Book Structure
The contents of this book are set out in two Parts of nine and seven Chapters respectively. It also includes an extensive Bibliography, all as follows:
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1.
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Introduction
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Part I — THE PROJECT LIFECYCLE
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2.
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Identifying a Project
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3.
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Justification and Approval for a Project
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4.
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Getting Started
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5.
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Requirements
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6.
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Design
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7.
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Build
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8.
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Validation and Test
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9.
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Going Live
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10.
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Post-Live Realization of Changes
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Part II — COMMON STRANDS
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11.
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Quality
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12.
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Planning and Execution
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13.
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HR
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14.
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Finance
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15.
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Reporting
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16.
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Benefits
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17.
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Conclusions
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Bibliography
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The book has a total of 213 pages and one Appendix and is illustrated by a
number of Figures and Tables. It does not include a Glossary of Terms. The book
is well written in straight forward English and, as the author explains:[4]
"This book is deliberately practical and pragmatic. It is based on the professional experience of the author covering nearly 30 years of project-related work and consulting. ... Its aim is to be of direct use to both business and project professionals [and] is written so as to be applicable to all types of project and thus uses neutral language which is slightly abstract."
However:[5]
"It is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Most readers will be at a particular stage in a project or come from a particular specialism. The relevant chapters covering that lifecycle phase and that specialism may be all that they read. That's OK — the book will still have served its purpose."
Of course, for review purposes, we did read this book from cover to cover —
and enjoyed almost every page. That's because the author takes the problem of
the clash between the business world and the project world head on. Indeed, we
strongly recommend that the first time any one picks up this book, they should
at least first read the Introduction,[6]
because there the author sets the scene by explaining "The Business Viewpoint";
"The Project Viewpoint" and the effect of "The Interaction between the two worlds".
4. Ibid, p. xi
5. Ibid, p. Xii
6. Ibid, pp1-4
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Introduction
