If you're looking for guidance to help you manage your project with added confidence, then this article will help you. Below I discuss seven key principles, based upon the PRINCE2 project management framework, designed to improve the likelihood of your project succeeding.
In a series of posts, of which this is the fourth, I present the facts about the 2009 version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam, in addition to thoughts on what they might tell us about the future of PRINCE2 project management professional qualifications. If you are considering PRINCE2 Practitioner training, read on for insight into the process of becoming a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner...
In a series of posts, of which this is the fifth (and final), I present the facts about the 2009 version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam, in addition to thoughts on what they might tell us about the future of PRINCE2 project management professional qualifications. If you are considering PRINCE2 training, read on for insight into the process of becoming a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner...
This article deals with the sixth of the OGC's eight causes of project failure: evaluation of the Business Case is driven by initial price rather than by value for money.
This article deals with the fifth of the OGC's eight causes of project failure: too little attention paid to breaking down the project into manageable stages. Strikingly, this was the only possible cause of failure identified by the NAO report as not a factor in the failure of the C-NOMIS project.
This article deals with the fourth of the OGC's eight causes of project failure: poor approach to project and risk management. The OGC, in consultation with hundreds of experienced management professionals and business experts, has developed best practice guidelines and frameworks for project management and risk management. PRINCE2, the project management methodology, has become the de-facto standard throughout the UK government, and is the most widely recognised industry qualification in Europe. M_o_R (Management of Risks) provides a similarly standardised approach for understanding and handling the risks to an organisation or a project.
This article deals with the third of the OGC's eight causes of project failure: insufficient or ineffective engagement with project stakeholders. Individuals and groups who are not part of the project management team, but who need to interact with the project or may be affected by the project's outcome, are known as stakeholders. Stakeholders can potentially gain or lost as a result of project delivery, and as a consequence may support or oppose the project.
This post deals with the second of the OGC's eight causes of project failure: the lack of effective or clear senior management, ownership or leadership at higher levels within the organisation.
In April 2009 the National Audit Office published a report that declared the failure of the original C-NOMIS and described how the project had demonstrated seven out of the eight primary causes of project failure. C-NOMIS has now been re-scoped and is earmarked for delivery in 2011. However, important questions remain regarding the way in which the project was managed, the length of time for which mis-management of the project was tolerated, and the value-for-money that can be expected from vast government programmes of this kind.
A Project Manager is the person responsible for the overall success of the project. Having received the Project Mandate (detailing the reason for the project and the expected outcome) from Corporate/Programme Management, it is the Project Manager’s job to...
It is a fact of life that not every project succeeds. Sometimes the market changes and the product is no longer viable. Sometimes the budget or time constraints are untenable. Sometimes it is simply a case that somebody has made a mistake.
The CPM (Critical Path Method) is a way of organising the necessary steps to project completion. It enables you to assess task priority, resources required and possible shortcuts. CPM is based on the creation of a sequence of dependent tasks (i.e. tasks that can only be performed after earlier tasks are complete). Performing Critical Path Analysis on this sequence allows you to work out possible parallel sequences (i.e. tasks that can be performed simultaneously). The Critical Path is the longest chain of dependent tasks required.
"Since I didn't hear otherwise, I ASSUMED all was going well" – The Importance of Communication in Project Management. Second on Rick Klemm’s list of things most commonly overheard on a failing software project, this remark is characteristic of Project Managers who are not in frequent and efficient communication with their staff. Communication is key to successful Project Management.
Nobody stays in one career all their life nowadays. Some go from teaching into law. Nurses enter the police force. Actors become politicians. Project Management offers the greatest opportunity for a career change. Demanding and rewarding in equal measure, it draws on transferable skills rather than industry specialisation.
Career management is, ironically, one of the biggest challenges facing today's Project Managers. According to a survey conducted by Parity, 64 per cent of organisations consider project management skills to be the most important for their employers to learn. 72 per cent intend to invest in project management training for their employees.
Project Management is an increasingly popular career choice for young graduates. According to statistics produced by the Middlesex University National Centre for Project Management, 1.5 – 2 million people earn their living as Project Managers in the UK alone.
The PRINCE2 Foundation Exam recognises knowledge of the PRINCE2 methodology. It provides an important boost to the C.V. of anybody seeking a career in project management, and is a prerequisite for PRINCE2 Practitioner status.
The PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam tests understanding of the PRINCE2 terminology and principles, as well as the ability to apply, analyse and evaluate the PRINCE2 method within given project situations. It is aimed at those who aspire to, or already have, responsibility for project management
Managing your website development need not cause you sleepless nights providing you learn the secrets of successful project management. Perform the best practices in project management and give your project the best chance of success.
Whether planning your wedding, developing a new website or building your dream house by the sea you need to employ project management techniques to help you succeed. This article summarises 7 key project management best practices to help you achieve project success.
