Additionally, from what I can see, project management is not really an accepted "management" discipline. Although, there are some moves by the various project management bodies and professional associations to get project management recognised as a profession. Additionally, the PMI recently released some of its research into the value added by project management. I think all of these are laudable and appropriate. But there is a hitch I think.

For example, from my own experience, I note that in most of the bookshops I visit (and I have been specifically looking for this over several years now) there are no project management books in the "management" section. Or if there are, only the very occasional one and then not solely on project management. Generally though, the books on project management tend to be in the IT section or some other area.

Why is that I wonder? I am guessing here but I suspect a number of reasons:

• It is seen as a "part" of management but not an influential part like business strategy. Managers see project management as a "thing IT or engineering uses" not as a strategic tool for the advancement of the company or business or organisation.
• No value or little value is seen in project management. This is an interesting given the value research being done by PMI. I have no doubt there is value in project management. But I think it is not necessarily expressed in the way managers can see or understand its value. In my opinion this is because project management is not explained in terms that permit that to happen. Or if it has - then it isn't commonly known or available.
• It is seen as a specialist discipline like engineering or information technology. I suspect this is a very common perception. To a degree this is probably true, as projects often involve engineering and IT. Further, all the high profile projects tend to celebrate the engineering feat rather than the management feat. There is nothing wrong with this ... but it skews the impression as an engineering marvel, but the management effort required to bring the marvel into existence is considered peripheral to the effort. This is not to say that the management side isn't celebrated in the project and in project management forums. It is just that it isn't necessarily celebrated in the "management" forums.
• No-one has simply written a book good enough! I have no idea whether this is the case. But I do know that many of the books I have read on project management are quite dry with a text book feel not a "management guru" feel. The books that are really easy to read tend to be "light weight" and more about practitioner type matters than "management" type subjects.

So to provide a final explanation as to why I have commenced writing on the subject of project management, it is because one of my aims is to contribute to the movement that is trying to raise the value of project management in the eyes of business and government managers.