Images of Projects

Recent Government-funded research in the UK confirms there is now a significant gap between the complex realities of 21st century projects and the traditional ideas and approaches of 20th century project management. No matter what proponents of the latest methods and tools might claim, there is no one 'best way' to manage projects and programmes in the 21st century. This book is written for experienced practitioners and student-practitioners who instinctively know that the practice-world is much more complex than the standard textbook models of project management.In this very distinctive book, Images of Projects challenges the way we think about projects and programmes in a most fundamental way: it rejects the idea of a one 'best way' to view projects, or of a single approach that should be followed for all types of projects. In contrast, Images of Projects is about seeing projects and programmes in a more pragmatic and reflective way, from many different perspectives, exploring and integrating the insights and implications which flow from these perspectives, and developing appropriate action strategies in different situations.Based on real project examples, recent research, and the authors' experiences over the last ten years, Images of Projects presents eight pragmatic perspectives for engaging with 21st century projects and programmes. Illustrated through stories, the eight perspectives are presented in ways that allow the reader to reflect upon their own personal knowledge and experience. This way the reader can review their own perspectives and ideas against the different perspectives in this book. Moreover, the book contains numerous practical frameworks and models to assist practitioners working in complex project environments.In adopting this approach, Images of Projects draws its inspiration from Gareth Morgan's best-selling book Images of Organisation, which argues that practitioners must become skilled at 'reading' organisations from different perspectives and at developing appropriate action strategies in complex situations. Images of Projects is no different: this book's purpose is to help practitioners develop (or enrich) this crucial skill for managing and leading projects and programmes in the 21st century.Winter, Mark is the author of 'Images of Projects', published 2009 under ISBN 9780566087165 and ISBN 0566087162.