One of the major challenges facing project management today is the confusion between two critical concepts. These are: the process groups’ concept made famous by A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and the well-established principle of project life span (cycle). Many practitioners and organizations are confusing the two and assume that the process groups are phases on the project life span. The hypothesis is that on moderate and large projects, this confusion is causing challenges for projects, if not failure.

In the earlier two eBooks in this series, we discussed the challenges and opportunities for the practice of project management, we discussed the rationale behind a new approach, and we presented a project management methodology that builds on project life cycle and global standards. In this third eBook, we blend the two concepts and address multiple essential topics that are not limited to a project stage/phase. We present how these essential topics must be handled ‘across the project life span’. These essential topics include project approvals, project control, risk management, project success, managing stakeholders, and roles and responsibilities. In this eBook, we also discuss the methodology features of customization and adaptation for various domain and project classifications.

Table of Figures

Acknowledgements

Significant Contributor

Icons and Their Use

1. Introduction
2. The Series Four eBooks
3. Preface to Part III
4. The Full Model

1. Life Cycles 360o
   1. Introduction
   2. Product Life Cycle
   3. Project Life Cycle
   4. Project Owner Perspective
   5. Service Provider Perspective
   6. General Observations
2. Project Approvals
   1. Approval Points
   2. Common Practices
   3. Leading Practices
   4. Three Budget Approvals
3. Project Estimates
   1. Introduction
   2. Proposed Approach
   3. Are Three Estimates Too Many?
   4. Estimating and Project Management Maturity
4. Project Control: Moving Baselines
   1. Introduction
   2. Traditional View
   3. CAM2P™ Perspective
   4. Project Management Maturity and Control
   5. Scope Creep
   6. Closing Comments
5. Project Risk Management
   1. Introduction
   2. Risks: Threats or Threats and Opportunities
   3. How Often Do We Perform Risk Assessment
   4. Stage versus Project Risks
   5. Risk Management across the Stages
   6. Timing for Managing Risks
6. Project Stakeholders
   1. Who Are The Various Players Along The Project Life Span?
   2. The Bus Trip Analogy
7. Project Success
   1. Setting the Scene
   2. Perspectives
   3. CAM2P™ Proposed Approach
   4. Applying the Concept
   5. When Do We Define the Measures of Success
   6. Dimensions of Project Success and Project Life Span
8. Applying the Model
   1. Introduction
   2. Project Samples
   3. Teasers – A Peek into Future Work
9. Customizing the Model
   1. Need to Customize
   2. Common Concepts
   3. What Is Customizable?
   4. Customizing To a Project Domain (Industry)
   5. How to Customize
   6. Project Manager Authority
10. Adapting the Model
    1. Customizable versus Adaptable
    2. Project Classifications
    3. Example to Differentiate
    4. Why Should an Organization Customize and Adapt the Model
    5. One Sample
    6. A Reviewer Comment
    7. A Story Reflecting Current Reality
11. Potential Pitfalls
    1. Refresher
    2. The pitfalls
12. Appendix A: Bibliography
13. Appendix B: Model Frequently Asked Questions
14. Appendix C: Summary Outlines for All Four eBooks
15. Author Biography
16. Endnotes