and sustainable project management
SERIES ARTICLE
Article 3 of 5
By Helgi Thor Ingason, PhD and Haukur Ingi Jonasson, PhD
Reykjavik University
Reykjavik, Iceland
We have written a series of four books for the modern business professional who needs to be able to lead and participate in different kinds of projects and understand and practice different contextual, leadership, technical and communication aspects of project, programme and portfolio management. For the readers of PM World Journal, we are introducing our series through a set of short articles, where we explain our ideas and scope.
This third article gives a brief overview of the second book in our series; namely Project: Execution. This book aims to provide the reader with a good understanding of the basics of project management. The book is a somewhat traditional project management textbook, suitable for teaching undergraduate-level university students. It is also heavily focused on project planning, and revolves around the project life cycle. The book is designed to be especially useful for people pursuing their IPMA D, C or B level certifications and the concepts of the IPMA Competence Baseline 4.0 are discussed and put into perspective throughout the text.
Management by projects has become the most important driver of change within organisations and in collaboration between organisations. Project management as a discipline and as an approach to managing organisations is steadily growing worldwide. Projectification is on the rise – research has shown that more than 33% of the GDP in western economies is through projects[1]. This is a conservative estimate and it is rising. Hence, everyone must be familiar with the basic aspects of project management and be able to apply related skills – as a leader or participant.
We have written this book as a practical handbook on project management, useful to management professionals in all manner of organisations, but especially those which are knowledge-based, where not only managers but in fact all employees are active participants in a variety of projects. To begin with, the fundamental concepts, history and context of project, program and portfolio management are explained. In continuation, the focus is on project definition and assessment of the project environment, and on planning in terms of objectives, time and the critical path. Furthermore, resource planning, management structure and role division are discussed. The book gives a good oveview of project start-up and project close-out, co-operation in projects and project information. Uncertainty and risk management in projects are the focus of a special chapter. Finally, heavy emphasis is put on the role of the project manager and the project team.
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Editor’s note: This series of articles is by Professors Helgi Thor Ingason and Haukur Ingi Jonasson at Reykjavik University in Iceland. Active researchers and educators in the field of project management for many years, they are the authors of a series of books on project management and related fields, published by Taylor Francis / Routledge in 2019. See their author profiles at the end of this article.
How to cite this article: Ingason, H.T. and Jonasson, H.I. (2020). Execution in the context of transparent leadership and sustainable project management. PM World Journal, Vol. IX, Issue II, February. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/pmwj90-Feb2020-Ingason-Jonasson-execution-in-transparent-leadership-sustainable-project-management.pdf
About the Authors
Helgi Thor Ingason, PhD
Professor, Reykjavik University
Reykjavik, Iceland
Helgi Thor Ingason (b. 1965) holds a PhD in process metallurgy from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), MSc in mechanical and industrial engineering from the University of Iceland and a Stanford Advanced Project Management Certification from Stanford University. He is an IPMA Certified Senior Project Manager (B level).
Dr. Ingason is a professor at Reykjavik University. He is co-head (with Dr. Haukur Ingi Jonasson) of the MPM – Master of Project Management – program at the university. The research fields of Dr. Ingason range from quality- and project management to system dynamics and renewable energy, production, transport and utilization, changes in the energy infrastructure and energy carriers of the future.
Dr. Ingason has reported on his research at conferences and in several reviewed conference and journal papers. He is the co-author of 7 books in the Icelandic language on project management, strategic planning, product development and quality management. He is also co-author, with Haukur Ingi Jonasson, of the books Project Ethics (2013), Project: Leadership (2018), Project: Strategy (2018), Project: Communication (2019) and Project: Execution (2019). To learn more about these books, visit the Routledge publishing site here.
Dr. Ingason was interim CEO of Orkuveita Reykjavikur (Reykjavik Energy) from 2010 to 2011. A co-founder of Nordica Consulting Group, Dr. Ingason is a management consultant and a recognized speaker. In his spare time he plays piano and accordion with the South River Band (www.southriverband.com), and Kólga (www.kolga.band), two Icelandic world music ensembles.
More information on Dr. Ingason can be found on www.academia.edu and on www.helgithoringason.com. Information about the MPM program at the University of Reykjavik can be found at http://en.ru.is/mpm/why-mpm/. Dr. Ingason can be contacted at helgithor@ru.is.
Haukur Ingi Jonasson
Professor, Reykjavik University
Reykjavik, Iceland
Haukur Ingi Jonasson (Cand. Theol., University of Iceland; STM, PhD, Union Theological seminary; clinical training in pastoral counseling, Lennox Hill Hospital; psychoanalytical training, Harlem Family Institute New York City) is an assistant professor and chairman of the Board for the MPM – Master of Project Management – program at Reykjavik University in Iceland.
He is also a psychoanalyst in private practice and a management consultant at Nordic Consulting Group ehf. As a consultant, his clients have included energy companies, banks, hospitals, the government and other public and private organizations. Dr. Jonasson is also a mountain climber and a member of the Reykjavik Mountaineering Air Ground Search and Rescue Squad.
He is co-author, with Helgi Thor Ingason, of the books Project Ethics (2013), Project: Leadership (2018), Project: Strategy (2018), Project: Communication (2019) and Project: Execution (2019). To learn more about these books, visit the Routledge publishing site here
Dr. Jonasson can be contacted at haukuringi@ru.is
[1] Schoper, Y. G., Wald, A., Ingason, H. T., & Fridgeirsson, T. V. (2018). Projectification in Western economies: A comparative study of Germany, Norway and Iceland. International Journal of Project Management, 36(1), 71-82.
