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In Quantifying the Value of Project Management, William Ibbs and Justin Reginato, from the University of California at Berkeley, explore real-world data from 52 U.S. corporations and find the key to a high return on investment. It is project management maturity. Mature project management departments have more on-time, under-budget projects; less variable schedules and expenses; and decreased cost ratios. Project management maturity benefits extend to the parent company where Dr. Ibbs finds lower utilization rates, higher production rates and lower operating costs. Dr. Ibbs shows how to assess project management maturity and track its development.

The details of these groundbreaking discoveries are presented in a style that combines the wit of Fortune magazine with the sophistication and rigor of an academic contribution to the Project Management Journal.

I have purchased dozens and dozens of books on project management over the years and this one ranks in the bottom decile.

It is "49 pages" in total length consisting of the following:

Pages 1-3 introduction.
Pages 47-8 references.
Pages 4, 16 and 30 completely blank.
Pages 49 author contact information (consultants); actually the last 5 pages of the book are generically entitled "Upgrade Your Project Management Knowledge with Leading Titles from PMI" and are solely advertisements.

The booklet also contains glaring errors making for confusing and potential misleading conclusions, for example:
Page 24 Table 3-1 the equation is in error,
Page 28 Figure 4-1 the figure is mislabeled,
Page 29 Figure 4-2 part of the diagram is completely missing.

Unfortunately, the trade association (PMI) publisher of this "booklet" continues to struggle with putting out much needed quantifiable case studies demonstrating the value of project management. This booklet is not the way to do it, nor is it the way to develop a project management consulting business.

By the way, PMI sells this booklet for an amazing $...(see back cover of the book). I paid substantially less than that thru "Used" on Amazon.com and still wish I hadn't bothered. PMI should know better.

Save your money, invest it elsewhere. Two books that have some helpful resources for quantifying the value of project management include:

"The Project Management Scorecard", especially chapters 4-16.
"The New Project Management", especially chapers 12-13.

Other project management books I have read and found beneficial:

"Successful IT Project Delivery"
"Visualizing Project Management"
"Project Management Nation"

"Project Management: Best Practices for IT Professionals"
"Idiot's Guide to Project Management"
"Project Management Professional: Study Guide"