Managing public sector projects- Front Cover; Managing public sector projects; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication ; Contents; Foreword by Marc Holzer; Preface; Introduction; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Introducing Public Sector Project Management; Public Sector Project Management-Getting Beyond the Confusion; What Are Public Projects?; What Is Public Sector Project Management?; Financing Public Projects; Project versus Program and General Management; Who Are the Public Sector Project Managers?; Alternative Approaches to Project Management; How Public Projects Succeed and Fail Chapter 2: A Strategic Framework for Public Sector Project ManagementThe Framework and the Principal-Agent Challenge; Framework Element 1-Starting with the Right Plan; Framework Element 2-Selecting the Right Agents; Framework Element 3-Entering into the Right Agreements; Framework Element 4-Monitoring and Controlling the Project Execution; Framework Element 5-Maintaining Active Involvement in the Operation and Maintenance of the Asset or Assets Created by the Project.; Chapter 3: Project Planning, Part 1: Getting the Concept Right Getting It Right: The Preliminary Steps of Public Sector Project PlanningConcluding the Preliminary Project Planning Phase with a Feasibility Study; Chapter 4: Project Planning, Part 2: Developing and Refining the Process; The Project Accountability Structure; Establishing the Right Project Internal Control Structure; The GAO's Five Components for Internal Controls; Project Documentation; Preventing Fraud in Public Projects; Ensuring Accountability in Information Technology Projects; Developing Clear Project Specifications; Specifications and Alternative Project Delivery Methods Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity ContractsPerformance versus Design Specifications; Concluding the Intermediate Planning Stage; Chapter 5: Project Planning, Part 3: Finalizing the Process; Developing the Project Schedule; Refining Project Cost and Risk Estimates; Putting It All Together: Developing Realistic Presumptions behind Cost and Risk Estimates; Pulling Together the Planning Steps; Chapter 6: Selecting the Best Agents, Part 1: Building the Project Team; Who Is on the Project Management Team?; What Are the Team Dynamics? Chapter 7: Selecting the Best Agents, Part 2: Contractors and ConsultantsProcuring Contractors and Consultants; Public Sector Procurement Rules; Key Characteristics of a Successful Procurement System; Selecting the Best Agents: Putting It All Together; Chapter 8: Enacting Advantageous Agreements; The Essential Elements of Contracts; Allocating Contract Risks; Clear Scopes of Work; Chapter 9: Controlling Public Projects; Measuring Project Progress; Evaluating and Correcting Project Problems; Keeping Stakeholders Informed of the Project's Progress; Chapter 10: Project Closeout and Beyond.

Filling a gap in project management literature, this book supplies managers and administrators―at all levels of government―with expert guidance on all aspects of public sector project management. From properly allocating risks in drafting contracts to dealing with downsized staffs and privatized services, this book clearly explains the technical concepts and the political issues public managers need to understand. In line with the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and the PMBOK® Guide, David S. Kassel establishes a framework those in the public sector may follow to ensure the success of their public projects and programs. The book supplies more than 30 real-life examples to illustrate the concepts behind the framework―including reconstruction projects in Iraq, the Big Dig project in Boston, local sewer system and library construction projects, and software technology.