Introduction, Strengths and Weaknesses of Leading Project Management Standards and Frameworks

Exposé Écrit pour un Séminaire / Cours , 2009 , 25 Pages , Note: 1,3

Gestion d'entreprise - Direction d'entreprise, Management, Organisation

What do the construction of the Pyramids of Giseh or of the Great Wall of China, Hannibal’s Alps crossing and the Berlin Airlift have in common? These all are examples for famous and inspiring historical projects which would have never been realized without a profound planning, execution, coordination, and control. Mankind seems to have a lot of experience coming from fields like construction, engineering and defense on one hand.
On the other hand we almost daily hear about projects that have failed or haven’t met customers’ expectations and as a result have even ruined whole companies and organizations.
Every year 75 Billion US Dollars have been spent on failing projects only in IT-sector. Only 17 percent of all software projects done in the United States meet the original targets, 50 percent must have those target changed. All that happens today, when branches and industries are faced with rough economic and highly competitive environments with an increasing market concentration and fragility which shortens product life cycles and puts very strong requirements to costs and quality.
To reduce risks of failure, to collect knowledge, to benefit from own and others’ experiences and to give guidelines to the project personnel project management was systematically developed as an outstanding discipline with its’ own standards and guides. The emergence and recognition of a distinct profession of project management has certainly been a strong driver in the development of standards and frameworks.
The need to understand and to specify the role of the project manager himself, for a common terminology and the necessity of a common basis for employment and deployment of project personnel, working collaboratively, across functions in multidisciprinary teams; across organizations in strategic alliances and joint ventures; and across continents in global projects – these were the significant factors for the development of standards world wide .
This Term Paper presents an overview of the leading project management standards and guides for project management knowledge and performance including a comparison of their content, strengths and weeknesses.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Project Management
  • 2.1. Definitions
  • 2.2. History of Project Management
  • 2.3. Modern Project Management
• 3. Existing Generic Standards and Frameworks
  • 3.1. Focused on Projects
    • 3.1.1. PMI PMBOK
    • 3.1.2. APM – APM BOK
    • 3.1.3. IPMA / GPM - ICB
    • 3.1.4. PMAJ - P2M
  • 3.2. Focused on People
    • 3.2.1. AIPM
    • 3.2.2. OSCEng
  • 3.3. Focused on Organizations
    • 3.3.1. PRINCE2
    • 3.3.2. P2M
    • 3.3.3. OPM3
    • 3.3.4. MSP
• 4. The Benefits of Framework Implementation
• 5. Comparison of Leading Standards and Frameworks
• 6. Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to provide an overview of leading project management standards and guides, focusing on project management knowledge and performance. The paper will compare the content, strengths, and weaknesses of these standards.

• Definitions and history of project management
• Overview of existing generic standards and frameworks
• Benefits of framework implementation
• Comparison of leading standards and frameworks
• Strengths and weaknesses of various standards

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction sets the context by highlighting the significance of project management in the face of complex and challenging projects. It emphasizes the need for standardized approaches to minimize failure and optimize outcomes.

Chapter 2 delves into the core concept of project management, providing definitions and a historical overview. It explores the evolution of project management as a distinct discipline, tracing its roots back to ancient projects like the Pyramids of Giza.

Chapter 3 presents a comprehensive survey of existing generic standards and frameworks for project management. It categorizes them into three groups: those focused on projects, people, and organizations. Each category includes prominent examples such as PMI PMBOK, PRINCE2, and IPMA ICB.

Chapter 4 examines the benefits of implementing project management frameworks. It highlights the positive impact of standardized approaches on project outcomes, efficiency, and overall success.

Chapter 5 offers a comparative analysis of leading project management standards and frameworks. It examines their strengths and weaknesses, providing insights into their suitability for different project contexts.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper explores the key concepts and practices of project management, encompassing a wide range of standards and frameworks. Key terms include project management, standards, frameworks, PMI PMBOK, PRINCE2, IPMA ICB, APM BOK, benefits, comparison, strengths, and weaknesses.

• Université: University of Applied Sciences Berlin
• Note: 1,3
• Auteur: Natalie Zonis (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2009
• Pages: 25
• N° de catalogue: V164884
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640803514
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640803132
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: PMI, PMBoK, Project Management, Projekt Management, IPMA, GPM, Prince2, APM