Business organizations are highly successful at delivering 'business as usual'; the day-to-day tasks of managing customer transactions, marketing and production activities, and motivating employees. But there is a growing requirement for such organizations also to deliver business change projects successfully. 'Business as usual organizations' represent a particularly challenging environment for achieving this because of the fundamentally different mindset and culture required to deliver projects in this context. Tim Carroll's book provides an authoritative guide to improving project delivery in such organizations by: ¢ building a project management capability and culture that is appropriate to BAU organizations; ¢ aligning projects more closely with the strategic agenda of the organization, through the use of programmes; ¢ using portfolio management to improve this alignment and ensure the effectiveness of project investments; ¢ demonstrating the business context for projects and their contribution to the organization's agenda of strategic change. The author argues convincingly that project management hasn't travelled well from its traditional roots in construction and engineering to business-as-usual organizations. New approaches are called for, in particular to embed project delivery capabilities more deeply within the organization rather than treat it as a specialist discipline. This is a 'must-read' book to help managers responsible for strategy and change in all business-as-usual organizations (such as banks, insurance, business and consumer service companies, hospitals, local and national government) to realize the value that project management can bring to the long-term development of their organization.
Biography
Tim Carroll is a Programme Director at Standard Chartered Bank. Tim has 30 years of industry experience, the vast majority directly involved with the delivery of large and complex projects. In recent years he has focused on the delivery of business-change projects and on building project management competencies within organizations. He has a master's degree in project management.
'Sometimes a book comes along that completely takes you by surprise. Instead of the usual rehash of project management under the guise of progress, Project Delivery in Business as Usual Organisations by Tim Carroll delivers something genuinely new. This clear, well written and thought-provoking book provides not only a perspective on why project management has failed to evolve in some organisations but also a structured discussion about the potential practical solutions that can be applied. ... This book is a thoroughly good read and I believe it is something that all programme managers and project directors should find time to read and consider whether they can enable a great correlation between business strategy and project delivery. If you haven't found this book yet, you need to as it will become mandatory reading for all up-and-coming programme managers and project directors.' Ed Burney-Cumming in Project 'At last, a book about how to make projects succeed in the real world. There are many books that provide us with insight into technical project management tools. In 'BAU' organisations, project managers who use them wonder why they have sore heads as they continue to bang their heads against corporate brick walls. Based on experience and insight, and in an easy to read style, Tim's book will allow you to find ways through these walls. This book allows you to consider how to integrate projects into 'non project' organisations ways of life. Tim argues that if we can make this approach part of the corporate fabric, we have a sustainable basis for change. This book offers a practical and well reasoned approach to achieving this. Those project managers humble enough to accept the need to approach change in this light will find that they can use their skills to greater advantage without the traditional roadblocks they would otherwise experience.' Mike Chilton, Group Head of Operational Risk, Standard Chartered Bank
