Quentin Fleming is best known for his expertise and published works in the earned-value project management domain. However, he is also deeply experienced in procurement management, and has an impressive body of published work in that specialty as well. This book evidences his expertise, and is one of the most succinct guides on the subject I've read.
Among the reasons I like this book are:
- excellent material on teaming arrangements and subcontractor management. These areas can make or break an engagement, ruining the reputation of the prime and/or subcontractors. The approaches and advice provided will get you around the pitfalls.
- the chapter on selecting the proper contract type distills information scattered across sources ranging from FAR to niche books and other publications. Having the strengths and weaknesses of all possible contract approaches in one place is reason enough to get this book in my opinion.
- managing procurement risks is given in-depth treatment. Everyone from contracting officers to project managers to functional area experts will get something from the chapter devoted to the topic. The related chapter on legal aspects of project procurement is another strong point of this book.
The book covers the spectrum of procurement, mainly from the customer's perspective, but ample information is given about provider viewpoints. More importantly, this information is consistent with the PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the six related processes (procurement planning, solicitation planning and solicitation, source selection, contract administration and closeout).
This is more than a glossed-over summary, or for novices - it contains information that even the most seasoned procurement specialist will find useful, and should be in the reference library of every project manager.
Roger H. Mandel, an adjunct professor at SDSU & UCSD, March 5, 2004,
Well arranged with a comprehensive description of what is important. Can be used as a short desk guide for those that are just starting to do procurements. Every Project Managers should have one and read for an overall comprehension of what is important in out sourcing. You will not be confused with many details. This professor recommends this book as a start to understanding project procurement management.
If you have never seen or managed a procurement process for resources, this book is a good overview of some of the challenges you may face and processes to follow.
However if you have any experience and are looking for a resource to help you build best practices around Project Procurement I would look for another resource that has more depth.
