BOOK REVIEW
Book Title: Projects, Government and Public Policy
Author: Stanistaw Gasik
Publisher: CRC Press, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
List Price: $144.00 (hardcover); $69.95 (softcover)
Format: Hardcover, 376 pages
Publication Date: November 2022
ISBN: 978-1-032-23268-3
Reviewer: Norah Almadani, PMP
Review Date: July 2023
Introduction
Governments need projects to develop, preserve and produce wealth for their citizens, unlike defined projects that have a start and end date. Government projects are continuous and never-ending and driven by public needs which are endless. In some countries, government projects have a reputation for being poorly managed and perceived as being over-budgeted, taking longer to execute and not being completed due to lack of funding. However, over the decades, public project implementation has improved with the support of effective project management frameworks, standards, and best practices, in addition to an understanding of project governance, government structure, and the hierarchy of government agencies.
The book’s cover has images of the globe and infrastructure projects which correlate with the title, Projects, Government and Public Policy. The objective is to describe the differences between Public Administration and Project Management, how the elements of government projects differ from private projects, and how the tools of project management can effectively execute projects aiming to enhance the livelihood of the public. The Author, Stanislaw Gasik, has defined projects, government, and public policy and how they are interrelated elements that shape the functioning of societies.
Projects represent planned endeavors to achieve specific goals, whereas government operations are instruments for formulating and implementing public policies that address social challenges. An effective public policy is a government action used to achieve a specific goal that requires the collaboration of stakeholders while governments play a central role in governance and resource allocation. Together, these elements contribute to the development and progress of societies.
Overview of Book’s Structure
The book starts by describing the differences between public administration and project management. The book is sectioned in five parts. The first part is written for individuals wanting to know about public administration and projects serving the public sector. The second part provides information on public administration concepts like public policies, instruments driving public policies and governance. The third part elaborates on how public projects differ from other projects and the success factors leading to a successful implementation of public projects. Part four describes the knowledge needed for effective public project implementation. Part five covers concepts of the maturity model and then follows with a description of methods for improving public projects.
Highlights
- Governments are project dependent and have the following serving branches organizations, ministries, agencies supporting the ministries, government enterprises, project implementing agencies and committees.
- Operations in public organizations are unlike in private organizations where it does not have clear goals and at times it has multiple goals where the ultimate expectation is to provide public value.
- Government operations are public policy instruments used to achieve a specific outcome; thus, public projects are important to drive change to an existing policy or are needed for implementing new ones.
- The difference between project-based and operation-based organizations is that organizations that are project-based only implement projects and those operation-based conduct routine activities. The first is project-based and the second is project dependent.
More…
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How to cite this review: Almadani, N. (2023). Projects, Government and Public Policy, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XII, Issue IX, September. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/pmwj133-Sep2023-Almadani-Projects-Government-Public-Policy-book-review.pdf
About the Reviewer
Norah Almadani
Farmers Branch, TX, USA
Norah K. Almadani holds a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She furthered her education by obtaining a M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Stuttgart. One of Norah’s notable achievements is completing the project Management Professional (PMP) certification, which highlights he dedication to enhance her skills and knowledge in project management.
Norah’s Career began as a Research Assistant at the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality, and Solid Waste Management at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. During her time there, she conducted research projects focused on eliminating micropollutants from wastewater treatment plant effluents.
She can be contacted at norah.madani@proton.me
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