New project management articles published on the web during the week of October 31 – November 6, 2011.  We read all of this stuff so you don’t have to!  Recommended:

• Vincent McGevna explains what earned value is really about – measuring relative progress and productivity achieved, as compared to the level of productivity expected when planning.
• Jim Kinter has a list of items for those teams who are still getting started in practicing Scrum to consider in their retrospectives.
• Glen Alleman contrasts the definitions of uncertainty and risk, and probability and statistics to talk about project risk management.
• Elizabeth Harrin considers the proposition that there’s no such thing as a bad decision.
• Bas de Baar looks at boundary definitions, and asks, “Do you know how big the group is you are working in?”
• Geoff Crane reviews “The Progress Principle,” by Amabile and Kramer, and shares a video of Teresa Amabile talking about the “disengagement crisis;” 18 minutes, safe for work.
• Lynda Bourne writes about managing the expectations of key stakeholders.
• Patrick Richard suggests that communication is even more important in exceptional events or situations.  Like when a flight “continues” on a different airplane.
• Bruce Benson looks at a leadership vacuum as an opportunity to “take the initiative.”
• Gareth Byatt, Gary Hamilton, Jeff Hodgkinson and Duke Oaks share a comprehensive process for root cause analysis.
• Kerry Wills contemplates contingency planning, while snowed in at home in Connecticut.
• Tom Schaetzle starts a multi-part essay on scope creep.
• Johanna Rothman offers her thoughts on estimating timelines and budgets, in three parts.
• Marvey Mills shares a PDF file, “Practical Project Management and Tracking using MS Project,” compiled over a period of years.  Thanks, Marvey!
• Christopher Goldsbury is tired of the hype.  “Let’s stop Agilizing everything!”
• Peter Saddington decided to start an argument for Halloween: “Are project managers living a lie?”  All six of you who are still practicing a pure, unadulterated, seventies-style waterfall approach to the management of software development projects, other than those with critical safety requirements, please feel free to be offended.

Enjoy!