Project Management

Study Notes: Chapters 6 & 7

CHAPTER 6: PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

Project Integration Management includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and
coordinate various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.
(It's the big-picture coordination that ties all parts of a project together from start to finish.)

What decisions does it help with?

• Resource allocation (Deciding who gets what tools, people, and budget.)
• Balancing competing demands (Handling situations where different needs conflict.)
• Examining alternative approaches (Looking at different ways to get the job done.)
• Tailoring processes to meet project objectives (Customizing how you manage the project based on what
the project actually needs.)
• Managing interdependencies among Project Management Knowledge Areas (Making sure all the different
management areas (scope, time, cost, etc.) work together smoothly.)

The 7 Processes of Project Integration Management

1. Develop Project Charter
The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project
manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. (Creating the official 'go signal'
for the project. It gives the project manager permission to use company resources.)
INPUTS
• Business documents (Business case, Benefits management plan) (Why the project exists and what
benefits it should bring.)
• Agreements (Contracts or commitments made before the project starts.)
• Enterprise environmental factors (External or internal conditions that affect the project (laws, company
culture, etc.).)
• Organizational process assets (Company templates, procedures, and historical info.)
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment (Getting input from people who know what they're doing.)
• Data gathering (Brainstorming, Focus groups, Interviews) (Ways to collect information and ideas.)
• Interpersonal and team skills (Conflict management, Facilitation, Meeting management) (People skills
needed to get the charter done.)
• Meetings (Getting the right people together to agree on the charter.)
OUTPUTS
• Project charter (The official document that starts the project.)
• Assumption log (A record of things assumed to be true during planning.)

2. Develop Project Management Plan

The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an
integrated project management plan. (Creating the master playbook for the entire project — how everything will
be done.)
INPUTS
• Project charter (The approved document authorizing the project.)
• Outputs from other processes (Plans and documents created from other knowledge areas.)
 • Enterprise environmental factors (External conditions affecting planning.)
• Organizational process assets (Company guidelines and templates.)
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data gathering (Brainstorming, Checklists, Focus groups, Interviews) (Using expertise
and various methods to build the plan.)
• Interpersonal and team skills (Conflict management, Facilitation, Meeting management) (People skills to
coordinate the planning process.)
• Meetings (Sessions to align all stakeholders on the plan.)
OUTPUTS
• Project Management Plan (The comprehensive document guiding how the project will be executed,
monitored, and closed.)

3. Direct and Manage Project Work

The process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing
approved changes to achieve the project's objectives. (Actually doing the project work and carrying out what was
planned. It's where execution happens.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents, Approved change requests (The plan, documents, and
any approved changes that guide the work.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company conditions and resources
supporting the work.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Project management information system, Meetings (Expert advice, software tools, and
team meetings to get things done.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Deliverables (The actual products or results produced.)
• Work performance data (Raw data on how the work is going.)
• Issue log, Change requests (Problems encountered and requests to change something.)
• Project management plan updates, Project document updates (Updated records reflecting what
changed.)

4. Manage Project Knowledge

The process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve the project's objectives and
contribute to organizational learning. (Making sure what the team knows is used well, and that lessons learned
are saved for future projects.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents, Deliverables (The current plans, documents, and things
produced.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company resources and existing
knowledge repositories.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Knowledge management, Information management (Using expertise and proper
systems to organize what's known.)
• Interpersonal and team skills (Active listening, Facilitation, Leadership, Networking, Political awareness)
(Soft skills to help share and capture knowledge effectively.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Lessons learned register (A record of what went well and what didn't, for future reference.)
• Project management plan updates, Organizational process assets updates (Updated plans and company
knowledge base.)
5. Monitor and Control Project Work
The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in
the project management plan. (Watching how the project is going and comparing it to the plan to catch problems
early.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (The plan and documents to compare actual progress
against.)
• Work performance information, Agreements (Data on how work is actually progressing.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Supporting context and company
history.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data analysis (Alternative, Cost-benefit, Earned value, Root cause, Trend, Variance
analysis) (Various methods to analyze whether the project is on track.)
• Decision making, Meetings (Making calls based on analysis and team discussions.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Work performance reports (Reports showing how the project is doing.)
• Change requests (Requests to adjust the project.)
• Project management plan updates, Project documents updates (Updated records.)

6. Perform Integrated Change Control

The process of reviewing all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, project
documents, and the project management plan; and communicating the decisions. (Making sure every change
goes through a formal review before being approved — prevents uncontrolled changes that can derail the
project.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Current plans and documents subject to change.)
• Work performance reports, Change requests (Reports and formal requests to change something.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company rules and context.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Change control tools, Data analysis (Alternative, Cost-benefit analysis) (Tools and
analysis to evaluate changes.)
• Decision making (Voting, Autocratic, Multicriteria decision analysis), Meetings (Ways to formally decide
on changes.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Approved change requests (Changes that have been officially accepted.)
• Project management plan updates, Project documents updates (Change log) (Updated plans and a log of
all changes made.)

7. Close Project or Phase

The process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract. (Officially wrapping up the project —
completing paperwork, releasing the team, and archiving everything.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project charter, Project management plan, Project documents (All the key documents needed to formally
close out.)
• Accepted deliverables, Business documents, Agreements (Approved outputs and contracts to be
finalized.)
• Procurement documentation, Organizational process assets (Vendor-related documents and company
records.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data analysis (Document analysis, Regression analysis, Trend analysis, Variance
analysis), Meetings (Methods to confirm everything is complete and lessons are captured.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Project documents updates (Lessons learned register) (Final updates including what was learned.)
• Final product, service, or result transition (Handing over the finished product to the client or operations.)
• Final report, Organizational process assets updates (The final summary and updated company records.)

CHAPTER 7: PROJECT SCOPE & SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT

PART A: PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT
Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work
required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. Managing the project scope is primarily
concerned with defining and controlling what is and is not included in the project. (It's about making sure the
project does exactly what it's supposed to do — no more, no less. It prevents 'scope creep' (uncontrolled
additions to the project).)

1. Plan Scope Management

The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project and product scope will be
defined, validated, and controlled. (Making a plan for how you'll manage what the project will (and won't) include.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project charter, Project management plan (Quality management plan, Project life cycle description)
(Starting documents to base the scope plan on.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company context and existing
guidelines.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data analysis (Alternatives analysis), Meetings (Expert input and analysis to decide
how scope will be managed.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Scope management plan (Document describing how scope will be defined and controlled.)
• Requirements of the management plan (Plan for how requirements will be collected and managed.)

2. Collect Requirements
The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project
objectives. (Figuring out exactly what stakeholders need from the project and writing it all down.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project charter, Project management plan, Project documents (Foundation documents and any existing
info.)
• Business documents, Agreements, Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets
(Business needs, contracts, and company context.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Data gathering (Brainstorming, Interviews, Focus groups, Questionnaires & surveys, Benchmarking)
(Methods to collect what stakeholders want.)
• Data analysis, Decision making, Data representation (Affinity diagrams, Mind mapping) (Ways to
organize and analyze the collected requirements.)
• Interpersonal and team skills (Nominal group technique, Facilitation), Context diagram, Prototypes
(Group tools and visual models to clarify requirements.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Requirements documentation (Written record of all stakeholder requirements.)
• Requirements traceability matrix (A table linking each requirement to its source and project objective.)
3. Define Scope
The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product. (Writing a detailed description of what
the project will deliver — setting clear boundaries.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project charter, Project management plan (Scope management plan), Project documents (Assumption
log) (Starting documents and assumptions.)
• Requirements documentation, Risk register (What's needed and known risks.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company context.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data analysis (Alternatives analysis), Decision making, Interpersonal and team skills
(Facilitation), Product analysis (Methods to clarify and agree on exactly what will be delivered.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Project scope statement (The detailed description of what the project will and won't include.)
• Project documents updates (Updated documents like the assumption log and stakeholder register.)

4. Create WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.
(Breaking the project into smaller chunks so it's easier to plan, assign, and track. Think of it like an organizational
chart for project tasks.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan (Scope management plan), Project documents (Project scope statement) (The
scope plan and scope statement to guide the breakdown.)
• Requirements documentation, Risk register (Requirements and risks to consider.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company standards for how WBS is
structured.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Decomposition (Breaking work into smaller parts using expertise.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Scope baseline (The approved version of the scope, WBS, and WBS dictionary.)
• Project documents updates (Updated assumption log and requirements documentation.)

5. Validate Scope
The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables. (Getting the client or stakeholder to
officially sign off that each deliverable meets their expectations.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Lessons learned register), Verified deliverables (The plan,
lessons learned, and deliverables that have been checked for quality.)
• Work performance data (Data on how work is going.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Inspection, Decision making (Voting) (Physically reviewing deliverables and deciding whether they're
acceptable.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Accepted deliverables (Deliverables officially approved by the stakeholder.)
• Work performance information, Change requests, Project documents updates (Status info, any needed
changes, and updated documentation.)

6. Control Scope
The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope
baseline. (Watching out for scope creep — making sure no extra work sneaks in without going through proper
change control.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents, Work performance data (Current plans, documents, and
actual work data.)
• Organizational process assets (Company procedures for managing scope changes.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Data analysis (Variance analysis, Trend analysis) (Comparing what was planned vs. what's actually
happening.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Work performance information, Change requests (Status updates and any needed changes.)
• Project management plan updates, Project documents updates (Updated records.)

PART B: PROJECT SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT

Project Schedule Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.
(It's all about making sure the project finishes on time. This involves planning, creating, and controlling the project
timeline.)

1. Plan Schedule Management

The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing,
executing, and controlling the project schedule. (Making a plan for how you'll create and manage the project
timeline.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project charter, Project management plan (Scope management plan, Development approach)
(Foundation documents.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company context.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Data analysis, Meetings (Expertise and discussions to plan the scheduling approach.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Schedule project management plan (The plan describing how the schedule will be created and
controlled.)

2. Define Activities
The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project
deliverables. (Listing out every specific task that needs to be done to complete the project.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan (Schedule management plan, Scope baseline) (The schedule plan and scope
baseline to guide activity definition.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company guidelines.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment, Decomposition, Rolling wave planning, Meetings (Breaking down work into tasks,
including planning ahead progressively.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Activity list, Activity attributes, Milestone list (The complete list of tasks, their details, and key milestone
events.)
• Change requests, Project management plan updates (Any needed changes and updated plans.)
3. Sequence Activities
The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. (Figuring out what order
tasks need to happen — what must come before what.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Activity attributes, Activity list, Assumption log, Milestone
list) (All task-related documents.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Company standards.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Precedence diagramming method (Drawing boxes and arrows to show the order of tasks.)
• Dependency determination and integration, Leads and lags (Defining task relationships and time buffers
between tasks.)
• Project management information system (Software to help manage and visualize the schedule.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Project schedule network diagrams (Visual diagrams showing the sequence and relationships of all
tasks.)
• Project documents updates (Updated activity list, attributes, and milestone list.)

4. Estimate Activity Durations

The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with the estimated
resources. (Estimating how long each task will take — in hours, days, or weeks.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Activity list, Activity attributes, Assumption log, Lessons
learned register, Milestone list, etc.) (All task and resource information.)
• Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Historical data from past projects.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Expert judgment (Using experience to estimate.)
• Analogous estimating (Using similar past projects as a reference.)
• Parametric estimating (Using math (e.g., cost per unit) to estimate.)
• Three-point estimating (Using best case, worst case, and most likely estimates.)
• Bottom-up estimating (Estimating each small task and adding them up.)
• Data analysis (Alternatives analysis, Reserve analysis), Decision making, Meetings (Analysis methods to
refine estimates.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Duration estimates, Basis of estimates, Project documents updates (How long each activity will take, the
reasoning behind estimates, and updated records.)

5. Develop Schedule
The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to
create the project schedule model for project execution and monitoring and controlling. (Putting everything
together to create the actual project timeline — the calendar of what happens when.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Activity attributes, list, Assumption log, Lessons learned
register, Milestone list, etc.) (All planning documents.)
• Agreements, Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets (Contracts and company
context.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Schedule network analysis, Critical path method (Analyzing which sequence of tasks determines the
project end date.)
• Resource optimization, Data analysis (What-if scenario analysis), Simulation (Adjusting the schedule
based on resource availability and uncertainties.)
 • Leads and lags, Schedule compression, Project management information system, Agile release planning
(Fine-tuning the schedule to fit constraints.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Schedule baseline, Project schedule, Schedule data, Project calendars (The approved timeline, the
working schedule, supporting data, and resource calendars.)
• Change requests, Project management plan updates, Project documents updates (Any needed changes
and updated records.)

6. Control Schedule
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project schedule and manage changes to the
schedule baseline. (Checking whether the project is on schedule and taking action when it falls behind.)
KEY INPUTS
• Project management plan, Project documents (Lessons learned register), Work performance data (The
plan and actual progress data.)
• Project calendars, Resource calendars, Schedule data, Organizational process assets (Supporting
schedule documents.)
KEY TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
• Data analysis (Earned value analysis, Iteration burndown chart, Performance reviews, Trend analysis,
Variance analysis, What-if scenario analysis) (Methods to measure how well the schedule is being
followed.)
• Critical path method, Project management information system, Resource optimization, Leads and lags,
Schedule compression (Tools to analyze and adjust the schedule.)
KEY OUTPUTS
• Work performance information, Schedule forecasts, Change requests (Reports on schedule status and
any needed changes.)
• Project management plan updates, Project documents updates (Updated records.)

— End of Notes —