Managing Risk for Projects and Programmes - Softcover

Bartlett, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1900391171 ISBN 13: 9781900391177

Publisher: Project Manager Today, 2008

Synopsis

This indispensable guide sets out the practical steps that lead to success in managing risk. John Bartlett says that ‘In many cases, project teams seem to be inventing and re-inventing risk management processes, such that there is little consistency of practice. Project management methodologies all extol the virtues of good risk management but rarely show how it should be tackled in practice. This often leaves project teams very much in the dark when it comes to applying risk management for positive effect.
‘This book attempts to address the generally poor attention given to risk in projects and programmes. It aims to provide the reader with a sufficient understanding of the subject in order to practise consistently good risk management. It also shows why risk management should be the premier focus for project managers, over and above the other project management elements. It is not a book about the history of risk or the science of probability. It is rather a book that gives a practical view of risk management for any type of project or programme.’
The author’s own practical experience, both in business and IT, and in project and programme management, is clearly evident. The book brings together concepts from various methods which he has honed in practice.

About this title

From the Publisher

Project Manager Today Publications is the publisher of "Project Manager Today", the leading independent magazine on project management. Project Manager Today also publishes books on project management and organises topical conferences and seminars.

From the Author

In my frequent role as a project auditor I have seen many interpretations of risk management in projects – some of these have been good and some have been poor. In many cases, project teams seem to be inventing and re-inventing risk management processes, such that there is little consistency of practice. Project management methodologies all extol the virtues of good risk management but rarely show how it should be tackled in practice. This often leaves project teams very much in the dark when it comes to applying risk management for positive effect.

My current view is that, on the whole, risk management is tackled badly in projects and often ranked below other project elements in importance, such as the project plan, resource plan and status reporting. Small wonder then that we continually hear of projects failing.

What I'm finding is a series of inconsistent practices in the name of risk management, many of which are ineffectual in actually reducing risk. I find that project managers become stuck in a high, medium, low mentality in terms of assessing risk, or are expressing risks using only one or two words. I also find that much time is spent recording risks but little time spent in showing real progress in risk mitigation.

It is almost as if some project teams are paying lip service to the universally recognised view that risk management should be undertaken on projects, without understanding the true value of doing so. Yet, risk management practised well should be able to reduce significantly the chances of cost overruns, gross margin erosion, scope creep and a host of other typical project impacts.

The big problem is that project managers are often poor risk managers. The two roles require quite different mindsets. The single-minded task manager is quite different from the lateral-thinking risk identifier. Yet project management methodologies expect the project manager to manage project risk; so why should we be surprised when risk management is not given the attention it deserves?

This book attempts to address the generally poor attention given to risk in projects and programmes. It aims to provide the reader with a sufficient understanding of the subject in order to practise consistently good risk management. It also shows why risk management should be the premier focus for project managers, over and above the other project management elements. It is not a book about the history of risk or the science of probability. It is rather a book that gives a practical view of risk management for any type of project or programme.

John Bartlett

Edition details

• Publisher: Project Manager Today
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1900391171
• ISBN 13: 9781900391177
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 136