Following table lists all 7 Processes in this Knowledge Area, spread across '5 Process Groups' (means life cycle of the project)
5 Process
Groups | Initiation | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
| Processes | 1. Develop Project Charter
2. Develop Preliminary Project Scope statement
| 3. Develop Project Management Plan | 4. Direct and Manage Project execution | 5. Monitor and control Project work 6. Integrated change control | 7. Close Project |
A Process is nothing but Steps/Activities operates on given Inputs and produces defined Outputs. Process or PM Methodology provides Tools to operate on Inputs. These tools can be Formulas, Spreadsheets, or Templates in word format or any thing that can control the Outcome. Don't think that Tools are special software that needs to be installed to perform
First Process in this knowledge area is “Develop Project Charter”. The name itself suggests that we need to develop some thing called Charter. So what is the Charter? It is the document that formally authorizes the existence of the project. Specifies the reasons to do this project, justifies the money and time that is going to be spend. Known requirements, outline of outcome. Most importantly authorizes a Project Manager to drive this effort.
- Will this “Project Charter” have detailed definitions of requirements? And complete specifications of the product or service of the project? No. No. Don’t think that. This document is very simple and small enough to kick start the project. Project team will elaborate requirements in detail in later phases. For example: This document tells you that you will get an Airplane once this project is completed. And top features that need to be included, but will not explain in detail functionality or specifications of each body part.
- Other possible sections of this document are: Description, Outline Deliverables, Business Need, Justifications, Key Project Stakeholders and their top requirements (In software projects, in many cases stakeholders don't know what they want. Then Project Manager formulates those outline requirements working with them), Key Assumptions.
Normally in project environments Stakeholders might be different than the Sponsor of the project. Charter will always be issued by Sponsor and should be broad enough to avoid changes to that document.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Develop Project Charter". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
Contract is applicable when external organizations are providing serves or products.
The Statement of Work (SOW) is description of the outcome of the Project. If Project is acquiring services from External vendors this document might go with Contract or as the part of bidding documents. This document specifies Business need, Product Scope definitions and Organization Strategy.
In the tools section, Project selection Methods is the first one. This tool can help the Organizations to select which project to execute. Other inputs like Environmental Factors, Organizational Assets come handy over here. Organizational goals, Strategic plan plays major role in this selection. There are several scientific methods available out there to prioritize projects. But all of them might fall into 2 broad categories; they are Benefits Measurement and Mathematical models. Generally those approaches use 3 parameters: costs, Benefits and Risks.
Few popular non-numeric models are: Sacred cow, Operating necessity approach, Competitive necessity approach, Comparative benefits model.
Few mathematical approaches are: Payback method, Accounting rate of return, Internal rate of return, NPV (net Present Value), Profitability Index.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Develop Project Management Plan". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Direct and Manage Project Execution". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Monitor and Control Project Work". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Integrated Change Control". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
OK, let’s talk about artifacts of this process "Close Project". As usual it has Inputs, tools and output (s). Above picture depicts all of those.
As much as PMI recommends to Start Project formally, it also recommends to Close Project in similar fashion. ‘Close Project’ process establishes procedures to verify Project results and other artifacts. Even if the project should terminate abruptly Project Managers are supposed to close the Project properly and formally. Need to document reasons to terminate the project. In case of multi Phased Project, Closure Process is mandatory at end of each Phase.
Administrative Closure: Like Collect Project Records, Project Analysis (Success or failure), and Documented Lessons Learned. One of the outputs of this Process is Administrative Closure Procedure, which explains how a Project Team would close their project.
Contract Closure: All exit criteria for both parties to come out of terms and conditions. A contract in first place defines acceptance criteria, Product/Service verification methods, or steps to take to early terminate the project. Contract should always detail terms and conditions to operate the project and acceptance criteria. The out come of this process provides steps to close those terms and conditions in formal way.