Articles

The articles are in the form of "downloads" in Acrobat (.pdf) format. Each file is less than 200kb in size.

Fundamentally speaking . . . . .

Here are four articles published in Project Manager Today. These are adapted from Part One of the Project Workout and set the scene for business-led project management. For the full text, obtain a copy of The Project Workout.

Part One concentrates on the business drivers for any project. It looks at ensuring the right projects are initiated to realize the benefits the business needs.

Part Two takes us back to looking at why we need a staged approach to directing and managing projects

Part Three looks at three aspects of the project lifecycle.

Part Four looks at the problems of resourcing and applying project techniques.

Business performance and portfolio management

This is probably one of the hottest topics. Now you know how to direct and manage your projects, how do you ensure you select the right ones to do in the first place?

Excellence is not enough

Portfolio management: selecting your projects according to strategic need

Sponsorship, leadership and porfolio management

Effective project sponsorship

Research is now indicating that many projects fail “topdown” due to a lack of effective project sponsorship. Here are some articles published in Project Manager Today with highlight the key issues you need to take into account. For a full guide, obtain a copy of the Executive Project Sponsor.

The Project Sponsor as business leader

Three important aspects of sponsorship: the leader, change agent and decision maker

Examining who a Project Sponsor is accountable to.

How a Project Sponsor relates to the Project Manager.

The final article in this series looks at the people aspects of sponsorship.

Risk Management

Projects and risk go hand in hand. You cannot achieve anything without taking risks. Deciding on an acceptable level of risk is key.

Risk simulation to influence project boards. Paper presented to PMT’s 9th Risk Management Conference.

Harnessing the staged approach to projects. Paper presented in May 2008 at the Effective Programme and Project management conference, London.

Copyright and permissions

These articles may only be used, as provided here, in their complete form for personal use. Any organisation wishing to use or reproduce the articles should first obtain permission from  Robert Buttrick, referring to the article and this web page.

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