The objective of the Project Management Office (PMO) focused on contributing to competitive advantage and adding value to an organization and its customers to achieve desired organizational performance. Learn how outsourcing PMO functions can help your organization operate more efficiently than your competitors, and provide your customers with more value with this detailed study and guide. This study explains how PMOs operate and why more companies are outsourcing these functions to improve organizational performance. Learn the risks and drivers involved with outsourcing PMO functions as well as the benefit of doing it right. Relying on both a global quantitative and qualitative approach, the author conducts numerous case studies across different industries. The case studies involve • The financial retail industry in India; • The energy and power industry in the United States; • The manufacturing industry in the United States; • The mining industry in South Africa. Results from both quantitative qualitative examination of these case studies, along with surveys, show that outsourcing functions has a positive impact on organizational performance.

Managing the PMO Lifecycle (PMOLC) is a collective effort to highlight what goes into the set-up, the build-out and the sustainability of the Project Management Offices (PMOs). It provides the drivers, the benefits and the know-how.The book’s main purpose is to be a reference guide for practitioners investing in setting up, building-out or supporting PMOs through providing a practical step by step guide and practical case studies.

This book aims to increase the success rate of academic research in general and PhD research specifically. It focuses on providing scholars, researchers, and students with the knowledge pertaining to planning and executing the art and the science of academic research and PhD research in order to successfully deliver the expected outcome. It provides insight into the motivations and the challenges associated with academic research and illustrates these motivations and challenges by sharing the results of a survey that expresses the views of PhD students. By leveraging project management techniques to help the researchers to break down and structure their dissertation work, the book provides a ready to use toolkit for the required research deliverables. In addition to having templates, it offers sample work of the author’s dissertation as practical guidance. The book offers tips on how to structure and write the dissertation and prepare for the defence as well as providing an insightful summary into the evaluation criteria used by the defence jury. It takes the reader, step by step, through all the stages and aspects of the PhD research journey. It will thus serve as a useful and insightful manual or guidebook.

In the increasing number of heavily projectized organizations, sustainable, commercial performance depends on their ability to measure and develop the performance of project management. This involves developing new skills and capabilities, such as a learning approach across projects. It also involves transforming established approaches such as corporate governance to match the new project-oriented context and, finally, it involves learning to use projects to enable key organizational objectives, such as sustainability, as well as the project-specific outcomes. The Performance of Projects and Project Management offers perspectives on all of these fundamental aspects of project performance. As such, it is an important book for those concerned with project strategy, project delivery and business sustainability.

The second edition of this award-winning reference provides step-by-step instructions for establishing and maturing a project management office (PMO). Concise and easy to read, The Strategic Project Office, Second Edition covers the four primary areas of knowledge and practice regarding the PMO: governance and portfolio management, resource optimization, organizational change, and performance measurement. Winner of the 2001 David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award from the Project Management Institute, the first edition introduced the concept of PMO as a strategic resource. This second edition adds reporting on cutting-edge research on the status and roles of today’s PMO, highlights best practices, and includes case studies of award-winning PMOs. It explores the various aspects of planning and implementing the strategic PMO and provides readers with an assessment model for measuring PMO practice maturity. New in the Second Edition: New and updated information on the use of collaborative and social media tools in project management New chapters on Project Portfolio Management and aligning projects and strategy New information on using the Strategic Project Office as a strategy management center Updated content that reflects the latest version of the PMBOK® Guide Downloadable resources with time-saving templates and forms The first edition has been the foundation for much of my thinking about initiative management, and the second edition takes thought leadership to a new level. Crawford leverages years of experience to further improve an already excellent resource. The first edition of The Strategic Project Office sits on the top shelf of my bookcase. I’m sure that the second edition will have a similar pride of place ... when I haven’t loaned it out to members of my team as homework.—Paul Ritchie, PMP, Director, Global PMO, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Inc. Praise for the Award-Winning First Edition: ... provides a primer that is first-of-a-kind and best-of-class. Read it. Learn its lessons. Apply them. Improve your organization, your projects, and your global competitiveness. —PM Network, Books in Focus

The current healthcare system is under attack by market, government, and consumer forces. To stay solvent, organizations must be performing at the top of their game. This book provides detailed instructions to bring organizations to the next level of performance by teaching all the secrets straight from the healthcare consultant’s playbook in less than 100 days. This book defines the coming challenges in the healthcare environment and provides a 10-step solution to develop the infrastructure for peak performance. These solutions include detailed implementation plans, software, reports, metrics, and the top projects that yield the highest financial rewards. This is the first book of its kind to not just discuss the top strategies, but also provide step-by-step instructions to achieve results. The book defines the strategy, the tactics, the infrastructure, the targets, the solutions, the barriers, and the leadership required to achieve a high performing organization. With these simple instructions, any organization with the will to achieve a brighter future can be poised for success in the next decade in less than 100 days.

A Comprehensive Framework for Project Planning in Any Industry! Project Planning Techniques is a comprehensive reference for project managers in any discipline, outlining the latest proven-effective methods based on solid research. Blending practical experience with academic rigor, this authoritative resource will help you develop a deeper understanding of current knowledge and best practice techniques for project success. With practical examples from many industries, Project Planning Techniques gives you a firm understanding of how these methods are applied in real-world situations. • Get a solid foundation in project planning fundamentals • Discover the latest indices and models for project selection and prioritization • Gain an understanding of the schedule network and the project schedule • Learn processes and techniques for monitoring expenditures during the implementation phase • Explore the relationship between knowledge management and project management - and how you can manage project knowledge by integrating techniques from both systems From start to finish, Project Planning Techniques will help you improve your understanding of project planning — and your performance as a project leader. Bonus CD-ROM: Project Planning Techniques includes a bonus CD-ROM with comprehensive examples from several industries, including WBS, RBS, network diagrams, project estimates, and much more.