The Manager's Pocket Guide to Project Management
This pocket-sized handbook is based on Greer's best-selling book The Project Manager's Partner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Project Management. Like its predecessor, this text builds upon The Project Management Institute's PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), seeking to provide specific how-to-do-it tips for achieving many of PMBOK's recommended best practices.
Compared to The Project Manager's Partner this handbook provides substantially less project management (PM) theory and background information. Instead, it is designed as a quick reference guide for the busy manager and includes all the Partner's time-tested PM worksheets and guidelines. In fact, it contains over 200 pages of no-nonsense guidance for the busy project manager. In addition, the author has drawn on his recent experiences implementing the Partner in training and consulting engagements to create 15 powerful new PM tools which are published here for the first time. These include:
 | Worksheet: My Unique Project Life Cycle |
| Worksheet: The Project Charter |
| Worksheet: Project Scope Statement |
| Worksheet: Estimating Durations of Activities and Resources Required |
| Worksheet: Project Communications Planner |
| Worksheet: Risk Assessment & Response Analyzer |
| Guidelines: Keeping Things Moving -- A "To-Do" List and Tools to Help You Control and Close Out Your Project |
| Worksheet: Project Deliverables Status Analyzer |
| Worksheet: Variance Analyzer |
| Guidelines: Handling Scope Change |
| Worksheet: Project Scope Change Order |
| Worksheet: Project Issue Tracker |
| Worksheet: The Project Status Report |
| Worksheet: Sample Project Sign-off Form |
| Guidelines: When to Kill the Project |
The Manager's Pocket Guide to Project Management
by Michael Greer
Table of Contents
(Note: Tools marked with * are entirely new to this publication.)
Introduction [page 1]
How to Use This Handbook [pages 3-5]
| Part I: Your Deliverables, Phases, and Project Life Cycle |
| Part II: Your Essential Project Actions |
| Part III: You Project Management Action Tools |
| Where to Begin |
Part I: Your Deliverables, Phases, and Project Life Cycle [pages 6 - 24]
| Project Deliverables |
| Project Phases |
| The Project Life Cycle |
| Phase I: Determine Need and Feasibility |
| Phase II: Create Project Plan |
| Phase III: Create Deliverables Specifications |
| Phase IV: Create Deliverables |
| Phase V: Test & Implement Deliverables |
| Assignment: Your Unique Project Life Cycle |
| Worksheet: My Unique Project Life Cycle * |
Part II: Your Essential Project Actions [pages 25 - 50]
| Project Management Processes |
| Initiating |
| Planning |
| Executing |
| Controlling |
| Closing |
| Project Phases and the Project Management Processes |
| Assignment: Your Essential Project Actions |
| Summary of Key Project Manager Actions & Results |
| Phases, Processes, and Action Items: Pulling It All Together |
Part III: Your Project Management Action Tools [pages 51 - 190]
| Overview |
| Action Tool: Demonstrate Project Need and Feasibility |
| Worksheet: Demonstrating Project Need and Feasibility |
| Action Tool: Obtain Project Authorization |
| Worksheet: Is This Project Authorized? |
| Worksheet: The Project Charter * |
| Action Tool: Obtain Authorization for the Phase |
| Worksheet: Is This Phase Really Authorized? |
| Action Tool: Describe Project Scope |
| Checklist: Evaluating Project Scope |
| Worksheet: Project Scope Statement * |
| Example: Work Breakdown Structure |
| Action Tool: Define and Sequence Project Activities |
| Guidelines for Defining and Sequencing Project Activities |
| Example: Project Network Diagram |
| Action Tool: Estimate Durations for Activities and Resources Required |
| Guidelines for Estimating Durations for Activities & Resources Required |
| Worksheet: Estimating Durations of Activities and Resources Required * |
| Action Tool: Develop a Project Schedule |
| Guidelines for Developing the Project Schedule |
| Examples: Project Schedules |
| Action Tool: Estimate Costs |
| Example: A "Bottom Up" Cost Estimate |
| Guidelines for Making a "Bottom Up" Cost Estimate |
| Action Tool: Build a Budget and Spending Plan |
| Guidelines for Building a Budget and Spending Plan |
| Optional Action Tool: Create a Formal Quality Plan |
| Guidelines for Creating a Formal Quality Plan |
| Optional Action Tool: Create a Formal Project Communications Plan |
| Guidelines for Developing the Project Communications Plan |
| Worksheet: Project Communications Planner * |
| Action Tool: Organize and Acquire Staff |
| Guidelines for Developing the Organizational Plan and Strategy for Acquiring Staff |
| Worksheet: Project Responsibility/Accountability Matrix |
| Guidelines: Tips for Working with Experts Outside Your Area of Expertise |
| Optional Action Tool: Identify Risks and Plan to Respond |
| Guidelines for Identifying Risks and Planning to Respond |
| Worksheet: Risk Assessment & Response Analyzer * |
| Optional Action Tool: Plan for and Acquire Outside Resources |
| Guidelines for Planning to Procure Outside Goods or Services |
| Guidelines for Soliciting Bids for Outside Goods or Services |
| Guidelines for Selecting the Best Contractor for the Job |
| Action Tool: Organize the Project Plan |
| Guidelines for Building the Project Plan |
| Action Tool: Close Out the Project Planning Phase |
| Guidelines for Closing Out the Project Planning Phase |
| Action Tool: Revisit the Project Plan and Replan If Needed |
| Guidelines for Revisiting the Plan and Replanning if Needed |
| Action Tool: Execute Project Activities |
| Guidelines for Executing a Project Phase |
| Action Tool: Control Project Activities |
| Guidelines: Keeping Things Moving -- A "To-Do" List and Tools to Help You Control and Close Out Your Project * |
| Worksheet: Project Deliverables Status Analyzer * |
| Worksheet: Variance Analyzer * |
| Guidelines: Handling Scope Change * |
| Worksheet: Project Scope Change Order * |
| Worksheet: Project Issue Tracker * |
| Worksheet: The Project Status Report * |
| Action Tool: Close Out Project Activities |
| Guidelines for Closing Out a Project Phase |
| Worksheet: Sample Sign-off Form * |
Appendix A: Potential Shortcuts for Low-Risk Projects
Appendix B: Guidelines -- When to Kill the Project *
Appendix C: Glossary of Project Management Terms
Appendix D: References
Appendix E: Subject Index
* (Note: Tools marked with * are entirely new to this publication.)