Chapter 3: The Project Management Process Groups

There are five processes under project management process groups which are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. Initiating is defining and authorizing a project or project phase. The main goal of project initiation is to recognize and start new project. Planning is devising and maintaining a workable scheme to ensure that the project addresses the organization’s needs. The main purpose for project planning is to guide execution. Executing is coordinating people and other resources to carry out the various plans and produce the products, services, or results of the project or phase. Project executing is taking the actions necessary to ensure that activities in the project plan are completed. Monitoring and controlling is regularly measuring and monitoring progress to ensure that the project team meets the project objectives. Project monitoring and controlling is to monitor deviation from the plan, and taking corrective action match progress with the plan. Closing is formalizing acceptance of the project or project phase and ending it efficiently. Project closing is to gain stakeholder and customer acceptance of the final products and services.

The relationships among project management process groups and knowledge area can be classified as follows: project integration management – initiating (develop project charter, develop preliminary project scope statement), planning (develop project management plan), executing (direct manage project execution), monitoring and controlling (monitor and control project work, integrated change control), closing (close project). Project scope management – planning (scope planning, scope definition, create WBS), monitoring and controlling (scope verification, scope control). Project time management – planning (activity definition, activity sequencing, activity resource estimating, activity duration estimating, schedule development), monitoring and controlling (schedule control). Project cost management – planning (cost estimating, cost budgeting), monitoring and controlling (cost control). Project quality management – planning (quality planning), executing (perform quality assurance), monitoring and controlling (perform quality control). Project human resource management – planning (human resource planning), executing (acquire project team, develop project team), monitoring and controlling (manage project team). Project communications management – planning (communications planning), executing (information distribution), monitoring and controlling (performance reporting, manage stakeholders). Project risk management – planning (risk management planning, risk identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning), monitoring and controlling (risk monitoring and control). Project procurement management – planning (plan purchases and acquisitions, plan contracting), executing (request seller, responses, select sellers), monitoring and controlling (contract administration), closing (contact closure).