Foreword

The great challenge for government managers is to take the broad brushstrokes of their agency’s or organization’s strategy and mission and translate them into actions—actions that are effective and measurable.

The most well-meaning executives, managers, and elected officials can propose great initiatives but without the proper planning, leadership, and tools, their efforts may go nowhere. Effective government is measured by outcomes. Project management offers a disciplined approach that can turn those great initiatives into reality. Through a variety of real-life examples, this book shows how dedicated public managers have used the discipline of project management to achieve results.

The increased emphasis on oversight from Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Government Accountability Office points clearly to the need for a standardized and formal approach. Thus, the discipline of project management, which has been used in the government for many years, is enjoying a resurgence. The spotlight on oversight will only intensify as taxpayers demand more accountability from their government.

The stories of accomplishment achieved through project management in Achieving Project Management Success in the Federal Government offer practical guidance on how to accomplish mission-critical tasks. The “lessons learned” in each of the cases present different perspectives, yet they all bring the organization’s strategy or mission down to a manageable set of objectives and actions.

By exploring different aspects of a representative group of projects, Jonathan Weinstein and Timothy Jaques share a workable and highly readable look into the state of project management in government today. The authors interviewed the project managers involved with these success stories, who were not hesitant to point out the challenges they encountered.

Project management is a powerful tool for any government manager; this book shows how that tool has been used successfully in a variety of settings to reach different goals. The authors also address the fundamentals of project management, demonstrating how building strong teams, engaging stakeholders, and developing both traditional and emerging skills and competencies are so important to project success.

There is a plethora of media coverage of projects gone wrong, with the resulting cost overruns and disappointing results. The public would be better served if more of the success stories—the hard-won success stories—in this book were more widely shared.

Although the book focuses on federal agencies, anyone in government—whether at the federal, state, or local level—will find important insights and much value in this material.

—Hon. Thomas M. Davis III, Director, Deloitte Services LP Former Chair, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform