This covers everything you need to know to successfully manage a government technology services or development project. Mike uses an easy-to-read style of writing as opposed to the more typical business book mumbo jumbo. In other words, he makes project management simple and readable so PMs don't just put yet another book on their bookshelf. Most noteworthy, this book complements the material in the PMBOK and is consistent with CMMI. Topics include: project planning, project initiation, project execution, monitoring and control, project close-out, risk management, customer relationship management, quality assurance and contract growth. Over 150 pages of lessons learned, guidance, templates and checklists. Lisagor is the Chief Knowledge Officer at GovFlex.com -- the leading online freelance exchange for government contractors & agencies to acquire the services of independent experts. He also founded Celerity Works in 1999 to provide business development (BD) and project management advisory services where he advised over 70 contractors and agencies and coached over 500 executives, project managers and BD professionals. Prior to that, Mike was a business development and operations executive for IT contractors for 13 years and a project manager for 15 years. Mike presented numerous popular knowledge webinars and wrote hundreds of columns for government contractors magazines, blogs & news stations. Mike implemented the project management process and training program for several government contractors. He also developed the risk management process and training for GSA FEDSIM for their IT acquisition programs. Mike is the author of several popular books including Winning and Managing Government Business and, with GovFlex CEO Eric Adolphe, How to Develop a Winning Small Business Innovation Proposal. It's Mike's belief that while invaluable, PMI training is often too theoretical and complex for most new project managers to remember. Once they get thrown into their first project, all this knowledge falls by the wayside. The purpose of this Guide is to bridge this gap...to provide a useful reference for planning and managing a successful project to completion. In other words, the essentials and nothing but the essentials!

Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers offers a practical introduction to the changing structure, forms, and functions of local governments. Taking a metropolitan management perspective, authors Kimberly Nelson and Carl W. Stenberg explain U.S. local government within historical context and provide strategies for effective local government management and problem solving. Real-life scenarios and contemporary issues illustrate the organization and networks of local governments; the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of city and county managers; and the dynamics of the intergovernmental system. Case studies and discussion questions in each chapter encourage critical analysis of the challenges of collaborative governance. Unlike other books on the market, this text’s combined approach of theory and practice encourages students to enter municipal and county management careers and equips them with tools to be successful from day one.

This realistic cross-section of the project management discipline in the federal arena will help anyone leading, working on, or affecting the direction of a project team. It covers the entire scope of project management from organization to methodology, technology to leadership. This volume focuses on the three project management organizational dimensions of culture, systems, and structure. Federal practices and successes in the areas of communication, project leadership, stakeholders, and key competencies are highlighted. The book offers clear and practical advice drawn from a variety of project management successes in the federal arena.

The Project Management Life Cycle reveals the unique Method 123 Project Management Methodology by defining the phases, activities and tasks required to complete a project. It's different because it describes the life cycle clearly and prescriptively, without the complex terminology rife throughout the industry. Its comprehensive coverage, consistent depth and suite of tools will help managers to undertake projects successfully. Containing hundreds of practical examples to enhance the reader's understanding of project management, The Project Management Life Cycle skilfully guides them through the four critical phases of the project life cycle: initiation, planning, execution and closure. Written in a clear, professional and straightforward manner, it is relevant to the management of all types of project, including IT, construction, engineering, telecommunications and government, as well as many others. It is an essential guide to improving project management skills for project managers, senior managers, team members, consultants, trainers or students. Online supporting resources include lecture slides.

This completely updated and revised edition tackles today's complex human resource issues, and provides best practices and insight on addressing long-term workforce needs, recruiting and maintaining a high-performance team, and creating an environment where excellence thrives.

The ultimate guide to leading remote employees and teams, tackling the key challenges that managers face-from hiring and onboarding new members to building culture remotely, tracking productivity, communicating speedily, and retaining star employees

The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project 2e is the ultimate companion to successfully completing your research project. Warm and pragmatic, it gives you the skills and the confidence needed to succeed no matter what happens along the way. The book guides you through every step of your research project, from getting started to analysing data and writing up. Each stage is clearly set out, highlighting best practice and providing practical tips and down-to-earth advice for actually doing research. Key features include: Fully developed companion website including podcasts, worksheets, examples of real projects and links to journal articles Chapter summaries Boxed definitions of key terms Full glossary Suggestions for further reading Bursting with real world examples and multidisciplinary case studies, this book addresses the key questions posed by anyone hoping to complete a research project. It is the must-have textbook every student needs. Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.

Zachary Wong offers practical strategies, skills, and tools to help project managers diagnose and solve their toughest people problems. Based on decades in the trenches, the book shows how to confront and correct bad behavior, increase team performance and inclusion, turn around difficult people and poor performers, get people to do what you want them to do, boost employee motivation and attitude, reduce change resistance and risk aversion, and manage difficult bosses. Wong believes that the best team leaders are problem-solvers and facilitators, so this book provides problem-solving models and tools to diagnose people problems, and facilitative methods, processes, and techniques to correct them. It's an approach that can be personalized to fit any person or situation. Each skill is explained with a well-balanced mix of case stories, examples, strategies, processes, tools, and techniques along with illustrations, graphics, tables, and other visuals to clarify key concepts and their workplace application. To reinforce the most important learnings, Wong includes a “Memory Card” and “Skill Summary” at the end of each chapter. Nothing is harder than leading people and managing project teams. Being successful takes a combination of knowing human psychology, organizational behaviors, and human factors; having supervisory, process, and communication skills; ensuring good teamwork, high integrity, and strong leadership; and having the ability to integrate and apply these skills to a diverse work team. The Eight Essential People Skills for Project Management is designed for individuals, team leaders, and managers who oversee and coordinate the daily performance of others and who are seeking solutions that they can apply immediately.

Strategic planning deals with long-term goals and objectives. Performance management focusing on the performance of an organization, department, process, or employee--is what makes strategic planning work. Neither can be done without the other, but both must be adapted to the organization. This volume is designed as a reference for those involved in the day to-day challenge of performance management and measurement. Government managers will find ideas and practices that can be applied effectively in the federal environment.

Avoid common pitfalls in large-scale projects using these smart strategies Over half of large-scale engineering and construction projects—off-shore oil platforms, chemical plants, metals processing, dams, and similar projects—have miserably poor results. These include billions of dollars in overruns, long delays in design and construction, and poor operability once finally completed. Industrial Megaprojects gives you a clear, nontechnical understanding of why these major projects get into trouble, and how your company can prevent hazardous and costly errors when undertaking such large technical and management challenges. Clearly explains the underlying causes of over-budget, delayed, and unsafe megaprojects Examines effects of poor project management, destructive team behaviors, weak accountability systems, short-term focus, and lack of investment in technical expertise Author is the CEO of the leading consulting firm for evaluating billion-dollar projects Companies worldwide are rethinking their large-scale projects. Industrial Megaprojects is your essential guide for this rethink, offering the tools and principles that are the true foundation of safe, cost-effective, successful megaprojects.