Project Management

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Book Overview & Structure

This textbook covers the complete spectrum of modern project management — from structured Traditional PM to flexible Agile PM to modern Hybrid PM.

The running case study throughout the book is the Ei-Ti AG Christmas Party Project, managed by Laura Leiter (PM), Sabine Schein, and Sven Soft — illustrating every method in practice.

Fig. Book Structure — 8 Chapters from Fundamentals to Multi-Project Management

Project Management Fundamentals

1.1 What Is a Project?

DIN 69901-5 Definition: "A project is an undertaking essentially characterised by the uniqueness of conditions in their entirety, such as: goal specification, temporal/financial/personnel limitations, delineation from other initiatives, and project-specific organisation."

The concept of Projectification describes the growing shift toward project-based work driven by globalisation, digitalisation, and complexity.

Six Key Project Characteristics

Characteristic	Meaning	PM Implication
Novel / Unique	The result has never been created before	Requires preparation, planning, and a project order
Goal Specification	Clear objectives must exist	Managed as the "Project Goal" element
Temporary	Defined start and end dates	Time management element critical
Project Budget	Financial limits are set	Cost management element required
Project Organisation	Specific team structure created	Organisation/communication element required
Risk	Uncertainties exist throughout	Risk element managed proactively

Three Forms of Work

Routine Activity — Repetitive, standardised, no project methods needed
Project — Unique, temporary, complex, requires PM methods
Semi-Project / Task — Between routine and full project; lighter management

Project methods applied to routine work create inefficiency, not efficiency — always assess project worthiness first!

1.2 Project Constraints (The Magic Triangle)

Fig. 1.2 — The Triple Constraint (Magic Triangle): Scope/Quality, Time, and Cost. Changing one affects the others. Modern PM also adds Risk and Stakeholders.

Extended Constraints (Modern View):

Scope/Quality — What must be delivered and to what standard?
Time — When must it be delivered?
Cost/Resources — What budget and personnel are available?
Risk — What uncertainties exist?
Stakeholder — Who are the individuals/groups that can influence the project?

⭐ PMP Exam Tip

If the exam asks "what happens when scope increases?" — answer: Time and/or Cost must also increase, or quality decreases. The triangle is always in tension. Agile flips this: scope is flexible, time and cost are fixed.

1.3 Project Phases

Fig. — Project Management Phases. Controlling occurs in parallel with Execution and feeds back into Planning.

1.4 Project, Programme & Portfolio

Level	Definition	Focus
Project	Unique, temporary undertaking with specific goals	Delivering project results
Programme	Group of related projects managed together for benefits not achievable individually	Strategic benefit realisation
Portfolio	Collection of projects/programmes that don't necessarily have to be related — aligned to strategic objectives	Strategic alignment & resource optimisation

1.5 Major PM Standards

Standard	Origin	Focus	Key Feature
PMBOK 7	PMI (USA)	Knowledge areas → now Principles	12 principles, 8 performance domains
PRINCE2	UK Govt	Process-based, stage gates	7 principles, 7 themes, 7 processes
ICB4 / IPMA	IPMA (EU)	Competency-based	People, Practice, Perspective eye model
DIN 69901	Germany	Process model	5-part standard, process-oriented
ISO 21500	International	Process groups & subject groups	International framework for PM

Fig. 1.15 — ICB4 Competency Eye Model: Three domains — People (10 elements), Practice (14 elements), Perspective (5 elements)

1.6 Project Management Elements

The PM Elements are the core dimensions that must be planned and controlled throughout every project:

🎯 Goals/Deliverable ✅ Quality 🔧 Work (WBS) 👥 Organisation 📅 Time 💰 Resources/Costs ⚠️ Risk 🌍 Environment 🤝 Stakeholder

1.7 Project Organisation & Roles

Role	Abbreviation	Responsibility
Project Owner / Sponsor	PO	Authorises project; allocates budget; strategic decisions
Project Manager	PM	Day-to-day management; plans, controls, and leads the team
Project Core Team Member	PCM	Subject-matter expert; leads work packages
Project Staff	PS	Executes work package tasks
Steering Committee	SC	Senior governance; resolves escalated issues

Three Organisational Integration Structures

Structure	PM Authority	Best For
Functional (Pure)	Low — department heads dominate	Small, short, single-department projects
Matrix	Shared between PM and functional heads	Medium complexity; cross-departmental
Pure Project (Autonomous)	High — PM has full authority	Large, long, strategic projects

1.8 Procedural Models Overview

Fig. — Four Key Procedural Models: Waterfall (sequential), Scrum (iterative), Hybrid (combined), V-Model (verification pairs)

Project Initiation

The initiation phase is where a project is formally recognised and approved. Key activities: describing the project, evaluating its worthiness, selecting the PM approach, defining goals, analysing stakeholders, and issuing the project charter.

2.1 Project Canvas

The Project Canvas is a one-page visual document that captures the key aspects of a project at a glance — a quick overview tool used in the initiation phase.

Fig. 2.2 — Example Project Canvas based on the Ei-Ti AG Case Study

2.2 Project Evaluation & Worthiness

Before officially launching a project, it must pass an evaluation on:

Project Worthiness — Does it qualify as a project (not routine)?
Project Type Determination — Internal/external, product/service, R&D?
Economic Evaluation — ROI, NPV, payback period, cost-benefit analysis
Technical/Substantive Evaluation — Is it technically feasible?

2.3 Selecting the PM Approach — Stacey Matrix & Cynefin

Fig. 2.4 — Stacey Matrix: Guides selection of PM approach based on certainty of requirements vs. technology. Simple → Waterfall; Complex → Agile; Chaotic → Act first.

2.4 Goal Setting — SMART Criteria

Goals must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Example — Ei-Ti AG

Poor goal: "Organise a good Christmas party."

SMART goal: "Organise a Christmas party for 250 employees on 15 December at the city hall, within a €50,000 budget, achieving a satisfaction rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in the post-event survey."

Goal Hierarchy

Fig. 2.6 — Goal Hierarchy: Corporate → Programme/Project → Deliverable & Quality goals. All must align vertically.

2.5 Stakeholder Management

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who can influence a project or are influenced by it. Ignoring them is a leading cause of project failure.

Fig. 2.10 — Stakeholder Matrix: Plot stakeholders by Influence vs. Interest. "Manage Closely" quadrant is highest priority.

Four-Step Stakeholder Process

Identify — List all possible stakeholders
Analyse — Assess influence, interest, and attitude (positive/neutral/negative)
Plan Measures — Define engagement strategies per stakeholder group
Control — Monitor stakeholder attitudes throughout the project

2.6 Project Charter

The Project Charter (also called Project Order or Project Mandate) is the formal document that officially authorises a project and assigns the Project Manager authority to use resources.

It includes: project name, goals, deliverable, budget, timeline, PM name, team composition, risks, and signatures of PM and project owner.

⭐ PMP Exam Tip

The Project Charter is issued by the Project Sponsor/Owner — NOT the Project Manager. The PM is named in it. Without a charter, the PM has no formal authority. This is tested frequently.

2.7 Key Initiation Tools

Tool	Purpose
Mind Map	Brainstorming and visual idea organisation
Ishikawa / Fishbone	Root cause analysis of problems
SWOT Analysis	Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Utility Analysis (Nutzwertanalyse)	Multi-criteria scoring to compare options
NPV / ROI	Economic evaluation of project worthiness
Stacey Matrix / Cynefin	Selecting the appropriate PM approach

Traditional Project Management

Traditional (plan-driven) PM is structured around three phases: Planning, Controlling, and Closure. It is most effective when requirements are well-defined upfront.

3.1 Quality Planning

Quality in a project means meeting defined requirements and customer expectations — not gold-plating or exceeding them unnecessarily.

Quality Management in Projects has three components:

Quality Planning — Define quality criteria and requirements upfront
Quality Assurance — Systematic processes to ensure quality is being achieved during execution
Quality Control — Measuring actual results against quality criteria; tests, inspections, reviews

3.2 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure / Projektstrukturplan) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into manageable work packages. It is the backbone of all further planning.

Fig. 3.3 — Work Breakdown Structure: Shows three levels. Level 1 = Project, Level 2 = Main deliverables, Level 3 = Work packages (lowest level of planning)

WBS Key Rules:

100% Rule — The WBS captures 100% of project work; nothing inside is outside it
Mutually Exclusive — No work package overlaps with another
Work Package — The lowest element; has an owner, duration, effort, and cost

3.3 Organisation & Communication — RACI Matrix

The RACI Matrix (Responsibility Assignment Matrix) maps each work package to team roles: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. The book also uses RASCI (adding Supportive).

Work Package	PM (Laura)	Sabine	Sven	CEO
Venue booking	A	R	C	I
Catering management	A	C	R	I
Mobile app launch	A	I	C	I
Invitations / RSVP	A	R	R	I

Each work package should have exactly ONE "A" (Accountable). Multiple "A"s create confusion about final authority.

Communication Planning

A Communication Plan defines WHO gets WHAT information, HOW, and WHEN throughout the project. Key formats: status meetings, steering committee reports, email updates, and kick-off meetings.

3.4 Time Management & Scheduling

Key Concepts

Term	Definition
Effort	Person-days/hours of work required (e.g., 10 person-days)
Duration	Calendar time from start to finish of a task (e.g., 5 working days)
Milestone	Significant checkpoint with zero duration — marks project progress
Critical Path	Longest sequence of dependent tasks; any delay here delays the project
Float/Buffer	Time a task can be delayed without delaying the project end

⭐ PMP Exam Tip

Duration ≠ Effort. A 2-person team working 5 days on a task = 10 person-days effort, but duration is only 5 days. Critical Path tasks have ZERO float. Tasks off the critical path have positive float.

Network Diagram (Critical Path Method)

Fig. 3.10 — Network Diagram Example: Red path = Critical Path (zero float). Task B has 5 days float and is non-critical.

Bar Chart (Gantt Chart)

Fig. 3.13 — Bar Chart (Gantt): Horizontal bars show task duration. Critical tasks in red. Float shown as lighter bars. Today line shows project status.

3.5 Resource & Cost Planning

Resource Plan — Assigns human resources (person-days) and equipment to each work package per time period. Helps identify over-allocation and resource conflicts.

Resource Levelling — Adjusting schedules to smooth out resource demand peaks, either by moving tasks within their float, splitting work, or adding resources.

Cost Plan — Aggregates costs of all work packages by cost type (personnel, materials, travel, external services) and time period. Shows planned expenditure as a Cost Histogram and S-curve.

Fig. 3.19 — Cost S-Curve: Cumulative planned (blue) vs. actual (red) costs. When actual exceeds planned = cost overrun signal.

3.6 Risk Management

Risk = a potential future event that could have a negative impact on the project (or positive impact = opportunity). Risk = Probability × Impact.

Fig. 3.20 — Risk Matrix: Probability × Impact. Critical = high probability + high impact → immediate action required.

Four Risk Response Strategies

Strategy	When to Use	Example
Avoid	High-impact risks — change the plan to eliminate the risk	Change venue to avoid weather risk
Reduce/Mitigate	Medium risks — reduce probability or impact	Book backup catering vendor
Transfer	Financial risks — shift to third party	Take out event cancellation insurance
Accept	Low risks or residual risks — conscious decision to tolerate	Accept minor weather inconvenience

⭐ PMP Exam Tip

For OPPORTUNITIES (positive risks), the strategies flip to: Exploit, Enhance, Share, Accept. Also: a Risk Register must be maintained throughout the project, not just created once.

3.7 Project Controlling

Project Controlling = comparing actual performance (cost, time, quality) against the plan, identifying deviations, and taking corrective action. It is a continuous control loop throughout execution.

Fig. 3.24 — Control Loop: Plan → Execute → Measure Actual → Compare → Corrective Action → back to Plan. This repeats every reporting cycle.

Key Controlling Tools

Tool	What It Controls
Progress Reports / Status Reports	Overall project health (traffic lights: green/yellow/red)
Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA)	Forecasting if milestones will be met on time
Bar Chart (Actual vs Planned)	Schedule deviation for individual tasks
Earned Value Management (EVM)	Integrated cost/schedule performance
Mood Barometer	Social controlling — team morale and motivation

3.8 Earned Value Management (EVM)

EVM measures project performance by combining scope, schedule, and cost. It tells you how much work was planned, how much was actually done, and what it actually cost.

EVM Key Parameters:

Parameter	Formula	Meaning
PV (Planned Value)	Budget × Planned% complete	What you planned to spend by now
EV (Earned Value)	Budget × Actual% complete	Value of work actually done
AC (Actual Cost)	Real expenditure to date	What you actually spent
SV (Schedule Variance)	EV − PV	Positive = ahead of schedule
CV (Cost Variance)	EV − AC	Positive = under budget
SPI (Schedule Performance Index)	EV / PV	>1 = ahead, <1 = behind schedule
CPI (Cost Performance Index)	EV / AC	>1 = under budget, <1 = over budget

EVM Example — Week 12 of the Christmas Party Project

Budget = €50,000 | Planned 60% complete by W12 | Actual 50% complete | Spent €32,000

PV = €30,000 | EV = €25,000 | AC = €32,000

SV = €25k − €30k = −€5,000 (behind schedule)

CV = €25k − €32k = −€7,000 (over budget)

SPI = 25/30 = 0.83 | CPI = 25/32 = 0.78 → significant trouble!

3.9 Project Closure

Project Closure Activities:

Formal acceptance/handover of deliverables to client/operations
Release of project team members back to functional departments
Completion of all documentation and archiving
Final Report — documents what was delivered, budget actuals, lessons learned
Lessons Learned Workshop — structured retrospective to improve future projects
Closing contracts with vendors/suppliers

Lessons Learned must be documented AND shared in the organisation's knowledge management system — otherwise the effort is wasted. This is a cultural issue in many organisations.

Agile Project Management

4.1 The Agile Manifesto — Four Values

Agile Manifesto (2001) — Four Core Values:

We value MORE…	…over
✅ Individuals and Interactions	Processes and Tools
✅ Working Software/Product	Comprehensive Documentation
✅ Customer Collaboration	Contract Negotiation
✅ Responding to Change	Following a Plan

Note: The right column is NOT wrong — the left column is simply valued MORE.

Fig. 4.2 — The Agile Tree: Values and Principles (roots/trunk) support Methods and Procedural Models (crown)

4.2 Scrum Framework

Scrum is the most widely used agile framework. It organises work into fixed-length iterations called Sprints (1–4 weeks), each delivering a potentially shippable product increment.

Scrum Roles

Role	Responsibility
Product Owner (PO)	Defines and prioritises the Product Backlog; represents customer; decides what gets built
Scrum Master (SM)	Facilitates Scrum; removes impediments; coaches the team; NOT a project manager
Development Team	Self-organising, cross-functional team of 3–9 that delivers the Sprint increment

Scrum Artefacts

Artefact	Content	Owner
Product Backlog	Prioritised list of all features/requirements (User Stories)	Product Owner
Sprint Backlog	Subset of Product Backlog selected for the current Sprint	Development Team
Product Increment	Shippable product after each Sprint — must meet Definition of Done	Development Team
Burn-down Chart	Graph showing remaining work vs. time in Sprint	Scrum Master

Scrum Events

Fig. 4.8 — Scrum Events within a Sprint: Planning → Daily Scrum → Execution → Review → Retrospective. Then next Sprint begins.

Daily Scrum — 3 Questions (15 min)

What did I accomplish yesterday?
What will I accomplish today?
Are there any impediments blocking my progress?

Agile Estimation — Story Points & Planning Poker

Story Points — Relative measure of complexity/effort for a User Story (not calendar time). Uses Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…

Planning Poker — Team members simultaneously reveal their estimates (cards) and discuss differences until consensus. Prevents anchoring bias.

Velocity — Story points completed per Sprint; used to forecast future Sprints.

4.3 Kanban

Kanban is a visual work management system that limits work-in-progress (WIP) to optimise flow and identify bottlenecks. It does NOT use fixed-length iterations.

Fig. 4.10-11 — Kanban Board with WIP Limits. Limiting Work-in-Progress forces focus and reveals bottlenecks (piling up in one column).

Scrum vs. Kanban — Key Differences

Aspect	Scrum	Kanban
Timeboxing	Fixed Sprints (1–4 weeks)	Continuous flow, no fixed iterations
Roles	PO, SM, Dev Team (prescribed)	No prescribed roles
Changes	No changes during a Sprint	Changes allowed anytime
WIP Limits	Implicit (Sprint capacity)	Explicit WIP limits per column
Best for	Product development with clear iterations	Maintenance, support, operational work

4.4 Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a human-centered innovation approach for solving complex, poorly defined problems. It is a key agile method used alongside Scrum and Kanban.

Design Thinking — 5 Phases: Non-linear and iterative. Testing often leads back to earlier phases. Human empathy is the starting point.

4.5 Agile vs. Traditional — Key Differences

Aspect	Traditional PM	Agile PM
Scope	Fixed upfront	Flexible/emergent
Time & Cost	Variable (adjusts to scope)	Fixed (Sprint duration/budget)
Customer involvement	At beginning and end	Continuous throughout
Change management	Formal change request process	Changes welcomed anytime
Documentation	Comprehensive upfront	Minimal (just enough)
Planning horizon	Detailed plans for entire project	Detailed for next Sprint only
Team structure	Hierarchical roles	Self-organising, cross-functional
Risk tolerance	Low (mitigate early)	Embraces uncertainty/learning

Hybrid Project Management

Hybrid PM combines traditional and agile elements, adapting the approach to the specific context. The Hybrid Continuum shows that approaches exist on a spectrum.

Fig. 5.2 — The Hybrid Continuum: PM approaches range from fully traditional (left) to fully agile (right), with hybrid approaches in between.

5.1 Six Hybrid Approach Types

Type	Code	Description	When to Use
Traditional with Agile Methods	TA-AM	Traditional framework but uses agile tools (e.g., Kanban, retrospectives)	Stable scope with some agile team practices
Traditional with Serial Agile Phases	TA-AP s	Traditional phases, but one or more phases run in Scrum/agile mode sequentially	One uncertain phase in otherwise clear project
Traditional with Parallel Agile Phases	TA-AP p	Traditional and agile workstreams run in parallel	Hardware (trad) + Software (agile) in parallel
Traditional and Agile Approaches	TuAA	Different sub-projects use different approaches fully	Large programs with diverse sub-projects
Agile with Traditional Methods	AA-TM	Agile core but uses traditional tools (e.g., Gantt for reporting)	Agile team needing traditional reporting to stakeholders
Freestyle	—	Custom mix tailored to specific project needs	Highly unique, experienced teams only

5.2 Selecting the Hybrid Approach

The selection is guided by multiple factors assessed with a Trend Table that evaluates:

Clarity of requirements (clear → traditional; unclear → agile)
Technology certainty (known → traditional; novel → agile)
Team experience with agile (low → traditional; high → agile)
Customer availability for collaboration (unavailable → traditional; available → agile)
Regulatory/contractual constraints (strict → traditional; flexible → agile)

5.3 Designing Hybrid Models — Four Dimensions

Four Dimensions of Hybrid Model Design:

Structure — How are the project phases organised? (Sequential/parallel/iterative)
Functions — Which PM functions/elements apply? (Adapted per phase)
Methods — Which specific methods/tools are used? (Mix from both approaches)
People — What skills, roles, and culture is needed to make it work?

5.4 Optional & Adjacent Disciplines

Discipline	What It Covers
Procurement Management	Make-or-buy decisions; vendor selection process; RFP/tendering
Contract Management	Fixed-price vs. T&M contracts; legal constellations; contract types for projects
Claim Management	Managing disputes, additional payments, scope changes against contract
Change Management	Managing the human side of organisational change (not scope changes)
Project Marketing	Internal communication and "selling" the project to stakeholders throughout

Change Management — 7 Phases of Change (Kübler-Ross adapted):

Shock / Surprise
Denial
Anger / Frustration
Bargaining
Depression / Deep resignation
Acceptance
Integration / Problem-solving

Project managers must understand these phases and adapt their communication and leadership approach accordingly.

Personal & Social Competencies (Soft Skills)

Research consistently shows that the people side of project management — not the technical tools — is the primary driver of project success or failure.

6.1 Self-Management

Competency	Key Concept	Tool
Self-perception	Knowing your strengths, blind spots, triggers	Johari Window, 360° feedback
Goal Management	Personal SMART goals; continuous development	Personal development plan
Motivation	Understanding what drives you and your team	Maslow's Hierarchy, Herzberg
Time Management	Prioritising the right tasks	Eisenhower Matrix, ALPEN Method
Stress/Health Management	Preventing burnout, recognising exhaustion	SOR Model; 7 phases of exhaustion

Fig. 6.3 — Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level motivators become effective.

Eisenhower Matrix — Time Management

Fig. 6.5 — Eisenhower Matrix: Most effective leaders spend 70%+ of time in the "Schedule" quadrant (important but not urgent).

6.2 Communication

Schulz von Thun — Four Aspects of Every Message:

📋 Factual content — What information is being transmitted?
🤝 Relationship — What does the sender think of the receiver?
💬 Self-revelation — What does the message reveal about the sender?
📣 Appeal — What does the sender want the receiver to do?

Communication problems arise because sender and receiver "hear" different aspects of the same message.

6.3 Leadership

Leadership Style	When to Use
Directing/Telling	Low competence, high commitment (new team members); tell them exactly what to do
Coaching/Selling	Some competence, lower commitment; explain and discuss the why
Supporting/Participating	High competence, variable commitment; facilitate and support
Delegating	High competence AND commitment; delegate full responsibility

Situational Leadership (Hersey/Blanchard): Match your style to the team member's maturity level. The same person may need different styles for different tasks.

6.4 Team Management — Tuckman Model

Fig. 6.12 — Tuckman's Team Development Model: Teams progress through 5 stages. Storming is normal and must be navigated — not avoided.

6.5 Conflict Management

5 Conflict Resolution Strategies (Thomas-Kilmann):

Competing — Win/Lose; use when a quick decision is needed and you're right
Collaborating — Win/Win; best long-term solution; time-intensive
Compromising — Partial Win/Partial Win; middle ground
Accommodating — Lose/Win; give in to preserve relationship
Avoiding — No Win/No Win; temporary; can't be the only strategy

⭐ PMP Exam Tip

PMI's preferred conflict resolution styles are: Collaborating (Problem-Solving) first, then Compromising. Avoiding and Forcing (Competing) are least preferred in most situations.

Multi-Project Management

7.1 Programme Management

A Programme is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually.

Programme management focuses on:

Coordinating interdependencies between component projects
Managing shared resources across the programme
Realising strategic benefits that individual projects cannot achieve alone
Stakeholder management at programme level

7.2 Portfolio Management

A Portfolio is a collection of projects and programmes grouped together to facilitate effective management to meet strategic objectives. Portfolio projects don't need to be related to each other.

Fig. 7.3 — Project Portfolio Bubble Chart: Strategic Importance vs. Risk. Bubble size = budget. Prioritise high-importance, lower-risk projects.

Portfolio Management Process

Identify — Capture all project proposals and initiatives
Evaluate & Score — Assess strategic importance, ROI, risk, resource needs
Prioritise — Rank using scoring tables, dependency analysis
Select & Approve — Decide which projects to start/continue/stop
Control & Review — Ongoing monitoring; rebalance portfolio as needed

7.3 Project Management Office (PMO)

The PMO is an organisational unit that standardises project governance, provides methods and tools, manages resources across projects, and supports project managers.

Three Types of PMO (from supportive to directive):

Type	Role	Authority
Supportive PMO	Templates, training, best practices; advisory	Low — consultative
Controlling PMO	Standards compliance, audits, governance	Medium — sets requirements
Directive PMO	Directly manages projects; owns PMs	High — full authority

Master Summary — All Methods & Tools at a Glance

📊 Complete Methods & Tools Reference (Table 8.1)

PM Element	Planning Tools	Controlling Tools
Goals/Deliverable	Goal matrix, SMART, deliverable structure	Goal achievement status report
Quality	Quality criteria matrix, ISO standards	Audits, inspections, tests
Work (WBS)	WBS (PSP), Work package descriptions	Progress measurement (0/50/100%)
Organisation	Project organigramme, RACI matrix	Mood barometer, team feedback
Communication	Communication plan, document plan	Status meetings, reports
Time	Milestone plan, Network diagram, Gantt	MTA, Bar chart update, SPI
Resources	Resource plan, Resource histogram	Resource actuals vs. plan
Costs	Cost plan, S-curve	EVM (CV, CPI), Cost forecast
Risk	Risk register, Risk matrix	Risk review meetings
Stakeholder	Stakeholder table & matrix	Stakeholder attitude monitoring

🌟 Critical Success Factors for Projects (from book)

⚡ Top Failure Causes:

Unclear or changing goals
Insufficient stakeholder management
Poor communication
Inadequate risk management
Lack of top management support
Unrealistic time/cost estimates

✅ Key Success Factors:

Clear, SMART goals agreed by all
Strong project manager leadership
Active stakeholder engagement
Continuous controlling & transparency
Lessons Learned applied
Right PM approach selected

⭐ Final PMP Exam Cheat Sheet

Magic Triangle: Scope ↔ Time ↔ Cost — changing one affects the others
WBS 100% Rule: Captures ALL project work; lowest = work package
Critical Path: Longest path; zero float; any delay = project delay
EVM: SV=EV−PV; CV=EV−AC; SPI=EV/PV; CPI=EV/AC (above 1 = good)
Project Charter: Issued by Sponsor; names the PM; formal authority
SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
Scrum: Sprint=1-4 weeks; Daily=15min; Review=demo; Retro=improve
Stakeholder Matrix: High influence/interest → Manage Closely
Risk Responses: Avoid/Reduce/Transfer/Accept (threats); Exploit/Enhance/Share/Accept (opportunities)
Tuckman: Forming→Storming→Norming→Performing→Adjourning
RACI: Each WP has ONE Accountable person; Responsible does the work
Hybrid: Use Stacey Matrix/Cynefin to determine; TA-AM most common type

📘 Project Management

Book Overview & Structure

Project Management Fundamentals

1.1 What Is a Project?

Six Key Project Characteristics

Three Forms of Work

1.2 Project Constraints (The Magic Triangle)

1.3 Project Phases

1.4 Project, Programme & Portfolio

1.5 Major PM Standards

1.6 Project Management Elements

1.7 Project Organisation & Roles

Three Organisational Integration Structures

1.8 Procedural Models Overview

Project Initiation

2.1 Project Canvas

2.2 Project Evaluation & Worthiness

2.3 Selecting the PM Approach — Stacey Matrix & Cynefin

2.4 Goal Setting — SMART Criteria

Goal Hierarchy

2.5 Stakeholder Management

Four-Step Stakeholder Process

2.6 Project Charter

2.7 Key Initiation Tools

Traditional Project Management

3.1 Quality Planning

3.2 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

3.3 Organisation & Communication — RACI Matrix

Communication Planning

3.4 Time Management & Scheduling

Key Concepts

Network Diagram (Critical Path Method)

Bar Chart (Gantt Chart)

3.5 Resource & Cost Planning

3.6 Risk Management

Four Risk Response Strategies

3.7 Project Controlling

Key Controlling Tools

3.8 Earned Value Management (EVM)

3.9 Project Closure

Agile Project Management

4.1 The Agile Manifesto — Four Values

4.2 Scrum Framework

Scrum Roles

Scrum Artefacts

Scrum Events

Daily Scrum — 3 Questions (15 min)

Agile Estimation — Story Points & Planning Poker

4.3 Kanban

Scrum vs. Kanban — Key Differences

4.4 Design Thinking

4.5 Agile vs. Traditional — Key Differences

Hybrid Project Management

5.1 Six Hybrid Approach Types

5.2 Selecting the Hybrid Approach

5.3 Designing Hybrid Models — Four Dimensions

5.4 Optional & Adjacent Disciplines

Personal & Social Competencies (Soft Skills)

6.1 Self-Management

Eisenhower Matrix — Time Management

6.2 Communication

6.3 Leadership

6.4 Team Management — Tuckman Model

6.5 Conflict Management

Multi-Project Management

7.1 Programme Management

7.2 Portfolio Management

Portfolio Management Process

7.3 Project Management Office (PMO)

Master Summary — All Methods & Tools at a Glance