these situations more than once in my consulting career. Very little is written about distressed projects and managing multiple team projects. I hope to at least make some contribution.

Chapter 16, “Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Distressed Projects,” continues with the discussion introduced in EPM5e. Given the high failure rate of projects I felt it was important for the practitioner to know how to prevent projects from becoming distressed and, if distressed, how to create effective intervention strategies. The practitioner should find good value here. New to this edition is the intervention template that I use when starting an intervention effort.

Chapter 17, “Organizing Multiple Team Projects,” was introduced in EPM5e and is continued in EPM6e. In larger organizations it is not uncommon that projects will involve teams from different parts of the organization. Each of these teams comes with their own tools, templates, and processes and somehow must be integrated into a single team with a common set of tools, templates, and processes. Three models for accomplishing this integration are discussed.

Chapter 18, “Managing the Professional Development of Project Teams,” has been elevated from an epilogue to a chapter in this edition. The challenges to staffing and managing complex projects have taken on a strategic importance. Organizations need to design and implement a comprehensive program of career and professional development and this chapter is designed to kick-start that effort.