50 Top IT Project Management Challenges

A summary of the challenges facing today’s IT project manager

Discussions on project management forums highlight many of the challenges facing a project manager during the course of a project. Unclear requirements, scope creep, and undefined roles are well-trodden issues that can derail a project. Other challenges are less obvious, often more subtle, but equally destructive.

Facing up to the challenges

This book offers a focused and concise summary of 50 challenges facing today’s IT project manager. The authors draw on years of practical experience (rather than classroom theory) to outline these challenges and offer useful tips and advice on how to deal with them.

Challenge and response

Readers of this book will be better equipped to respond to key project management challenges, including

• Building the team—getting the right resources, matching skills/knowledge, defining roles and responsibilities.
• Project scope—clarifying assumptions, avoiding ambiguity, getting the time/cost estimates right.
• Politics—communicating with management and stakeholders, dealing with conflict, handling interference and micro-managing.
• Risk awareness—identifying inside/outside influences, recognizing inbound and outbound dependencies.
• Time management—using the right planning tools, balancing work versus meetings.
• Failure—handling the blame game, protecting the team, rescuing the project.

This book condenses into a handy summary much of the information and advice that can be found in project management-related books and discussion forums. It is an ideal reference for anyone involved in IT project management, from professional service organizations (PSO) and project management offices (PMO) through to active project managers and studying graduates.