LECTURE 3.

LECTURER: MR FRANCIS GURI CONTACTS: 0782469077

[email protected]

PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

Project Integration Management includes the processes and activities to identify, define,
combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities
within the Project Management Process Groups. In the project management context,
integration includes characteristics of unification, consolidation, communication, and
interrelationship. These actions should be applied from the start of the project through
completion. Project Integration Management includes making choices about:

 Resource allocation,
 Balancing competing demands,
 Examining any alternative approaches,
 Tailoring the processes to meet the project objectives, and
 Managing the interdependencies among the Project Management Knowledge Areas

The Project Integration Management processes are:

 Develop Project Charter—The process of developing a document that formally

authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the
authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
 Develop Project Management Plan—The process of defining, preparing, and
coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an integrated project
management plan.
 Direct and Manage Project Work—The process of leading and performing the
work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to
achieve the project’s objectives.
 Manage Project Knowledge—The process of using existing knowledge and creating
new knowledge to achieve the project’s objectives and contribute to organizational
learning.
 Monitor and Control Project Work—The process of tracking, reviewing, and
reporting overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project
management plan.
  Perform Integrated Change Control—The process of reviewing all change
requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational
process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and
communicating the decisions.
 Close Project or Phase—The process of finalizing all activities for the project,
phase, or contract.

KEY CONCEPTS FOR PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

Project Integration Management is specific to project managers. Whereas other Knowledge

Areas may be managed by specialists (e.g., cost analysis, scheduling specialists, risk
management experts), the accountability of Project Integration Management cannot be
delegated or transferred. The project manager is the one who combines the results in all the
other Knowledge Areas and has the overall view of the project. The project manager is
ultimately responsible for the project as a whole.Projects and project management are
integrative by nature. For example, a cost estimate needed for a contingency plan involves
integrating the processes in the Project Cost Management, Project Schedule Management,
and Project Risk Management Knowledge Areas. When additional risks associated with
various staffing alternatives are identified, then one or more of those processes may be
revisited.

The links among the processes in the Project Management Process Groups are often iterative.
For example, the Planning Process Group provides the Executing Process Group with a
documented project management plan early in the project and then updates the project
management plan if changes occur as the project progresses.

Project Integration Management is about:

 Ensuring that the deliverable due dates of the product, service, or result; project life
cycle; and the benefits management plan are aligned;
 Providing a project management plan to achieve the project objectives;
 Ensuring the creation and the use of the appropriate knowledge to and from the
project as necessary;
 Managing the performance and changes of the activities in the project management
plan;
 Making integrated decisions regarding key changes impacting the project;
  Measuring and monitoring the project’s progress and taking appropriate action to
meet project objectives;
 Collecting data on the results achieved, analyzing the data to obtain information, and
communicating this information to relevant stakeholders;
 Completing all the work of the project and formally closing each phase, contract, and
the project as a whole; and
 Managing phase transitions when necessary.

The more complex the project and the more varied the expectations of the stakeholders, the
more a sophisticated approach to integration is needed.

TRENDS AND EMERGING PRACTICES IN PROJECT INTEGRATION

MANAGEMENT

The Project Integration Management Knowledge Area requires combining the results from all
the other Knowledge Areas. Evolving trends in integration processes include but are not
limited to:

o Use of automated tools. The volume of data and information that project managers
need to integrate makes it necessary to use a project management information system
(PMIS) and automated tools to collect, analyze, and use information to meet project
objectives and realize project benefits.
o Use of visual management tools. Some project teams use visual management tools,
rather than written plans and other documents, to capture and oversee critical project
elements. Making key project elements visible to the entire team provides a real-time
overview of the project status, facilitates knowledge transfer, and empowers team
members and other stakeholders to help identify and solve issues.
o Project knowledge management. The increasingly mobile and transitory work force
requires a more rigorous process of identifying knowledge throughout the project life
cycle and transferring it to the target audience so that the knowledge is not lost.
o Expanding the project manager’s responsibilities. Project managers are being
called on to initiate and finalize the project, such as project business case development
and benefits management. Historically, these activities have been the responsibility of
management and the project management office, but project managers are more
frequently collaborating with them to better meet project objectives and deliver
benefits. Project managers are also engaging in more comprehensive identification
 and engagement of stakeholders. This includes managing the interfaces with various
functional and operational departments and senior management personnel.
o Hybrid methodologies. Some project management methodologies are evolving to
incorporate successfully applied new practices. Examples include the use of agile and
other iterative practices; business analysis techniques for requirements management;
tools for identifying complex elements in projects; and organizational change
management methods to prepare for transitioning the project outputs into the
organization.

TAILORING CONSIDERATIONS

Because each project is unique, the project manager may need to tailor the way that Project
Integration Management processes are applied. Considerations for tailoring include but are
not limited to:

o Project life cycle. What is an appropriate project life cycle? What phases should
comprise the project life cycle?
o Development life cycle. What development life cycle and approach are appropriate
for the product, service, or result? Is a predictive or adaptive approach appropriate? If
adaptive, should the product be developed incrementally or iteratively? Is a hybrid
approach best?
o Management approaches. What management processes are most effective based on
the organizational culture and the complexity of the project?
o Knowledge management. How will knowledge be managed in the project to foster a
collaborative working environment?
o Change. How will change be managed in the project?
o Governance. What control boards, committees, and other stakeholders are part of the
project? What are the project status reporting requirements?
o Lessons learned. What information should be collected throughout and at the end of
the project? How will historical information and lessons learned be made available to
future projects?
o Benefits. When and how should benefits be reported: at the end of the project or at
the end of each iteration or phase?
CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGILE/ADAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Iterative and agile approaches promote the engagement of team members as local domain
experts in integration management. The team members determine how plans and components
should integrate. The expectations of the project manager as noted in the Key Concepts for
Integration Management do not change in an adaptive environment, but control of the
detailed product planning and delivery is delegated to the team. The project manager’s focus
is on building a collaborative decision-making environment and ensuring the team has the
ability to respond to changes. This collaborative approach can be further enhanced when team
members possess a broad skill base rather than a narrow specialization

DEVELOP PROJECT CHARTER

Develop Project Charter is the process of developing a document that formally authorizes the
existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply
organizational resources to project activities. The key benefits of this process are that it
provides a direct link between the project and the strategic objectives of the organization,
creates a formal record of the project, and shows the organizational commitment to the
project. This process is performed once or at predefined points in the project.

The project charter establishes a partnership between the performing and requesting
organizations. In the case of external projects, a formal contract is typically the preferred way
to establish an agreement. A project charter may still be used to establish internal agreements
within an organization to ensure proper delivery under the contract. The approved project
charter formally initiates the project. A project manager is identified and assigned as early in
the project as is feasible, preferably while the project charter is being developed and always
prior to the start of planning. The project charter can be developed by the sponsor or the
project manager in collaboration with the initiating entity. This collaboration allows the
project manager to have a better understanding of the project purpose, objectives, and
expected benefits. This understanding will better allow for efficient resource allocation to
project activities. The project charter provides the project manager with the authority to plan,
execute, and control the project.

NB#. For all the intergaration management processes, let us refer to the PMBOK 6 TH ED pg
75 onwards.