By now you are already familiar with the definition and the main concepts involved in a project. We can, then, proceed to a more detailed explanation of the different knowledge areas in Project Management. This division is based on the information from the PMBOK book. Having a high-level understanding of the different project areas and their related processes is essential to understand how each stage of the project connects to each other. The following sections will briefly describe each of the ten knowledge areas of a project, as well as present the most important related processes and links to relevant online resources.
Project Integration Management
The Project Integration Management includes processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate the different stages and activities carried during the life of the project. The keyword here is integration: how does each process and activity relate to each other?
Are there common or overlapping parts? How can we improve these interaction so they become more efficient?
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Develop the Project Charter
- Develop the Project Management Plan
- Direct and Manage Project Work
- Monitor and Control Project Work
- Perform Integrated Change Control
- Close the Project
Project Scope Management
TScope refers to the activities involved in the planning, execution and monitoring of a project. The Project Scope Management refers to the processes necessary to ensure the consideration of all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. This is also extremely important to guarantee efficiency. If a task doesn’t need to be performed for the project to be successful, we should not include it within the scope of it.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan the Scope Management
- Collect Requirements
- Define the Scope of the Project
- Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Verify and Control the Project Scope
Project Time Management
While the scope deals with the required activities and processes, the Project Time Management deals with calculating and estimating the necessary deadlines and processes in order to assure the completion of the project within the defined schedule.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Schedule Management
- Define the Activities Involved in the Project
- Sequence the Activities
- Estimate the Resources Needed to Complete each Activity
- Estimate the Duration of each Activity
- Develop the Schedule of the Project
- Control the Schedule of the Project
Project Cost Management
Processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Cost Management
- Estimate the Costs of the Project
- Determine the Budget for the Project
- Control the Costs of the Project
Project Quality Management
A project on schedule and within the budget limits is still not entirely successful: it must also meet the demands for quality. The Project Quality Management gathers the processes and activities that determine quality policies, objectives and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Quality Management
- Perform Quality Assurance
- Control the Quality of the Project
Project Human Resource Management
Without a good and organized team, your project is destined to failure even before it starts. The Project Human Resource Management compiles processes that organize and manage the project team.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Human Resource Management
- Acquire the Project Team
- Develop the Project Team
- Manage the Project Team
Project Communication Management
The communication in a project is nothing more than properly transferring the information between processes and human resource areas. The processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of this project information are aggregated under Project Communication Management.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
Project Risk Management
The Project Risk Management involves the processes concerned with identifying, analyzing, responding, monitoring and controlling the risks on the project. By “risks” here I want to transmit a sense of uncertainty regarding different parts of the project. Despite our forecasting capabilities, we simply cannot guarantee that everything will run smoothly and that every prediction or expectation will become true. The difference between risk and uncertainty is very basic: in risky situations, you know a priori the probabilities of the outcomes; in uncertain situations, you have no idea about the probabilities of the outcomes. Therefore, we must consider how uncertainty and risk may affect the outcomes of our projects.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Risk Management
- Identify the Risks Involved in the Project
- Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
- Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
- Plan Risk Responses
- Control the Risks of the Project
Project Procurement Management
While some of the activities of a project can be done inside the company, others must be outsourced. Be it the purchase of raw material or the development of a highly specific computer software, at some point you will have to turn to the outside world and delegate some tasks. The Project Procurement Management gathers processes to purchase or acquire the products, services or results needed from outside the project team to perform the project work.
This knowledge area involves the following processes:
- Plan Procurement Management
- Conduct Procurements
- Control the Procurements of the Project
- Close the Procurements
Project Stakeholder Management
A stakeholder is any person, group or organization that can impact or be impacted by the project. The Project Stakeholder Management processes involve a series of practices directed to identifying such stakeholders, analyzing their expectations and their impact on the project, as well as developing appropriate strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in the project execution.
This knowledge area involves the following processes: