ABSTRACT

This book covers the framework of project management, a discipline that is topical in many quarters. The aims of ‘Project Management Framework’ are to understand project management and to stimulate and contribute to a structured way of thinking in applying this discipline. In this work, a systems view to project management is described, based on the realization that management is a synthesis or inverse problem. One of the overriding reasons for writing this book was to counter the myriad of misconceptions and thinking errors that exist amount project management writers and practitioners. In addition, the usage of correct terminology and application of right level of thinking are discussed as factors contributing to the heart of more mature management practices.The subject matter is developed in this edition through looking at the fundamentals of projects and management and subsequently through studying the chronological development of the project life cycle. In order to support theory, numerous case examples from diverse industries are included. Aspects that are generally not available elsewhere are highlighted, whereas project management material that is readily available in other texts has been deliberately omitted.This book is intended to serve students, teachers and practitioners. As only very few prerequisites are needed apart from a basic interest in projects, some exposure to the discipline and a systematic thinking ability, this book serves a broad group of interested readers who want to know more about the discipline.

part 1|103 pages

Overview

chapter 1|16 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|31 pages

Projects and Project Life Cycles

chapter 3|12 pages

What is Project Management?

chapter 4|41 pages

Systematic General Problem Solving

part 2|77 pages

Starting a Project off

chapter 5|11 pages

Early Project Activities

chapter 6|24 pages

A Project's Origin

chapter 7|27 pages

Objectives and Constraints

chapter 8|11 pages

Project Scope

part 3|7 pages

Other Life Cycle Activities

chapter 9|5 pages

Other Life Cycle Activities

part 4|58 pages

Project Examples

chapter 10|9 pages

Movie Making

chapter 11|12 pages

Organisational Change

chapter 12|4 pages

Converting to a Project-Based Organisation

chapter 13|7 pages

Technical v Non-Technical Projects

chapter 14|10 pages

Projects with Ill-Defined Scope

chapter 15|12 pages

Fast-Tracked Projects

part 5|31 pages

A Fresh Look At Project Management

chapter 16|16 pages

Systems Thinking

chapter 17|13 pages

Staged (Phased) Decomposition of Projects