Inquiries regarding reproduction outside these terms and in other countries should be sent to the Rights Department, the Association for Project Management at the above address. The Association for Project Management (APM) was awarded its Royal Charter in 2017 and has quickly established itself as the chartered body for project professionals in the UK and abroad.
Acknowledgements
He is an Honorary Fellow of the Project Management Association and a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society. He helped develop the International Project Management Association (IPMA) Agile Leadership competency framework and certification.
Introduction
Implementing strategy
- Organisational envir on ment
Projects, programs and portfolios are introduced to improve performance, drive change and enable organizations to adapt, improve and grow. Benefits are part of ensuring that investments are made to deliver value to the organization.
Organisations in context
Recommended reading
Strategic imple ment a tion
Making strategy happen
Organisational change
Enabling bene fi cial change
Benefits to the organ isa tion
Putting it all together
Structural choices
Projects, programmes and port fo lios
Portfolios are used to select, prioritize, and control an organization's programs and projects in line with its strategic goals and capacity to deliver. Is the full potential profit from the organisation's investment realised.
Full refer ences for Section 1.1 1.1.1
Life cycle options and choices
- Life cycle philo sophy
This section is concerned with clarifying the various options and highlighting their implications. It begins by introducing some of the main philosophical positions and key perspectives, before delving into the different types of life cycles on offer and acknowledging that managers, given the many trade-offs, unsurprisingly opt for pragmatics. hybrid choices, which combine the best features of different arrangements.
Making sense of life cycles
Linear life cycles
Following a delib er ate sequence
Iterative life cycles
Filling in the detail
Hybrid life cycles
Finding the right balance
Extended life cycles
Bringing in the bene fits
Product life cycles
Considering usage, evol u tion and disposal
Product Lifecycle Management: Executive Summary (2018) is about products and managing them through an effective life cycle. The report compares the product life cycle (referred to as 'product life') and the project life cycle, exploring all the commonalities and differences between the two.
Full refer ences for Section 1.2 1.2.1
Establishing governance and over sight
- Governance prin ciples
The determination of business value depends on the arrangements and measures that support and improve the deployment of the assets and capabilities, their utilization and the ultimate realization of the business case. Success depends on the ability to actively sponsor and champion change and leverage.
Establishing control of deployment of projects, programmes and port fo lios
Assurance prin ciples
Providing confid ence to stake hold ers
Sustainability
Environmental, social, economic and admin is trat ive consid er a tions
Strategic sourcing
Choosing strategies for obtain ing best-value from supply chains
Sponsorship
Championing the work to ensure inten ded bene fits and value are achieved
Investment decisions
Evaluating the return on invest ment
Business case
Justifying invest ment in a project, programme or port fo lio
Temporary struc tures
Aligning and balan cing tempor ary and perman ent organ isa tional struc tures
Talent manage ment
Attracting, deploy ing, support ing and retain ing talen ted people
Governance boards
Putting governance prin ciples into prac tice
The project steering group and its role are explored in detail, allowing readers to engage with the two main approaches to management (namely transactional and agency perspectives). The Handbook of Board Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Public, Private and Not for Profit Board Members (2016) is an excellent resource for all board members. The edited collection provides comprehensive insight, addresses many critical aspects relevant to projects and complex projects, and addresses some of the issues that need to be addressed.
Full refer ences for Section 1.3 1.3.1
Shaping the early life cycle
- Project shaping
The formation of projects, programs or portfolios during the early life cycle depends on expressed and implied needs of stakeholders and the extent of the willingness of the investing organization. In most organizations, a reliance on suppliers of goods or services in the supply chain to support project-based work is a reality. Supplier organizations will be more successful if they understand the strategic or tactical benefit to the customer.
Setting up projects of all sizes for success
Programme shaping
Setting up programmes to deliver the desired bene fi cial change
Portfolio shaping
Setting up port fo lios to ensure effi cient deliv ery of object ives
Procurement strategy
Matching supply-chain engage ment to needs
Operational adjust ments
Ensuring oper a tional and project-based work is coordin ated
The APM Planning, Monitoring and Control Specific Stakeholder Guide on Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control (2015) contains a specific section on the handover of projects. The APM Program Management Specific Interest Group APM Introduction to Program Management (2016) describes how programs deliver benefits to the organization, the typical challenges faced and how a change program interacts with normal business activities. Operational Readiness & Assurance (OR&A): A Guide for Practitioners (2012) provides a gentle introduction to the area of operational reading and assurance, with examples based on oil and gas projects.
Full refer ences for section 2.1 2.1.1
Assurance, learn ing and matur ity
- The PMO
All teams involved in project-based work must make informed decisions and provide assurance to various stakeholders. Effective project-based organizations are adept at creating and using knowledge to continuously improve their practices and maturity. Learning also enables maturity of practice in project-based work, and some bodies choose to assess their own maturity, or use a maturity model, as the basis for a security review.
Support struc tures for projects, programmes and port fo lios
Decision gates
Managed progres sion through the life cycle
Information manage ment
Capturing evid ence to support buy-in, learn ing and assur ance
Audits and assur ance
Ensuring decisions are based on evid ence
Knowledge management
Connecting people to create insight and use knowledge to improve outcomes
Communities of prac tice
Investing in people and know ledge
Maturity of prac tice
Investing in the predict ab il ity of deliv er ing results
Models to Improve the Management of Projects (2007) produced by APM provides a brief guide to the history and benefits of maturity models and points to a number of alternative approaches that organizations can take. This technical report and maturity model developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) based at Carnegie Mellon University provides a comprehensive integrated set of best practices required to improve capabilities, products and processes to do business. . It provides an indication of six levels of maturity across various aspects of program management, including strategic alignment, sponsor and project manager competencies, benefits, stakeholders and governance.
Full refer ences for Section 2.2
Transition into use
- Business read i ness
After all, the organic return on investment from project-based work is appropriate. Early closure of projects, rather than being seen as bad, is better seen as a good organic decision to prevent further investment in work that is unlikely to bring the desired benefits. In some sectors, this is vital and a positive capacity of the body.
Preparing the ground for success ful handover and adop tion
Transition of project outputs
Ensuring that outputs enable the inten ded bene fits
Adoption and bene fits real isa tion
Creating the ‘new normal’ in line with the busi ness case
Unplanned project endings
Knowing when closure of the original project is the right busi ness decision
Administrative closure of projects
Shut down of all deployment activ ity and corpor ate accept ance of comple tion
Closing programmes and port fo lios
Retiring coordin at ing frame works for projects when they cease to add value
However, the compatibility of transfer projects with program operators must be considered from a technical, process and human perspective. Such changes can be unsettling for individuals and ongoing project teams need to be fully informed of the new arrangements and given honest advice about the risks and opportunities the changes present to their careers. . This section specifically addresses the competencies required to complete the project and program, including proposed benchmarks and required supporting knowledge.
Full refer ences for section 2.3
Engaging stake hold ers
- Stakeholders
There is broad agreement that permanent stakeholders – those influential, interested individuals. Identification and understanding of stakeholders is a starting point, but going beyond initial assumptions or generalizations is crucial, as is understanding the relationships of stakeholders with each other, as well as with the project, program or portfolio. Influencing stakeholders, usually without any positional power, is a constant job for project professionals.
Understanding who needs to be engaged and influ enced
Social context
Navigating soci opol it ical complex ity
Engagement and influ ence
Working with people to build support to achieve inten ded outcomes
Facilitation
Making it easy to collab or ate and solve prob lems
Conflict resol u tion
Facilitating win-win solu tions where possible
The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument™ is a model often used to explore options for managing or resolving a conflict. Kilmann's website provides access to reading material and a self-diagnosis tool to help develop conflict-handling skills. Everyone Can Win: Responding to Conflict Constructively (2007) is a practical book that provides the basics for handling personal and workplace difficulties with emotional intelligence, including value conflicts and toxic power issues.
Full refer ences for section 3.1 3.1.1
Leading teams
- Teams
Project-based work involves people from different functions, disciplines and organizations coming together to work with a common goal to deliver something of value to the investment. People are different - they have different experiences, backgrounds, values and skills. Having plans in place to protect yourself and the team from the effects of unsustainable pressure is a key part of being a professional.
Establishing teams for projects, programmes and port fo lios
Virtual teams
Working with people in differ ent places and time zones
Team devel op ment
Creating the right context for teams to perform
Leadership
Providing vision, direc tion, feed back and support so people can do their best work
Organisational culture
Understanding how things get done within the organ isa tion
Diversity and inclu sion
The bene fits and respons ib il it ies of embra cing diversity
Workplace stress
Safeguarding self and the team from the effects of unsus tain able pres sure
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2015) is a bestselling book and series of related products that help people approach personal and professional tasks. Managing the Causes of Work-Related Stress: A Step-by-Step Approach (2007) is the UK Health and Safety Executive's guide to using management standards to tackle the six main risk factors of work-related stress. Causes and Management of Stress in the Workplace (2002) is an article that discusses the causes and signs of stress in the workplace, stress management techniques and organizational stress management.
Full refer ences for section 3.2 3.2.1
Working profes sion ally
- Communication
As a licensed profession, project-based work requires high standards of ethics and compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. In a context where popular views are that most projects and programs fail to deliver on promises, the role of continuing professional development has a major role to play in building the profession. Continuous professional development is vital for project professionals – not only to keep up-to-date and increase their competence over time, but also to advance the profession's standing and society's trust in knowledge-based work skills. project to deliver value.
Ensuring the exchange of relev ant inform a tion
Negotiation
Planning, conduct ing and follow-up on agree ments
Time manage ment
Managing personal time to achieve prior it ies
Regulatory envir on ment
Navigating the legal and regu lat ory envir on ment
Ethics and stand ards
Maintaining a trusted profes sion
Continuing profes sional devel op ment
Continual devel op ment of compet ence
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's Competency and Competency Frameworks (2018) explores the history, principles and current practice around competition. APM's Road to Chartered series, Paper 4, The Growing Significance of CPD: Ensuring Professionalism in a Dynamic and Changing Workplace (2017), outlines the growing significance. Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development (2018) is a popular resource used by professionals in many disciplines to improve their reflective writing skills and to examine their own practice in greater critical depth in order to improve effectiveness and efficiency. self-awareness.
Full refer ences for Section 3.3 3.3.1
Defining outputs
- Success and bene fits
Moving from high-level expression of stakeholder vision or needs to a detailed state. The linear development from high-level expression of needs and benefits in an early business case to the specific definition of detailed requirements, scope and acceptance criteria is well understood. The danger, however, is to assume that the approaches designed to build in agility and flexibility do not require the discipline to clearly define some things, for example benefits that justify the investment or acceptance criteria for delivery. abilities.
Understanding what success means for differ ent stake hold ers
Objectives and require ments
Comprehensive and meas ur able require ments are crit ical to project success
Options and solu tions
Exploring multiple options until a preferred solu tion is iden ti fied
Scope defin i tion
The trans la tion of require ments into outputs for the chosen solu tion
Quality plan ning
Ensuring outputs are delivered in accord ance with require ments
Essentials of Quality Management for Projects and Programs (2017) addresses quality from a project and program perspective. This short and useful resource addresses the process of defining quality as an initial task before linking it to quality planning and following the link through to execution. Project Quality Management: Why, What and How (2014) is a detailed guide, covering most aspects of quality management in relation to project work. Quality Management in Projects (2012) provides a broad and balanced introduction to the topic of quality in project practice.
Full refer ences for Section 4.1 4.1.1
Integrated plan ning
- Contract award
Taking the definition of outputs into detailed planning requires a focus on multiple areas, and the integration of those areas into the baseline project management plan. Depending on specific project objectives and the life cycle chosen, different approaches to planning time, resources and costs, in the context of risk, can be adopted. When using a linear life cycle approach, the assumption underlying integrated graded planning is that all the work can be defined, estimated, scheduled, risked, resourced and costed - perhaps to different levels of granularity in the near term than the long term – yet that a baseline can be established from which deployment can be managed and controlled.
Selecting suppli ers and setting up contracts for success
Risk iden ti fic a tion
Ensuring know able risks are under stood
Risk analysis
Ensuring project plans take account of vari ab il ity and risk events
Estimation
Prediction of time and resources required to complete the scope of work
Scheduling – crit ical path
Time-based plan ning with an emphasis on activ it ies
Scheduling – crit ical chain
Time-based plan ning with an emphasis on resources
Resource optim isa tion
Managing scope, quality, time and cost in a constrained system
Cost plan ning
Understanding where costs fall over time
Contingency plan ning
Ensuring plans reflect required confid ence levels
