PMBOK (PMI)

July 24th, 2009

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is an internationally recognized standard (IEEE, ANSI ) that deals with the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements. The PMBOK Guide defines a Project Life Cycle, 5 Process Groups and 9 Knowledge areas of the project management profession.

A project team operates in 9 knowledge areas through a number of basic processes as summarized below:

  1. Integration. Develop the Project Charter, Scope Statement and Plan. Direct, Manage, Monitor and Control Project Change.
  2. Scope. Planning, Definition, Work Break-down Structure (WBS) Creation, Verification and Control.
  3. Time. Definition, Sequencing, Resource and Duration Estimating, Schedule Development and Schedule Control.
  4. Cost. Resource Planning, Cost Estimating, Budgeting and Control.
  5. Quality. Quality Planning, Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
  6. Human Resources. HR Planning, Hiring, Developing and Managing Project Team.
  7. Communications. Communications Planning, Information Distribution, Performance Reporting, Managing Stakeholders.
  8. Risks. Risk Planning and Identification, Risk Analysis (Qualitative and Quantitative), Risk Response (Action) Planning and Risk Monitoring and Control.
  9. Procurement. Acquisition and Contracting Plan, Sellers Responses and Selection, Contract Administration and Contract Closure.

For each process, activity, or practice, a description of input, tools and technique and output (deliverables) is made.

Steps in PMBOK. Process

A Project is accomplished trough the integration of the project management processes. PMBOK uses a variation of the Deming Cycle for continuous improvement with a 5 -step lifecycle:

  1. Initiating. Main elements:
    • Authorize the project
    • Commit the organization to a project or phase
    • Set the overall direction
    • Define top-level project objectives
    • Secure necessary approvals and resources
    • Validate alignment with overall business objectives
    • Assign project manager
    • Integration management
  2. Planning. Main elements:
    • Define project scope
    • Refine project objectives
    • Define all required deliverables
    • Create framework for project schedule
    • Provide forum for information sharing for team members and stakeholders
    • Define all required activities
    • Sequence all activities
    • Identify required skills and resources
    • Estimate work effort
    • Risk analysis and avoidance
    • Define and estimate all required costs
    • Obtain project funding approval
    • Communication plan
  3. Executing. Main elements:
    • Coordinate the resources, team development
    • Quality assurance
    • Select and approach subcontractors
    • Distribute information
    • Work the plan
  4. Monitoring and Controlling. Main elements:
    • Manage team, stakeholders, subcontractors
    • Measuring progress and monitoring performance (overall, scope, schedule, costs, quality)
    • Take corrective actions if and where needed. Issue resolution and escalation
    • Change request management
    • Risk Management (technical, quality, performance, project management, organizational, external)
    • Performance reports. Communications
  5. Closing. Main elements:
    • Finalize activities
    • Administrative close out (gather, distribute, archive information to formalize project completion, acceptance/signoff, evaluation, member appraisals, lessons learned)
    • Contract close out (completion of the project contract including resolution of open items and final formal acceptance)

The Project Manager is responsible for the project objectives to deliver the final product that has been defined, within the constraints of project scope, time, cost and required quality.

Strengths of PMBOK. Benefits

  • PMBOK guide is a framework and de facto standard.
  • It is process-oriented.
  • It states the knowledge needed to manage the life cycle of any Project, Program and Portfolio through their processes.
  • It defines for each process the necessary input, tools, techniques and output (deliverables).
  • It defines a body of knowledge on which any industry can build it specific best practices for its application area.

Limitations of PMBOK. Disadvantages

  • Complex for small projects.
  • Has to be adapted to the application area industry, project size and scope, time and budget and quality constraints.

Assumptions of PMBOK. Conditions

  • Project management needs a standard that is applicable to any kind of project scope, industry and culture.
Comments are closed.