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It took me a while to find Simon Moore’s book Strategic Project Portfolio Management. But I am glad that I did.
It’s beautiful for one. I read a lot, and I notice fonts, layouts and box copy. But this book has the most beautiful tables. It is not a good idea just to praise a book for its beauty. It does matter for the user experience. The content is also good.
How to choose the best projects for maximum returns
Moore’s book is about how project management offices can prioritize projects and pick the right priorities to maximize business return. Although it sounds simple, we all know that it is essential. It can be difficult to know where you should start when creating a new PMO.
This book is very practical. Another great thing is that this book shows you how to do things, not just talk about theory. It covers every aspect of the lifecycle, including brainstorming ideas and planning for the most productive organization.
Estimating For Success
Moore talks about range-based estimations. This is a topic I am very interested. Moore explains that estimates tend towards the initial values because people don’t adjust their estimates after making an original decision. Moore explains that this research is:
It is important to remember that even though the initial estimate in project management may have a significant impact on future estimates. This is a strong indicator of how efficient project management can be. If possible, delay the initial estimate or give a wide range. Management must be aware of the problem of inadequate adjustment in order to ensure that estimates for key variables like portfolio budget change over time to reflect real value. (p. 13)
While range-based estimates can be a good option, the book is far more comprehensive. This book covers everything a novice manager in a PMO should know to support her project managers.
Moore also suggests that you only capture what you need. Moore suggests being pragmatic in monitoring. Why force project managers to record a lot of figures that they don’t use? He also said that reporting is supposed to help people make better data-related decisions.
Practical Advice I Will Recommend Again
Moore’s late-in the-book discussion on adaptive project management was my only disagreement. Wikipedia is a project, he says.
He says that some projects can be run without any planning or organization. Wikipedia is cited as an example because Wikipedia “requires very little planning to specify articles submitted.”
Wikipedia is not a project for me. It’s a community-based initiative. Wikipedia is not a project in my view because it has a beginning, middle and end. Moore can be forgiven if this section is less than a webpage.
I enjoyed the chapters ’10 Things to Do’ and ’10 Things to Avoid. These chapters are great for those just starting out in PMOs or those who want to improve their skills but don’t know how to get started.
It was a pleasure reading this.
