PMBOK (PMI)

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The description of the knowledge of the project management profession by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Explanation of PMBOK. (1987, 1996, 2000, 2004).

Contributed by: Jean-Michel DE JAEGER

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What is PMBOK? Description

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) (®) is an internationally recognized standard (IEEE, ANSI ) that deals with the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements. The PMBOK Guide defines a Project Life Cycle, 5 Process Groups and 9 Knowledge areas of the project management profession.

A project team operates in 9 knowledge areas through a number of basic processes as summarized below:

Integration. Develop the Project Charter, Scope Statement and Plan. Direct, Manage, Monitor and Control Project Change.
Scope. Planning, Definition, Work Break-down Structure (WBS) Creation, Verification and Control.
Time. Definition, Sequencing, Resource and Duration Estimating, Schedule Development and Schedule Control.
Cost. Resource Planning, Cost Estimating, Budgeting and Control.
Quality. Quality Planning, Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
Human Resources. HR Planning, Hiring, Developing and Managing Project Team.
Communications. Communications Planning, Information Distribution, Performance Reporting, Managing Stakeholders.
Risks. Risk Planning and Identification, Risk Analysis (Qualitative and Quantitative), Risk Response (Action) Planning and Risk Monitoring and Control.
Procurement. Acquisition and Contracting Plan, Sellers Responses and Selection, Contract Administration and Contract Closure.

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 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 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 (tm) was published in 2004, with major improvements in the structure of the document, additions to processes, terms and domains of program and portfolio.

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 trough the integration of the project management processes. PMBOK uses a variation of the Deming Cycle for continuous improvement with a 5 -step lifecycle:

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
- Assign project manager
- Integration management
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
Executing. Main elements:
- Coordinate the resources, team development
- Quality assurance
- Select and approach subcontractors
- Distribute information
- Work the plan
Monitoring and Controlling. Main elements:
- Manage team, stakeholders, subcontractors
- Measuring progress and monitoring performance (overall, scope, schedule, costs, quality)
- 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
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 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 it specific best practices for its application area.

Limitations of PMBOK. Disadvantages

Complex for small projects.
Has to be adapted to the application area industry, project size and 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 (Third Edition 2004) -

PMBOK Special Interest Group

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PMBOK Forum

Recent User Comments

    			 
  			   Keith Hogan - USA
  	       
  		     When Used for Software Development
  	  		 "This is an extension of Deming's work. Deming's is definitely a top-down management style. Do not make changes in implementation unless the change has been vetted through change control which includes management participation.

This is compatible with waterfall, structured development and not so much so with an iterative or agile approach.

In the agile methodologies, change authority is delegated downward to small development teams with representatives of customer, quality, designers, programmers, who incrementally build up the new application building many prototypes progressively approaching what will be the final product.

This is tight loop within Planning and Executing while being observed and monitored. I suggest the agile team size be about 15 max. I recommend it for GUI type (web pages, use cases) projects."
  			   
    	  		 0

    			 
              - Iran
  	       
  		     Trend of PMP
  	  		 "Can anybody predict what will be trend of PMP certification and will it be useful in the future?"
  			   
    	  		 1

    			 
  			   Hussam Mandil - SUDAN
  	       
  		     The 4th edition has been published already
  	  		 "There are slight differences between the 3rd and the 4th edition pmBOK , so I recommend to study using the new edition."
  			   
    	  		 -1

    			 
  			   Charlie - UK
  	       
  		     Shortfall in the PMBOK Framework
  	  		 "I believe there is a major shortfall in this framework - the lack of the concept of Governance, which might be an addendum to the 'control' lozenge.  Most PMs success is measured on delivering projects to time cost and quality, delivery though is the key differentiating factor.  A project may be delivering perfectly to TC&Q, but if external business environmental factors have shifted, and the project is no longer viable to deliver the product that then delivers the benefit needed, the project manager now has a conflict of interest...  I believe you need governance that ultimately owns projects or programmes, that remove the PM conflict of interest.  It is the Governance that can decide to shut down a project, because it can no longer meet the original benefits case."
  			   
    	  		 8

    			 
  			   Michael - London
  	       
  		     Budgeting
  	  		 "I love to know please how budgeting can contributed to the success or failure of a Project? Specific steps and attentions on the Project."
  			   
    	  		 10

Best User Comments

    			   
    			     Hans Foster - Swiss
  	         
  				   Good Synthesis
  				   "Very good synthesis of the PMI PMBok, it is clear and gives a good idea of the content. I understand now the professional way to manage a project. Thanks"
    			   
        	  		 34

    			   
    			     Olukayode Olumi - Nigeria
  	         
  				   Project Management
  				   "I am a project, my life is a program and this world is a portfolio."
    			   
        	  		 8

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	● Andrew (Germany)	Response to Charlie Uk	"Don't agree. There is no conflict of interest. The project Board makes that decision whether a project should continue to completion or not, not the PM. The PM should regularly review project objectives in the Business Plan and ensure that they are still valid. If they are not, and/or the project objectives can no longer be met, its the PM responsibility to immediately alert the Project Board and Proj Executive and recommend stopping the porject. Go, or No Go is their decision. The major point here is that the PM does not OWN the project."
	● Anthony (Hong Kong)	Response to Shortfall in the PMBOK Framework	"Partial agree with Andrew, there is no say on project go or no go. In fact PM should give advices in the PM lifecycle and own the project who also need to keep all project stakeholders happy and maintain TC&Q of course."
	● Ravindra K (India)	About Governance in PMBOK	"In the third edition of PMBOK Governance is mentioned. It says at the beginning stage as well as in the risk management knowledge area that internal and external influencing factors must be condidered. Not only known factors but the assumptions and constraints are identified in project selection. During project execution, sssumptions are revisited periodically as risk audits and performance analysis to find out whether the basic OBJECTIVES of the project are being met or not. If NOT then do we really need to reconsider the basic assumption on which the project has been initiated? If the deviations are large then the project may get crashed OR reinitiated with different equations of objectives. So kindly refer to Project Selection methods and Risk Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis topics. "
	● Padmanabhan (India)	Governance above Project Management level	"Projects are vehicles to achieve certain outcomes as specified and scheduled.the entity which ordered the project is responsible to arrange with the project manager for mid-course corrections if higher factors intervene during execution."
	● (France)	Governance in PMBOK Framework	"The PMBOK framework is a mono-project framework and the Project Manager has to follow the project objectives TCQ assigned to his project. They are part of his roles and responsibilities. The Project Portfolio Management (PPM) level deals with external, environmental business factors, because these factors could impact more projects than just this one. It is a matter of level of decision that the governance is at PPM level."
	● Charlie (UK)	Response to Andrew	"My point is there is no governance... thats the point. Without governance there is a conflict of interest for the PM, where culturally the measure of a successful PM is to deliver projects. A framework teaching programme or project management should include a section on Goverance."
	● (Italy)	Governance or Managing	"Please, be careful with the meaning of "Governance". Often "Governance" is an empty word. Instead, the PMBOK suggests that the Project Managers manage processes and people, while the owner outside the project team (for example the Sponsor) make decisions. The project manager is responsible to get results, while any change is not in his power, if not delegated, he can only analyze the impact on costs and schedule and propose the best alternatives, but he cannot decide alone. In this meaning, governance is not in the power of a PM, and, in my opinion the PMBOK approach is correct."