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PROJECT INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT
1. Overview
Project Integration Management includes making choices about:
o Resource allocation,
o Balancing competing demands,
o Examining any alternative approaches,
o Tailoring the processes to meet the project objectives, and
o Managing the interdependencies among the Project Management Knowledge
Areas.
The Project Integration Management processes are:
2.1 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.
2.2 Develop Project Management Plan — The process of defining, preparing,
and coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an
integrated project management plan.
The Project Integration Management processes are:
2.3 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.
2.4 Manage Project Knowledge — The process of using existing knowledge
and creating new knowledge to achieve the project’s objectives and
contribute to organizational learning.
2.5 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.
2.6 Perform Integrated Change Control — The process of reviewing all change
requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables,
organizational process assets, project documents, and the project
management plan; and communicating the decisions.
2.7 Close Project or Phase — The process of finalizing all activities for the
project, phase, or contract.
Figure 4-1 provides an overview of the Project Integration Management processes.
The Project Integration Management processes are presented as discrete processes
with defined interfaces while, in practice, they overlap and interact in ways that
cannot be completely detailed in the PMBOK® Guide.
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2. Key Concepts for Project Integration Management
Project Integration Management is specific to project managers. Whereas other
Knowledge Areas may be managed by specialists (e.g., cost analysis, scheduling
specialists, risk management experts), the accountability of Project Integration
Management cannot be delegated or transferred. The project manager is the one
who combines the results in all the other Knowledge Areas and has the overall view
of the project.
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The project manager is ultimately responsible for the project as a whole.
Projects and project management are integrative by nature. For example, a cost
estimate needed for a contingency plan involves integrating the processes in the
Project Cost Management, Project Schedule Management, and Project Risk
Management Knowledge Areas. When additional risks associated with various
staffing alternatives are identified, then one or more of those processes may be
revisited.
The links among the processes in the Project Management Process Groups are often
iterative. For example, the Planning Process Group provides the Executing Process
Group with a documented project management plan early in the project and then
updates the project management plan if changes occur as the project progresses.
Project Integration Management is about:
Ensuring that the deliverable due dates of the product,
service, or result; project life cycle; and the benefits
management plan are aligned;
Providing a project management plan to achieve the project
objectives;
Ensuring the creation and the use of the appropriate
knowledge to and from the project as necessary;
Managing the performance and changes of the activities in the project
management plan;
Making integrated decisions regarding key changes impacting the project;
Measuring and monitoring the project’s progress and taking appropriate
action to meet project objectives;
Collecting data on the results achieved, analyzing the data to obtain information,
and communicating this information to relevant.
Completing all the work of the project and formally closing each phase,
contract, and the project as a whole; and
Managing phase transitions when necessary.
The more complex the project and the more varied the expectations of the
stakeholders, the more a sophisticated approach to integration is needed.
3. Trends and Emerging Practices in Project Integration
Management
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The Project Integration Management Knowledge Area requires combining the results
from all the other Knowledge Areas. Evolving trends in integration processes include
but are not limited to:
Use of automated tools. The volume of data and information that
project managers need to integrate makes it necessary to use a project
management information system (PMIS) and automated tools to collect,
analyze, and use information to meet project objectives and realize project
benefits.
Use of visual management tools. Some project teams use visual
management tools, rather than written plans and other documents, to
capture and oversee critical project elements.
Making key project elements visible to the entire team provides a real-
time overview of the project status, facilitates knowledge transfer, and
empowers team members and other stakeholders to help identify and
solve issues.
Project knowledge management. The increasingly mobile and
transitory work force requires a more rigorous process of identifying
knowledge throughout the project life cycle and transferring it to the
target audience so that the knowledge is not lost.
Expanding the project manager’s responsibilities. Project managers
are being called on to initiate and finalize the project, such as project
business case development and benefits management. Historically, these
activities have been the responsibility of management and the project
management office, but project managers are more frequently
collaborating with them to better meet project objectives and deliver
benefits. Project managers are also engaging in more comprehensive
identification and engagement of stakeholders. This includes managing
the interfaces with various functional and operational departments and
senior management personnel.
Hybrid methodologies. Some project management methodologies are
evolving to incorporate successfully applied new practices.
Examples include the use of agile and other iterative practices; business
analysis techniques for requirements management; tools for identifying
complex elements in projects; and organizational change management
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methods to prepare for transitioning the project outputs into the
organization.
4. Tailoring Considerations
Because each project is unique, the project manager may need to tailor the way
that Project Integration Management processes are applied. Considerations for
tailoring include but are not limited to:
Project life cycle. What is an appropriate project life cycle? What phases
should comprise the project life cycle?
Development life cycle. What development life cycle and approach are
appropriate for the product, service, or result? Is a predictive or adaptive
approach appropriate? If adaptive, should the product be developed
incrementally or iteratively? Is a hybrid approach best?
Management approaches. What management processes are most
effective based on the organizational culture and the complexity of the
project?
Knowledge management. How will knowledge be managed in the project
to foster a collaborative working environment?
Change. How will change be managed in the project?
Governance. What control boards, committees, and other stakeholders are
part of the project? What are the project status reporting requirements?
Lessons learned. What information should be collected throughout and at
the end of the project? How will historical information and lessons learned
be made available to future projects?
Benefits. When and how should benefits be reported: at the end of the
project or at the end of each iteration or phase?
5. Consideration for Agile/ Adaptive Environments
Iterative and agile approaches promote the engagement of team members as local
domain experts in integration management. The team members determine how
plans and components should integrate.
The expectations of the project manager as noted in the Key Concepts for
Integration Management do not change in an adaptive environment, but control of
the detailed product planning and delivery is delegated to the team.
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The project manager’s focus is on building a collaborative decision-making
environment and ensuring the team has the ability to respond to changes. This
collaborative approach can be further enhanced when team members possess a
broad skill base rather than a narrow specialization.