Assignment 1: Part 1: Project Management Experience

Project management as explained by PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) is

accomplished by the appropriate application and integration of logically grouped project
management processes. These processes are spread across 5 process groups and 10
knowledge areas.

The five process groups are: 

1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring & Controlling
5. Closing
The Ten knowledge areas are:

1. Project Integration Management

2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resources Management
7. Project Communication Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
10. Project Stakeholder Management

The processes that belong in each process group, what they do and which knowledge area they
represent can be confusing. This post (based on the info in PMBOK) discusses about each
process group and briefly explains the processes that belong in each process group. The
knowledge area they represent is indicated in brackets after the process. This post could serve
as reference for project managers and also help someone preparing for PMP certification.

Initiating: 

Processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project.

 Develop Project Charter (Integration): Process of developing a document that formally
authorizes a project and documenting initial requirements that satisfy the stakeholders needs
and expectations. Output: Project Charter
 Identify Stakeholders (Communication): Process of identifying all people or
organizations impacted by the project and documenting relevant information regarding their
interests, involvement and impact on project success. Outputs: Stakeholder register,
Stakeholder management strategy 
Planning:

Processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives and define the
course of action required to attain the objectives of the project. 
  Develop Project Management Plan (Integration): Process of documenting actions
necessary to define, prepare, integrate and coordinate all subsidiary plans. Outputs: Project
Management plan.
 Collect requirements (Scope): Process of defining and documenting stakeholders'
needs to meet the project objectives. Outputs: Requirements documentation, requirements
management plan and requirements traceability matrix
 Define scope (Scope): Process of developing a detailed description of the project and
product.  Outputs: Project scope statement, project document updates
 Create WBS (Scope): Process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into
smaller, more manageable components. Outputs: WBS, WBS dictionary, scope baseline,
project document updates (WBS - Work Breakdown Structure)
 Define activities (Time): Process of identifying the specific actions to be performed to
produce the project deliverables. Outputs: Activity list, activity attributes, milestone list
 Sequence activities (Time): Process of identifying and documenting relationships
among the project activities. Outputs: Project schedule network diagram, project document
updates
 Estimate activity resources (Time): Process of estimating the type and quantities of
material, people, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity. Outputs: Activity
resource requirements, resource breakdown structure, project document updates
 Estimate activity duration (Time): Process of approximating the number of work
periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources. Outputs: Activity
duration estimates, project document updates
 Develop Schedule (Time): Process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource
requirements and schedule constraints to create the project schedule. Outputs: Project
schedule, schedule baseline, schedule data, project document updates
 Estimate costs (Cost): Process of developing an approximation of the monetary
resources needed to complete project activities. Outputs: Activity cost estimates, basis of
estimates, project document updates
 Determine budget (Cost): Process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual
activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline. Outputs: Cost
performance baseline, project funding requirements, project document updates
 Plan quality (Quality): Process of identifying quality requirements and/or standards of
the project and product and documenting how the project will demonstrate
compliance. Outputs: Quality management plan, quality metrics, quality checklists, process
improvement plan, project document updates
 Develop Human Resource plan (Human Resource): Process of identifying and
documenting project roles, responsibilities and required skills, reporting relationships and
creating a staffing management plan. Output: Human Resource Plan
 Plan communications (Communication): Process of determining project stakeholder
information needs and defining a communication approach. Outputs: Communication
management plan, project document updates
 Plan risk management (Risk): Process of defining how to conduct risk management
activities for a project. Output: Risk Management plan
 Identify Risks (Risk): Process of determining which risks may affect the project and
documenting their characteristics. Output: Risk register
 Perform Qualitative risk analysis (Risk): Process of prioritizing risks for further
analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and
impact. Output: Risk register updates
 Perform Quantitative risk analysis (Risk): Process of numerically analyzing the effect
of identified risks on overall project objectives. Output: Risk register updates
 Plan risk response (Risk): Process of developing options and actions to enhance
opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives. Outputs: Risk register updates, risk
contract related decisions, project management plan updates, project document updates
 Plan procurements (Procurements): Process of documenting project purchasing
decisions, specifying the approach and identifying potential sellers. Outputs: Procurements
management plan, procurements statement of work, make-or-buy decisions, procurement
documents, source selection criteria, change requests

Executing:

Processes performed to complete the work defined in project management plan to satisfy the
project specifications. 
  Direct & Manage project execution (Integration): Process of performing the work
defined in the project management plan to achieve the project's
objectives. Outputs: Deliverables, work performance information, change requests, project
management plan updates, project document updates
 Acquire project team (Human Resource): Process of confirming human resource
availability and obtaining the necessary team to complete project
assignments. Outputs: Project staff assignments, resource calendars, project management
plan updates
 Perform quality assurance (Quality): Process of auditing the quality requirements and
the results from quality control measurements to ensure appropriate quality standards are
used. Outputs: Organization process assets updates, change requests, project management
plan updates, project document updates
 Develop project team (Human Resource): Process of improving the competencies,
team interaction and the overall team environment to enhance project
performance. Outputs: Team performance assessments, enterprise environmental factors
updates
 Manage project team (Human Resource): Process of tracking team member
performance, providing feedback, resolving issues and managing changes to optimize project
performance. Outputs: Enterprise environmental factors updates, organization process assets
updates, change requests, project management plan updates
 Distribute Information (Communication): Processing of making relevant information
available to project stakeholders, as planned. Output: Organization process assets updates
 Manage stakeholder expectations (Communication): Process of communicating and
working with stakeholders to meet their needs and addressing issues as they
occur. Outputs: Organization process assets updates, change requests, project management
plan updates, project document updates
 Conduct procurements (Procurements): Process of obtaining seller responses,
selecting a seller and awarding a contract. Outputs: Selected sellers, procurement contract
award, resource calendars, change requests, project management plan updates, project
document updates

Monitoring & Controlling:

Processes required to track, review and regulate the progress and performance of the project.
 Monitor & Control project work (Integration): Process of tracking, reviewing and
regulating the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management
plan. Outputs: Change requests, project management plan updates, project document updates
 Perform Integrated Change control (Integration): Process of reviewing all change
requests, approving changes and managing changes to the deliverables, organization process
assets, project documents and project management plan. Outputs: Change requests status
updates, project management plan updates, project document updates
 Verify scope (Scope): Process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project
deliverables. Outputs: Accepted deliverables, change requests, project document updates
 Control scope (Scope): Process of monitoring the status of the project and product
scope and managing changes to the scope baseline. Outputs: Work performance
measurements, organization process assets updates, change requests, project management
plan updates, project document updates
 Control schedule (Time): Process of monitoring the status of the project to update
project progress and managing changes to the schedule baseline. Outputs: Work performance
measurements, organization process assets updates, change requests, project management
plan updates, project document updates
 Control costs (Cost): Process of monitoring the status of the project to update the
project budget and managing changes to the cost baseline. Outputs: Work performance
measurements, budget forecasts, organization process assets updates, change requests,
project management plan updates, project document updates
 Perform quality control (Quality): Process of monitoring and recording results of
executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.
Outputs are quality control measurements, validated changes, validated deliverables,
organization process assets updates, change requests, project management plan updates,
project document updates
 Report performance (Communication): Process of collecting and distributing
performance information including status reports, progress measurements and
forecasts. Outputs: Performance reports, organization process assets updates, change
requests
 Monitor and control risks (Risk): Process of implementing risk response plans,
tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks and evaluating risk
process effectiveness throughout the project. Outputs: Risk register updates, organization
process assets updates, change requests, project management plan updates, project document
updates
 Administer procurements (Procurements): Process of managing procurement
relationships, monitoring contract performance and making changes/corrections as
needed. Outputs: Procurement documentation, organization process assets updates, change
requests, project management plan updates

Closing:
Process performed to finalize all activities across all process groups to formally close the project
or phase. 
  Close project or phase (Integration): Process of finalizing all activities across all of
the project management process groups to formally complete the project or
phase. Outputs: Final product, service or result transition, organization process assets updates
 Close procurements (Procurement): Process of completing each project
procurement. Outputs : Closed procurements, organization process assets updates