Introduction to the Books
In 2009, the International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL), New York, released three books on project management. The books are published by John Wiley & Sons in partnership with IIL and form a part of The IIL/Wiley Series in Project Management. They are titled respectively:
- What Executives Need to Know About Project Management
- What Functional Managers Need to Know About Project Management, and
- Value-Driven Project Management (a book written for project managers).
We will look at each book separately. However, because all three are by the same authors, are published by the same company, are obviously intended for related audiences, and follow a very similar format, we will first pass some observations on all three together.
At the top of the hierarchy is "What Executives Need to Know" and at 287 pages it is rather larger than the other two. In this case, as the authors observe:
"As an executive today, you need to become more involved in project management. That doesn't mean you need to become a project manager, but rather you need to know how to set the stage for a project's success, oversee its execution, and intervene directly at key strategic moments."[1]
Well said! Project managers generally will find that heart warming and will be able to point to it when the need arises in their own companies.
The text continues on with:
"Based on the principles set forth in the bestselling Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition, this easy-to-follow guide focuses on the pivotal role you play as an executive in project management. It introduces the acclaimed Kerzner Approach®, demonstrating how it empowers you with skills needed to ensure that projects are completed successfully, on time, and on budget."[2]
Very similar statements appear on the fly covers of the other two books, suitably edited of course to match the individual contents. And further:
"The International Institute for Learning/Wiley Series in Project Management features the most innovative, tested-and-proven approaches to project management, all explained in clear, straightforward language. The series offers new perspectives on solving tough project management problems as well as practical tools for getting the job done. Each book in the series is drawn from the related IIL course and is written by noted project management experts."[3]
From this we may learn that while the books do contain valuable information, they also serve as promotional pieces for IIL's training courses. As such, any tendency towards exaggeration in these claims can be forgiven.
Inside each book under the heading "Acknowledgments", the text goes a little further with:
"Some of the material in this book has been either extracted or adapted from Harold Kerzner's Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 10th Edition; Advanced Project Management: Best Practices in Implementation, 2nd edition; Strategic Planning for Project Management Using a Project Management Maturity Model; Project Management Best Practices: Achieving Global Excellence, 1st edition (all published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) Reproduced by permission ..."[4]
So you understand that you are in good hands with all three books.
1. Kerzner, H., Ph.D., & F. P. Saladis, PMP, What Executives Need to Know About Project Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NJ, 2009, back fly cover.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid, p xiii
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