Global Risk Assessment and Strategic Planning: An introduction and facilitator's guide to the GRASP methodology - Softcover

McLaughlin, John J

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0727760947 ISBN 13: 9780727760944

Publisher: Thomas Telford Ltd, 2015

Synopsis

GRASP is a combined risk-based management planning and decision making methodology for projects, which uses multi-stakeholder perspectives to enhance both the management team s knowledge base and its awareness of the project s situation. As a practical field guide/how-to manual, this is invaluable in providing practical and user-friendly information with practical examples that allows a practitioner to use the GRASP methodology in an efficient and effective manner. This book is designed to facilitate greater learning and understanding of strategy planning and to provide a practical everyday process to improve the delivery and enable the greater likelihood of better outcomes being achieved. GRASP is intended to stimulate a team s thinking.

About this title

About the Author:

Professor Agi Oldfield
Agi is an Organisational Psychologist and full time academic. Agi has held senior positions within Educational Establishments. Deputy Director of the Enterprise in Higher Education unit at Brunel University. Lecturer at Kingston University, Faculty of Business and Law, Surrey European Management School, Richmond University, Dean of Undergraduate Programmes at European School of Economics, Executive Dean at London School of Business and Finance, a visiting Professor at ESADE Business School Barcelona and also at Budapest University, additionally, has participated in shaping EU risk management policy.Agi undertakes consultancy in organisational risk management and has been involved in the development and use of the GRASP methodology over the last 20 years. In particular Agi has brought academic rigour to the methodology. She has delivered numerous strategic planning workshops and consultancies helping to identify potential risk to meeting strategic organisational or project objectives by applying the GRASP methodology. The methodology has proved to be robust and very effective in aiding organisations and project teams to identify and manage uncertainty through the application of the GRASP methodology organisations including the Civil Aviation Authority, South Downs Health Authority, Railtrack, Tate Gallery and the Millennium Commission to name but a few.

Michael Ocock FRICS, FAPM Michael s career in managing projects has embraced heavy engineering, infrastructure, power generation, retail and property developments and the construction of major health-sector facilities. Michael has acted as executive manager, external management consultant and interim manager and continues to advise on the strategic management of projects. Throughout his career he has championed the practical application of management science to project and programme management and advocated a common sense approach to risk in all its forms. Since 1993 he has collaborated with Prof. Oldfield in developing and applying the GRASP methodology to a wide spectrum of project types and together they have undertaken research into the risk in management systems. Michael is a former member and chairman of BSi s Technical Committee for Project Management.

John McLaughlin B.Eng., MSc, MICE, FAPM John is a chartered civil engineer, vastly experienced in project management and who has made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in the development and application of value engineering techniques. He has worked across many industries including: building, civil engineering, rail, electrical and mechanical, process-engineering and offshore oil, health, IT, transportation regeneration and development. He has served on the Council of the Association for Project Management (APM) and on its Executive Board. He has held the posts of Chairman and Treasurer of the regional Thames Valley Branch and is past Chair of the Editorial Board for APM s monthly magazine Project and Year Book.

Barry Trebes FRICS, FAPM, FInstCES Barry has over 30 years experience of providing consultancy advice facilitation and training on major developments across numerous business sectors including: aviation, defence, power, utilities, infrastructure, property, rail, highway and water both in the UK and internationally. Barry provides nec3 training and education including providing nec3 for Thomas Telford Master Classes and their Project Manager Accreditation course. He actively contributes to industry knowledge through numerous articles and is co-author of Managing Reality a five book set on the practical use of the nec3 ECC contract, BS 6079 part 4 Project Management in the Construction Industry. He also initiated and help to develop the first web based nec3 contract management system named CCM with MPS Limited in 2000.

Review:

The book presents the global risk assessment and strategic planning (Grasp) method in a simple and easy-tounderstand manner. Although presented as a facilitator s guide, it introduces the concept through a basic approach, which helps to understand the origin, tiers and importance of Grasp. It explains the concept of values that all parties bring to a project, and how these knowledge capitals can be mined and utilised. A triangle is used to highlight the inter-relationship between stakeholder knowledge, situational awareness and the project. According to the authors, Grasp can be carried out in three optional tiers: workshop only; interviews and workshop; and interviews, workshop and supporting output tables. They explain how it is applicable to all projects and can be used at any point in a project life cycle for resolution of an issue. Certainly the practical manner in which the book explains the methodology must be applauded as it not only describes the process, but uses case studies to demonstrate its application. The inclusion of numerous knowledge templates and other information-capture tools does, however, make the book read like an instruction manual in parts. Nevertheless, I would recommend it for use by any practitioners with project management implementation and oversight duties. Lecturers may also find it a useful reference book to help students learn the concept as part of modules on innovative project management. --David Oloke, UK in Journal Civil Engineering Vol 169 Issue CE2 May 2016

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Telford Ltd
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0727760947
• ISBN 13: 9780727760944
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128