Book Structure
Following a brief Introduction, this book is simply laid out into ten chapters and a Glossary as follows:
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1. |
Chaos to Clarity |
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2. |
Attributes of the Effective Program Manager |
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3. |
Stakeholder Management |
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4. |
Program Process Strategy |
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5. |
Program Execution Processes |
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6. |
Team Building at the Program Level |
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7. |
Program Communication Processes |
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8. |
Program Risk Management |
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9. |
Portfolio Management Essentials |
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10. |
Positive Program Outcomes |
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Glossary
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From this framework of chapter headings, it is evident that the contents of this book alerts the reader and provides techniques for:
- Adapting to changing business conditions and "turning chaos into clarity"
- Mentoring and coaching project managers in terms of stakeholder management
- Making strategic program process decisions that positively impact the corporate culture
- Building strong teams on multiple levels
- Planning an effective program execution, and
- Managing risk in the program environment of uncertainty
The reader will also observe that the emphasis of the book is on "process". In fact author James Brown states:[7]
"The advantage - the competitive edge, leading companies seek - is process. Why is process important to a company and to program management? Just look at the nightly news. A month or a quarter doesn't go by without some widely recognized organization or company publicly acknowledging a major project disappointment. Additionally, the late-delivery and cost overruns of projects often cause turmoil and upheaval within organizations. That's why the companies that survive and thrive today and that will survive in the future will be those that have processes in place and can repeatedly integrate new people and new technology into their existing processes, thus producing superior products and services." (Emphasis added.)
Indeed, James goes on to emphasize the point by adding:[8]
"While technology and people are definitely important, they are just inputs that support the process. Process allows an organization to exist ten years from now when most of the technology is different from today's and a good portion of the workforce has changed."
Not everyone will be comfortable with the thought that "they are just inputs", of course, but it is no doubt true. Many are the operations that simply fade away for lack of established processes when their owners fade away along with their personal management styles and techniques.
7. Ibid, p1
8. Ibid, p2
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Introduction
