How PMBOK Structures

If you have downloaded a copy of the PMBOK Guide, then you know the subject can be a lot to digest. In fact, the guide has over 1 million copies in circulation in the present day. But when working with client service businesses, your daily focus might be on other aspects rather than trying to decipher what the guide explains, especially about knowledge areas.

So, it is time to understand the different Project Management Knowledge areas and how they work together to help get a project done.

As per the PMBOK Guide, a process group is defined as:

'A logical grouping of project management processes to achieve specific project objectives.'

To dive deeper into PMBOK process groups, explore our PMP Program

What are the different types of PMBOK Process Groups?

As per the PMBOK Guide, five types of project management process groups are independent of the project life cycle. These five project management process groups are:

• Initiation
• Planning
• Execution
• Monitoring and controlling
• Closing

While these are quite similar to the five phases of project management, they are different as they are buckets for multiple processes that exist independently from the project management workflow.

1. Initiation:

Project Integration Management is not just a part of the "Initiation" phase but also appears throughout all five process groups. This includes multiple aspects such as the development of the project charter, identification of project stakeholders, assigning project managers, and a rough outline of the scope of the project.

The key knowledge areas in this group include project integration management and project stakeholder management. This phase is dependent on how frontloaded your actual project process is, and can also include a part of your project scope management.

2. Planning:

The largest process group, the planning section, has 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas and over 20 PMBOK Process Groups. The process groups include elements such as:

• The initial project management plan
• The scope of the project
• Project budget
• Resource management and allocation plan
• Communication plans
• Risk analysis and response
• Stakeholder agreement

The process group is highly important because if not done right, you could end up in a sticky situation where no one knows how to analyze and respond to any risk that might occur in the project.

The question here is not one of 'Can you do a risk analysis and plan a response plan when the risk arises?' It is more of building a plan to save you from any headaches down the road.

3. Execution:

The execution process group contains all the areas where you will actually work on the project. It has 7 Project Management Knowledge Areas involved, such as:

• Understanding the scope of the project
• Scheduling the project life cycle
• Budget of the project
• Direction and management of project work
• Management of project knowledge
• Acquiring, developing, and managing the team
• Implementation of other plans from previous process groups, such as communication, stakeholder engagement, risk response, and more

To truly master the execution phase, consider enrolling in a structured PMP^® Certification Course.

4. Monitoring and controlling:

The monitoring and controlling process group includes any process where the project manager needs to monitor the workings of the team or the project, and the controlling of bringing things back on track when required.

It is important to understand that the perfect project plan does not exist. So, it is important to monitor and control resources from the start, so that there is not much change in deliverables once the project is completed. As the entire project progress can change here, it is important that all 10 knowledge areas are included in this section.

5. Closing:

This process is the smallest of the PMBOK Process Groups and has the shortest project phase. But that does not mean it is not vital for ongoing success. This process has only one knowledge area - project integration management is involved.

Want to know more about project management and team building? Check our video!

The top 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas as defined by the PMBOK Guide

Now that we have covered the 5 process groups, it is time to look at the top 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas. These are categories of technical knowledge that are required in multiple aspects of the project.

1. Project Integration Management:

This knowledge area covers everything that a project manager will need to start or initiate a project and then guide it through the life cycle. Project managers will need to coordinate resources, stakeholders, and more. They will also need to coordinate the activities and processes that go into a successful project. As it is part of every aspect of the project, project integration management is involved in all five process groups.

2. Project Scope Management:

Project scope management includes all the technical knowledge and processes that are required to keep a project on the right path. This shows up where scope-related processes are involved, such as in the planning, monitoring, and controlling process groups.

3. Project schedule management:

Also known as Project Time Management, this Project Management Knowledge Area covers everything needed to ensure that the project is completed on time. Aspects such as project duration, creation of project schedule, resource hours needed, and team members adhering to the schedule are all part of this area.

4. Project Cost Management:

This knowledge area deals with budgeting and costs, including the planning, estimation, budgeting, and funding of a project, along with managing the spending during the project run. Exactly how much control the manager will have depends on multiple factors such as project size and the nature of the organization. This knowledge area is part of two process groups: planning, monitoring, and controlling.

5. Project quality management:

This area ensures that the project will succeed, especially in terms of the quality that needs to be planned, managed, and controlled. This is spread across three PMBOK Process Groups - planning, execution, monitoring, and controlling.

6. Project resource management:

Also known as the project human resources management area, it includes both the human and non-human resources working on the project. All processes, such as planning, acquiring, estimation, development, managing, and controlling, are part of this Project Management Knowledge Area and are part of the three middle process groups.

7. Communications management:

This knowledge area focuses on the science side of communications, such as planning, creating, collecting, storing, distributing, and managing project details. Communication happens across all parts of a project, but is mostly required around the planning, execution, monitoring, and control sections.

8. Risk management:

Risk management involves the creation of risk-related processes such as a risk register and risk responses. Mainly spread around the middle three groups, this section will depend on how complex your project is, or the number of people and tools involved.

9. Procurement Management:

This Project Management Knowledge Area is mostly dependent on the type of project being done. While it is the least significant knowledge area, you may need this for procuring outside contractors, hardware, software licenses, and more. This process is spread across the three main process groups.

10. Stakeholder Management:

Identification of stakeholders, creating buy-ins, communication, and meeting expectations are just some of the aspects that fall into this knowledge area. This is mostly done in the first four phases and the last phase of the project.

Conclusion

Understanding and working with the five PMBOK Process Groups and the 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas needs time and experience. It is not just about memorizing the processes, but mastering a language that all project managers speak.

So, whether you are preparing for real-world projects or simply for a PMP exam, align yourself with the PMBOK Guide to elevate your skills and bring credibility to your practice.