Part IV

Managing the Realities of Projects

In my 20-plus years of running my own project management consulting practice I have encountered two types of projects that deserve special mention. The first is distressed projects. These have largely been ignored in the literature. There is one book on the market, and it was published in 2001. The other is multiple team projects. These projects are often encountered in large organizations or organizations that have independent business units, each with their own project management processes and practices. I am not aware of any books or even chapters in books devoted to the management of multiple team projects.

The final chapter focuses on professional development. Having to effectively manage complex projects means having a cadre of project managers and business analysts who are ready to collaborate on all types of projects each with its own unique set of challenges. To be successful means having an environment that promotes creativity. Both generalists and specialists are needed to make this happen.