The evidence continues to grow that the effective management of risk is the very kernel of successful project management. Its absence frequently leaves project sponsors lamenting missed objectives and shareholders coming to terms with an organisation’s poor bottom line performance. Dr Robert Chapman's The Rules of Project Risk Management stands out from other risk management texts because it provides very practical guidance, supported by numerous mini case studies, many of which have attracted considerable publicity. The book brings to life both the benefits of project risk management when effectively applied and the ramifications when it is misunderstood or receives scant attention. The structure of the book is based on International Standard ISO 31000 seen through the lens of general systems theory - where projects are undertaken by organisations which have an external context and internal sub-systems. A project system is seen to be composed of seven key subject areas. Practical short ‘rules’ or implementation guidelines, written in an engaging style, are offered to support each of these subject areas and aid quick assimilation of key risk management messages. Each rule focuses on a specific aspect of effective risk management which warrants attention in its own right. Taken together the rules will provide those implementing projects with the building blocks to secure a project’s objectives. They have been drawn from a wealth of experience gained from applying risk management practices across multiple industries from Europe to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The evidence continues to grow that the effective management of risk is the very kernel of successful project management. Its absence frequently leaves project sponsors lamenting missed objectives and shareholders coming to terms with an organisation’s poor bottom line performance. Dr Robert Chapman's The Rules of Project Risk Management stands out from other risk management texts because it provides very practical guidance, supported by numerous mini case studies, many of which have attracted considerable publicity. The book brings to life both the benefits of project risk management when effectively applied and the ramifications when it is misunderstood or receives scant attention. The structure of the book is based on International Standard ISO 31000 seen through the lens of general systems theory - where projects are undertaken by organisations which have an external context and internal sub-systems. A project system is seen to be composed of seven key subject areas. Practical short ’rules’ or implementation guidelines, written in an engaging style, are offered to support each of these subject areas and aid quick assimilation of key risk management messages. Each rule focuses on a specific aspect of effective risk management which warrants attention in its own right. Taken together the rules will provide those implementing projects with the building blocks to secure a project’s objectives. They have been drawn from a wealth of experience gained from applying risk management practices across multiple industries from Europe to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The Rules of Project Risk Management, 2nd Edition, provides practical experience-based guidance to support the delivery of effective project risk management. While the discipline is recognised as a major contributor to the successful outcome of projects, its implementation is far from straightforward. Successful delivery requires an in-depth understanding of the "ingredients" of effective risk management practices which impact project performance. The book’s value is derived from the description of these ingredients in a manner which will support their practical implementation. The author describes a series of guidelines (labelled "rules") to support the practical application of project risk management to positively influence project outcomes. The rules are supported by mini case studies of both successful and unsuccessful projects to bring to life the ramifications of effective and poor risk management respectively, and are assembled under seven headings of environment, external stakeholders, organisation and culture, leadership and governance, internal stakeholders, risk resources and system. This second edition contains a new glossary of terms and an overview of the risk management process to enable those new to the subject to understand the core risk management activities. It also contains six more individual guidelines and ten more case studies to support practitioners, researchers and academics alike to gain an even greater appreciation of the drivers of successful project risk management. Enabling the reader to "get inside" risk management to gain an appreciation of the individual components and "how the engine works", this book is essential reading for project and risk management professionals. While the guidelines are described individually so specific subjects can be examined in detail, they must be considered together, for like a car, specialist carburettors, fuel injection or high-octane fuel on their own do not support improved performance. The guidelines can be considered as the elements that should be taken into account when compiling a risk maturity model to drive incremental improvement in risk management practices.

A review for the book from another world renown author.Rita Mulcahy, PMP, is an author, consultant and member of the Project Management Institute's Risk Management Special Interest Group. Either through frustration at the lack of good, practical risk management reference materials, or because she is bubbling over with ideas on the subject, Rita has written a comprehensive book: "Risk Management - Tricks of the Trade? for Project Managers." The book is structured according to the Institute's view of project risk management and is therefore supportive of the Project Management Professional certification exam. It even has a 50-question Final Exam in the certification examination mode.However, Rita's book is much more than that. It provides a very clear and down-to-earth explanation of what project risk management is all about. I was particularly pleased to see an emphasis on things going right (opportunities enhancement) as well as going wrong (risks). The book is lavishly endowed with bulleted lists of explanation for rapid absorption of content by busy project people. It also has very practical quick-read "Tricks of the Trade" sidebars (e.g. How to interview an expert), check lists, charts, forms and how to use them with worked examples. It is even topped off with quiz games to make it a fun encounter.For University instructors and training workshop leaders there are plenty of "Questions for discussion". In an appendix there is a long list of potential risks, their cause and effect in various industries. No doubt that list has been culled from the brainstorming efforts of many of Rita's workshop attendees over the years. Still, I could not help but empathize with chagrin the construction risk-cause entry "Local politicos, unruly elements, etc." Well said!Armed with this book, there should be no excuse any longer for anyone to declare that they don't know how to apply risk management to their projects, however large or small their projects may be. Nor should there be any question of how to get started or even why they should get started and when. The real benefit of the book is that it demonstrates very clearly that project risk management does not have to be difficult, nor academically challenging. I have always held that project risk management is really very simple.When you are gearing up for your next project, the best advice I can give is "Don't leave home without it!"R. Max Wideman, P.Eng.FCSCE, FEIC, FICE, FPMI

Winner of the Project Management Institute’s David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award 2010 It’s no wonder that project managers spend so much time focusing their attention on risk identification. Important projects tend to be time constrained, pose huge technical challenges, and suffer from a lack of adequate resources. Identifying and Managing Project Risk, now updated and consistent with the very latest Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)® Guide, takes readers through every phase of a project, showing them how to consider the possible risks involved at every point in the process. Drawing on real-world situations and hundreds of examples, the book outlines proven methods, demonstrating key ideas for project risk planning and showing how to use high-level risk assessment tools. Analyzing aspects such as available resources, project scope, and scheduling, this new edition also explores the growing area of Enterprise Risk Management. Comprehensive and completely up-to-date, this book helps readers determine risk factors thoroughly and decisively...before a project gets derailed.

This book describes philosophies, principles, practices and techniques for managing risk in projects and procurements, with a particular focus on complex or large-scale activities. The authors cover the basics of risk management in the context of project management, and outline a step-by-step approach. They then extend this approach into specialised areas of procurement (including tender evaluation, outsourcing and Public-Private Partnerships), introducing technical risk assessment tools and processes for environmental risk management. Finally they consider quantitative methods and the way they can be used in large projects. International case studies are included throughout.