Studies show that U.S. companies lose approximately $75 billion annually on failed or mismanaged projects. Avoid the many pitfalls and deliver projects on time, within budget, and of the scope and quality desired by the client, with a highly successful tool called the Statement of Work (SOW). In Delivering Project Excellence with the Statement of Work, author Michael Martin explains what an SOW is, how it's developed and used on a project to establish a baseline, develop pricing, and measure changes and profitability, and how to communicate and sell the importance of the SOW to the client and your own organization. Included with this book is a bonus CD-ROM with sample SOWs, templates, and forms to help you manage change to the project throughout its life cycle. This is a must-have book for every project leader, manager, team member or client.

The standard on government statements of work just got better! How to Write a Statement of Work has been a standard reference for government employees and contractors for many years. Now, with this sixth edition, it is even more relevant and useful. Based on the excellent foundation laid by the late Peter Cole, Michael Martin has updated and added material to guarantee this handbook's place in the list of “must haves” for working with government contracts. As in the earlier editions, the emphasis is on providing practical, detailed guidance on writing and preparing a description of government requirements, whether a statement of work (SOW), a performance work statement (PWS), or a statement of objectives (SOO). Among the many additions to this sixth edition are updates to reflect the current definition of an SOO as well as references and guidance regarding the development and application of the SOO. There is a new chapter on why change management is so important on projects, legal precedents supporting change management, and how to identify when a change occurs using the SOW. This new chapter also includes information on the federal government's Standard Form 30 (SF30) to provide perspective on how change orders are used and applied in the federal government. If you are working in government contracting in any capacity, you should have this book on hand!

This volume offers practical guidance on writing and preparing a description of government requirements, whether the document used is a statement of work (SOW), a performance work statement (PWS), or a statement of objectives (SOO). This description specifies exactly what good and services are being purchased, including their quality, requirements, quantity, and schedule for delivery, and also defines the relationship between the government and the contractor. From an overview of the elements that make a good SOW, to the methods for changing an SOW to meet new conditions, this is a hands-on resource for every government manager who is involved with contracts.

The comprehensive guide to project management implementation, updated with the latest in the field Project management has spread beyond the IT world to become a critical part of business in every sphere; built on efficiency, analysis, and codified practice, professional project management leads to the sort of reproducible results and reliable processes that make a business successful. Project Management Best Practices provides implementation guidance for every phase of a project, based on the real-world methodologies from leading companies around the globe. Updated to align with the industry’s latest best practices, this new Fourth Edition includes new discussion on Agile and Scrum, tradeoffs and constraints, Portfolio PMO tools, and much more. Get up-to-date information on the latest best practices that add value at every level of an organization Gain insight from more than 50 project managers at world-class organizations including Airbus, Heineken, RTA, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Cisco, Nokia, and more Delve deeper into implementation guidance for Agile, Scrum, and Six Sigma Explore more efficient methodologies, training, measurement, and metrics that boost organization-wide performance Adopt new approaches to culture and behavioral excellence, including conflict resolution, situational leadership, proactive management, staffing, and more Ideal for both college and corporate training, this book is accompanied by an Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoint lecture slides that bring project management concepts right into the classroom. As the field continues to grow and evolve, it becomes increasingly important to stay current with new and established practices; this book provides comprehensive guidance on every aspect of project management, with invaluable real-world insight from leaders in the field.

Get to the Heart of Building Productive Project Teams! Companies that embrace the power of collaboration realize that the best way to solve complex problems is to build cohesive teams made up of members with different skills and expertise. Getting teams to work productively is at the heart of project management. Developing the structure for teams to work dynamically at a high level of efficiency and effectiveness is at the heart of this book. The author clearly outlines methods for creating and implementing a structure to deal with the inevitable difficulties that any team may encounter. With examples drawn from contemporary project management, she demonstrates the effectiveness of this straightforward approach and highlights the risks of not building a strong team culture. The author offers simple and proven techniques for: • Launching a team • Defining and clarifying the goals of the team • Implementing and reinforcing appropriate team behaviors To help ensure the delivery of on-time project objectives, the author also gives practical advice aimed at ensuring productive team meetings, encouraging information sharing, and moving the team toward solutions in the face of challenges and conflict.

The Practical, Precise, and Proven Approach to Integrated Cost and Schedule Control! This trusted project management resource, now in its second edition, includes expanded coverage of how integrated cost and schedule control works within the federal government. With the renewed emphasis on transparency in government, the processes detailed in this book are particularly relevant. Building on the solid foundation of the first edition, this updated second edition includes new material on: • Project planning in the federal government • Integrated baseline reviews • Federal requirements for an ANSI/EIA-748 compliant earned value management system • Federal requirements for performance reports Integrated Cost and Schedule Control in Project Management, Second Edition, continues to offer a practical approach that is accessible to project managers at all levels. The step-by-step presentation, numerous case studies, and instructive examples give practitioners relevant material they can put to use immediately.

Asking tough questions about the current state of project management, The 12 Pillars of Project Excellence: A Lean Approach to Improving Project Results provides groundbreaking techniques to achieve excellence in project leadership that can result in six sigma type results or failure-free projects. It unveils novel solutions and breakthrough concepts—including project culture analysis, the five powers of project leadership, the power of visualizationTM, the science of simplicityTM, dynamic risk leadership, and dynamic project failures analysis—to help you chart the most efficient path to the pinnacle of project leadership. Winner of a 2013 Axiom Business Book Award The author provides the cutting-edge methods based on decades of personal practical experience, valuable lessons learned, and authoritative insights gained from leading over 300 projects to successful conclusions. Complete with powerful tools for organizational- and self-assessment on the accompanying CD, this book will not only transform your approach to project management, but will also provide you with the tools to develop effective leaders and consistently achieve exceptional business results. Some Praise for the Book: ... a highly pragmatic guide to project management. ... lays out the way of thinking that underpins success... a book that everyone could benefit from. —Mikel J. Harry, Ph.D., co-creator of Six Sigma provides the most significant contribution for leaders to mitigate project risks, assure sustainable growth, and guarantee survival... . —Carlos Alberto Briganti, general manager of Eaton Europe and Japan, 2001-2003; vice president of Eaton South America 2004-2007 ... one of the BEST books I have ever read on project leadership. —John Salazar, CIO Department of Work Force Solutions; former CIO of Department of Taxation & Revenue, State of New Mexico ... a comprehensive guide that will assist any business leader within an organization to consistently achieve excellent business results! A ‘must buy’—get it now! —Billy Billimoria, director, customer applications, BAE Systems; program director, Lockheed Martin; project engineer, Space Shuttle and Support Equipment Design