Chapter 1
Modern Project Management
Chapter Outline
1. What Is A Project?
A. What A Project Is Not
B. Program Versus
Project C. The Project
Life Cycle D. The Project
Manager
E. Being Part Of A Project Team
2. Agile Project Management
3. Current Drivers Of Project Management
A. Compression Of The Product Life Cycle
B. Knowledge Explosion
C. Triple Bottom Line (Planet, People, Profit)
D. Increased Customer Focus
E. Small Projects Represent Big Problems
4. Project Management Today: A Socio-Technical Approach
5. Summary
6. Text Overview
7. Key Terms
8. Review Questions
9. Snapshot From Practice: Discussion Questions
10. Exercises
11. Case 1.1: A Day In The Life—2019
12. Case 1.2: The Hokies Lunch Group
,Chapter Learning Objectives
After Reading This Chapter You Should Be Able To:
LO 1-1 Understand Why Project Management Is Crucial In Today’s World.
LO 1-2 Distinguish A Project From Routine Operations.
LO 1-3 Identify The Different Stages Of A Project Life Cycle.
LO 1-4 Describe How Agile PM Is Different From Traditional PM.
LO 1-5 Understand That Managing Projects Involves Balancing The Technical
And Sociocultural Dimensions Of The Project.
Review Questions
1. Define A Project. What Are Five Characteristics Which Help Differentiate
Projects From Other Functions Carried Out In The Daily Operations Of The
Organization?
A Project Is A Complex, Non-Routine, One-Time Effort Limited By Time, Budget,
Resource, And Specifications. Differentiating Characteristics Of Projects From
Routine, Repetitive Daily Work Are Below:
A. A Defined Lifespan
B. A Well-Defined Objective
C. Typically Involves People From Several Disciplines
D. A Project Life Cycle
E. Specific Time, Cost, And Performance Requirements.
2. What Are Some Of The Key Environmental Forces That Have Changed
The Way Projects Are Managed? What Has Been The Effect Of These
Forces On The Management Of Projects?
Some Environmental Forces That Have Changed The Way We Manage Projects
Are The Product Life Cycle, Knowledge Growth, Global Competition, Organization
Downsizing, Technology Changes, Time-To-Market. The Impact Of These Forces
Is More Projects Per Organization, Project Teams Responsible For Implementing
Projects, Accountability, Changing Organization Structures, Need For Rapid
Completion Of Projects, Linking Projects To Organization Strategy And Customers,
Prioritizing Projects To Conserve Organization Resources, Alliances With External
Organizations, And So On.
3. Describe The Four Phases Of The Traditional Project Life Cycle. Which Phase
Do You Think Would Be Most The Difficult One To Complete?
, 1. Defining: Project Specifications Objectives Are Defined, And Teams Are Formed
With Major Responsibilities Assigned. Much Of This Is Referred To As Defining
The Scope
Of A Project.
2. Planning: The Creation Of A Comprehensive Plan That Includes Schedules,
Budgets,
Staffing And Risk Assessment.
3. Executing: Work Begins, Deliverables Are Produced, And Progress Is Monitored.
4. Closing: Putting The Project To Bed Includes Customer Delivery, Post Project
Review Or Audit, And Redeployment Of Project Team.
Problematic. Disagreements At The Customer Acceptance Can Lead To Rework,
Tension And In Many Cases Litigation. Veteran Project Managers Answer To This
Question Would Be ―It All Depends‖.
4. What Kinds Of Projects Is Agile PM Best Suited For And Why?
R&D Work, Technological Breakthroughs, And Creative Endeavors.
5. The Technical And Sociocultural Dimensions Of Project Management Are Two
Sides To The Same Coin. Explain.
The Technical And Sociocultural Dimensions Of Project Management Are Two
Sides Of The Same Coin Because Successful Project Managers Are Skillful In Both
Areas. The Point Is Successful Project Managers Need To Be Very Comfortable
And Skillful In Both Areas.
Snapshot From Practice: Discussion Questions
1.1 The Project Management Institute
1. If You Were A Student Interested In Pursuing A Career In Project Management How
Important Do You Think Being CAPM Would Be?
There Is No Data Available On The Value Of The CAPM In The Job Market. Experts
Suggest At A Minimum It Demonstrates A Strong Interest In Project Management And A
Good Understanding Of The Project Management Processes. Given The Growing
Demand For People To Work On Projects, The CAPM May Just Separate You From
Other Applicants.
2. How Valuable Do You Think Being A Certified PMP Is?
Reliable Data Is Hard To Find. PMI Reported That The Median Salary For A PMP Is
$108,200. Non-Certified Project Managers, On The Other Hand, Showed A Median
Income Of $91,000. According To A Different Survey, Eighty Percent Of High-
Performing Projects Used PMP Certified Project Managers.
, 1.3 London Calling: Seattle Seahawks Versus Oakland Raiders
Modern Project Management
Chapter Outline
1. What Is A Project?
A. What A Project Is Not
B. Program Versus
Project C. The Project
Life Cycle D. The Project
Manager
E. Being Part Of A Project Team
2. Agile Project Management
3. Current Drivers Of Project Management
A. Compression Of The Product Life Cycle
B. Knowledge Explosion
C. Triple Bottom Line (Planet, People, Profit)
D. Increased Customer Focus
E. Small Projects Represent Big Problems
4. Project Management Today: A Socio-Technical Approach
5. Summary
6. Text Overview
7. Key Terms
8. Review Questions
9. Snapshot From Practice: Discussion Questions
10. Exercises
11. Case 1.1: A Day In The Life—2019
12. Case 1.2: The Hokies Lunch Group
,Chapter Learning Objectives
After Reading This Chapter You Should Be Able To:
LO 1-1 Understand Why Project Management Is Crucial In Today’s World.
LO 1-2 Distinguish A Project From Routine Operations.
LO 1-3 Identify The Different Stages Of A Project Life Cycle.
LO 1-4 Describe How Agile PM Is Different From Traditional PM.
LO 1-5 Understand That Managing Projects Involves Balancing The Technical
And Sociocultural Dimensions Of The Project.
Review Questions
1. Define A Project. What Are Five Characteristics Which Help Differentiate
Projects From Other Functions Carried Out In The Daily Operations Of The
Organization?
A Project Is A Complex, Non-Routine, One-Time Effort Limited By Time, Budget,
Resource, And Specifications. Differentiating Characteristics Of Projects From
Routine, Repetitive Daily Work Are Below:
A. A Defined Lifespan
B. A Well-Defined Objective
C. Typically Involves People From Several Disciplines
D. A Project Life Cycle
E. Specific Time, Cost, And Performance Requirements.
2. What Are Some Of The Key Environmental Forces That Have Changed
The Way Projects Are Managed? What Has Been The Effect Of These
Forces On The Management Of Projects?
Some Environmental Forces That Have Changed The Way We Manage Projects
Are The Product Life Cycle, Knowledge Growth, Global Competition, Organization
Downsizing, Technology Changes, Time-To-Market. The Impact Of These Forces
Is More Projects Per Organization, Project Teams Responsible For Implementing
Projects, Accountability, Changing Organization Structures, Need For Rapid
Completion Of Projects, Linking Projects To Organization Strategy And Customers,
Prioritizing Projects To Conserve Organization Resources, Alliances With External
Organizations, And So On.
3. Describe The Four Phases Of The Traditional Project Life Cycle. Which Phase
Do You Think Would Be Most The Difficult One To Complete?
, 1. Defining: Project Specifications Objectives Are Defined, And Teams Are Formed
With Major Responsibilities Assigned. Much Of This Is Referred To As Defining
The Scope
Of A Project.
2. Planning: The Creation Of A Comprehensive Plan That Includes Schedules,
Budgets,
Staffing And Risk Assessment.
3. Executing: Work Begins, Deliverables Are Produced, And Progress Is Monitored.
4. Closing: Putting The Project To Bed Includes Customer Delivery, Post Project
Review Or Audit, And Redeployment Of Project Team.
Problematic. Disagreements At The Customer Acceptance Can Lead To Rework,
Tension And In Many Cases Litigation. Veteran Project Managers Answer To This
Question Would Be ―It All Depends‖.
4. What Kinds Of Projects Is Agile PM Best Suited For And Why?
R&D Work, Technological Breakthroughs, And Creative Endeavors.
5. The Technical And Sociocultural Dimensions Of Project Management Are Two
Sides To The Same Coin. Explain.
The Technical And Sociocultural Dimensions Of Project Management Are Two
Sides Of The Same Coin Because Successful Project Managers Are Skillful In Both
Areas. The Point Is Successful Project Managers Need To Be Very Comfortable
And Skillful In Both Areas.
Snapshot From Practice: Discussion Questions
1.1 The Project Management Institute
1. If You Were A Student Interested In Pursuing A Career In Project Management How
Important Do You Think Being CAPM Would Be?
There Is No Data Available On The Value Of The CAPM In The Job Market. Experts
Suggest At A Minimum It Demonstrates A Strong Interest In Project Management And A
Good Understanding Of The Project Management Processes. Given The Growing
Demand For People To Work On Projects, The CAPM May Just Separate You From
Other Applicants.
2. How Valuable Do You Think Being A Certified PMP Is?
Reliable Data Is Hard To Find. PMI Reported That The Median Salary For A PMP Is
$108,200. Non-Certified Project Managers, On The Other Hand, Showed A Median
Income Of $91,000. According To A Different Survey, Eighty Percent Of High-
Performing Projects Used PMP Certified Project Managers.
, 1.3 London Calling: Seattle Seahawks Versus Oakland Raiders
