Early project appraisal
Subtitle: making the initial choices
By: Knut Samset
Contributors: Palgrave Connect (Online service)
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] :
Number of pages: 286
ISBN-13: 9780230289925; 9780230273245
Subjects: TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS; Business and Management; Operational research; Project management; Project Management
Description: What do these things have in common? An airport, the Olympic Games, the development of a new vaccine, or a wedding. They were all organized as projects. Today's major undertakings could hardly be done differently since they all require cooperation across sectors and institutional borders. Project management expertise is therefore much in demand to ensure efficient implementation and avoid large cost overruns and delays. The problem is that many projects fail even though they were implemented successfully, simply because the project concept was wrong. Today's paradox is that we know a lot about how to manage a project - but not enough to ensure that the right project concept is chosen. This book provides some insight into how bad ideas can be avoided and good ideas developed into successful projects.

"Focusing on turning an initial idea into a project with a successful outcome, this book fills a gap in current literature on project management and is thoroughly grounded in the latest research in this field. It emphasizes the practical application of decision making based on qualitative and judgmental information"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 274-278) and index.

Print version record.
Table of contents: title: Attributes of a project; title: Successful projects; title: Three perspectives on a project; title: Three main phases in a project; title: Uncertainty, risk and opportunities; title: Possibilities of foreseeing; title: Strategic guidance and tactical flexibility; title: The problem of cost; title: The problem of utility; title: What is a concept?; title: Project alignment : needs, objectives and effects; title: Objectives and their formulation; title: Methods and analyses in the front-end phase; title: Quality of information; title: Front-end assessment and the decision to finance a project; title: Three steps in front-end assessment : definition, development and appraisal of concept; title: Systems analysis; title: SWOT analysis; title: Strategy analysis : logical framework; title: Rough analysis of uncertainty; title: Strategic frames for implementation; title: Top-down probability-based cost estimation; title: Assessing profitability; title: Risk analysis; title: Probability-based progress analysis; title: Evaluating projects; title: Boondoggles and white elephants.