Planning, or reasoning about actions, is a fundamental element of intelligent behavior--and one that artificial intelligence has found very difficult to implement. The most well-understood approach to building planning systems has been under refinement since the late 1960s and has now reached a level of maturity where there are good prospects for building working planners. Practical Planning is an in-depth examination of this classical planning paradigm through an intensive case study of SIPE, a significantly implemented planning system. The author, the developer of SIPE, defines the planning problem in general, explains why reasoning about actions is so complex, and describes all parts of the SIPE system and the algorithms needed to achieve efficiency. Details are discussed in the context of problems and important issues in building a practical planner; discussions of how other systems address these issues are also included. Assuming only a basic background in AI, Practical Planning will be of great interest to professionals interested in incorporating planning capabilities into AI systems.

The Practical Pocket Guide to Account Planning provides a straightforward, no nonsense approach to understanding what Account Planners do on a daily basis and how they do it. Filled with real world examples, amusing anecdotes, and useful techniques for getting to better insights, The Practical Pocket Guide provides a clear path for how Account Planners can collaborate with Creatives to produce great work that is insightful, engaging, and culturally infectious. In this engaging 2-hour read, you'll learn: the difference between most Account Planning job descriptions and day-to-day realities, critical planning skills, including: concept testing, copy testing, discussion guides, positioning, and the basics of good research, techniques for writing better briefs and ideas for how to lead more engaging briefings, and how to be an ally to Creatives so that together you can sell big, culturally infectious ideas to Clients. Whether you're a Client, a Creative, an Account Manager, or an aspiring Account Planner, this book will help you understand how Planners think and what great Planning can really do.

This book guides evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet practical, program evaluation—from start to design—within any context, in an accessible manner.

Practical Guide to Project Planning is filled with project documents and templates ready to use for planning and managing project. It explains project analysis and modeling techniques so these documents and templates can be used for effective project management. In addition, the book is also a guide to best practices that comply with the PMI

This book is exceptional treatise on strategic planning for single-business companies that is at once academically rigorous and uncommonly practical.

Planning Programs for Adult Learners, Third Edition covers the development of adult education programs in clear, specific detail. This popular step-by-step guide contains information on every area of program planning for adult learners, from understanding the purpose of educational programs to obtaining suitable facilities to incorporating technology appropriately. For educators and practitioners for whom planning programs is a full-time responsibility or only a part of their jobs, as well as volunteers in a variety of organizations, will find this book to be an essential tool. Grounded in a variety of program planning models, the new edition includes: new refinements to the 11-component interactive model updated exercises and examples from new settings new material on the practical application of technology discussion of instructional and program evaluation a focus on critical managerial tasks a new chapter on exploring the foundational knowledge of program planning a new section on the ethical issues related to program planning

Starting and managing new projects in organizations requires creativity and teamwork. Project planning and implementation are often blocked by confusion and conflict over goals, methodologies, and communication bottlenecks. 5-Phase Project Management offers the best project management practices in a simple, easy-to-use format for all project managers. In this practical, step-by-step book, Joe Weiss and Bob Wysocki walk you through each phase of a complex project: definition, planning, implementation, management, and maintenance.