| This book is for both the beginning project manager and the experienced project manager. Project sponsors, senior managers, project engineers, project support staff and programme offices, financial controllers and project accountants, programme managers, marketing and salespeople, and others who are involved in projects but may not be project managers will also find it useful. This book provides a single reference source for project managers and others who need to know about project management. It provides guidance in all key aspects of project management. There are two important limitations to be aware of when using this book: -
The contents of this book explain best practice in the discipline, but much of what matters most in project management simply has to be learnt through experience. People who are new to project management should also make full use of the support available from their organizations, and especially from more experienced project managers. If in doubt, ask someone who has done it before! -
Almost by definition, projects involve tackling new problems. This means that sometimes a project will encounter a problem which does not fit easily into the framework used in this book. It is essential to remember that books are not a substitute for common sense: if there are sound reasons for doing things differently from the way presented here, then do things differently. The framework presented has great value, but common sense is more valuable still, and use your common sense when applying the techniques set out in this book. Project management is not about being right in theory, it is about delivering a result that people want. | 
