FRAMEWORK FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A PROFESSION
Two major organizations with worldwide impact on the practice of project management.
Project Management Institute (PMI):
International Project Management Association (IPMA):
PMI (Project Management Institute):
Offers world-renowned certifications like the PMP (Project Management Professional) for experienced
managers and the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) for those starting out.
Publishes PMBOK (Body of Knowledge)
IPMA (International Project Management Association):
Also offers its own system of certifications, which are very popular in Europe.
PMP vs CAPM
PMP requirements:
● 5 years PM experience
● pass a rigorous exam
● Maintain ongoing professional development
CAPM: mainly exam , stepping stone to PMP.
PMBOK Knowledge Areas
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a set of standard terminology and guidelines
for project management. It evolves over time.
The 10 Knowledge Areas:
● Integration.
● Scope.
● Time/Schedule.
● Costs.
● Quality.
● Human Resources.
● Communication.
● Risks.
● Procurement.
● Stakeholders.
PROJECT INTEGRATION
Integration is very active at start-up and coordinates activities in all other knowledge areas.
It involves developing:
● Project charter
● Scope statement
● a plan to direct/manage/monitor/control change
PROJECT SCOPE
Scope defines what the project is about.
Managing scope includes: definition, planning, WBS creation, verification, control
Scope forms the basis of agreement between sponsor and team.
Scope changes can happen anytime, but must follow a clearly defined approval process.
Content of a Project Scope statement:
● Scope description
● Acceptance criteria
● Deliverables
● Exclusions
● Constraints
● Assumptions
Schedule/Time Management
Involves: define activities, sequence them, estimate resources & durations, develop schedule, control
schedule
Based on WBS work units.
Dependencies identified (task A before task B).
Software often used to assist with managing the time schedule.
Cost Management
Includes:
● resource planning
● cost estimating
● Budgeting
● Control - Tracking spending, explaining why there are deviations from the budget, and making
adjustments.
Plan for the cash flow.
Track the expenditures.
Quality Management
Includes: quality planning, quality assurance, quality control
Quality plan defines: standards, how to achieve them, how to measure them
Human Resource Management
Includes:
HR planning, hiring, developing and managing the team
Steps: identify HR requirements → select project team → develop team → motivate and manage the
team.
Communications Management
Includes: communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting, stakeholder
management.
Communication includes within the team and with others outside the team.
The project should have a communication plan that answers:
who to communicate with
methods to use
what frequency
who is responsible
Risk Management
Risk = likelihood of the occurrence of an event that can impact project goals negatively or positively.
Includes:
● Risk planning & identification
● Risk qualitative & quantitative analysis
● Risk response planning
● Risk monitoring & control
● Processes: identify → analyze → manage
Procurement Management
Includes:
● acquisition & contracting plans
● seller responses & selection
● contract administration
● contract closure
Often complex; time schedules crucial; may require lawyers on complex projects.
Stakeholder Management
Stakeholders = those impacted by a project or who can impact it.
Always include project sponsor + project team; may include customers, suppliers, public, government
Major Tool: stakeholder register
● lists stakeholders, roles, all communications
● updated regularly
Managing stakeholders includes:
identifying stakeholders + their interest + influence on the project
managing and controlling relationships + communications between stakeholders and the project