Effective Project Management For Development Organizations

The PMD Guide provides an introductory, independent exploration of Project Management within the context of the development sector. PMD Pro is an essential best practices guide for all non-profit organizations: international NGOs, country level and community based NGOs, humanitarian organizations, foundations, and funding organizations.The purpose of the PMD Guide is to improve development professionals' project management capacity. The Guide provides a contextualized, balanced, comprehensive, and adaptable resource to help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of projects in the development sector. It is intended for an audience that includes:* Project Managers and team members who are new to project management;* Project Managers and team members who are new to the development sector;* Development sector professionals who intend to pursue professional credentials in project management; * Consultants/contract staff operating in the development sector.The PMD Guide is organized into four sections:Section One: Projects in the Development SectorProjects pervade the culture of development organizations. As a result, project management is a critical competency for development professionals. Section One provides an introductory, high-level overview of projects in the sector, answering questions that include: * Why do projects matter? * How to define projects and project management? * How do projects fit in the larger strategic culture of development organizations? * What are the roles/responsibilities of the project manager and the project team? * What competencies are required to be a successful project manager?Section Two: Phases in the Life of a Development ProjectIn project management, as in much of life, a secret to success is balance. Section Two of the Guide explores the importance of balanced project management through the entire life of the project. Following a brief introduction that introduces the concept of the phases in the life of the project, Section Two of the Guide explores each of the six phases in the life of the project, including: * Project Identification and Design* Project Set Up* Project Planning* Project Implementation* Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Control* End of Project TransitionSection Three: Project Management DisciplinesTo succeed, project managers in the development sector need to develop an array of project management disciplines that must be applied through the entire life of the project. Section Three explores six discipline areas of project managers in the development sector, including:* Scope Management* Time Management* Project Resource Management* Risk Management * Project Justification Management* Stakeholder ManagementSection Four: Adapting the PMD ProThe PMD Guide is NOT a template to be applied indiscriminately to all projects and by all organizations. It is important to remember that each development organization is unique. Furthermore, within a single organization, projects will vary considerably in terms of value, complexity and risk. Even in situations where two projects seem to be similar, the environments in which projects are implemented are unpredictable and field realities can vary significantly from the scenarios anticipated in plans made just months earlier. Recognizing that development organizations and their projects are unique, Section 4 examines approaches project managers can employ to adapt the PMD Pro project management approaches to the context in which their projects work.

Since it was first published in 1997, Creating an Environment for Successful Projects has become a landmark work that shows how to develop project management as an organizational practice. This second edition offers solid, results-oriented advice on how upper management can create an environment that supports the success of special projects and the development of new products. The book also includes a wealth of examples from the authors' workshop participants and readers of the first edition who have successfully implemented these concepts within their organizations. New in the second edition: Ideas and practices about portfolio management to achieve greater overall success from a portfolio of projects Advice for helping project teams come together to become more effective Information for developing the chief project officer Suggestions for implementing project management information systems More descriptions about organizations and people who have used these principles to develop vastly improved environments

This book provides project managers with a guide to help them plan, implement, and monitor projects and to provide international development organizations, with a methodology to initiate, plan, implement, monitor and close projects in a more consistent, reliable and predictable manner. The effective use of a project management methodology ensures a cost effective use of limited resources such as people and funds. A project management methodology can help development or-ganizations meet their strategic goals by standardizing processes, reducing risks, and avoiding duplication of efforts with the purpose of increasing the impact of their interventions.

Project Management Institute has introduced Implementing Organizational Project Management: A Practice Guide to assist organizations in developing and defining effective project management methodologies. In a 2012 PMI market research project, more than half of the respondents identified a lack of published guidance on development of customized methodologies. This practice guide outlines practical knowledge and steps to define and develop a methodology in alignment with the foundational standards and framework that were first provided in PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).

Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change -- by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.

The Project Management Imperative will teach you not only how to improve your organization's ability to manage projects but also how to apply project management methods and tools in day-to-day operations. Authors David Wirick and Gretchen Bond, both certified project managers, bring years of experience in project management and organizational change management to their guidebook. The Project Management Imperative is designed for managers who are frustrated with project failures as well as those who must work in the chaos of modern organizations. Wirick and Bond present a comprehensive model for project management capacity development that includes: Creating buy-in and building the project management business case Identifying necessary skills and applying appropriate learning programs Creating solid project management processes Building sound organizational structures for project management Managing the knowledge and change that project management will require The Project Management Imperative details the steps critical to the process and permanence of a project management improvement initiative in any organization. 'The Project Management Imperative promises to become a reference book for project managers, organizations and authors for years to come." -David J. Hansen, PhD, PMP, Executive Director, Organizational Innovation and Learning, Babbage Simmel