Managing Complex Projects And Programs

The application of project management techniques is considered standard practice in today's business environment. What is not widely known is that the learning gap separating good project management from exceptional project management is not as great as one might think yet, the difference in the return on value can be quite significant. Many factors determine how projects are approached, such as rapid shifts in technology, a fluctuating market, changes in a business's organizational structure, and politics. As these forces add to a project's complexity and duration, project managers must develop strategies that allow them to think outside the box and create new on-the-go methodologies. Managing Complex Projects delivers the tools necessary to take on an unpredictable economy with an adaptable battle plan proven to meet the differing needs of an ever-expanding set of partners and stakeholders involved in a project. This book shows how to solve some of the issues facing today's project manager, including: Dealing with multiple virtual teams located around the world Working with partners and stakeholders that may have limited project management tools and experience Adjusting to long-term projects in which the stakeholders may change Managing projects where stated goals and objectives differ among stakeholders This book shows how companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Siemens are exploring new avenues to aid them in taking on complex projects by combining "hard" skills, such as risk management and scheduling, with "soft" skills that focus on interpersonal communication. Managing Complex Projects serves as a lifesaver for time-crunched project managers looking for new ways to maximize their efforts.

For organizations to thrive, indeed to survive, in today's global economy, we must find ways to dramatically improve the performance of large-scale projects. Applying the concepts of complexity theory can complement conventional project management approaches and enable us to adapt to the unrelenting change that we ignore at our own peril. Managing Complex Projects: A New Model offers an innovative way of looking at projects and treating them as complex adaptive systems. Applying the principles of complexity thinking will enable project managers and leadership teams to manage large-scale initiatives successfully. • Explore how complexity thinking can be used to find new, creative ways to think about and manage projects • Diagnose complexity on a wide range of projects — from small, independent, short projects to highly complex, longer projects • Understand and manage the complexity of the business problem, opportunity, solution, and other dimensions that come into play when managing large-scale efforts Use the Project Complexity Model to determine the most effective approach to managing all aspects of a project based on the level of complexity involved.

To see a program successfully through to completion, a program manager must break the work down into simpler, smaller pieces and organize it into interdependent tasks…and this book helps you do just that. Projects require managers, but programs warrant maestros. Tasked with overseeing multiple project teams and thousands of activities, program managers have one of the most challenging jobs in the market. Too many overburdened managers are leaving otherwise great jobs, even the field entirely, because they haven’t equipped themselves with the right tools in hand to take on this complex but fulfilling job. Complete with diagrams, graphs, and real-life examples, How to Manage Complex Programs explains the ins and outs of program management and provides concrete and effective techniques for structuring deliverables, workflow, and staffing. You will learn to: Decompose complex deliverables into manageable chunks Develop coherent plans for component projects Handle cross-project dependencies Organize program staff and project leaders into a high-performing team Yes, program management is challenging but the most rewarding jobs always are. Don’t let yourself become overburdened and tempted to leave a field in high demand of hard workers such as yourself. These proven strategies are the key to finding both relief and success!

How-to guidance for defining and implementing a complex project performance environment Sharing his forty-five years of project management experience, best-selling author and industry guru Robert Wysocki presents a straightforward, enlightening, and pragmatic guide to help senior managers make the transition to an organization that profits and thrives on complexity. The first book to discuss practical project management mitigation strategies, Executive's Guide to Project Management presents easy-to-implement infrastructures and processes that will ensure the continued success of your organization and maximize your investment of every project. Collects in one resource all the relevant information for understanding and creating an environment for improved complex project performance A must-read for every member of your senior management team Shows you how to regain responsibility, take action, and skillfully handle complexity to mitigate risk and increase return on project investments It's time for your senior management team to take back control of your investments in projects and programs. Executive's Guide to Project Management shows you how to cultivate your part of the organization so that it can respond to a changing project environment with the infrastructure to support the project and program investment decisions.

"Manage projects and programs with an innovative new framework that rethinks complex endeavorsDespite being a major process in PMI's body of knowledge and having its own standard document and certificate designation based on successful experience and passing of an exam, program and project management remains one of the most difficult concepts to master successfully in today's increasingly complex and ever-evolving global business environment. Third Generation Programmatics walks readers through where program management began, through current cutting-edge concepts, such as agile and extreme project management, and, finally, to a new set of guidelines that will allow the successful integration of programs and projects into the strategic direction of an organization.Presented through insightful vignettes and real-world case studies, the information provided in Third Generation Programmatics is essential reading not only for program and project managers in the trenches, but also for managers and executives who need to ensure the true integration of these processes into their overall business strategy. Focuses on aligning projects and programs within the complex environments of today's business models Presents a framework for best practices based on successes and failures in real-world cases Progresses from original project management frameworks through current initiatives Builds a new map for successful project and program management If you're a program or project manager, a general business manager, or a candidate for the PgMP exam, Third Generation Programmatics offers the latest, most inventive framework for ensuring the success of your organization's strategic goals"--

Quantitative analysis of outcomes vs PMs at the individual level Leading Complex Projects takes a unique approach to post-mortem analysis to provide project managers with invaluable insight. For the first time, individual PM characteristics are quantitatively linked to project outcomes through a major study investigating the role of project leadership in the success and failure of complex industrial projects; hard data on the backgrounds, education, and personality characteristics of over 100 directors of complex projects is analyzed against the backdrop of project performance to provide insight into controllable determinants of outcomes. By placing these analyses alongside their own data, PMs will gain greater insight into areas of weakness and strength, locate recurring obstacles, and identify project components in need of greater planning, oversight, or control. The role of leadership is to deliver results; in project management, this means taking responsibility for project outcomes. PMs are driven by continuous improvement, and this book provides a wealth of insight to help you achieve the next step forward. Understand why small, simple projects consistently outperform larger, more complex projects Delve into the project manager's role in generating successful outcomes Examine the data from over 100 PMs of complex industrial projects Link PM characteristics to project outcome to find areas for improvement Complex industrial projects from around the world provide a solid basis for quantitative analysis of outcomes—and the PMs who drive them. Although the majority of the data is taken from projects in the petroleum industry, the insights gleaned from analysis are widely applicable across industry lines for PMs who lead complex projects of any stripe. Leading Complex Projects provides clear, data-backed improvement guidance for anyone in a project management role.

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR MANAGING COMPLEX INITIATIVES With the increasing demands of the global business environment, many leaders observe that their organizations struggle to manage complex strategic initiatives. Managing Complex Projects and Programs examines why and offers a solution. Drawing on the insight of experienced executives and program and project managers from a diverse range of real-world industries, Managing Complex Projects and Programs: Examines the common reasons for poor performance of modern projects and programs Introduces new guidelines and an innovative leadership framework for solving performance issues Provides organizations with a roadmap for redefining the roles of project and program management professionals Whether you are a current program or project manager, a student of program or project management, or an executive seeking to prepare your organization for a complex and uncertain future, Managing Complex Projects and Programs will challenge you to rethink your approach for managing strategic initiatives and ensuring your organization’s success

Traditional project management approaches assume that project contexts are unchanging and key factors, though complicated, are reducible to unambiguous elements for management and control. Whilst this assumption has simplified the task for writers and educators, it is increasingly being recognised that these techniques do not work in projects which may be described as complex (due to their size, technical difficulties, conflicting environmental and political constraints or poorly understood or shared goals). Tools for Complex Projects draws on research in the areas of project management, complexity theory and systems thinking to provide a ready reference for understanding and managing the increasing complexity of projects and programmes. The main part of the book provides a series of fourteen project tools. Some of these tools may be used at the level of the whole project life-cycle. Others may be applied ad hoc at any time. In each case, the authors provide: detailed guidelines for using the tool, information on its purpose and the types of complexity for which it is most appropriate, the theoretical background to the tool, a practical example of its use, and any necessary words of caution. This is an example of advanced project management at work; sophisticated tools that require a level of project and management expertise and offer rigorous and highly practical methods for understanding, structuring and managing the most complex of projects.