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To BB, my best friend and forever love
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 fourth edition of this book. They’re the best project team around.
First, I’d like to especially thank Kenyon Brown, acquisitions editor for the opportunity to write this book. It’s always a pleasure to work with Ken. Mary Ellen Schutz, our developmental editor, was terrific. I love her sense of humor! It’s always a kick to get to work with her and I value her insights and suggestions. Katie Wisor, production editor, kept a keen eye on my grammar. Her insights were very helpful.
Another special thanks to Vanina Mangano, who reviewed every word of this book for accuracy and adherence to sound project management principles. It is a great pleasure to work with Vanina. She is an expert in project management topics, always asks great questions, and makes suggestions that strengthen the book. I am so grateful she is part of the team and look forward to working with her again.
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; Katie Wisor, production manager; 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.
Kim Heldman, MBA, PMP®, is the Senior Manager/CIO for the Regional Transportation District in Denver, Colorado. Kim directs IT resource planning, budgeting, project prioritization, and strategic and tactical planning. She directs and oversees IT design and development, enterprise resource planning systems, IT infrastructure, application development, cybersecurity, the IT program management office, intelligent transportation systems, and datacenter operations.
Kim oversees the IT portfolio of projects ranging from those that are small in scope and budget to multimillion-dollar, multiyear projects. She has over 25 years of experience in information technology project management. Kim has served in a senior leadership role for over 18 years and is regarded as a strategic visionary with an innate ability to collaborate with diverse groups and organizations, instill vision, improve morale, and lead her teams in achieving goals they never thought possible.
Kim Heldman is the author of other project management books, including the best-selling PMP®: Project Management Professional® Study Guide, 9th Edition (2018), and CompTIA® Project+, Second Edition (2018). You can learn more about Kim at her website: http://KimHeldman.com.
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 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®), 6th Edition (PMI, 2017).
For a more detailed exploration of project management in general and the PMP® certification specifically, pick up a copy of another book I’ve written called PMP®: Project Management Professional® Study Guide, 9th Edition, also published by Sybex (2018).
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.
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.
This book walks you through the project life cycle from beginning to end, just like projects are performed in practice. I’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 skills that all good project managers need for success.
Chapters 3–4 These chapters deal 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 I’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 and a discussion of Agile project management.
At the beginning of each chapter, you’ll find a list of topics that the chapter will cover. You’ll find new terms defined to help you quickly get up to speed on project management–specific terminology. In addition, several special elements highlight important information.
Notes provide extra information and references to related information.
Tips are insights that help you perform tasks more easily and effectively.
Warnings let you know about things that you should do—or shouldn’t do—as you perform project management tasks.
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.
I’ve also provided all the templates and checklists you’ll encounter throughout the book in Appendix B. These are ready for you to use or modify according to your needs.