March 2008 � Project Management Journal � DOI: 10.1002/pmj 97

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A s projects become increasingly global in

scope, project managers seek implemen-

tation guidance that extends beyond

their own geographic boundaries. Project

Manager’s Handbook: Applying Best Practices

Across Global Industries, edited by David I. Cleland

and Lewis R. Ireland, provides just that.

Through the book’s unique “in-context”

approach to organizing and presenting the mate-

rial, readers are presented with different perspec-

tives of using project management across a wide

variety of industries and geographies. Readers are

guided through the cultural nuances of specific

industry-type projects, along with lessons learned

and other aspects of applied project management.

Although project management principles are

generally applicable across all arenas, there

are always unique contextual characteristics that

must be considered. Helping to identify and explore those aspects

is the gist of the book.

In Part 1, Cleland and Ireland provide insight into how some

countries and cultures view and ultimately apply project man-

agement. Their discussion includes examples of where project

management is highly accepted, contrasted with an example

where the discipline of project management principles is chal-

lenged. Interestingly, the concepts outlined in these “cultural”

views are easily adapted to one’s own view regardless of geogra-

phy, organization, or approach. For example, the chapter on

project management in Aotearoa, New Zealand, clearly can be

translated from the discussion of challenges and subsequent

approaches to project management as viewed by a somewhat

isolated nation to that of any entity—whether governmental,

corporate, or other—where the political, economic, and other

factors shape that entity’s approach to applying project man-

agement effectively to meet its unique agenda.

In Part 2, variations in using project management principles

are highlighted for several different environments, notably when

expanding from a single-country-type project to those that are

more global in extent. Interestingly, the cross-cultural aspects of

applying project management, specifically in the area of training

across cultural views, are very enlightening. Also, some of the

unique differences and challenges for international sector projects

are explored. Of specific interest is the view of the financing entity

taking the lead role in many international development-type proj-

ects, and the resulting strong alignment of the project’s goals to

those of the financing entity. The challenges of

stakeholder management seem to be exacerbated

as a result of the varied political, cultural, and lan-

guage differences faced by these types of projects.

The examples of project management in a

government setting are addressed in Part 3.

Although the examples are mostly U.S. federal

or state agencies, the concepts and challenges

can be easily translated to other governmental

entities. There is one topic of specific interest

where the writers discuss two mega-construc-

tion projects, one in the United States (Boston’s

“Big Dig”) and the other in China (Three Gorges

Dam project).

Part 4 provides insight into how “organiza-

tional improvements can be developed and

implemented through the use of project man-

agement.” Discussions of how outsourcing,

project management offices (PMOs), and other aspects of proj-

ect management are being implemented to increase efficiency

and effectiveness of delivery are examined, as is the role of proj-

ect managers in an internal consulting group. An important con-

cept in helping to elevate the discipline of project management

is how a business entity aligns its project management strategy,

practices, and execution to facilitate the attainment of the cor-

porate strategic objectives. Too often, project management, as

with any function, might work in isolation, and hence the PMO

objectives are no longer aligned to the enterprise strategy.

Lessons learned and project retrospectives help to capture

the good and the bad about how a project was executed. This

valuable information can help the project management team

take advantage of the approaches that led to the project’s suc-

cess, while helping the new project team avoid the pitfalls

encountered in the earlier project. Part 5 provides useful insight

from several authors who compare and contrast the “character-

istics typical of ‘well managed’ and ‘poorly managed’ projects.”

In Part 6, various authors discuss the theory and practice of

project management, specifically aligning and using project

management to support organizational strategies. The question

of the impact of project management certification on the effec-

tive delivery of a project is discussed using data from a variety

of global sources.

Cleland and Ireland have succeeded in illustrating how the

fundamentals of project management can be viewed and

applied from several different perspectives, thus reinforcing the

art aspect of the science of project management. �

Reviewed by Greg Indelicato, PMP, Program/Project Manager, EDS, Plano, TX, USA.

Project Manager’s Handbook: Applying BestPractices Across Global Industriesby David I. Cleland and Lewis R. Ireland, Editors

McGraw-Hill, 2008, ISBN 13:9780071484428, hardcover, 573 pp., $94.95 Member, $99.95 Nonmember.

Project Management Journal, Vol. 39, No. 1, 97© 2008 by the Project Management InstitutePublished online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com)DOI: 10.1002/pmj.20028