Learn the latest principles and certification objectives in The PMBOK Guide, Fourth Edition , in a unique and inspiring way with Head First PMP . The second edition of this book helps you prepare for the PMP certification exam using a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works. You'll find a full-length sample exam included inside the book. More than just proof of passing a test, a PMP certification means that you have the knowledge to solve most common project problems. But studying for a difficult four-hour exam on project management isn't easy, even for experienced project managers. Drawing on the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, Head First PMP offers you a multi-sensory experience that helps the material stick, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep. This book will help you:
- Learn PMP's underlying concepts to help you understand the PMBOK principles and pass the certification exam with flying colors
- Get 100% coverage of the latest principles and certification objectives in The PMBOK Guide, Fourth Edition , including two new processes: Collect Requirements and Identify Stakeholders
- Make use of a thorough and effective preparation guide with hundreds of practice questions and exam strategies
- Explore the material through puzzles, games, problems, and exercises that make learning easy and entertaining
Head First PMP puts project management principles into context to help you understand, remember, and apply them -- not just on the exam, but also on the job.
the authors......Page 10
Table of Contents (the real thing)......Page 11
how to use this book: Intro......Page 27
Who should probably back away from this book?......Page 28
And we know what your brain is thinking.......Page 29
Metacognition: thinking about thinking......Page 31
Here’s what WE did:......Page 32
Here’s what YOU can do to bend your brain into submission......Page 33
Read me......Page 34
The technical review team......Page 36
Acknowledgments......Page 37
Safari® Books Online......Page 38
1 Introduction: Why get certified?......Page 39
Do these problems seem familiar?......Page 40
Projects don’t have to be this way......Page 42
Your problems… already solved......Page 43
What you need to be a good project manager......Page 44
You can’t manage your project in a vacuum......Page 48
Understand your company’s big picture......Page 49
Portfolios, programs, and projects......Page 50
What a project IS…......Page 53
A day in the life of a project manager......Page 55
How project managers run great projects......Page 57
Process Group Magnets......Page 58
Process Group Magnets Solutions......Page 60
A PMP certification is more than just passing a test......Page 62
Meet a real-life PMP-certified project manager......Page 63
2 Organizations, constraints, and projects: In good company......Page 69
A day in Kate’s life......Page 70
Kate wants a new job......Page 71
Organization Magnets......Page 73
There are different types of organizations......Page 74
The Project Manager has the most authority and power in a projectized organization.......Page 75
Kate takes a new job......Page 79
Stakeholders are impacted by your project......Page 81
Back to Kate’s maintenance nightmare......Page 82
Managing project constraints......Page 84
Kate makes some changes…......Page 88
… and her project is a success!......Page 89
Organization Magnets Solutions......Page 91
3 The process framework: It all fits together......Page 97
Cooking up a project......Page 98
Projects are like recipes......Page 100
If your project’s really big, you can manage it in phases......Page 102
Phases can also overlap......Page 103
Break it down......Page 104
Process Magnets......Page 105
Anatomy of a process......Page 107
Combine processes to complete your project......Page 110
Knowledge areas organize the processes......Page 111
Knowledge Area Magnets......Page 112
Knowledge Area Magnets Solutions......Page 114
The benefits of successful project management......Page 117
4 Project integration management: Getting the job done......Page 125
Time to book a trip......Page 126
The teachers are thrilled… for now......Page 127
These clients are definitely not satisfied......Page 128
The day-to-day work of a project manager......Page 129
The six Integration Management processes......Page 130
Start your project with the Initiating processes......Page 133
Integration management and the process groups......Page 134
The “Develop Project Charter” process......Page 136
Make the case for your project......Page 137
Use expert judgment to get an outside opinion......Page 138
A closer look at the project charter......Page 140
Two things you’ll see over and over and over.........Page 143
Plan your project!......Page 146
The project management plan lets you plan ahead for problems......Page 147
A quick look at all those subsidiary plans......Page 149
Question Clinic: The “Just-The-Facts-Ma’am” Question......Page 152
The Direct and Manage Project Execution process......Page 154
The project team creates deliverables......Page 155
Executing the project includes repairing defects......Page 156
Eventually, things WILL go wrong.........Page 158
Sometimes you need to change your plans......Page 159
Look for changes and deal with them......Page 160
Make only the changes that are right for your project......Page 161
Decide your changes in change control meetings......Page 162
How the processes interact with each other......Page 163
Control your changes; use change control......Page 164
Preventing or correcting problems......Page 166
Finish the work, close the project......Page 168
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here......Page 169
So why INTEGRATION management?......Page 170
Project Integration Management Magnets......Page 171
Project Integration Management Magnets Solution......Page 172
Integration Management kept your project on track, and the teachers satisfied......Page 173
Integrationcross......Page 174
Integrationcross Solution......Page 179
5 Scope management: Doing the right stuff......Page 191
Out of the frying pan.........Page 192
... and right back into the fire......Page 193
Cubicle conversation......Page 194
It looks like we have a scope problem......Page 197
You’ve got to know what (and how) you will build before you build it......Page 199
The power of scope management......Page 200
The five Scope Management processes......Page 201
Cubicle conversation......Page 202
Collect requirements for your project......Page 203
Talk to your stakeholders......Page 204
Make decisions about requirements......Page 205
Help your team to get creative......Page 206
Use a questionnaire to get requirements from a bigger group of people......Page 208
A prototype shows users what your product will be like......Page 209
Collect requirements outputs page......Page 210
Define the scope of the project......Page 213
How do you define the scope?......Page 214
The scope statement tells you what you have to do......Page 216
Question Clinic: The “Which-is-BEST” Question......Page 220
Create the work breakdown structure......Page 222
The inputs for the WBS come from other processes......Page 223
Breaking down the work......Page 224
Break it down by project or phase......Page 225
Decompose deliverables into work packages......Page 226
Project Scope Management Magnets......Page 228
More Magnets......Page 229
Project Scope Management Magnets Solutions......Page 230
Inside the work package......Page 232
The baseline is a snapshot of the plan......Page 234
The outputs of the Create WBS process......Page 236
Cubicle conversation......Page 238
Why scope changes......Page 239
The Control Scope process......Page 241
Anatomy of a change......Page 242
A closer look at the Change Control System......Page 244
Just one Control Scope tool/technique......Page 245
Control Scope Process Magnets......Page 247
Control Scope Process Magnets Solutions......Page 248
Make sure the team delivered the right product......Page 249
The stakeholders decide when the project is done......Page 250
Is the project ready to go?......Page 251
Scopecross......Page 252
The project is ready to ship!......Page 253
Scopecross......Page 256
6 Time management: Getting it done on time......Page 269
Reality sets in for the happy couple......Page 270
Meet the wedding planner......Page 271
Time management helps with aggressive time lines......Page 272
Time Management Magnets......Page 273
Time Management Magnets Solution......Page 274
Use the Define Activities process to break down the work......Page 276
Tools and techniques for Define Activities......Page 277
Rolling wave planning lets you plan as you go......Page 278
Activity Magnets......Page 279
Activity Magnets Solution......Page 280
Define activities outputs......Page 281
The Sequence Activities process puts everything in order......Page 283
Diagram the relationship between activities......Page 284
Network diagrams put your tasks in perspective......Page 285
Predecessors help you sequence your activities......Page 288
Leads and lags add time between activities......Page 289
Create the network diagram......Page 291
Rob and Rebecca have resource problems......Page 292
What you need to estimate resources......Page 293
Estimating the resources......Page 294
Figuring out how long the project will take......Page 296
Estimation tools and techniques......Page 299
Create the duration estimate......Page 302
Back to the wedding......Page 303
Bringing it all together......Page 304
Question Clinic: The “Which-comes-next” Question......Page 306
One thing leads to another......Page 308
Use the Critical Path Method to avoid big problems......Page 309
How to find the critical path......Page 310
Finding the float for any activity......Page 312
Float tells you how much extra time you have......Page 314
Figure out the early start and early finish......Page 317
Figure out the latest possible start and finish......Page 318
Add early and late durations to your diagrams......Page 319
Take a backward pass to find late start and finish......Page 320
Let’s take some time out to walk through this!......Page 321
Crash the schedule......Page 326
Fast-tracking the project......Page 327
What-if analysis......Page 328
Other Develop Schedule tools and techniques......Page 329
Outputs of Develop Schedule......Page 330
Influence the factors that cause change......Page 334
Control Schedule inputs and outputs......Page 335
What Control Schedule updates......Page 336
Measuring and reporting performance......Page 337
Control Schedule tools and techniques......Page 338
Control Schedule Magnets......Page 340
Timecross......Page 341
Another satisfied customer!......Page 342
Control Schedule Magnets Answers......Page 347
Timecross solution......Page 348
7 Cost management: Watching the bottom line......Page 359
Time to expand the Head First Lounge......Page 360
The guys go overboard......Page 361
Lounge conversation......Page 362
Introducing the cost management processes......Page 363
What Alice needs before she can Estimate Costs......Page 364
Other tools and techniques used in Estimate Costs......Page 367
Let’s talk numbers......Page 368
Now Alice knows how much the Lounge will cost......Page 370
Lounge conversation......Page 371
The Determine Budget process......Page 372
What you need to build your budget......Page 373
Determine budget: how to build a budget......Page 374
Question Clinic: The Red Herring......Page 378
The Control Costs process is a lot like schedule control......Page 380
A few new tools and techniques......Page 383
Look at the schedule to figure out your budget......Page 384
How to calculate Planned Value......Page 385
Earned Value tells you how you’re doing......Page 387
How to calculate Earned Value......Page 388
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes......Page 390
Is your project behind or ahead of schedule?......Page 392
Are you over budget?......Page 394
The Earned Value Management formulas......Page 395
Interpret CPI and SPI numbers to gauge your project......Page 396
Meanwhile, back in the Lounge......Page 400
Once you’ve got an estimate, you can calculate a variance!......Page 401
Finding missing information......Page 404
Keep your project on track with TCPI......Page 407
A high TCPI means a tight budget......Page 408
Party time!......Page 409
8 Quality management: Getting it right......Page 429
What is quality?......Page 430
You need more than just tests to figure out quality......Page 431
Once you know what the product is supposed to do, it’s easy to tell which tests pass and which fail......Page 432
Quality up close......Page 433
Quality vs. grade......Page 434
“An ounce of prevention…”......Page 436
Plan Quality is how you prevent defects......Page 439
How to plan for quality......Page 440
The quality management plan gives you what you need to manage quality......Page 442
Inspect your deliverables......Page 445
Use the planning outputs for Perform Quality Control......Page 446
The seven basic tools of quality......Page 447
Pareto charts, flowcharts, and histograms......Page 448
More quality control tools......Page 449
Question Clinic: The “Which-One” Question......Page 454
Quality control means finding and correcting defects......Page 456
Trouble at the Black Box 3000tm factory......Page 459
Introducing Quality Assurance......Page 460
A closer look at some tools and techniques......Page 461
More ideas behind quality assurance......Page 462
Qualitycross......Page 463
The Black Box 3000tm makes record profits!......Page 467
Qualitycross......Page 470
9 Human resource management: Getting the team together......Page 481
Mike needs a new team......Page 482
Cubicle conversation......Page 483
Get your team together and keep them moving......Page 484
Figure out who you need on your team......Page 486
The staffing management plan......Page 490
Get the team together......Page 492
Human Resourcecross......Page 494
Cubicle conversation......Page 495
Develop your project team......Page 496
Develop the team with your management skills......Page 497
Your interpersonal skills can make a big difference for your team......Page 498
Lead the team with your management skills......Page 500
Motivate your team......Page 502
Stages of team development......Page 504
How’s the team doing?......Page 506
Cubicle conversation......Page 507
Managing your team means solving problems......Page 508
Conflict management up close......Page 509
How to resolve a conflict......Page 510
The Cows Gone Wild IV team ROCKS!......Page 515
Question Clinic: The “Have-A-Meeting” Question......Page 516
Human Resourcecross Solution......Page 519
10 Communications management: Getting the word out......Page 531
Party at the Head First Lounge!......Page 532
But something’s not right......Page 533
Anatomy of communication......Page 534
Get a handle on communication......Page 536
Find out who your stakeholders are......Page 538
Stakeholder Analysis Up Close......Page 540
Tell everyone what’s going on......Page 546
Get the message?......Page 548
More Distribute Information tools......Page 550
Let everyone know how the project’s going......Page 553
Take a close look at the work being done......Page 554
Now you can get the word out......Page 557
Communicationcross......Page 558
People aren’t talking!......Page 559
Count the channels of communication......Page 564
It’s party time!......Page 567
Question Clinic: The Calculation Question......Page 568
Communicationcross......Page 572
11 Project risk management: Planning for the unknown......Page 581
What’s a risk?......Page 582
How you deal with risk......Page 583
Plan Risk Management......Page 584
Use a risk breakdown structure to categorize risks......Page 586
Anatomy of a risk......Page 588
What could happen to your project?......Page 590
Information-gathering techniques for Identify Risks......Page 591
More Identify Risks techniques......Page 592
Where to look for risks......Page 594
Now put it in the risk register......Page 595
Rank your risks......Page 596
Examine each risk in the register......Page 597
Qualitative vs. quantitative analysis......Page 602
Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis......Page 603
First gather the data…......Page 604
… then analyze it......Page 605
Calculate the Expected Monetary Value of your risks......Page 606
Decision tree analysis uses EMV to help you make choices......Page 608
Update the risk register based on your quantitative analysis results......Page 610
How do you respond to a risk?......Page 612
Response planning can even find more risks......Page 613
Add risk responses to the register......Page 615
You can’t plan for every risk at the start of the project......Page 617
Monitor and Control Risks is another change control process......Page 618
How to control your risks......Page 619
More risk monitoring and control techniques......Page 620
Question Clinic: The “Which-is-NOT” Question......Page 626
12 Procurement management: Getting some help......Page 641
Victim of her own success......Page 642
Calling in the cavalry......Page 643
Contract Process Magnets......Page 645
Contract Process Magnets Solutions......Page 646
Ask the legal expert......Page 647
Anatomy of a contract......Page 648
Start with a plan for the whole project......Page 650
Make or Buy Magnets......Page 653
Make or Buy Magnets Solutions......Page 654
The decision is made......Page 655
Types of contracts......Page 656
More about contracts......Page 659
Figure out how you’ll sort out potential sellers......Page 660
Contract Magnets......Page 661
Get in touch with potential sellers......Page 663
Pick a partner......Page 664
Two months later…......Page 670
Keep an eye on the contract......Page 671
Stay on top of the seller......Page 672
Close the contract when the work is done......Page 676
Contractcross......Page 677
Kate closes the contract......Page 678
Question Clinic: BYO Questions......Page 679
Contract Magnets Solution......Page 681
Contractcross Solutions......Page 682
13 Professional responsibility: Making good choices......Page 689
Doing the right thing......Page 690
Keep the cash?......Page 692
Fly business class?......Page 693
New software......Page 694
Shortcuts......Page 695
A good price or a clean river?......Page 696
We’re not all angels......Page 697
14 A little last-minute review: Check your knowledge......Page 703
Process Magnets......Page 704
Processcross......Page 706
A long-term relationship for your brain......Page 710
Here’s how to do this next section......Page 711
Great job! It looks like you’re almost ready......Page 721
Process Magnets Solutions......Page 722
Processcross Solutions......Page 724
15 Practice makes perfect: Practice PMP exam......Page 737
What you’ll see on the PMP Exam......Page 738
Before you look at the answers.........Page 783
B......Page 823
C......Page 824
E......Page 825
H......Page 826
M......Page 827
P......Page 828
Q......Page 830
R......Page 831
S......Page 832
W......Page 833
