StarPMOs Project Management Workshop Preparatory Course

Project Management
Preparatory Notes

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I. Introduction

Please read the following note. This is a short note which provides basic information about
project management. After that you will have a single page with 10 questions which you
need to answer by taking a print out. If you do not have a printer, just write the answers on
a piece of paper and bring it to the class.

II. What should you do?

Read the note and answer all the questions at the end of note. After that, bring that last
page with your answers to the class room and submit to the Instructor on your first day of
the class room training. This is mandatory/strongly recommended activity for the class room
(Remember to write your full name on the page).

III. Short note on Project Management

Project management is the process and activity of planning, organizing, motivating, and
controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals in scientific or daily
problems. A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service
or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained
by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to
bring about beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands in
contrast with business as usual (or operations), which are repetitive, permanent, or semi-
permanent functional activities to produce products or services. In practice, the
management of these two systems is often quite different, and as such requires the
development of distinct technical skills and management strategies.

The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals
and objectives while honoring the preconceived constraints. The primary constraints are
scope, time, quality and budget. The secondary and more ambitious challenge is to
optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and integrate them to meet pre-defined
objectives. As a discipline, project management developed from several fields of application
including civil construction, engineering, and heavy defense activity. Two forefathers of
project management are Henry Gantt, called the father of planning and control techniques,
who is famous for his use of the Gantt chart as a project management tool and Henri Fayol
for his creation of the five management functions that form the foundation of the body of
knowledge associated with project and program management.

While project management was always there from the time humans have existed on
the planet, the 1950s marked the beginning of modern project management era where core
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engineering fields come together to work as one. Project management became recognized
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as a distinct discipline arising from the management discipline with engineering model.

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IV. About Project Management Institute (PMI)

In 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed in the USA.[19] PMI publishes
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), which describes
project management practices that are common to "most projects, most of the time." PMI
also offers multiple certifications. Project Management Professional (PMP) is one of the
most popular certifications from PMI and has become the most well recognized mark of a
professional in project management.

V. Types of Project Management

There are a number of approaches to managing project activities including lean, iterative,
incremental, and phased approaches. Regardless of the methodology employed, careful
consideration must be given to the overall project objectives, timeline, and cost, as well as
the roles and responsibilities of all participants and stakeholders.

A) The traditional approach

A traditional phased approach identifies a sequence of steps to be completed. In the
"traditional approach", five developmental components of a project can be
distinguished (four stages plus control)

Typical development phases of an engineering project

1. Initiation
2. Planning and Design
3. Execution and Construction
4. Monitoring and Controlling systems
5. Completion

Not all projects will have every stage, as projects can be terminated before they reach
completion. Some projects do not follow a structured planning and/or monitoring
process. And some projects will go through steps 2, 3 and 4 multiple times. Many
industries use variations of these project stages. For example, when working on a
brick-and-mortar design and construction, projects will typically progress through
stages like pre-planning, conceptual design, schematic design, design development,
construction drawings (or contract documents), and construction administration.

B) PRINCE2
PRINCE2 is a structured approach to project management released in 1996 as a generic
project management method. It combines the original PROMPT methodology (which
evolved into the PRINCE methodology) with IBM's MITP (managing the
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implementation of the total project) methodology. PRINCE2 provides a method for

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managing projects within a clearly defined framework.

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PRINCE2 provides a common language for all participants in the project. The
governance framework of PRINCE2 its roles and responsibilities are fully described
and require tailoring to suit the complexity of the project and skills of the organization.

C) Process-based management
The incorporation of process-based management has been driven by the use of
Maturity models such as the CMMI and ISO/IEC15504 (SPICE Software Process
Improvement and Capability Estimation).

D) Agile project management

Agile project management approaches, based on the principles of human interaction
management, are founded on a process view of human collaboration. It is "most
typically used in software, website, technology, creative and marketing industries."
This contrasts sharply with the traditional approach. In the agile software development
or flexible product development approach, the project is seen as a series of relatively
small tasks conceived and executed to conclusion as the situation demands in an
adaptive manner, rather than as a completely preplanned process.

VI. Being a Project Manager

A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers

can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically
relating to construction industry, engineering, architecture, computing, and
telecommunications. Many other fields in production engineering and design engineering
and heavy industrial have project managers.

A project manager is the person accountable for accomplishing the stated project
objectives. Key project management responsibilities include creating clear and attainable
project objectives, building the project requirements, and managing the triple constraint for
projects, which is cost, time, and scope. A project manager is often a client representative
and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on knowledge of
the firm they are representing. The ability to adapt to the various internal procedures of the
contracting party, and to form close links with the nominated representatives, is essential in
ensuring that the key issues of cost, time, quality and above all, client satisfaction, can be
realized. These days, due to the growing importance of Project Managers, certified Project
Managers earn more than the non-certified project managers by approximately about 20%
(As per the PMI 2014 Pulse of the Profession Report).

VII. PMBOK

PMBOK is the short form of Project Management Body/Book of Knowledge published by

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PMI which presents the generally accepted guidelines (or good practices) on project
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management. This guides is the main guidelines for practitioners willing to get certified as a
PMI-PMP. As of October 2014, the most updated guide is PMBOK-5.

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PMBOK-5 provides project management best practices which are broken up into

1) Five Process Groups

2) 10 Knowledge Areas
3) 47 Process (Spread among the 10 knowledge Areas)

Process Groups
The process groups are mostly (not completely) with the flow of the project as it proceeds.
There are five process groups in a project and they are initiation, planning, execution,
monitor & control and closing. These get repeated in each phase of the project if there are
multiple phases.

Knowledge Areas
The knowledge areas can be thought of as specializations in a project and describe the
various activities of the project in the form of specialized subjects. The 10 knowledge areas
are integration, stakeholder management, communication management, scope
management, time management, cost management, quality management, human Resource
management, risk management and procurement management.

Processes
There are totally 47 project management processes which are spread across all the 10
knowledge areas of the project management as prescribed in PMBOK-5.

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VIII. Differences between PMBOK and ISO 21500

At a high level, the differences between PMBOK and ISO are highlighted below in the form
of a table where the processes are illustrated as a part of both process groups and their
corresponding knowledge areas.

PMBOK4 Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring & Closing

Controlling
Integration 4.1 Develop 4.2 Develop 4.2 Direct and 4.4 Monitor and 4.6 Close
Project Project Manage Project Control Project Project or
Charter Management Plan Execution work Phase
4.5 Perform
Integrated
Change Control
Scope 5.1 Collect 5.4 Verify Scope
Requirements 5.5 Control
5.2 Define Scope Scope
5.3 Create WBS
Time 6.1 Define 6.6 Control
Activities Schedule
6.2 Sequence
Activities
6.3 Estimate
Activity
Resources
6.4 Estimate
Activity Durations
6.5 Develop
Schedule
Cost 7.1 Estimate 7.3 Control Costs
costs
7.2 Determine
Budget
Quality 8.1 Plan Quality 8.2 Perform 8.3 Perform
Quality Quality Control
Assurance
Human 9.1 Develop HR 9.2 Acquire
Resources plan Project Team
9.4 Develop
Project Team
9.4 Management
Project Team
Communications 10.1 Identify 10.2 Plan 10.3 Distribute 10.5 Report
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Stakeholders Communications Information Performance

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10.4 Manage
Stakeholder

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Expectations
Risk 11.1 Plan Risk 11.6 Monitor and
Management Control Risks
11.2 Identify
Risks
11.3 Perform
Qualitative Risk
Analysis
11.4 Perform
Quantitative Risk
Analysis
11.5 Plan Risk
Responses
Procurement 12.1 Plan 12.2 Conduct 12.3 Administer 12.4 Close
Procurements Procurements Procurements Procurements

PMBOK5 Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring & Closing

Controlling
Integration 4.1 Develop 4.2 Develop 4.2 Direct and 4.4 Monitor and 4.6 Close
Project Project Manage Project Control Project Project or
Charter Management Plan Execution work Phase
4.5 Perform
Integrated
Change Control
Scope 5.1 Plan Scope 5.5 Validate
Management Scope
5.2 Collect 5.6 Control
Requirements Scope
5.3 Define Scope
5.4 Create WBS
Time 6.1 Plan Schedule 6.7 Control
Management Schedule
6.2 Define
Activities
6.3 Sequence
Activities
6.4 Estimate
Activity
Resources
6.5 Estimate
Activity Durations
6.6 Develop
Schedule
Cost 7.1 Plan Cost 7.4 Control Costs
Management
7.2 Estimate
costs
7.3 Determine
Budget
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Quality 8.1 Plan Quality 8.2 Perform 8.3 Perform

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Quality Quality Control

Assurance

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Human 9.1 Plan HR 9.2 Acquire

Resources management Project Team
9.4 Develop
Project Team
9.4 Management
Project Team
Communications 10.1 Plan 10.2 Manage 10.3 Control
Communications Communications Communications
Management
Risk 11.1 Plan Risk 11.6 Monitor and
Management Control Risks
11.2 Identify
Risks
11.3 Perform
Qualitative Risk
Analysis
11.4 Perform
Quantitative Risk
Analysis
11.5 Plan Risk
Responses
Procurement 12.1 Plan 12.2 Conduct 12.3 Administer 12.4 Close
Procurement Procurements Procurements Procurements
Management
Stakeholder 13.1 Identify 13.2 Plan 13.3 Manage 13.4 Control
Stakeholders Stakeholder Stakeholder Stakeholder
Management Management Management
Next Few Pages provide detailed overview of the five phases of a project

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IX. Phase-1: Project Initiation

The PMBOK5 categorizes project management processes into five groups. These
categories are known Project Management Process Groups.
Initiating Process Group
Planning Process Group
Executing Process Group
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
Closing Process Group

The Initiating Process Group is an essential step in completing your process. This is the
phase where you define your project and obtain authorization to complete your goals. Similar
to how a referee starts a match with the blow of his whistle, a project or a new phase of
project needs some authorization to start it. The Initiating Process Group defined in the
Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) Fifth Edition provides critical activities
that need to be performed before you plan and execute the project.

These process groups interact with each other during the project life-cycle. Let start by
taking a look at the definition of the Initiating Process Group.

i). Definition of the Initiation Phase

"The Initiating Process Group consists of those processes performed to define a new
project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the
project or phase. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK
Guide) Fifth Edition

Now, lets get into the process group and understand what this one sentence definition
entails. In order to define a new project, two processes are necessary: developing a project
charter and identifying stakeholders. As shown below:

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ii). Developing a Project Charter

A project charter contains an overview of the project, the approach the project will take and
all signatures needed to approve the project. This document authorizes a project manager to
utilize organizational resources for the sake of the project. In order to create it, you must
interact with the person who wishes the project completed, this is known as the Project
Sponsor, Project Initiator, or Project Management Office (PMO). Basically the Project
Initiator must have the authority to commit organizational resources and funding to the
project.
To create the Project Charter, the following inputs are required: Project Statement of Work,
Business Case, Agreements, Enterprise Environmental Factors, and Organizational Process
Assets. The following figure shows some of the information that is typically found in a Project
Charter.

iii). Identify Stakeholders

Stakeholders are the people or entities that can influence the success and outcome of the
project. A Stakeholder Register is a document that provides information on the key
stakeholders who will or can influence the project. The information can help a Project
Manager understand which stakeholder is potentially a supporter of the project objectives
and which stakeholder can derail the project. It also documents the key expectations of
stakeholders.
To create the Stakeholder Register, the following inputs are required: Project Charter,
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Procurement Documents (Optional), Enterprise Environmental Factors, and Organizational

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Process Assets. The key tools and techniques used to identify stakeholders are stakeholder

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analysis, expert judgment, and meetings. During stakeholder analysis, you will use
the Power/Interest, Power/Influence, and Influence/Impact grids and the Salience Model.
The following figure shows some of the information that is typically found in a Stakeholder
Register.

iv). Key Points for the Initiation Phase

The Initiating process group has two processes: Develop Project Charter and Identify
Stakeholders. After completing the processes in this group, a project manager has the
authority to use organizational resources for project activities. The Project Charter and
Stakeholder Register are used as inputs to processes in the other process groups, such as
the Planning process group.

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X. Phase-2: Project Planning

In the Planning Process Group, you will be creating all of the project documents that will
enable you to deliver project. This group has the most processes of any other group. Read
on to understand the complexity.

i). A Definition

The Planning Process Group consists of those processes performed to establish the total
scope of the effort, define and refine objectives, and develop the course of action required to
attain those objectives. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK
Guide) Fifth Edition

To understand the activities involved, lets see the processes involved in this process group.
The many processes in the Planning Process Group are shown below in a diagram.

Overview of the Processes

Unlike the other process groups, the Planning Process Group has processes from each
knowledge area. The following section provides a brief description of each process in the
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Planning Process Group.

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ii). Developing a Project Management Plan

This process belongs to the Project Integration Management knowledge area. It has only
one output and that is the Project Management Plan. This plan is developed by reviewing
the Project Charter and outputs from several other processes, such as the Communications
Management Plan and the Cost Management Plan. The Project Management Plan is used
by over 20 other processes, such as Plan Schedule Management and Control Risks.
Therefore, it is a critical artifact.

iii). Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS

These processes belong to the Project Scope Management knowledge area. Some outputs
of these processes are:

Plan Scope Management: The outputs of this process are Scope Management Plan
and Requirements Management Plan. The Scope Management Plan describes how the
scope is defined, validated, and controlled.
Collect Requirements: The outputs to this process are the Requirements Traceability
Matrix and the Requirements Documentation. Significant effort is expended in
understanding the stakeholder expectations and needs. Some of the techniques used
include prototyping, interviewing, and group creativity techniques, such as brainstorming.
Define Scope: The outputs to this process are the Project Scope Statement and
updates to the Project Documents. The Project Scope Statement describes the project
scope and the documents the project and product scope.
Create WBS: The outputs to this process are the Scope Baseline and the updates to the
Project Documents. In this process, the scope is divided into smaller chunks.

iv). Planning & Managing Your Schedule

These processes belong to the Project Time Management knowledge area. Some outputs of
these processes are:

Plan Schedule Management: The only output of this process is the Schedule
Management Plan. This plan states the activities involved in developing and monitoring
the schedule.
Define Activities: The outputs to this process are the Activity List, Activity Attributes,
and Milestone List. In this process, work packages are broken down into activities. This
is then useful for estimating and scheduling. Rolling Wave Planning is used in the
process.
Sequence Activities: The outputs to this process are Project Schedule Network
Diagrams and updates to the Project Documents. Precedence Diagrams are used in this
process.
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Estimate Activity Resources: Apart from updates to the Project Documents, the
outputs to this process are Activity Resource Requirements and Resource Breakdown
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Structure.

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Estimate Activity Durations: The outputs to this process are Activity Duration
Estimates and updates to the Project Documents. Three-point estimating, which takes
three estimates Most Likely, Optimistic, and Pessimistic, is one of the estimation
techniques used.
Develop a Schedule: Apart from updates to the Project Documents and the Project
Management Plan, the outputs to this process are the Schedule Baseline, Project
Schedule, Schedule Data, and Project Calendars. The Critical Path Method (CPM) is
used in this process.

v). Planning Costs & Budget

These processes belong to the Project Cost Management knowledge area. Some outputs of
these processes are:

Plan Cost Management: The only output of this process is the Cost Management Plan.
This plan states the activities involved in planning and monitoring project costs.
Estimate Costs: The outputs to this process are the Activity Cost Estimates, Basis of
Estimates, and updates to the Project Documents. Estimation techniques, such as
Bottom-up and Analogous Estimating, are performed here.
Determine Budget: The outputs to this process are Cost Baseline, Project Funding
Requirements, and updates to the Project Documents.

vi). Quality Management

This process is part of the Project Quality Management knowledge area. It involves
documenting how the project deliverables will adhere to the defined quality standards. Apart
from updates to Project Documents, the outputs to this process are the Quality Management
Plan, Process Improvement Plan, Quality Metrics, and Quality Checklists.

vii). Human Resource Management

This process is part of the Project Human Resource Management knowledge area. It
involves documenting roles and responsibilities, and the reporting structure. The only output
is the Human Resource Management Plan.

viii). Communications Management

This process is part of the Project Communications Management knowledge area. Apart
from updates to the Project Documents, the Communications Management Plan is another
output. The escalation process is defined in this plan.

ix). Planning for Risk

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These processes belong to the Project Risk Management knowledge area. Some outputs of
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these processes are:

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Plan Risk Management: The only output of this process is the Risk Management Plan.
This plan states the how risks will be managed in the project.
Identify Risks: The only output to this process is the Risk Register.
Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis: The only output to this process is updates to the
Project Documents. This process uses a litany of techniques, such as conducting a Risk
Probability and Impact Assessment.
Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis: The only output to this process is updates to the
Project Documents. This process uses techniques, such as Expected Monetary Value
(EMV) and Decision Trees.
Plan Risk Responses: The outputs to this process are updates to the Project
Documents and the Project Management Plan. Risks can be negative and positive and it
is important to have a strategy for both types.

x). Procurement Management

This process is part of the Project Procurement Management knowledge area. Key outputs
of this process are the Project Procurement Plan, Procurement Documents, and the
Procurement Statement of Work. It involves identifying potential sellers.

xi). Stakeholder Management

This process is part of the Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area. The outputs of
this process are the Stakeholder Management Plan and updates to the Project Documents.
The Stakeholder Management Plan contains information on how to interact with
stakeholders to ensure the project objectives are met.

xii). Key Points

As you can see, the Planning Process Group can be the most complicated as it contains
processes from every knowledge area. However, this stage is critical to the success of your
project. After the Project Management Plan and other outputs of this process group are
created, you will have a clear and actionable roadmap for project delivery. Don't be afraid to
return to the planning process at any point if you find that any artifact needs to be changed
or updated during the project life-cycle.
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XII). Phase-3: Project Execution

Your project plans are worth nothing without an impeccable project execution. This phase is
necessary to make sure project deliverables and project objectives will meet stakeholder
expectations. Learn more about the processes defined in the Executing Process Group.

i). Definition of the Executing Process Group:

The Executing Process Group consists of those processes performed to complete the work
defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project specifications. A Guide to
the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fifth Edition
To understand the activities involved in this process group, lets get see the processes
involved. The processes in the Executing Process Group are shown below.

ii). Processes in the Executing Process Group

As you can see from the diagram above, there are a number of processes to follow in the
Executing Process Group. These processes belong to several knowledge areas ranging
from Project Integration Management to Project Human Resource Management to Project
Stakeholder Management. This section provides a brief of each process in the Executing
Process Group.
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iii). Direct and Manage Project Work

The Direct and Manage Project Work process belongs to the Project Integration
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Management knowledge area. Some outputs of this process are deliverables, work
performance data, and change requests. Some activities in this process include managing

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risks, performing activities to accomplish project objectives, and managing sellers and
suppliers.

iv). Perform Quality Assurance

The Perform Quality Assurance process belongs to the Project Quality Management
knowledge area. This process involves auditing of quality requirements and quality control
measurements. The process essentially makes sure that the quality standards and
operational definitions are being used during project execution. As you might expect, some
outputs of this process are change requests and updates to the project management plan
and project documents.

v). Acquire, Develop and Manage Project Team

All these processes are part of the Project Human Resources Management knowledge area.
The key outputs of these processes are:

Acquire Project Team: Typical outputs include assigning staff and creating resource
calendars. Negotiations and Acquisitions are part of this process.
Develop Project Team: Typical outputs include conducting performance assessments.
All development related activities, such as training and team-building, are performed in
this process.
Manage Project Team: Typical outputs include updates to the project management plan
and other project documents. Project performance appraisals and conflict resolution are
part of this process.

vi). Conduct Procurements

This process is part of the Project Procurement Management knowledge area. Key activities
in this project include selecting a seller, awarding a contract, and signing an agreement. Key
inputs to this process are the make-or-buy decision, the source selection criteria, the seller
proposals, and the procurement statement of work.

vii). Manage Stakeholder Engagement

This process is part of the Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area. It involves
managing stakeholder expectations, stakeholder needs, and addressing issues in the project
life-cycle. Key outputs of this process are the issue log and change requests.

viii). Key Points for the Executing Process Group

As listed above, the Executing process group has several processes. These processes
enable the completion of the work defined in the project management plan. During project
execution, the project plans may change depending on the issue logs and change requests.
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The process in this process group can trigger processes in other process groups. Most of
the project budget is used in this Execution process group.
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XIII). Phase-4: Project Monitoring and Controlling

Projects get delayed for many reasons, including unforeseen risks, optimistic estimates, and
evolving requirements. The reality is that projects rarely go as planned. The processes in the
Monitoring and Controlling process group trigger change requests that enable a project to
get back on track.

These process groups interact with each other during the project life-cycle. Unlike the
processes in the Initiating and Closing process groups, the processes in the Monitoring and
Controlling process group are implemented during the entire project life-cycle. Let start by
taking a look at the definition of the Monitoring and Controlling process group.

i). A Definition

The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group consists of those processes required to
track, review, and orchestrate the progress and performance of a project; identify any areas
in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes. A
Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fifth Edition
To understand the activities involved in this process group, lets see the processes involved
in this Process Group. The processes in the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group are
shown below.

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ii). Processes in the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

There are several processes in the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. These
processes belong to knowledge areas ranging from Project Scope Management to Project
Risk Management to Project Quality Management. This section provides a brief of each
process.

iii). Monitor & Control Project Work & Perform Integrated Change Control

These processes belong to the Project Integration Management knowledge area. Some
outputs of these processes are:

Monitor and Control Project Work: This process involves tracking, reviewing, and
reporting project progress. Some outputs are change requests, work performance
reports, updates to the project management plan, and updates to the project documents.
Perform Integrated Change Control: As this process involves reviewing change
requests, some outputs are approved change requests, the change log, updated project
management plan, and updated project documents.

iv). Validate and Control Scope

These processes belong to the Project Scope Management knowledge area. Some outputs
of these processes are:
Validate Scope: Since this process involves the formal acceptance of the completed
project deliverables, some outputs are accepted deliverables, change requests, work
performance information, and updates to the project documents.
Control Scope: As this process involves monitoring scope, some outputs are change
requests, work performance information. The project management plan and project
documents may also need to be updated.

v). Control Costs

The Control Costs process belongs to the Project Cost Management knowledge area. The
key outputs of this process are work performance information, cost forecasts, and change
requests. The project management plan and project documents may also need to be
updated. In this process, the Earned Value Management technique is used.

vi). Control Quality

This process is part of the Project Quality Management knowledge area. Since the key focus
area of this process is to ensure the deliverables are as per the quality requirements defined,
the Control Quality process typically takes place before the Validate Scope process. The key
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outputs of the Control Quality process are:

Quality control measurements
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Validated changes and verified deliverables

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Work performance information and change requests

There are several techniques, such as Pareto Charts, used in this process. For more on
these tools, read Quality Control Tools and Techniques.

vii). Control Communications

This process is part of the Project Communications Management knowledge area. It involves
making sure the communications needs of stakeholders are met throughout the project.
Therefore, outputs such as work performance information and change requests are part of
this process. And, as expected, meetings are critical to this process.

viii). Control Risks

This process is part of the Project Risk Management knowledge area. It involves tracking
identified risks, which are documented in therisk register, and identifying new risks. The
process can trigger change requests, which can include corrective and preventative actions.

ix). Control Procurements

This process is part of the Project Procurement Management knowledge area. It involves
managing contracts and monitoring performance of subcontracted work. Key outputs of this
process are work performance information and change requests. Inspections and audits are
typically performed in this process.

x). Control Stakeholder Engagement

This process is part of the Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area. It involves
managing stakeholders and the strategy used to engage them. Key outputs of this process
are work performance information and change requests. Meetings and expert judgment are
key techniques used in this process.

xi). Key Points for the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

As listed above, the Monitoring and Controlling process group has several processes. By
using these processes, projects that are not going according to plan are brought back on
track. The processes in this process group trigger processes in other process groups. For
example, project plans may be tweaked based on the work performance information.
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XIV). Phase-5: Project Closing

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines five process groups in
Project Management. This article defines the Closing Process Group. Unlike an operational
process, a project has a finite start and end. Unfortunately, when projects are successful or
there are some embarrassing moments, project closure can be poorly performed. Whether
the project has been successful or is aborted, a project needs to be closed! The Closing
Project Group defined in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) Fifth Edition
provides critical activities that pertain to closing a project.

These process groups interact with each other during the project life-cycle, and the project
ends with the Closing Process Group. Lets start by taking a look at the definition of the
Closing Process Group.

The Closing Process Group consists of those processes performed to conclude all
activities across all Project Management Process Groups to formally complete the
project, phase, or contractual obligations. A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fifth Edition

To understand the activities involved in this process group, lets get see the processes
involved.

i). Close Project or Phase Process

The outputs of this process are Final Product, Service or Result Transition,
and Organizational Process Assets Update. While the former output can be deduced, the
latter output is more complex. It involves capturing all project artifacts, such as the Project
Management Plan, Risk Register, and Stakeholder Register. Itll include formal
documentation on the completion or termination of the project/phase. As a project manager,
you will review the contract and the customer acceptance documentation.
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A key activity that takes places during this process is that lessons learned are identified and
documented. Future projects may use these lessons and avoid project failure. Hence,

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projects need to be closed earnestly. To succeed in this, ensure that the team appreciates
the problems that they faced! The lessons learned are not only for reviewing the problems
faced, but makes team members retrospect on the successes.
The following figure shows some of the activities that are typically performed during the
Close Project or Phase process.

ii). Close Procurements Process

The outputs of this process are Closed Procurements and Organizational Process Assets
Update. Closed Procurements involves reviewing the contract and providing a formal written
intimation to the seller. The Organizational Process Assets Update process is similar to that
in the Closing Process Group. The key difference is that it focuses on procurement artifacts
and procurement-related lessons learned. These lessons learned are important because
they would capture the experience of working with a particular vendor. Therefore, future
projects can easily mitigate the risks associated with working with a particular vendor.
The following figure shows some of the activities that are typically performed during the
Close Procurements process.
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iii). Key Points for the Closing Process Group

The Closing process group has two processes: Close Project or Phase and Close
Procurements. After completing the processes in this group, a project manager must release
the organizational resources so that they can be deployed in other projects. If you are
closing a phase, the lessons learned are carried forward and addressed in the next phase. If
the project has been aborted, you still need to perform the Close Project and Phase and the
Close Procurements processes, assuming that there is an external vendor.
Here are some tips on closing a project:
Schedule the Close Project meeting (Post Project Review). Yes, that means have it in
your Gantt chart.
Invite key stakeholders to meeting.
Encourage openness and share the lessons learned with others in the organization.
Evaluate the project against project objectives, budget, quality requirements, and the
end deadline.
Evaluate how well you managed risks and your key stakeholders.
Celebrate with your team!

Now separate/print the next page and answer the questions given in the page. Remember to
bring that page to the class room and hand off to the instructor.
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Your Full Name:_______________________________________________

Please answer the following questions (Choose only one option)

1) How many process groups would you find in a project?

a. 1 b. 5
c. 10 d. 47

2) How many knowledge areas are in PMBOK?

a. 1 b. 5
c. 10 d. 47

3) Which of the following is not a knowledge area?

a. Scope Management b. Safety Management
c. Stakeholder Management d. Quality Management

4) Which of the following is not a project management method?

a. Waterfall b. Agile
c. Spiral d. Six Sigma

5) Which of the following is not an example of a project?

a. Creation of a product website b. A conference event
c. Sales of our product d. Construction of an apartment

6) Which of the following is not an element involved in Project Management?

a. Planning b. Organizing
c. Controlling d. expansion

7) Which of the following is not a property of a Project?

a. Temporary b. Deadlines
c. Repetition d. Defined Starting Date

8) Who is the publisher of PMBOK?

a. PMI b. IPMA
c. IMTP d. ACI

9) Which is the current edition of PMBOK in usage in Industry?

a. Second Edition b. Fourth Edition
c. Fifth Edition d. Eighth Edition

10) Which of the following is not a project management Process Group?

a. Design b. Controlling
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c. Planning d. Closing
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