Authors: John McManus and Trevor Wood-HarperPublisher: Financial Times Management, 2003
ISBN: 0273646990
310 pages
Authors: John McManus and Trevor Wood-Harper
Publisher: Financial Times Management, 2003
ISBN: 0273646990
310 pages
This book really interested me: it answered the project management questions that I have picked up along the way (over 18 years in ICT across various disciplines) for which I have never before found answers!
Every chapter has a neat summary, project checklist, self-assessment exercise, as well as a case study. There are questions included, which means that this book can be used for group-learning, and it also makes you think. The book also provides a number of handy website references.
I liked the case studies as they dealt with reality: they listed some of the learnings, some of the failures, and some of the things that did not go quite as planned.
What I particularly appreciate about the book is that it contrasts and compares some popular project management aspects. There is a comparison between the British Association of Project Management’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (APM Body of Knowledge) and the American A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). There is a comparison between different project management approaches and the associated issues around these, e.g. the matrix management approach.
The comparisons don’t stop there: this book explains and compares a number of methodologies – e.g. SSADM, RAD, etc. – as well as providing handy checklists to assist in assessing whether a method will be suitable to a specific type of project or environment.
If you were confused by, or never really understood, some ICT terminology or concepts – this is the book for you! It is almost like a dictionary with explanations of IT terminology in terms of systems development.
PRINCE as a methodology for project management is used in order to explain how to manage the project life cycle. The techniques of COCOMO and function point analysis are described in relation to estimation and risk analysis. ISO 9000, TickIT and CMM® are discussed in terms of managing quality.
What made me sigh with relief was that an important fact was recognised throughout the book: testing should be done early-on in the project process! This was not stated explicitly; however, it came through in some of the case studies, as well as testing not placed early on in a project being listed as a non-benefit.
For any project manager, this is a must; for any other IT person – a very handy reference book. I wish I had this book when I did project management as it has certainly filled in a couple of gaps for me!