The Only PMP Process Groups Guide You Need for PMP Exam Success
- Rohit Gupta
- Jun 29
- 25 min read
Updated: 1 minute ago
The five PMP process groups—Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing — form the backbone of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) project management framework. In fact, I would say that understanding these process groups helped me grasp how PMI views the entire project lifecycle and better understand the PMP exam mindset.
Essentially, these process groups found in the PMBOK guide organize project activities into a structured flow. This helps project managers understand the key tasks they should be performing at different stages in a project.
Therefore, if you are preparing for the PMP certification exam, understanding the "Process Groups' and their relationship with 'Knowledge Areas' is crucial for exam success.
The fact is, the exam doesn't just test your memory but also evaluates how well you understand the sequence of actions within each group. Armed with this knowledge and understanding, you can correctly identify which process group you are in when answering tough and tricky situational PMP exam questions.
While writing this article, we’ve ensured that it serves as a thorough and in-depth guide to fully understand the 49 PMBOK processes. We've also explained which processes fall under different process groups and show how they are all related to each other. Whether you’re just starting with PMP prep or brushing up on last-minute concepts, this will serve as your go-to map for navigating one of the most essential parts of PMP exam prep.
Understanding these processes will also assist you in writing a better PMP application since PMI expects you to incorporate the PMBOK language into your project descriptions.
Understanding the PMP Process Groups
Essentially, there are five major process groups and ten knowledge areas that you must know for the PMP certification exam. These ten knowledge areas contain a total of 49 processes, with each knowledge area including a different number of processes [more on this later in the guide].
Each of the individual 49 processes also falls under or is performed as part of the five process groups. This means that each process is carried out during a specific stage of the project: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, or Closing.
What is a Process Group?
According to PMI, A Project Management Process Group is a logical grouping of project management processes to achieve specific project objectives.'
There are 5 project management process groups as briefly outlined below:
Initiating Process Group
Used at the beginning of a project to authorize or kick-start a project initiative. A high-level process that results in the creation of a Project Charter and getting approval to move to the project planning stage.
Planning Process Group
In a predictive project, planning activities are done extensively to establish all critical project variables and baseline plans in order to lay the necessary groundwork to execute the project smoothly. It results in the creation of a Project Management Plan.
Executing Process Group
Includes processes to carry out the action plan defined in planning, create the project deliverables and satisfy project requirements gathered from stakeholders.
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
The processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project, discover any issues, and make updates to keep the project on track.
Closing Process Group
This includes final activities to officially close an entire project or a project phase, and transition the project deliverables to a live environment.
What are the 10 Knowledge Areas?
In addition to process groups, PMI has defined 10 project management knowledge areas, which represent specific disciplines or focus areas in project management. These are:
Integration Management – A project manager must ensure that all elements of the project come together to achieve its objectives. Project integration management helps combine these elements into a unified whole and manage the project work as one cohesive effort.
Scope Management – Project Scope Management shows how the project scope will be planned, managed and controlled in the project. Scope defines the work that will be done in the project to meet stakeholder expectations and achieve its goals.
Schedule Management – Since projects operate within fixed deadlines, Schedule Management plays a critical role in producing the schedule, ensuring it’s followed, and course correct when things fall behind.
Cost Management – Like Schedule Management, Cost Management involves estimating and producing a project budget, ensuring the project is completed within it.
Quality Management – Just like the quality of ingredients affects the quality of a dish, the quality of inputs in a project affects its final outcome. Quality Management ensures that the project meets its expected criteria through proper planning and implementation of quality practices.
Resource Management – Without the support of people and the use of physical resources, a project will struggle to meet its planned objectives. Resource management involves planning, acquiring, managing, and controlling the use of resources throughout the project.
Communication Management – The success or failure of projects depends heavily on how effectively project managers and teams communicate about the project. Communication Management outlines the processes and activities required to plan communications, use appropriate communication tools and skills, and manage project communications throughout the project life cycle.
Risk Management – A risk is an uncertain situation that can either harm or benefit a project. Savvy project managers ensure that they proactively identify and plan for risks and develop controls to reduce their effect or eliminate them from the project.
Procurement Management – Procurement Management can be a tricky chapter, especially for those who don't have formal experience in managing procurements and contracts within an organization. It is an essential aspect of project management, as projects often need to source goods, equipment, or skilled resources. This chapter focuses on planning, conducting, and controlling procurement processes.
Stakeholder Management – The stakeholder management knowledge area includes processes related to the identification of stakeholders, analyzing their expectations, planning engagement strategies and executing and managing them throughout the course of the project.
How are Process Groups and Knowledge Areas related?
The process groups and knowledge areas are related in a way that the various individual processes found within the knowledge areas fall under different process groups.
For instance, the Develop Project Charter process, which is the first process covered in the Integration Management chapter, is done during the Initiating a Project process.
Another way to look at this relationship is that the PMBOK process groups and knowledge areas coalesce like a well-orchestrated symphony, helping PMs understand how activities flow across the project lifecycle. They outline the natural sequence in which project management activities are performed, guiding a project from its formal beginning to its logical end.
You can refer to the table below, which illustrates the mapping of the 49 processes across the five process groups. This is also presented in the form of a visual table on page 25 of the PMBOK 6th edition.
5 PMP Process Groups and 10 Knowledge Areas and their relationship Explanation of PMP Process Groups
Process Group #1: Initiating Process Group
Every project must begin somewhere, and that starting point is the Initiating Process Group. According to the PMBOK® Guide (6th edition), this group consists of the processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to begin.
This phase answers key questions before diving into detailed planning, such as: Why are we doing this project? Who’s involved? And who’s authorized to lead it?
The primary goal of initiating is to align stakeholder expectations with the project’s purpose. It helps clarify why the project exists, what it aims to achieve, and who will be involved or affected by it. During this phase, the initial project scope is outlined, financial resources are committed, and key stakeholders are identified.
If a project manager has not yet been assigned, this is the point at which they are formally named and given the authority to lead the project.
The Initiating Process Group includes two key processes: Develop Project Charter and Identify Stakeholders.
1. Develop Project Charter
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To officially authorize the project and appoint the project manager.
Explanation: This process creates the Project Charter, a document that officially kicks off the project. Think of it as the project's birth certificate, as explained by Ricardo Vargas. It names the project, identifies the project manager, and provides a high-level view of the project's purpose, objectives, and key stakeholders. It also outlines the initial budget and milestones and serves as a reference throughout the project.
Key Output:
Project Charter — A document that formally recognizes the existence of the project and gives the project manager the authority to apply resources to project activities.
2. Identify Stakeholders
Knowledge Area: Stakeholder Management
Purpose: To determine who is impacted by the project, what their interests are and how they can influence the project.
Explanation: Performed alongside or immediately after the charter is created, this process focuses on identifying stakeholders — anyone with a vested interest in the project. This includes clients, sponsors, team members, vendors, regulatory bodies, or even internal departments. Stakeholders can positively or negatively influence the project, so it is essential to understand their needs, concerns, and level of involvement from the outset.
Key Output:
Stakeholder Register — A document that captures key details about each stakeholder, including their interests, influence, impact, and communication needs.
How These Two Processes Work Together
Although these two processes are listed under different Knowledge Areas (Integration and Stakeholder Management), they are often performed in parallel.
For example, while drafting the charter, you may identify key stakeholders. In turn, new stakeholder information may lead you to revise the charter. One may lead to changes in the other, and that’s perfectly fine. The processes are flexible and meant to support each other.
Process Group #2: Planning Process Group
Once the project is officially initiated, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to do the work, and that’s exactly where the Planning Process Group comes in.
According to the PMBOK® Guide (6th edition), the planning process group contains the processes required to establish the scope of the project, define objectives, and determine the course of action to achieve the project’s goals. In simpler terms, this phase helps you set the rules of the game: what needs to be done, how long it will take, how much it will cost, who will do it, and how you’ll manage risks, quality, and communication along the way.
Additionally, in large predictive projects, planning is often extensive, which makes this process group the largest, with 24 processes spanning all 10 knowledge areas.
Planning is also not a rigid, one-time activity, but rather an iterative and dynamic process. This means that as you learn more about your project, you may find yourself revisiting and updating your plans, which is perfectly normal.
Here's the list of all 24 processes, along with their purpose, explanation, and outputs, which fall under the Planning Process Group.
Develop Project Management Plan
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To consolidate all planning efforts into one master plan that guides execution, monitoring, and control.
Explanation : This process is the glue that connects all the individual plans into a comprehensive Project Management Plan. It sets the foundation for all project work and outlines how it will be executed, monitored, and closed. It also establishes baselines for scope, schedule, and cost, so that progress can be measured.
Key Output:
Project Management Plan- This is the master document that explains how the project will be executed, monitored, and closed. It includes baselines for scope, time, and cost, along with all the subsidiary plans.
2. Plan Scope Management
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To define how the project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled.
Explanation: This process establishes the “rules of the game” regarding scope. It tells you how scope will be defined, who approves changes, and what mechanisms are in place to manage scope creep. For example, if someone suggests adding extra features mid-project, how will such a request be reviewed and approved? This process sets those expectations upfront.
Key Output:
Scope Management Plan- It outlines how the scope will be defined, managed, and validated throughout the project.
3. Collect Requirements
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To gather and document what stakeholders need and expect from the project.
Explanation: In this step, you talk to stakeholders to uncover functional, technical, and business requirements. These could range from features they expect to see to regulatory standards that must be followed. The process ensures that nothing critical is missed and everything documented can be tracked and validated later.
Key Output:
Requirements Documentation- This describes stakeholder needs in detail and shows how they support the project’s objectives.
4. Define Scope
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To create a detailed description of the product or service the project will deliver.
Explanation: Here, you decide which requirements will be included in the project and clearly describe the boundaries of what the project will and won’t do, i.e., what’s in scope and what’s out of scope. The result is a clear scope statement that defines deliverables, project boundaries, and acceptance criteria.
Key Output:
Project Scope Statement: The Project Scope Statement outlines what the project will deliver, including major deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and captures both the project scope and product scope. This document sets clear boundaries and helps prevent scope creep.
5. Create WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To break the overall project work into smaller, manageable parts.
Explanation: The WBS is a visual hierarchy, similar to an organizational chart, that breaks down your project scope into work packages. These smaller parts are easier to estimate, assign, and track.
For example, instead of saying "Build a website," you might break it into "Design homepage," "Develop backend," and "Test on devices." These work packages, along with the project scope statement and WBS dictionary, together form the scope baseline.
Key Output:
Scope Baseline- Includes the WBS, WBS dictionary, and scope statement. It serves as the official reference for what work is part of the project.
6. Plan Schedule Management
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To decide how the project schedule will be developed and controlled.
Explanation: This process sets the rules for schedule planning. How will you estimate durations? What tools will you use, like Gantt charts, critical path, or something else? How will you handle delays? This plan guides your approach to building and maintaining the schedule.
Key Output:
Schedule Management Plan - This document defines how the project schedule will be planned, tracked, and reported.
7. Define Activities
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To list the specific tasks needed to deliver the project [break down work packages into actionable tasks].
Explanation: For example, the WBS may include "Develop backend." This process would list the specific activities involved, such as "Set up server," "Build API," and "Run unit tests." These are your “to-do” items.
Key Outputs:
Activity List: A complete list of all tasks needed to produce project deliverables.
Activity Attributes: Additional information about each task, such as task ID, description, dependencies, or required resources.
8. Sequence Activities
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To determine the logical order of tasks.
Explanation: This process connects the dots. It defines which activities depend on others and maps out the logical flow of work. The result is a network diagram, a visual sequence that ensures work progresses efficiently and logically.
Key Output:
Project Schedule Network Diagram: This visual diagram shows task relationships and helps ensure the project flows efficiently.
9. Estimate Activity Durations
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To estimate how long each task will take.
Explanation: You assess the work effort required and consider the resources available. For example, if two designers are assigned to a task instead of one, the duration may be shorter. This helps you later build a realistic schedule.
Key Outputs:
Duration Estimates: Expected time to complete each activity.
Basis of Estimates: Notes explaining how you arrived at the estimates, including assumptions or constraints.
10. Develop Schedule
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To finalize the schedule and assign dates.
Explanation: Here, you pull together activity sequences, durations, and resources into a schedule model. This model may take the form of a Gantt chart or network diagram, showing start and end dates, dependencies, and milestones. Once approved, this becomes your schedule baseline.
Key Outputs:
Project Schedule: The planned start and finish dates for each task.
Schedule Baseline: The approved version of the schedule used to measure actual progress.
11. Plan Cost Management
Knowledge Area: Cost Management
Purpose: To define how project costs will be managed and controlled.
Explanation: This is where you lay down the financial rules of the project. Who approves costs? How will you monitor budget vs actuals? How will changes be handled? This plan ensures there’s a structure in place to keep costs in check throughout the project lifecycle.
Key Output:
Cost Management Plan: This outlines how costs will be budgeted, tracked, and reported.
12. Estimate Costs
Knowledge Area: Cost Management
Purpose: To estimate the money needed to complete each task.
Explanation: With tasks and resources defined, you estimate the cost of labour, materials, equipment, and services. It also includes buffers like contingency reserves for known risks and management reserves for the unknowns.
Key Outputs:
Cost Estimates: A detailed or summary estimate of the total cost of completing project tasks.
Basis of Estimates: Supporting details about how estimates were derived.
13. Determine Budget
Knowledge Area: Cost Management
Purpose: To create the overall project budget.
Explanation: This process aggregates all your estimates and establishes the cost baseline, which is the benchmark you’ll use to track and control spending. It shows how and when funds will be spent across the project timeline.
Key Output:
Cost Baseline: This is the approved version of the budget, including contingency reserves, that is used to track and control spending during the project.
14. Plan Quality Management
Knowledge Area: Quality Management
Purpose: To determine what quality means for the project and how it will be measured and maintained.
Explanation: This process sets the standard for what "good" looks like in your project. In this step, project managers define what quality looks like, how to measure it, and what to do if things fall short. For example, if you’re managing a website redesign project, your quality criteria might include fast page load times, responsive design, and accurate content. Quality planning ensures the deliverables meet stakeholder expectations and industry standards.
Key Output:
Quality Management Plan: This outlines how quality standards will be achieved and validated. It includes applicable policies, procedures, and quality metrics that will be used throughout the project.
15. Plan Resource Management
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: To define how people and physical resources will be acquired, organized, and managed throughout the project.
Explanation: Projects don't get delivered by spreadsheets—they're delivered by people (and tools, materials, and equipment). Planning resource management means figuring out what kinds of resources you’ll need, how many, and how they’ll be managed.
Key Output:
Resource Management Plan: This details how team and physical resources will be allocated, managed, and released.
16. Estimate Activity Resources
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: This process focuses on estimating the type and quantity of resources needed to complete each activity in the project.
Explanation: After defining your scope and listing your activities, the next step is to understand what it will take to get those tasks done. This includes identifying how many people are needed, their skill levels, and what tools or materials are required. For example, a video editing task might require one senior editor for three days and two junior editors for a week. These estimates help shape both the schedule and the budget.
Key Outputs:
Resource Requirements: A detailed list of what’s needed for each activity or work package, such as people, equipment, and materials.
Basis of Estimates: The rationale behind your resource estimates, including assumptions made.
Resource Breakdown Structure: A categorized view of all resources (e.g., labour, tools, hardware) organized by type and skill.
17. Plan Communications Management
Knowledge Area: Communications Management
Purpose: To define how project information will be shared with stakeholders to ensure the right message reaches the right people at the right time.
Explanation: Communication is the thread that ties everything together in a project. This step helps you determine what needs to be communicated, who needs the information, how often they need it, and through what channel.
Key Output:
Communications Management Plan: This plan documents what needs to be communicated, who will receive it, how often, and through which channels (e.g., email, meetings, dashboards).
18. Plan Risk Management
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To define how risks will be identified, analyzed, and managed throughout the project.
Explanation: Every project involves uncertainty, and this process lays the foundation for managing it effectively. It involves outlining the tools and techniques to be used, defining roles and responsibilities, and determining when and how often risk activities will take place.
Key Output:
Risk Management Plan: A document that describes how risk management will be structured and performed. It includes the methodology, roles and responsibilities, timing of activities, and categories of risk.
19. Identify Risks
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To recognize and document specific risks that could impact the project.
Explanation: This process involves uncovering potential threats and opportunities that could impact project objectives. Risks can come from known sources like scope changes or new regulations, but also from unexpected areas. This is an iterative process carried out throughout the project.
Key Outputs:
Risk Register — A list of identified risks along with their characteristics.
Risk Report — A summary of overall project risk exposure and key risk insights.
20. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To prioritize identified risks by evaluating their likelihood and potential impact.
Explanation: Here, the project team assesses each risk using scales such as high, medium, or low, i.e., a subjective measure of the risk. This allows teams to focus time and resources on high-priority risks.
Key Outputs:
Updated Risk Register and Risk Report: Incorporates prioritized risks and updated risk characteristics.
21. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To numerically analyze the combined effect of high-priority risks on project objectives.
Explanation: This optional process uses simulations or modelling to quantify how risks could impact the schedule or budget. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis uses risks that have passed through the qualitative analysis process and warrant further evaluation due to their potential impact.
While not required for all projects, it is especially helpful in large or complex initiatives where risk exposure needs to be clearly quantified.
Key Output:
Updated Risk Report — With quantified risk exposure to support informed decisions.
22. Plan Risk Responses
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To identify and plan actions for addressing overall and individual risks.
Explanation: Response strategies are selected for threats (like avoid, mitigate, or transfer) and opportunities (like exploit or enhance). These actions are integrated into the project plan.
Key Output:
Change Requests — As a result of risk responses, adjustments may be made to scope, schedule, or budget baselines.
23. Plan Procurement Management
Knowledge Area: Procurement Management
Purpose: To decide what needs to be purchased, when, and how it will be acquired.
Explanation: Not all project needs can be met with internal resources. This process helps determine whether the team will perform the work in-house or outsource it. It outlines procurement methods, contract types, and roles related to managing vendors or sellers.
Key Output:
Procurement Management Plan – A guide that details procurement activities, stakeholder roles, and how purchasing will be coordinated.
24. Plan Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Stakeholder Management
Purpose: To determine how stakeholders will be engaged based on their interests, influence, and expectations.
Explanation: Understanding stakeholder needs and proactively managing their involvement is crucial to success. This process identifies the best strategies for keeping stakeholders informed, involved, and supportive of the project’s goals. It tailors engagement strategies to each stakeholder’s level of interest, influence, and expectations.
Key Output:
Stakeholder Engagement Plan – A documented plan that outlines communication goals, stakeholder analysis, and engagement strategies.
Process Group #3: Executing Process Group
According to the PMBOK® Guide (6th edition), the Executing Process Group consists of the processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project’s requirements.
In essence, this is where all your hard work starts to pay off and the real action takes place as plans are set in motion, teams get to work, and deliverables begin to take shape.
During the Executing Process, as a project manager, you also lead, coordinate, and guide the team, ensuring that everyone is aligned, resources are available, and the project stays on track. Execution goes hand in hand with monitoring and controlling, forming a dynamic loop of action and adjustment.
All the Executing Processes are shown below, along with their knowledge area, purpose, explanation, and key outputs.
1. Direct and Manage Project Work
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To lead and perform the work defined in the project management plan and deliver the project outcomes.
Explanation : This process is about getting the job done by coordinating with people, managing resources, creating deliverables, and implementing approved changes as needed. If problems are identified during execution, such as missed deadlines or scope conflicts, you act on them by initiating corrective or preventive actions.
Key Outputs:
Deliverables: Tangible results produced by the project work, such as a finished product, document, service, or result.
Issue Log: A running list of issues that arise and need resolution.
Change Requests: Formal proposals to modify any part of the project. These may include scope, schedule, cost, or quality adjustments, and they ensure changes are reviewed and approved before implementation.
2. Manage Project Knowledge
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To leverage existing knowledge and capture new lessons to benefit the current and future projects.
Explanation: This process focuses on organizational learning. You document lessons learned as the project progresses, what is working, what is not, and why. These insights can guide future decisions and improve project outcomes.
Key Output:
Lessons Learned Register: A document that captures what went well, what didn’t, and recommendations for future projects.
3. Manage Quality
Knowledge Area: Quality Management
Purpose: To ensure that quality standards are being met during execution.
Explanation: It’s not enough to plan for quality—you need to build it into your day-to-day work. It includes quality audits, testing, and evaluating deliverables to confirm they meet the required specifications.
Key Outputs:
Quality Reports: Summarize quality control results, highlight defects or process gaps, and recommend corrective actions. It helps stakeholders understand how the project is performing in terms of quality.
Test and Evaluation Documents: Tools such as checklists, testing plans, and evaluation criteria that ensure the deliverables meet defined quality standards.
4. Acquire Resources
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: To get the people, equipment, and materials needed to execute the project.
Explanation: You secure the resources required to complete activities, whether it's hiring team members, renting equipment, or buying materials. This process ensures the right resources are assigned and available at the right time.
Key Outputs:
Project Team Assignments: Documentation of team members and their responsibilities.
Physical Resource Assignments: A record of which equipment, facilities, or supplies have been assigned to project work.
Resource Calendars: Shows availability of each resource throughout the project. This helps with project planning and coordination.
5. Develop Team
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: To improve team dynamics, collaboration, and overall performance.
Explanation: Great teams are developed only when managers invest in team-building, training and skill development, and create an environment that promotes collaboration and high performance.
Key Output:
Team Performance Assessments: Evaluations of how well the team is functioning. These assessments help the project manager identify improvement areas and strengthen team collaboration.
6. Manage Team
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: To lead and support the team on a day-to-day basis. Includes tracking team performance, resolving conflicts, and managing team changes.
Explanation: This process focuses on day-to-day operational management of the team, such as assigning tasks, handling leave requests, resolving disputes, and maintaining team morale.
Key Output:
Change Requests: May result from team issues that require changes to plans or documents.
7. Manage Communications
Knowledge Area: Communications Management
Purpose: To execute the communication plan and ensure the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
Explanation: This is where your communication plan becomes action. It’s about sharing updates, holding meetings, and ensuring stakeholders stay informed and engaged throughout execution.
Key Output:
Project Communications: Formal or informal messages, reports, updates, and presentations shared with stakeholders. This output ensures the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
8. Implement Risk Responses
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To carry out agreed-upon actions that address identified risks.
Explanation: This is where you apply the risk response plans created earlier. Whether it’s buying insurance or switching vendors, this process ensures those actions are actually carried out. This helps minimize threats or seize opportunities as the project progresses.
Key Outputs:
Change Requests: May be needed if implementing a risk response affects the project plan or baseline.
Updated Risk Register: Reflects new or modified responses, helping the team stay prepared and aligned.
Updated Risk Report: Provides a summary of the overall risk exposure and how it is being addressed.
9. Conduct Procurements
Knowledge Area: Procurement Management
Purpose: To obtain goods and services from outside vendors.
Explanation: This process involves carrying out the procurement activities you planned earlier in the Plan Procurement process. If you’re outsourcing work to external vendors, this is where you request bids, evaluate proposals, select vendors, and sign contracts. This process ensures that all external work is formally acquired and legally secured.
Key Outputs:
Selected Sellers: The vendors or contractors chosen to provide goods or services.
Agreements: Formal contracts that outline terms, conditions, and deliverables between buyer and seller.
10. Manage Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Stakeholder Management
Purpose: To keep stakeholders engaged, informed, and supportive throughout project execution.
Explanation: Stakeholder needs and expectations can shift over time. In this process, you put your stakeholder engagement strategies into action. This involves regular interaction with stakeholders, managing expectations, and adapting your approach if needed. If a stakeholder's influence grows or resistance increases, you adjust your engagement tactics accordingly.
Key Outputs:
Updated Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Reflects changes in strategy to ensure effective engagement.
Updated Communications Management Plan: Adjustments based on stakeholder feedback or new needs.
Updated Stakeholder Register: Captures changes in stakeholder roles, influence, or involvement.
As pointed out earlier, project execution does not occur in isolation. It works in unison with the next process group, Monitoring and Controlling, which ensures that project work stays on track and remains aligned with the plan.
Process Group #4: Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
According to the PMBOK 6th Edition, the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group comprises the processes necessary to track, review, and regulate the project’s progress and performance. Here, you collect performance data, analyze what’s happening, compare it against your baselines, and recommend adjustments to keep things aligned with your objectives.
In essence, while execution gets the work done, monitoring and controlling ensure the work is done right. This Process Group works hand-in-hand with Execution, forming a dynamic loop of doing and checking.
Below are the processes within the M&C Process Group:
1. Monitor and Control Project Work
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To track and review the project’s overall performance to make sure everything’s on target.
Explanation : This process is about tracking, reviewing, and reporting the overall project progress so you can meet performance objectives. It helps stakeholders understand the current state of the project, see what actions have been taken to address any hiccups, and get a forecast of future status.
Key Outputs :
Work Performance Reports: These reports transform raw data into actionable insights, including value charts, forecasts, and status updates, that help you and your stakeholders understand what’s on track and what requires attention.
Change Requests: You can create formal change requests here to suggest adjustments to scope, schedule, costs, or other project elements based on performance insights, ensuring the project stays on track.
2. Perform Integrated Change Control
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To review, approve, and manage all change requests in an integrated manner.
Explanation: Changes are inevitable. This process ensures each change is evaluated holistically, considering its impact across scope, time, cost, and quality. Integrated change control prevents chaos by maintaining alignment with overall project objectives.
Key Output:
Approved Change Requests: Once reviewed, change requests are approved, deferred, or rejected. Approved changes are implemented, ensuring that only beneficial and thoroughly assessed modifications affect your project.
3. Validate Scope
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To gain formal acceptance of completed deliverables from customers or sponsors.
Explanation: This process confirms that what was built matches what was promised. You review deliverables with the customer or sponsor, gaining sign-off for accepted work.
Key Outputs:
Accepted Deliverables: Deliverables officially signed off by the customer or sponsor, confirming they meet the project’s requirements.
Change Requests: If deliverables fall short of the acceptance criteria, the change requests document what needs to be fixed.
4. Control Scope
Knowledge Area: Scope Management
Purpose: To monitor and manage changes to the project and product scope.
Explanation: You ensure the project stays true to its defined boundaries. If unexpected changes arise or stakeholders request adjustments, you control how these are handled. This keeps your project focused on what was agreed and prevents scope creep that can drain time and budget.
Key Outputs:
Work Performance Information: Details how well your project’s scope aligns with the original plan, highlighting deviations.
Change Requests: Triggered when performance analysis shows scope adjustments are necessary to keep the project aligned.
5. Control Schedule
Knowledge Area: Schedule Management
Purpose: To monitor project schedule performance and manage changes.
Explanation: By comparing planned and actual timelines, you can identify delays and adjust the schedule baseline to keep the project on track.
Key Outputs:
Schedule Forecasts: Updated predictions of when milestones and project completion will occur, factoring in current performance data.
Change Requests: Created if delays or shifts in the timeline require baseline changes or corrective action.
6. Control Costs
Knowledge Area: Cost Management
Purpose: To monitor project costs and spending, managing any deviations or changes.
Explanation: This process helps you stay within budget by catching overspending early and adjusting course. Using this process, you track expenses against the budget, analyze variances, and adjust plans to keep finances in check.
Key Outputs:
Cost Forecasts: Revised estimates for how much the project will cost.
Change Requests: Increased if budget overruns or cost deviations require rebaselining or corrective measures.
7. Control Quality
Knowledge Area: Quality Management
Purpose: To check deliverables to make sure they meet quality standards.
Explanation: This process ensures outputs are complete, correct, and satisfy stakeholder expectations before final acceptance [done in Validate Scope].
Key Outputs:
Quality Control Measurements: Data showing how deliverables stack up to quality requirements.
Verified Deliverables: Outputs confirmed to meet specifications—only these can be handed off for stakeholder acceptance.
Change Requests: Initiated if quality issues arise that could impact any part of the project management plan or project documents, prompting the project manager to formally request updates or corrections.
8. Control Resources
Knowledge Area: Resource Management
Purpose: To ensure physical resources are available and used as planned.
Explanation: The goal of Control Resources is to monitor and manage the use of physical resources, such as equipment, materials, facilities, and infrastructure, to ensure they are available when needed and used efficiently. By quickly addressing shortages or misallocations, you ensure your project is supplied with the right resources at the right time, thereby avoiding delays and waste. This process focuses on physical items, while team members are managed separately in the Manage Team process.
Key Outputs:
Work Performance Information: Displays how actual resource usage aligns with planned allocations, enabling you to identify over- or underutilization.
Change Requests: Raised when changes to equipment, materials, or resource schedules are needed to keep the project on track.
9. Monitor Communications
Knowledge Area: Communications Management
Purpose: To make sure project communications keep stakeholders informed and engaged.
Explanation: Monitor Communications is about checking whether your planned messages, meetings, and reports are actually keeping stakeholders informed and engaged. This process ensures the information flow meets the needs defined in your communication and stakeholder plans, and helps you adjust your approach if stakeholders aren’t getting what they need to stay supportive of the project.
Key Output:
Change Requests: Corrective or preventive actions needed to improve stakeholder engagement levels prompt change requests to adjust strategies in the stakeholder engagement plan or other project documents.
10. Monitor Risks
Knowledge Area: Risk Management
Purpose: To track known risks, identify new ones, and review risk response effectiveness.
Explanation: Monitor Risks is the process of tracking identified risks, monitoring residual and new risks, and evaluating the effectiveness of risk responses throughout the project. This ensures decisions are based on current information about overall project risk exposure and individual risks, allowing timely adjustments to keep the project on course.
Key Output:
Change Requests: When new risks emerge or existing risks change significantly, change requests document necessary updates to risk responses or other plans.
11. Control Procurements
Knowledge Area: Procurement Management
Purpose: To manage procurement relationships and contract performance.
Explanation: Once goods and services are procured, you monitor vendor performance to ensure they meet contract terms, resolve any disputes or issues, and confirm that all obligations are fulfilled so contracts can be closed properly.
Key Outputs:
Closed Procurements: This is the formal confirmation that all contract terms have been met by the seller. It involves reviewing and documenting that the work was completed as agreed, resolving any outstanding issues, and providing written notice to officially close the contract according to the procurement management plan.
Change Requests: Change Requests are raised if procurement performance issues or disputes require changes to plans, contracts, or schedules.
12. Monitor Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Stakeholder Management
Purpose: To monitor stakeholder relationships and adapt engagement strategies.
Explanation: As the project progresses, stakeholder attitudes may change. You monitor how well your engagement strategies are working and adjust them as needed to maintain or improve support, helping keep the project on track for success.
Key Output:
Change Requests: When stakeholder needs or engagement levels change, change requests propose updates to engagement plans or communication strategies to maintain support and address concerns.
Process Group #5: Closing Process Group
The Closing Process Group wraps up your project or phase, bringing everything to an official and organized end. The Closing Process Group involves the processes needed to formally complete or close a project, phase, or contract. It’s where you make sure all planned work is finished, all deliverables are accepted, and nothing important is left hanging.
You’ll need to confirm the project scope has been fully delivered and approved by the customer or sponsor. After that, you’ll archive important documents, close contracts, release resources, and formally transition the final product, service, or result.
This process can apply to an entire project or individual phases. The Closing Process Group has only one process within it.
1. Close Project or Phase
Knowledge Area: Integration Management
Purpose: To formally complete the project or phase, ensuring all planned work is finished, deliverables are accepted, and the project is officially closed.
Explanation: Close Project or Phase is the single process within the Closing Process Group. This process includes reviewing the project management plan, confirming completion of objectives, archiving documents for future reference, releasing resources, and ensuring contracts are properly closed.
Key Outputs:
Final Product, Service, or Result Transition: You formally hand over the completed product, service, or result of the project (or interim deliverables for a phase) to the customer, operations team, or next phase owner. This ensures a clear and smooth transition, so what you’ve delivered can be used as intended.
Final Report: Document overall project performance, including whether scope, quality, and cost objectives were achieved, and how risks or issues were managed.
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