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Project Management For DummiesŪ 3rd Edition - Table of Contents (Click on a chapter title for detailed subheadings) Part I: Understanding Expectations (The Who, What, and Why of Your Project) Chapter 1: Project Management: The Key to Achieving Results Chapter 2: Clarifying What You're Trying to Accomplish - and Why Chapter 3: Knowing Your Project's Audience: Involving the Right People Chapter 4: Developing Your Game Plan: Getting from Here to There Part II: Determining When and How Much Chapter 5: You Want this Project Done When? Chapter 6: Establishing Whom You Need, How Much and When Chapter 7: Planning for Other Resources and Developing the Budget Chapter 8: Venturing into the Unknown: Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty Part III: Putting Your Team Together Chapter 9: Aligning the Key Players in Your Project Chapter 10: Defining Team Members' Roles and Responsibilities Chapter 11: Starting Your Team Off on the Right Foot Part IV: Steering the Ship: Managing Your Project to Success Chapter 12: Tracking Progress and Maintaining Control Chapter 13: Keeping Everyone Informed Chapter 14: Encouraging Peak Performance by Providing Effective Leadership Chapter 15: Bringing Your Project to Closure Part V: Taking Your Project Management to the Next Level Chapter 16: Using Technology to Up Your Game Chapter 17: Monitoring Project Performance with Earned Value Management Part VI. The Part of Tens Chapter 18: Ten Questions to Help You Plan Your Project Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Being a Better Project Manager Appendix Appendix: Combining the Techniques into Smooth Flowing Processes
Chapter 1: Project Management: The Key to Achieving Results Determining What Makes a Project a Project? Understanding the three main components that define a project Recognizing the diversity of projects Describing the four stages of a project Defining Project Management Examining the initiating processes Considering the planning processes Examining the executing processes Examining the monitoring and controlling processes Acknowledging the closing processes Knowing the Project Manager's Role Looking at the project manager's tasks Staving off potential excuses for not following a structured project-management approach Avoiding "shortcuts" Staying aware of other potential challeges Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Effective Project Manager? Questions Answers Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4 Chapter 2: Clarifying What You're Trying to Accomplish - and Why Defining Your Project with a Scope Statement Looking at the Big Picture: How Your Project Fits In Figuring out why you're doing this project Drawing the line: Where your project starts and stops Stating your project's objectives Marking Boundaries: Project Constraints Working within limitations Dealing with needs Facing the Unknowns When Planning Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4 Chapter 3: Knowing Your Project's Audience: Involving the Right People Understanding Your Project's Audiences Developing an Audience List Starting your audience list Ensuring your audience list is complete and up-to-date Using an audience list template Considering the Drivers, Supporters, and Observers in Your Audience Deciding when to involve your audiences Using different methods to keep audiences involved Making the most of your audience's involvement Confirming Your Audience's Authority Assessing Your Audience's Power and Influence Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 4: Developing Your Game Plan: Getting from Here to There Divide and Conquer: Working on Your Project in Manageable Chunks Thinking in detail Thinking of hierarchy with the help of a Work Breakdown Structure Dealing with special situations Creating and Displaying Your Work Breakdown Structure Considering different schemes for organizing your WBS Using different approaches to develop your WBS Considering different ways to categorize your project's work Labeling your WBS entries Displaying your WBS in different formats Improving the quality of your WBS Using templates Identifying Risks While Detailing Your Work Documenting What You Need to Know about Your Planned Project Work Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 5: You Want This Project Done When? Picture This: Illustrating a Work Plan with a Network Diagram Defining a network diagram's elements Drawing a network diagram Analyzing Your Network Diagram Reading a network diagram Interpreting a network diagram Working with Your Project's Network Diagram Determining precedence Using a network diagram to analyze a simple example Developing Your Project's Schedule Taking the first steps Avoiding the pitfall of backing in to your schedule Meeting an established time constraint Applyinging different strategies to arrive at your picnic in less time Estimating Activity Duration Determining the underlying factors Considering resource characteristics Finding sources of supporting information Improving activity duration estimates Displaying Your Project's Schedule Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 6: Establishing Whom You Need, How Much, and When Getting the Information You Need to Match People To Tasks Deciding the skills and knowledge that team members must have Representing skills, knowledge and interest in a Skills Matrix Estimating needed commitment Using a Human Resources Matrix Identifying needed personnel in a Human Resources Matrix Estimating required work effort Factoring productivity, efficiency, and availability into work-effort estimates Reflecting efficiency when you use historical data Accounting for efficiency in personal work-effort estimates Ensuring Your Project Team Members Can Meet Their Resource Commitments Planning your initial allocations Resolving potential resource overloads Coordinating assignments across multiple projects Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4 Chapter 7: Planning for Other Resources and Developing the Budget Determining Nonpersonnel Resource Needs Making Sense of the Dollars: Project Costs and Budgets Looking at different types of project costs Recognizing the three stages of a project budget Refining your budget as you move through your project's stages Determining project costs for a detailed budget estimate Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 8: Venturing into the Unknown: Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty Defining Risk and Risk Management Focusing on Risk Factors and Risks Recognizing risk factors Identifying risks Assessing Risks: The Likelihood and Consequences Gauging the likelihood of a risk Estimating the extent of the consequences Getting Everything Under Control: Managing Risk Choosing the risks you want to manage Developing a risk-management strategy Communicating about risks Preparing a Risk-Management Plan Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 9: Aligning the Key Players for Your Project Defining Three Organizational Environments The functional structure The projectized structure The matrix structure Recognizing the Key Players in a Matrix Environment The project manager Project team members Functional managers Upper management Working Successfully in a Matrix Environment Creating and continually reinforcing a team identity Getting team member commitment Eliciting support from other people in the environment Heading off common problems before they arise Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 10: Defining Team Members' Roles and Responsibilities Understanding the Key Roles Distinguishing authority, responsibility, and accountability Comparing authority and responsibility Making Project Assignments Delving into delegation Sharing responsibility Holding people accountable when they don't report to you Picture This: Depicting Relationships with a Responsibility Assignment Matrix Introducing the elements of a RAM Reading a LRC Developing a LRC Ensuring your RAM is accurate Dealing with Micromanagement Realizing why a person micromanages Helping a micromanager trust you Working well with a micromanager Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 11: Starting Your Project Team Off on the Right Foot Finalizing Your Project's Participants Are you in? Confirming your team members' participation Assuring that others are on board Filling in the blanks Developing Your Team Reviewing the approved project plan Developing team and individual goals Defining team member roles Defining your team's operating processes Supporting the development of team member relationships All together now: Helping your team to become a smooth-functioning unit Laying the Groundwork for Controlling Your Project Selecting and preparing your tracking systems Establishing schedules for reports and meetings Setting your project's baseline Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Announcing Your Project Setting the Stage for Your Post-Project Evaluation Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 12: Tracking Progress and Maintaining Control Holding On to the Reins: Project Control Establishing Project Management Information Systems The clock's ticking: Monitoring schedule performance All in a day's work: Monitoring work effort Follow the money: Monitoring expenditures Putting Your Control Process into Action Heading off problems before they occur Formalizing your control process Identifying possible causes of delays and variances Identifying possible corrective actions Getting back on track: Rebaselining Reacting Responsibly When Changes Are Requested Responding to change requests Creeping away from scope creep Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 13: Keeping Everyone Informed I Said What I Meant and I Meant What I Said: Successful Communication Basics Breaking down the communication process Distinguishing one-way and two-way communication Can you hear me? Listening actively Choosing the Appropriate Medium for Project Communications Just the facts: Written reports Move it along: Meetings that work Preparing a Written Project-Progress Report Making a list (of names) and checking it twice Knowing what's hot (and what's not) in your report Earning a Pulitzer, or at least writing an interesting report Holding Key Project Meetings Regularly scheduled meetings Ad hoc team meetings Upper-management progress reviews Preparing a Project Communications Management Plan Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 14: Encouraging Peak Performance by Providing Effective Leadership Comparing Leadership and Management Developing Personal Power and Influence Understanding why people will do what you ask Establishing the bases of your power You Can Do It! Creating and Sustaining Team-Member Motivation Increasing commitment by clarifying your project's benefits Encouraging persistence by demonstrating project feasibility Letting people know how they're doing Providing rewards for work well done Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 15: Bringing Your Project to Closure Staying the Course to Completion Planning ahead for your project's closure Updating your initial closure plans when you're ready to wind down the project Charging up your team for the spirit to the finish line Handling Administrative Issues Providing a Good Transition for Team Members Using a Novel Approach to Announce Your Project's Closure Surveying the Results: The Post-Project Evaluatio Preparing for the evaluation throughout the project Setting the stage for the evaluation meeting Conducting the evaluation meeting Following up on the evaluation Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 16: Using Technology to Up Your Game Using Computer Software Effectively Looking at your software options Helping your software perform at its best Introducing project-management software into your operations Making Use of E-mail Distinguishing between the pros and cons of e-mail Using e-mail appropriately Getting the most out of your e-mail Supporting Virtual Teams with Communication Technology Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 17: Monitoring Project Performance with Earned Value Management Defining Earned Value Management Understanding EVM terms and formulas Looking at a simple example Determining the reasons for observed variances The How-To: Applying Earned Value Management to Your Project Determining a Task's Earned Value Relating This Chapter to the PMP Exam and PMBOK 4
Chapter 18: Ten Questions to Ask Yourself as You Plan Your Project What's the Purpose of Your Project? Whom Do You Need to Involve? What Results Will You Produce? What Constraints Must You Satisfy? What Assumptions Are You Making? What Work Has to Be Done? When Does Each Activity Start and End? Who Will Perform the Project Work? What Other Resources Do You Need? What Can Go Wrong?
Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Being a Better Project Manager Be a "Why" Person Be a "Can Do" Person Think about the "Big Picture" Think in Detail Assume Cautiously View People as Allies, Not Adversaries Say What You Mean; Mean What You Say Respect Other People Acknowledge Good Performance Be a Manager and a Leader
Appendix: Combining the Techniques into Smooth Flowing Processes Preparing Your Project Plan Controlling Your Project during Performance
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