PMBOK (PMI)

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What is PMBOK®?

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is an internationally recognized standard (IEEE, ANSI and ISO 21500) that deals with the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements. The PMBOK® Guide edition 6 defines a Management life cycle with 5 process groups, 10 knowledge areas and 49 processes of the project management profession.

A project team operates in 10 knowledge areas through a number of basic processes as summarized below:

1. Integration Management. Develop the Project Charter, Scope Statement and Plan. Direct, Manage Knowledge, Monitor and Control Project Change.
2. Scope Management. Planning, Definition, Work Break-down Structure (WBS) Creation, Validation and Control.
3. Time Management. Planning, Definition, Sequencing and Estimating activities, Develop and Control.Schedule.
4. Cost Management. Planning and Cost Estimating, Budgeting and Cost Control.
5. Quality Management. Quality Planning, Manage and Control Quality.
6. Resources Management. Planning, Estimating and Acquiring Activities Resources, Developing and Managing Project Team and Control Resources.
7. Communications Management. Planning, Managing and Monitoring Communications, Reporting.
8. Risks Management. Risk Planning and Identification, Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan and Implement Risk Responses and Monitoring Risks.
9. Procurement Management. Planning, Conducting and Controlling Procurements.
10. Stakeholders Management. Identification, Planning, Managing and Monitoring Stakeholders Engagement.

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

Origin of PMBOK®. History

The Project Management Institute (PMI®) was founded in 1969, initially to identify common Management practices in projects across industries.

• The first edition of the PMBOK® Guide was published in 1987. It was the result of workshops initiated in the early 80s by the PMI®. In parallel a Code of Ethics was developed and guidelines for accreditation of training centers and certification of individuals.
• Later, a second version of the PMBOK® Guide was published (1996 and 2000), based on comments received from the members. PMBOK was recognized as a standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1998, and later by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
• The third version of the PMBOK® Guide was published in 2004, with major improvements in the structure of the document, additions to processes, terms and domains of program and portfolio.
• The fourth version of the PMBOK® Guide was published in 2008 with minor improvements such as a reduction of the number of processes from 44 to 42 and a modification of process effectuation into the process matrix.
• The fifth version of the PMBOK® Guide was published in 2013 with significant improvements in its structure, adding a new knowledge area “Stakeholders Management” and a fourth process (“Plan”) to the following knowledge areas : Scope, Cost, Time, Stakeholders, as well as a reallocation of a few processes.
• The sixth version of the PMBOK® Guide was published in 2017 with significant improvements with adaptative project Development Life Cycles from predictive to Agile and Hybrid Methods approaches. Outlines the Role of the Project Manager, competencies and sphere of influence, Adding three Processes, including Knowledge Management, Control Resources, Implement Risk Responses, as well as a reallocation of a few processes.

The launch of PMBOK® Guide edition 6, aligns with ISO standard for Project Management 21500. The PMI® Institute was one of the main contributors to this international standard in early 2013.

Usage of PMBOK®. Applications

All kinds of project, programs and portfolio management. Application areas include :

• Management programs (general)
• Departmental projects (functional)
• Engineering projects (technical)
• Industry specific processes
• Product development (marketing)
• Government programs (public)
• Development programs (international organizations)

Steps in PMBOK®. Process

A Project is accomplished through the integration of the project management processes. PMBOK® Guide uses a variation of the Deming Cycle (PDCA) (PDCA) for continuous improvement with a 5 -step lifecycle applicable on both the whole project and on each project phase:

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
   • Identify and Analyse Stakeholders
   • Assign project manager
   • Develop project charter
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:
   • Manage Resources
   • Direct and develop Team
   • Manage Knowledge
   • Manage Quality
   • Implement Risk Responses
   • Select and approach subcontractors
   • Distribute information
   • Execute the plan
4. Monitoring and Controlling. Main elements:
   • Manage team, stakeholders engagement, subcontractors
   • Measuring progress and monitoring performance (overall, scope, schedule, costs, quality)
   • o Control Resources
   • 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 a 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 specific best practices for its application area.

Limitations of PMBOK®. Disadvantages

• Complex for small projects.
• Has to be adapted to the project's size
• Has to be adapted to the application area industry.
• Has to be adapted to the 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.

Book: PMI - PMBOK Guide (Sixt Edition 2017)

Forum Start a new topic about PMBOK Write here. Ask a question or explain something. Current forum discussions about PMBOK: Who Initiates and Plans a Project? It's very interesting to read about PMI processes, but I am wondering whether the initiating and the planning stages are carried out by top management (before choosing a project manager) or is it the ... 14   7 comments PMBOK <> PMBOK Guide The 'PMBOK' refers to all published knowledge, where as the 'PMBOK guide' refers to the document published by PMI that refers to a smaller subset of the PMBOK. This is a frequent point of confusion. ... 14   4 comments I am a project, my life is a program I am a project, my life is a program and this world is a portfolio.... 12   4 comments Task Reminder Tool / Task Reminder Software Task reminders - I am looking for some tool wherein I can remind all task owners in advance, based on tasks that are over due, due and task expected to complete in future date. MS Project?... 10   8 comments Project Budgeting Best Practices I love to know please how budgeting can contribute to the success or failure of a Project? Specific steps and attentions on the Project.... 10   3 comments

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Information Sources Various sources of information regarding PMBOK. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Introduction Into Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Project Management This presentation gives an introduction into PMBOK and includes the following sections: 1. Contents 2. Introduction 3... Introduction to PMBOK Project Management Introduction to PMBOK / Project Management by D. Dufner.... First Introduction to Project Management. Essentials Project Management Primer, Project Management 101, Basics of Project Management This presentation provides a good first introduction to project management and how to more efficiently implement and exe... Introduction to Project Quality Management Quality Management, Project Quality Planning, Project Quality Assurance, Project Quality Control Presentation about Project Quality Management. A large part of the presentation is about Six Sigma as a quality manageme... PMBOK4 Updates from V3 Differences V3 and V4 Lately Project Management Institute(PMI) has changed the "Project Management Body Of Knowledge" PMBOK version from 3rd ...

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