Project Management

Project Management Processes

Project Management

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Accomplished through processes, using project management knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that receive inputs and generate outputs.

Project Management Processes This chapter documents information needed to: initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a single project. Identifies those project management processes that have been recognized as good practice on most projects most of the time. These processes apply globally and across industry.

Good practice means that there is general agreement that the application of those project management processes has been shown to enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects.

Project Management Processes This does not mean that the knowledge, skills and processes described should always be applied uniformly on all projects. The project manager, in collaboration with the project team, is always responsible for determining what processes are appropriate, and the appropriate degree of rigor for each process, for any given project.

What is a Process? A process is a set of interrelated actions and activities that are performed to achieve a pre-specified set of products, results, or services. The project processes are performed by the project team, and generally fall into one of two major categories: Project Management Processes Product Oriented Processes

Project Management Processes Project management processes plan, organize and conduct the project.

Common to most projects most of the time and are associated with each other by their performance for an integrated purpose. The purpose is to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project. These processes interact with each other in complex ways. The processes may also interact in relation to project scope, cost, schedule, etc., which are called Knowledge Areas.

Product Oriented Processes Project oriented processes plan, organize and complete the product that the project is to produce. Specify and create the project's product. Product oriented processes are typically defined by the project life cycle and vary by application area. Project management processes and product-oriented processes overlap and interact throughout the project. For example, the scope of the project cannot be defined in the absence of some basic understanding of how to create the specified product.

Project Management Process Groups These processes are aggregated into five groups, defined as the Project Management Process Groups: Initiating Process Group Planning Process Group Executing Process Group Monitoring and Controlling Process Group Closing Process Group

Project Management Process Groups

The project management processes are presented as discrete elements with well defined interfaces. However, in practice they overlap and interact. Most experienced project management practitioners recognize there is more than one way to manage a project. The specifics for a project are defined as objectives that must be accomplished based on complexity, risk, size, time frame, project teams experience, access to resources, amount of historical information, the organizations project management maturity, and industry and application area. The required process groups and their constituent processes are guides to apply appropriate project management knowledge and skills during the project. In addition, the application of the project management processes to a project is iterative and many processes are repeated and revised during the project. The project manager and the project team are responsible for determining what processes from the Process Groups will be employed, by whom, and the degree of rigor that will be applied to the execution of those processes to achieve the desired project objective.

Project Management Process Groups

An underlying concept for the interaction among the project management processes is the plan-do-check-act cycle (Shewhart and Deming, in the ASQ Handbook, American Society for Quality, 1999). This cycle is linked by results the result from one part of the cycle becomes the input to another.

Project Management Process Groups

The integrative nature of the Process Groups is more complex than the basic plan-do-check-act cycle. However, the enhanced cycle can be applied to the interrelationships within and among the Process Groups. Planning Process Group corresponds to the plan component. Executing Process Group corresponds to the do component. Monitoring and Controlling Process Group corresponds to the check and act components. In addition, since management of a project is a finite effort, the Initiating Process Group starts these cycles and the Closing Process Group ends them. The integrative nature of project management requires the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group interaction with every aspect of the other Process Groups.

Project Management Process Groups

Project Management Process Groups Mapped to the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle

Project Management Process Groups

The five Project Management Process Groups are required for any project. These Process Groups have clear dependencies and are performed in the same sequence on each project.

They are independent of application areas or industry focus. Individual Process Groups and individual constituent processes are often iterated prior to completing the project. Constituent processes also can have interactions both within a Process Group and among Process Groups.

Project Management Process Groups

The Process Groups are not project phases. Large or complex projects may be separated into distinct phases or sub-projects such as feasibility study, concept development, design, prototype, build, test, etc. All of the Process Group processes would normally be repeated for each phase or subproject.

Project Management Process Groups

The five Process Groups are: Initiating Process Group: Defines and authorizes the project or a project phase. Planning Process Group: Defines and refines objectives, and plans the course of action required to attain the objectives and scope that the project was undertaken to address. Executing Process Group: Integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for the project. Monitoring and Controlling Process Group: Regularly measures and monitors progress to identify variances from the project management plan so that corrective action can be taken when necessary to meet project objectives. Closing Process Group: Formalizes acceptance of the product, service or result and brings the project or a project phase to an orderly end.

Project Management Process Groups

Initiating Process Group

Right projects are initiated and wrong projects are not selected. Define business needs Identify the sponsor Designate the project manager Identify stakeholders Justify the project

NOTE: Project manager should be selected as soon as possible. This will lead to greater ownership of the project and greater understanding of the problem.

Initiating Process Group

The Initiating Process Group consists of the processes that facilitate the formal authorization to start a new project or a project phase. Initiating processes are often done external to the projects scope of control by the organization or by program or portfolio processes, which may blur the project boundaries for the initial project inputs.

Initiating Process Group

As part of the Initiating Process Group, many large or complex projects may be divided into phases. Reviewing the initiating processes at the start of each phase helps to keep the project focused on the business need that the project was undertaken to address. The entry criteria are verified, including the availability of required resources. A decision is then made whether or not the project is ready to continue or whether the project should be delayed or discontinued. During subsequent project phases, further validation and development of the project scope for that phase is performed. Repeating the initiating processes at each subsequent phase also enables the project to be halted if the business need no longer exists or if the project is deemed unable to satisfy that business need.

Initiating Process Group

Involving the customers and other stakeholders during initiation generally improves the probability of shared ownership, deliverable acceptance, and customer and other stakeholder satisfaction. Such acceptance is critical to project success. The Initiating Process Group starts a project or project phase, and the output defines the projects purpose, identifies objectives, and authorizes the project manager to start the project.

Initiating Process Group

Initiating Process Group

It is a good idea for project manager to re-evaluate business needs. Time may have passed, stakeholders may have changed, so project may need reevaluation.

Initiating Process Group

Initiating Process Group

Planning Process Group

The project management team uses the Planning Process Group and its constituent processes and interactions to plan and manage a successful project for the organization.

The Planning Process Group helps gather information from many sources with each having varying levels of completeness and confidence. The planning processes develop the project management plan.
These processes also identify, define, and mature the project scope, project cost, and schedule the project activities that occur within the project. As new project information is discovered, additional dependencies, requirements, risks, opportunities, assumptions, and constraints will be identified or resolved. The multi-dimensional nature of project management causes repeated feedback loops for additional analysis. As more project information or characteristics are gathered and understood, follow-on actions may be required. Significant changes occurring throughout the project life cycle trigger a need to revisit one or more of the planning processes and, possibly, some of the initiating processes.

Planning Process Group This progressive detailing of the project management plan is often called rolling wave planning, indicating that planning is an iterative and ongoing process

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Executing Process Group

The Executing Process Group consists of the processes used to complete the work defined in the project management plan to accomplish the projects requirements. The project team should determine which of the processes are required for the teams specific project. This Process Group involves coordinating people and resources, as well as integrating and performing the activities of the project in accordance with the project management plan. This Process Group also addresses the scope defined in the project scope statement and implements approved changes.

Executing Process Group

Executing Process Group

Executing Process Group

Executing Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Planning Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project. The project team should determine which of the processes are required for the teams specific project. The key benefit of this Process Group is that project performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the project management plan. The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group also includes controlling changes and recommending preventive action in anticipation of possible problems.

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

The Monitoring and Controlling Processes Group includes, for example: Monitoring the ongoing project activities against the project management plan and the project performance baseline Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control so only approved changes are implemented.

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Closing Process Group

The Closing Process Group includes the processes used to formally terminate all activities of a project or a project phase, hand off the completed product to others or close a cancelled project. This Process Group, when completed, verifies that the defined processes are completed within all the Process Groups to close the project or a project phase, as appropriate, and formally establishes that the project or project phase is finished.

Closing Process Group

Closing Process Group

Closing Process Group

Process Interaction
Project Management Process Groups are linked by the objectives they produce. The output of one process generally becomes an input to another process or is a deliverable of the project. The Planning Process Group provides the Executing Process Group a documented project management plan and project scope statement, and often updates the project management plan as the project progresses. In addition, the Process Groups are seldom either discrete or one-time events; they are overlapping activities that occur at varying levels of intensity throughout the project.

Process Interaction
Figure illustrates how the Process Groups interact and the level of overlap at varying times within a project. If the project is divided into phases, the Process Groups interact within a project phase and also may cross the project phases.

Process Interaction
Among the Process Groups and their processes, the process outputs are related and have an impact on the other Process Groups. For example, closing a design phase requires customer acceptance of the design document. Then, the design document defines the product description for the ensuing Executing Process Group. When a project is divided into phases, the Process Groups are normally repeated within each phase throughout the projects life to effectively drive the project to completion.

Process Interaction

Project Management Process Group Triangle

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group

Planning Process Group

Controlling Process Group

Executing Process Group

Closing Process Group

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group
Develop Project Charter

Planning Process Group

Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement

Controlling Process Group

Executing Process Group

Closing Process Group

Integration Mgt. Scope Mgt.

Time Mgt. Cost Mgt.

Quality Mgt. H.R. Mgt.

Communication Mgt. Risk Mgt.

Procurement Mgt.

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group Planning Process Group
Develop Project Management Plan
Scope Planning Scope Definition Integration Mgt. Scope Mgt. Time Mgt.

Cost Mgt.
Quality Mgt. H.R. Mgt.

Communication Mgt. Risk Mgt. Procurement Mgt.

Activity Resource Estimation

Activity Definition

Risk Management Planning

Create WBS

Cost Estimating

Activity Duration Estimating

Risk Identification

Plan Purchase and Acquisition

Quality Planning

Cost Budgeting

Activity Sequencing

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Communication Planning

Human Resource Planning

Schedule Definition

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Risk Response Planning

Plan Contracting

Closing Process Group

Controlling Process Group

Executing Process Group

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group Planning Process Group

Executing Process Group

Direct and Manage Project Execution

Acquire Project Team

Perform Quality Assurance

Develop Project Team

Information Distribution

Request Seller Response

Select Seller

Controlling Process Group

Closing Process Group

Integration Mgt. Scope Mgt.

Time Mgt. Cost Mgt.

Quality Mgt. H.R. Mgt.

Communication Mgt. Risk Mgt.

Procurement Mgt.

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group Planning Process Group

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Scope Verification

Scope Control

Executing Process Group

Schedule Control

Cost Control

Mon. & Cont. Project Work

Perform Quality Control

Closing Process Group

Manage Project Team Integrated Change Control Performance Reporting

Manage Stakeholders

Risk Monitoring and Control Integration Mgt. Contract Administration Scope Mgt. Cost Mgt. Quality Mgt. Communication Mgt.

Risk Mgt.
Procurement Mgt.

Time Mgt.

H.R. Mgt.

Interaction of Process Groups Summary

Initiating Process Group

Planning Process Group

Controlling Process Group

Executing Process Group

Closing Process Group

Close Project

Contract Closure

Integration Mgt. Scope Mgt.

Time Mgt. Cost Mgt.

Quality Mgt. H.R. Mgt.

Communication Mgt. Risk Mgt.

Procurement Mgt.