Programme Management Demystified

Rating:
Summary: It's project mgmt, not programme mgmt
Review: I think the book really is about project management, not programme management. As a project manager professional I have read numerous project management books and to be honest, I have not learned anything new in this book. I was looking for a book that would provide a programme manager (former project manager that masters project management techniques) tools & techniques to help with managing a project portfolio. Furthermore, I found the book to be somehow expensive vs content.

Rating:
Summary: A must for anyone involved in programme management
Review: If you are about to take on the role of programme manager, or even if you've had it printed on your business card for a while, you need to read this book.

It does exactly what it says on the cover, and as a bonus is very readable. No mean feat given the subject matter. If you've read Project Management Demystified then you'll be familiar with the author's style.

The term "Programme Management" has so many meanings, and indeed different spellings either side of the Atlantic, it's refreshing to find a book that cuts through the confusion to the heart of the subject.

The fuzziness of the subject is demonstrated by the need to devote 6 pages merely to definitions of the term "Programme Management" (of which there are at least 4) but cleverly focuses on Programme Planning as the common denominator on which we can all agree.

As well as appropriate coverage of the theory and best practice, there are case studies too. However these are perhaps too basic although they do illustrate the issues likely to confront anyone establishing a new programme management infrastructure in a typical organisation.

One criticism; although I appreciate the author's style of humour, many of the jokes are simply terrible (even though they made me smile). I'm sure it's an old gag but it took me a while to realise where the fictitious case study company Norfolk and Goode got their name from! (Oh dear I hope they are fictitious).

However, to his credit the author does provide a warning when one of his "jokes" is approaching and they are labelled as footnotes, with a corny (pun intended) illustration. So you can skip over them if you find them irritating. Bizarrely, the threat of an approaching pun does make you want to read on, so I will assume that is their intention.

All in all a useful book which can be read from cover to cover, or dipped in to as required.