Table of Contents
List of Illustrations x
Notes on contributors xv
Preface xxi
1 The Diversity of projects and project management 1
1.1 New perspectives on project management 1
1.2 The memes of project management 3
1.3 The nine schools of project management 6
1.4 A theory of the management of projects 12
1.5 Two typologies of projects 25
Part 1 The nine perspectives 31
2 Optimization: The project as a machine 33
2.1 The genesis of modern project management 33
2.2 Tools for optimizing project outcomes 34
2.3 Earned value management 48
2.4 CPM and EVM compated 57
2.5 The lean Six Sigma method 58
2.6 Is that all? 59
3 Modeling: The project as a mirror 62
3.1 Modeling rather than optimization 62
3.2 The cause of project overruns 64
3.3 Hard systems modeling 67
3.4 Soft systems modeling 69
3.5 Modeling propositions 73
3.6 Here comes the philosophy 77
3.7 Are we modeling the right things? 78
4 Success: The project as an objective 81
4.1 Modeling success 81
4.2 Judging success: Success critieria 82
4.3 Achieving success: Success factors 93
4.4 The project manager as a success factor 98
4.5 But who is in charge? 103
5 Governance: The project as a legal entity 105
5.1 Governing success 105
5.2 The project as a temporary organization 106
5.3 The governance of project management 111
5.4 Developing project management capability 128
5.5 Reviews, health checks, audits, and benchmarking 133
5.6 Project contract management 138
5.7 But where is the green parrot? 145
6 Behaviour: The project as a social system 148
6.1 Governing people 148
6.2 Project organization 149
6.3 Project teams 156
6.4 Diversity in projects 162
6.5 Emotionally competent project leadership 164
6.6 Human resource management 171
6.7 Are the people hearing? 176
7 Marking: The project as a billboard 179
7.1 Communicating with people 179
7.2 Stakeholder management 180
7.3 Marketing the project 186
7.4 Selling project management to senior executives 192
7.5 How do we get there? 197
8 Process: The project as an algorithm 199
8.1 Converting vision into reality 199
8.2 Project processes 200
8.3 Project management processes 209
8.4 Procedures manuals 219
8.5 Are we going in the right direction? 222
9 Decision: The project as a computer 224
9.1 Converting desire into memory 224
9.2 Deciding where to go 225
9.3 Deciding which fork to take 233
9.4 Setting project strategy 238
9.5 Do all roads lead to Rome? 242
10 Contingency: The project as a chameleon 245
10.1 Deciding to be different 245
10.2 Categorizing projects 246
10.3 Attributes of projects 250
10.4 Using the nine perspectives 257
10.5 Did we achieve the best of all possible outcomes? 262
Part II The three case studies 265
11 Using the nine perspectives 267
11.1 Taking a perspective 267
11.2 Choosing methods 268
11.3 The case 270
12 The North-South Metro Line: Managing in crowded historic Amsterdam 272
12.1 A brief history 272
12.2 The Amsterdam North-South Metro Line 273
12.3 Project history 277
12.4 Using the nine perspectives 283
12.5 Conclusing 295
13 The LAS story: Learning from failure 296
13.1 A journey from failure to success 296
13.2 The first attempt: Starting small 298
13.3 The Second attempt: Fostering ambition 298
13.4 The third attempt: Cutting up the elephant 304
13.5 Fourth time lucky 309
13.6 Beyond success: Looking to the future 310
13.7 Using the nine perspectives 317
14 ABS International: Sustainable project management 323
14.1 Sustainability and porjects 323
14.2 The ABS International Project 325
14.3 Sustainable success 332
14.4 Sustainable project management 335
14.5 Using the nine perspectives 337
Index 340
