BOOK REVIEW:

Book Title: Achieving Project Management Success in the Federal Government
Authors: Jonathan Weinstein, PMP®
Timothy Jaques, PMP®
Publisher: Management Concepts
List Price: US$42.00
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-56726-275-9
Reviewer: Kathryn Phillips, MBA, PMP®, SSGB
Reviewed: April 2010

Introduction to the Book

Achieving Project Management Success in the Federal Government is a tightly woven library of explicit real world examples and conceptual practices in technology, organizational behavior, project management discipline, application and law. It reminds us in the same breath that the Federal Government, in a very heady way, was a predecessor and adopter of project management discipline and practice.

This book does offer a realistic cross section of the project management discipline in the U.S. federal government, a “state of the practice” in the largest single enterprise in the world. The authors point out exhaustive challenges to a number of federal agencies and their trials to deliver quality products and services according to scope, on time and within budget across a complex and highly diverse web of organizational cultures, locations, missions, regulatory and funding streams; thus, the use of the word heady.

Although the book’s title - Achieving Project Management Success in the Federal Government - suggests its content might be a ‘technical manual’ or ‘how to’ guide on topics like earned value or risk analysis, it is not. Instead, this book focuses on any executive level stakeholder (government and/or civilian) who recognizes the value of project management and strives to apply the right mix of skills, knowledge, experience, resources, and common sense to improve project successes in their organization. This book also strives to enlighten and improve the science of project management for federal leaders, project teams, and others who influence the direction of projects”…

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About the Reviewer: Kathy Phillips Kathy Phillips currently oversees the implementation data products for Fortune 500 Companies as Area Manager of Project Management for AT&T Business Solutions. Kathy is certified Project Manager Professional (PMP®) by the International Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Six Sigma Green Belt. She received the Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration – Economics from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Illinois. She earned both the Graduate Certificate in Project Management in 2002 followed by the Masters in Business Administration in 2005 from the University of Texas at Dallas – Richardson Texas. Kathy’s international travel has taken her to several German cities for academic study and business operations review at Siemens, Texas Instruments, BMW and the Solar Village Furth for renewable energies. She has developed and delivered training to technical professional groups. She has reviewed two additional books for PMForum and PM World Today, The Zen of Project Management and Simple Solutions. She can be reached at kp0090@att.com.