This hugely informative and wide-ranging analysis on the management of projects, past, present and future, is written both for practitioners and scholars. Beginning with a history of the discipline’s development, Reconstructing Project Management provides an extensive commentary on its practices and theoretical underpinnings, and concludes with proposals to improve its relevancy and value. Written not without a hint of attitude, this is by no means simply another project management textbook. The thesis of the book is that ‘it all depends on how you define the subject’; that much of our present thinking about project management as traditionally defined is sometimes boring, conceptually weak, and of limited application, whereas in reality it can be exciting, challenging and enormously important. The book draws on leading scholarship and case studies to explore this thesis. The book is divided into three major parts. Following an Introduction setting the scene, Part 1 covers the origins of modern project management – how the discipline has come to be what it is typically said to be; how it has been constructed – and the limitations of this traditional model. Part 2 presents an enlarged view of the discipline and then deconstructs this into its principal elements. Part 3 then reconstructs these elements to address the challenges facing society, and the implications for the discipline, in the years ahead.  A final section reprises the sweep of the discipline’s development and summarises the principal insights from the book. This thoughtful commentary on project (and program, and portfolio) management as it has developed and has been practiced over the last 60-plus years, and as it may be over the next 20 to 40, draws on examples from many industry sectors around the world. It is a seminal work, required reading for everyone interested in projects and their management.

Table of Contents:
Figures xiii Tables xv About the Author xvii Preface xix Introduction 1 Structure and Thesis of the Book 2 Take-Aways 5 References and Endnotes 6 PART 1 CONSTRUCTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT 7 Chapter 1 Introduction to Part 1 9 Historical Method 9 Bespeaking Relevant Knowledge 10 References and Endnotes 11 Chapter 2 Project Management before it was Invented 12 Pre-History: Projects and Society 12 Early Attempts at Formal Project Integration 19 World War II and the Manhattan Project 22 References and Endnotes 24 Chapter 3 Systems Project Management 27 USAF Integration: The Formal Recognition of Project Management 27 Schriever and the Atlas Program 30 Polaris 33 PERT and CPM 34 Construction 35 The Harvard Business Review Introduces the Project Manager! 36 McNamara and the Bureaucracy of Systems 36 Apollo: Confi guration Management and Project Leadership 37 DoD Bureaucratisation 41 Externalities 43 Energy and Commodities Projects 46 Nuclear Power 46 The Extractive Industries 48 References and Endnotes 49 Chapter 4 The Project Management Knowledge Base 52 The PMBOK® Guide 52 Theoretical Underpinnings 55 ‘The Management of Projects’ 60 ‘The Management of Projects’ Paradigm versus ‘Execution Delivery’ 61 The APM, IPMA, and Japanese BOKs 61 Quality Management 65 New Product Development: Lessons from Toyota 65 Academic Engagement 67 References and Endnotes 70 Chapter 5 Developing Project Management 75 IMEC: ‘Large Engineering Projects’ 75 Contracting and Procurement 76 Partnering and the new Procurement Environment 78 Risks and Opportunities 81 Flyvbjerg et al.: Transportation Projects and Optimism Bias 81 BOT/PFI 82 Value and Benefits 83 Health, Safety, and Environment 84 Defence Projects 86 Software Projects and Standish 86 Technology and Requirements Management 88 Agile Project Management 90 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) 91 Critical Chain 92 Program Management 93 Developing Enterprise-Wide p.m. Capability: The US Department of Energy (DoE)/NRC Study 94 References and Endnotes 95 Chapter 6 Enterprise-Wide Project Management (EWPM) 99 Strategy and Governance 99 PMOs 100 Best Practice Guidelines and Maturity 100 Critical Management 102 Learning and Development 104 Project Management as a Career Track 105 References and Endnotes 105 Chapter 7 The Development of Project Management: Summary 108 PART 2 DECONSTRUCTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT 113 Chapter 8 Introduction to Part 2 115 The Domain 115 Deconstructing Deconstruction 116 Approaching the Management of Projects 117 Developing Projects 120 References and Endnotes 121 Chapter 9 Control 123 Scope Management 123 Scheduling 128 Estimating 135 Budgeting 138 Cost Management 139 Performance Management (Earned Value) 140 References and Endnotes 142 Chapter 10 Organisation 145 Roles and Responsibilities 145 Structure 149 Structural Forms 152 Contingency Theory and Organisation Design 156 Project Management Contingency: Getting the Fit 157 References and Endnotes 157 Chapter 11 Governance and Strategy 160 Governance 160 Strategy 161 References and Endnotes 165 Chapter 12 Managing the Emerging Project Definition 167 Requirements Management 168 Solutions Development 170 References and Endnotes 174 Chapter 13 Procurement and the Project’s Commercial Management 176 Acquisition and Contracting Strategy 177 Partnering and Alliancing 179 Procurement 181 Contract Administration 182 References and Endnotes 184 Chapter 14 Adding Value, Controlling Risk, Delivering Quality, Safely and Securely 186 Building Value, Achieving Benefits 186 Risk and Opportunity Management 190 Quality Management 192 Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) 194 References and Endnotes 195 Chapter 15 People 198 Leadership 199 Teams 201 Stakeholder Management 203 Culture 203 Individuals’ Skills and Behaviours 205 References and Endnotes 210 Chapter 16 Level 3: The Insti tutional Context 214 PMOs 215 Functions of the PMO 215 Clearing the Decks for Reconstruction 224 References and Endnotes 226 PART 3 RECONSTRUCTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT 229 Chapter 17 Introduction to Part 3 231 A Discipline 231 A Knowledge Domain 232 Foundations for the Future 233 References and Endnotes 233 Chapter 18 The Character of our PM Knowledge 234 Terminology 234 Ontology 236 Epistemology and Theories of Project Management 237 Methodology 240 The Character of the Field’s Substantive Knowledge 244 References and Endnotes 249 Chapter 19 Managing Context 252 Independent (or Semi-Independent) Variables 253 Dependent Variables 254 References and Endnotes 256 Chapter 20 Ethos: Building Sponsor Value 257 Questions of Purpose 257 Effectiveness 258 Enhancing Sponsor Value 258 The Japanese Approach: Pursuing Innovation and Value 266 References and Endnotes 267 Chapter 21 ‘only connect’ – the Age of Relevance 269 Connecting p.m. to Organisational Performance 269 The New Dystopia? 270 The Role of MoP/P3M 273 References and Endnotes 276 PART 4 SUMMA 279 Chapter 22 Summary and Conclusions 281 The Sweep of Project Management 281 Conclusions for the Discipline 283 Appendices 287 Appendix 1: Critical Success Factor Studies 289 Appendix 2: ‘Characteristics of Successful Megaprojects or Systems Acquisitions’ 306 Index 309