ASSIGNMENT ON CHAPTER LEARNING: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE PMBOK FRAMEWORK

• The knowledge areas of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) framework

give the direction and make clear to what the project manager must do in each process group. It

consists of the subject matter as well as the process in viewing project management that is

presented in a very equipped manner.

• The PMBOK framework can understand by beginning with the process groups. The five

process groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing

(IPECC). These process groups follow a system parallel to that frequently used in accomplishing

tasks in everyday life the “start it, think about it, do it, stay on top of it, and finish it or “start-

plan-do-check-finish.” The five process groups are therefore perceived as a step-by-step

sequence that is pursued as project managers and project teams produce their output.

• Project management is a practice of managing a team’s effort to do a specific type of work

while staying within restrictions. It provides competence at the cost of additional difficulty and

management complexity. It is mainly a “digital” or discrete method to managing work that is

broken down into pieces and enables close monitoring of progress rather than the continuous or

“analog” approach used in previous eras which uses traditional operations. Its focus is on

increased control, efficiency, and organizational flexibility in getting work done for greater

change and variability in the market.

• Project managers control temporary organizations that produce deliverables in which are the

tangible outcomes that result from effort expended on a short-term time horizon.
• Managers of ongoing operations also produce deliverables, but the overall focus is on the long-

term time horizon. Moreover, many of the actions carried out as part of ongoing operations may

result in more intangible efforts that promote the goal and objectives of the organization. The

extended time horizon and lack of tangible results contrast with the project manager's short-term

specific goals.

•A temporary project team working within a larger organizational framework must be approved,

hired, and supported, as well as given a clear boundary. This necessitates policies, procedures,

and processes that may not function to the same extent as they do in a running business. Projects'

unique characteristics, such as their very tangible and short-term concentration, have resulted in

the progress of an establishing project management process framework.

• The knowledge area breakdown could be considered a “content” view of the project undertakes

into ten areas as opposed the “process” view of the process groups since it provide a natural and

intuitive flow in the project from beginning to end.

• The 10 knowledge areas are more numerous and do not follow a step-by-step sequence. A

mnemonic device in the form of a single sentence is suggested as follows: “I Saw The Customer

Quote His Common Requirements Plan Systematically.”

o Integration - The knowledge areas begin with integration where it generally refers to “the

act of combining one thing with another so that they become a whole.” Project

integration describes the high-level plans that tie together all aspects of the project.

Integration begins in the initiating process group with the project charter

o Scope - A project produces deliverables, so the scope knowledge area provides processes

for planning, monitoring and controlling scope. Project managers clarify exactly what
 will (and will not!) be completed by the project, and as well, outline how the scope of the

project will be contained throughout all phases of the project life cycle.

o Time - The time knowledge area provides a number of techniques for defining,

sequencing, and analyzing the duration of individual activities within the project as well

as the overall project. Since the analysis of time in the project context results in the

creation of the project schedule.

o Cost - The cost knowledge area involves guidance for important topics such as

estimating, budgeting, and cost control.

o Quality - Quality is sometimes referred to as a fourth constraint because quality is a

variable that must be taken into account with project deliverables. That being said,

quality is closely related to performance in the level of quality depends upon the

performance requirements of the client.

o Human Resource - This strongly suggests that the fundamental work involved with

getting the work of the project done is through the management of people using the

processes and guidelines taken from the human resource knowledge area. Resources may

also refer to funding or to capital equipment to name two additional categories.

o Communication - Communication is truly a necessity in project management given that

project management requires continuous interaction with the client, the team members,

and the sponsoring organization as requirements, tasks, milestones, and deliverables are

communicated throughout the project.

o Risk - The risk knowledge area outlines tools and techniques for identifying, assessing,

responding to, and finally controlling project risks.

o Stakeholder – It involves the management and engagement of anyone who has an interest

in the outcome of a project. Stakeholders include clients, sponsors, team members, and

members of the organization that spawned the project team—to name but a few.