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Acknowledgments

Writing a book, like any project, requires a dedicated team of folks working together to produce the end product. Once again I’ve had the privilege to work with the talented staff at Sybex to write the third edition of this book. They’re the best project team around.

First, I’d like to especially thank Neil Edde, vice president and publisher, for giving me the opportunity to write this book. Thank you to Agatha Kim, acquisitions editor. Her support and encouragement were a great help to me. Kim Beaudet, our developmental editor, was terrific. She kept me on track and managed this process like a true project manager. Eric Charbonneau, production editor, kept a keen eye on my grammar and sometimes not-so-funny puns. His insights were very helpful.

Another special thanks to Terri Wagner, who reviewed every word of this book for accuracy and adherence to sound project management principles. Terri is an expert in the field of project management, and her suggestions based on her consulting and training experience helped make the book stronger and clearer. Thanks again, Terri, for another great job.

As always, there’s a host of behind-the-scenes folks who put a great deal of effort into making this book the best that it can be. Thanks to these folks as well: Pete Gaughan, editorial manager; Connor O’Brien, editorial assistant; and Kim Wimpsett, copy editor.

Last but not least, thank you to my husband and best friend, BB. You are truly an inspiration to me, and without your support, encouragement, and prayers, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Introduction

This book was written with those of you in mind who are exploring the project management field or perhaps have been assigned to your first project.

Project management encompasses almost all aspects of our lives, not just our working lives. If you think about it, many things you do — from organizing a dinner party to planning a child’s birthday celebration to bringing a new product to market — are projects. The principles you’ll learn in this book will help you with all the project work you’ll find yourself involved with.

Project management crosses all industries. My own personal searches on some of the popular job-hunting websites have shown that organizations are understanding the importance of employing skilled project managers. In these tight economic times, organizations are less likely to take on risky projects, and they want assurances that if they do take on a new project, it will be successful. Reading this book will give you a solid footing in project management practices. If you apply the principles you’ll learn here, you’ll give your future projects a much better chance at success.

If you find that this topic interests you and project management seems like a career worth pursuing, I strongly recommend you consider becoming certified through the Project Management Institute (PMI). They are the de facto standard in project management methodologies. You’ll find in your own job searches that many organizations now require a PMP certification. PMP stands for Project Management Professional and is the designation that PMI bestows on those who qualify and pass the exam.

Reading this book will give you a jump start on understanding the principles of project management. From here, you can build on this knowledge by taking project management classes, reading other books on project management, and networking with others in your organization or community involved in project management work. This book is based on the project management guidelines recommended by PMI, and many of the terms, concepts, and processes you’ll read about in this book are based on PMI’s publication, Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 4^th Edition.

Whether you choose to pursue certification or not, a basic understanding of project management practices is invaluable. During the course of your career, you’ll be involved in several projects. Even if you are not the one managing the project, understanding how project management works, what a project life cycle is, and how to plan and execute a project will enhance your ability to communicate with others on the project team and know what process should be followed to assure a successful outcome.

Who Should Read This Book

This book was written for those of you fairly new to project management and lays the foundation for an understanding of the basic principles of good project management methodologies. Even if you’ve had some experience in the project management field, you’ll find the example projects, templates, and checklists included in this book immediately applicable to your next project.

The fact that you purchased this book means you’re interested in learning new things and furthering your career. Having a solid understanding of project management practices will help you increase your marketability. Your knowledge and practice of the principles outlined in this book will help assure employers that you understand how to bring a project to a successful closure, thereby saving them time and money. If you choose to take this endeavor one step further and become certified, you will increase your chances for advancement and improve your odds for landing the higher-paying project management positions. Potential employers will interpret your pursuit of project management knowledge and certification as assertive and forward-thinking, and they know that this will ultimately translate to success for their organization.

What This Book Covers

This book walks you through the project life cycle from beginning to end, just like projects are performed in practice. We’ve included many useful examples, tips, and hints that will help you solve common project management dilemmas. The chapters are designed to follow the project life cycle. Here’s a high-level overview of what this book entails:

Chapters 1–2 These chapters lay the foundation of project management and delve into definitions, project life cycles, and the skills that all good project managers need for success.

Chapters 3–4 This section deals with the Initiation and Planning processes of the project life cycle. Here you’ll learn why project charters are important and how to set project goals and document the requirements.

Chapters 5–7 These chapters walk you through breaking down the work of the project into manageable components, acquiring resources, and identifying and planning for risks.

Chapters 8–9 A large part of the planning work is done. Now you’ll pull it all together into a final project plan, including a project schedule, final estimates, and the project budget.

Chapters 10–11 Now the work of the project begins. Here we’ll cover the Executing and Monitoring and Controlling processes, including such tasks as team building, reporting project status, monitoring project performance, and taking corrective action.

Chapter 12 Finally, the book wraps up with the project closeout process.

Making the Most of This Book

At the beginning of each chapter, you’ll find a list of topics that the chapter will cover. You’ll find new terms defined in the margins of the pages to help you quickly get up to speed on project management–specific terminology. In addition, several special elements highlight important information.

You’ll find several review questions at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge of the material covered. You can find the answers to the review questions in Appendix A. You’ll also find a list of terms to know at the end of each chapter that will help you review the key terms introduced in each chapter. These terms are defined in the glossary toward the end of the book.

We’ve also provided all the templates you’ll encounter throughout the book in Appendix B. Appendix C contains all the checklists. These are ready for you to use or modify according to your needs.

Project Management JumpStart