PMBOK®
PMBOK® Guide
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is a book which presents a set of standard terminology and guidelines for project management. The Fourth Edition (2008) was recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI®) as an American National Standard (ANSI®/PMI® 99-001-2008) and by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers — IEEE® 1490-2011.
History
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) was first published by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) as a white paper in 1987 in an attempt to document and standardize generally accepted project management information and practices. The first edition was published in 1996 followed by the second edition in 2000.
In 2004, the PMBOK® Guide — Third Edition was published with major changes from the previous editions. The latest English-language PMBOK® Guide — Fourth Edition was released on December 31, 2008.
Work on the Fifth Edition is in development. On February 17 2012 an Exposure Draft of the PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition was made available for review and comment. The final version is expected to be published in 2012/2013.
The PMBOK® approach
The PMBOK® Guide is process-based, meaning it describes work as being accomplished by processes. This approach is consistent with other management standards such as ISO 9000 and the Software Engineering Institute’s CMMI®. Processes overlap and interact throughout a project or its various phases. Processes are described in terms of:
• Inputs (documents, plans, designs, etc.)
• Tools and Techniques (mechanisms applied to inputs)
• Outputs (documents, products, etc.)
The Guide recognizes 42 processes that fall into five basic process groups and nine knowledge areas
The Guide recognizes 42 processes that fall into five basic process groups and nine knowledge areas that are typical of almost all projects.
The five process groups are:
1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing
The nine knowledge areas are:
1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resource Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
Each of the nine knowledge areas contains the processes that need to be accomplished within its discipline in order to achieve an effective project management program. Each of these processes also falls into one of the five basic process groups, creating a matrix structure such that every process can be related to one knowledge area and one process group.
The PMBOK® Guide is meant to offer a general guide to manage most projects most of the time. There are currently two extensions to the PMBOK® Guide: the Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide applies to construction projects, while the Government Extension to the PMBOK® Guide applies to government projects.
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) is therefore a collection of processes and knowledge areas generally accepted as best practice within the project management discipline.
As an internationally recognised standard (IEEE Std 1490-2003) it provides the fundamentals of project management, irrespective of the type of project be it construction, software, engineering, automotive etc.
As said above PMBOK® recognises 5 basic process groups and 9 knowledge areas typical of almost all projects. The basic concepts are applicable to projects, programs and operations. The five basic process groups are:
1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing
Processes overlap and interact throughout a project or phase. Processes are described in terms of:
• Inputs (documents, plans, designs, etc.)
• Tools and Techniques (mechanisms applied to inputs)
• Outputs (documents, products, etc.)
The nine knowledge areas are:
1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resource Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
Each knowledge area contains some or all of the project management processes. For example, Project Procurement Management includes:
• Procurement Planning
• Solicitation Planning
• Solicitation
• Source Selection
• Contract Administration
• Contract Closeout
Much of PMBOK® is unique to project management e.g. critical path and work breakdown structure (WBS). Some areas overlap with other management disciplines. General management also includes planning, organising, staffing, executing and controlling the operations of an organisation. Financial forecasting, organisational behaviour and planning techniques are also similar.
CAPM® and PMP®
The Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the publisher of PMBOK® (now in its fourth edition) and offers two levels of certification:
A Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) has demonstrated a common base of knowledge and terms in the field of project management. It requires either 1500 hours of work on a project team or 23 contact hours of formal education in project management.
A Project Management Professional (PMP®) has met specific education and experience requirements, has agreed to adhere to a code of professional conduct and has passed an examination designed to objectively assess and measure project management knowledge. In addition, a PMP® must satisfy continuing certification requirements or lose the certification.
As of 2006, PMI® reported over 220,000 members and over 50,000 Project Management Professionals (PMPs®) in 175 countries.
Over 44,000 PMP® certifications expire annually; a PMP® must document ongoing project management experience and education every three years to keep their certification current.