Is there a project management manual?

Question

I want to learn project management and I'm not sure where to start. Is there a standard project management manual that I can read in order to understand what project management is? And by reading this manual, will I be able to manage a small project on my own?

Answer 1

PRINCE2 is a manual. When I've read "Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2", the first section written started with "The purpose of this manual...". So it is a manual which is prescriptive in nature.

Answer 2

There is no official thing as a project management manual. However, some companies have their own project management process defined in a document (or book) called the project management manual. This manual is usually developed by the PMO and it defines the following:

- The project management lifecyle of any project
- The methods and tools to use in project management
- The templates to be used to manage projects
- Guidelines on how to create the different documents

This manual dictates the way project managers manage their projects within the same organization.

By the way, some people think that the PMBOK is the project management manual, but this is not universally accepted (many project managers think of the PMBOK as just another book about project management).

Now if you want to learn project management and you're looking for some books, then check this list of books for the CAPM: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/1830/can-you-list-the-best-capm-books

(The CAPM is the entry level certification in project management, the books mentioned in the link above aare easy and will help you understand what project management is).