Project Management for Business, Engineering, and Technology

Description
Project Management for Business, Engineering and Technology, 3rd edition is a direct response to the ever-increasing need for better project management. First covering the essential background, from origins and philosophy to methodology, the main bulk of the book is dedicated to the concepts and techniques of practical application, including project initiation and proposals, scope and task definition, scheduling, budgeting, risk analysis, control, project organization and all-important "people" aspects--project leadership, team building, conflict resolution and stress management.

The Systems Development Cycle is used as a framework to discuss project management in a variety of situations, making this the go-to book for managing virtually any kind of project, program or task force. Focusing on projects as goal-oriented systems of interrelated components functioning in a larger environment, the book targets the ultimate purpose of project management--to unify and integrate the interests, resources and work efforts of many stakeholders, as well as schedules, budgets, and plans, to accomplish the overall project goal.

This new edition provides:

* A comprehensive, balanced view that emphasizes both the behavioral and quantitative sides of project management

* Methods, procedures and systems for defining, planning, scheduling, controlling and organizing project activities

* Methods and procedures for handling the organziational, managerial and human behavioral issues relevant to project management

* Tools and concepts of growing importance, including project methodology, the project management office, project portfolio management and international project management

* Over 100 examples and case studies to illustrate theory in practice

* Full instructor support package with PowerPoint slides and answers to all questions in the book when you log in to Elsevier's textbook site at http://textbooks.elsevier.com/companions/9780750683999

This book is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate university students, and for practicing managers in business, engineering and technology.

John Nicholas is Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, Loyola University, Chicago. He is an active teacher, writer and researcher in project management and manufacturing management.

Herman Steyn is Professor at the Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Audience:
Project management courses at advanced undergraduate or masters level; Management courses for engineers and technologists; Students on modules covering management of service, product and engineering projects; Project managers in industry.

EBDM (www.ebdm.biz) is a management consulting and research firm extending advisory and implementation services to a broad range of clients in the non-profit, private and public sectors. EBDM specialises in monitoring & evaluation, research, project management, organisational development, strategic management and technology solutions. EBDM also manages its own business initiatives.

The Firm is a small but rapidly growing organisation and requires a young and dynamic individual to become a member of the Firm’s Project Management Office. The candidate will be required to contribute significantly to organisational development and therefore must have effective leadership qualities, which will prepare him/her for future senior management positions. The candidate should therefore be prepared and willing to invest at least the next three years of his/her career in the Firm.

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

With the vision of developing a project management centre of excellence, the Project Managment Expert will help establish a project management office that will enable standardization of the firm’s project management practices by adopting best practices from the industry. In line with the firm’s values of a consultative and participative approach, the PM Expert is expected to guide, coach and monitor project teams in the implementation of the project management methodology. The goal is to enable project managers in performing their tasks efficiently and effectively. The PM Expert must have exceptional skills in all knowledge areas of project management and be meticulous at filing and archiving project documents. Excellent communication skills are expected. Furthermore the project expert is expected to develop and manage a pool of consultants to enable quick identification and utilization of required resources for various projects.

The job of a PM Expert is demanding at EBDM as the person will need to quickly adapt to different working environments and technical fields for example environmental conservation, economic development, various industrial sectors, health, governance, education etc. The function requires regular interaction with clients and their staff and therefore travelling is a regular feature of the job.

One of the first assignments of the PM Expert will be to provide technical support to the Afghan Refugee Population Profiling, Verification & Response project. The objective of this project is to assess the needs of the Afghan population in Pakistan on the one hand and provide critical policy and strategy information that enables informed decision-making by important stakeholders on the other hand. After the successful completion of the pilot phase, the project has been scaled up to cover the entire Afghan population in Pakistan. The candidate should be prepared to commence work on this large-scale survey immediately under the supervision of senior technical experts in research, M&E and project management.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Actively participate in the development of the project management office with the vision of turning it into a project management centre of excellence.
2. Coach and guide project team members in the implementation of a project management methodology.
3. Develop a feedback mechanism for the continuous improvement of the project management methodology.
4. Develop a management dashboard for tracking and monitoring of all projects
5. Help functional project managers in developing scope statements, work breakdown structures and project schedules.
6. Develop a risk management programme for all projects and keep it alive throughout the life of the projects.
7. Maintain a central issue log for all projects issues
8. Maintain project documentation and be responsible for the regularly updating and communicating project management plans to stakeholders.
9. Establish quality assurances processes for all projects and regular monitor and report compliance.
10. Develop communication plans for all projects and maintain a regularly updated stakeholder register.
11. Develop and maintain a pool of knowledge experts who can be utilized for various projects of the firm.
12. Be responsible for tracking all project deliverables and regularly report on their status.
13. Be responsible for quality delivery of all assigned intermediate and final outputs of the Business Unit;
14. Actively participate in project formulation and planning activities including but not limited to preparation of concept notes, proposals and business plans;
15. Be responsible for managing client relationships with regard to the projects developed or undertaken by the firm;
16. Develop management frameworks for projects, programmes and organisations; Ensure effective implementation of the frameworks;
17. Ensure proficiency in use of necessary project management applications.
18. Develop and manage the Firm’s knowledgebase;
19. Any other task relating to the function assigned by the supervisor(s)

ADDITIONAL RESPONIBILITIES

1. Facilitate other Business Units in quality assurance of various reports and publications, as and when required;
2. Facilitate senior management in strategic planning and organisational development of the Firm, whenever required;
3. Facilitate other Business Units in achieving and maintaining the level of quality in operations required by recognised international management standards;
4. Through R&D projects/undertakings, identify and initiate business opportunities for other Units of the Firm.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Master’s degree in project management, general management or information technology from a recognised university;
2. At least seven years of relevant post qualification professional experience, with at least four years of specific experience in project management;
3. Certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) or Program Management Professionals (PgMP) will be given preference;
4. Excellent writing and general communication skills in English language. The candidate should be able to prepare and finalise extensive project proposals, business plans, evaluation and technical reports and effectively communicate with senior management officials of large corporations, donor agencies and international NGOs; Candidates who have scored well in the IELTS/TOEFL will be given preference;
5. Candidates who have prior experience of working with international bi-lateral or multi-lateral development agencies, international NGOs and/or multi-national companies in a similar position will be given preference;
6. High level of proficiency in MS Office required. The candidate should be proficient in using data processing and statistical tools such as MS Excel, Access and SPSS;
7. The candidate must be an independent worker who can carry out required tasks and responsibilities diligently, with minimum guidelines and instructions from senior management;
8. Ability to cope with challenging work routines; delivering under tight deadlines, multi-tasking and willing to travel extensively. Travelling will usually include visits to remote and rural areas of Pakistan and frequent visits between main cities of the Country;
9. Demonstrated leadership and vision in managing staff groups and major projects or initiatives;
10. Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative management style;