PMBOK Chapter 3 - Project Management Processes for a Project

Question 1

Project management processes are aggregated into what Process Groups?

Answer 1

Initiate Plan Execute Monitor and Control Close

Question 2

What is a Process?

Answer 2

A process is a set of interrelated actions and activities that are performed to achieve a pre-specified set of products, results, or services.

Question 3

How are Project Management Processes defined?

Answer 3

Project management processes are associated with each other by their performance for an integrated purpose.

Question 4

How are Product Management Processes defined?

Answer 4

Product-oriented processes specify and create the project’s product.

Question 5

How do Project Management Processes and Product Management Processes relate?

Answer 5

Project management processes and product-oriented processes overlap and interact throughout the project.

Question 6

What does Project Management Integration require?

Answer 6

Project Management Integration requires each project and product process to be appropriately aligned and connected with the other process to facilitate their coordination.

Question 7

What are the success factors for the project team?

Answer 7

The project team must evaluate and decide which processes from the Process Groups are appropriate in order to meet the project objective. They must use a defined approach to adapt the product specifications and plans to meet project and product requirements. The project team must comply with requirements to meet stakeholder needs, wants and expectations. The project team must balance the competing demands of scope, time, cost, quality, resources,and risk to produce a quality product.

Question 8

Why does project management have to be integrative?

Answer 8

• Requires tradeoffs among project requirements and objectives. - Some processes may have to be iterated several times to define and meet stakeholder requirements and reach agreement on the outcome. - Processes overlap and interact in ways that depend on the nature of the project and projects product. - PM and team are responsible for determining what processes will be employed, by whom, and the degree of rigor that will be applied to their execution to achieve the desired objective.

Question 9

Which Process Groups does the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group interact with?

Answer 9

The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group interacts with EVERY aspect of the other Process Groups.

Question 10

In what order are Process Groups performed?

Answer 10

The Process Groups have clear dependencies and are performed in the same sequence in each project or project phase. - Constituent processes have interactions within a Process Group and among Process Groups.

Question 11

Are Process Groups the same as Project Phases?

Answer 11

The Process Groups are NOT Project Phases.

Question 12

Process Group - Initiating

Answer 12

Initiating defines and authorizes the project or a project phase.

Question 13

Process Group - Planning

Answer 13

Planning defines and refines objectives, and plans the course of action required to attain the objectives and scope that the project was undertaken to address.

Question 14

Process Group - Executing

Answer 14

Executing integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for the project.

Question 15

Process Group - Monitoring & Controlling

Answer 15

Monitoring & Controlling regularly measures and monitors progress to identify variances from the project management plan so that corrective action can be taken when necessary to meet project objectives.

Question 16

Process Group - Closing

Answer 16

Closing formalizes acceptance of the product, service or result and brings the project or a project phase to an orderly end.

Question 17

Initiating Process Group Overview

Answer 17

Definition: Processes performed to start a new project or phase. Goal is to obtain authorization to start the phase or project; The project manager will be selected if that has not already beend one. Initiation information is captured in the Project Charter and the Stakeholder Register. As part of the Initiating Process Group, many large or complex projects may be divided into phases. Reviewing the initiating process at the start of each phase helps to keep the project focused on the business need that the project was undertaken to address.

Question 18

Planning Process Group Overview

Answer 18

Definition: Processes performed to establish the total scope of the project, define the objectives, and develop the course of action for the project. The Planning Processes develop the Project Management Plan and the project documents that will be used to carry out the plan. The multi-dimensional nature of project management causes repeated feedback loops for additional analysis. This corresponds to progressive elaboration. Progressive detailing of the project management plan is often called “rolling wave planning”.

Question 19

What Interactions occur during the Planning Process?

Answer 19

• Involve appropriate stakeholders (as identified in initiation / based on stakeholder influence on project and outcomes / create an environment where stakeholders can contribute appropriately) - Procedures set by the organization identify when the planning effort ends. - Other interactions within the Planning Process Group are dependent on the nature of the project. - The Planning Process Group facilitates planning across multiple processes. - The results of the iterations are documented as updates to the Project Management Plan.

Question 20

Executing Process Group Overview

Answer 20

Definition: Processes used to complete the work defined in the project management plan to accomplish the project’s requirements. - Coordinating people and resources, as well as integrating and performing the activities of the project in accordance with the project management plan. - Vast majority of project’s budget will be expended here.

Question 21

What Interactions occur during the Executing Process?

Answer 21

• Normal execution variances will cause some replanning: activity actual durations, resource productivity and availability, unanticipated risks. - Variances can require analysis with results that may affect the Project Management Plan. - Can trigger a change request that, if approved, may modify the project management plan and/or require a new baseline.

Question 22

Monitoring & Controlling Process Group Overview

Answer 22

Definition: Processes performed to track, review, and regulate the project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and changes made to the plan when necessary. Project performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the project management plan. Includes controlling changes and recommending preventive action.

Question 23

What Interactions occur during the Monitoring & Controlling Process?

Answer 23

In multi-phase projects, provides feedback between project phases, in order to implement corrective or preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the project management plan. when variances occur, the Planning Process Group is revisited as part of the modified plan-do-check-act cycle. This review can result in recommended updates to the project management plan.

Question 24

Closing Process Group Overview

Answer 24

Definition: Processes used to finalize all activities, in all process groups, to formally complete a project or project phase, hand off the completed product to others or close a cancelled project.