Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge

Jag Venugopal05/07/2009

About The PMBOK Guide

Subset of overall body of project management knowledge

Generally recognized as “good practice”Applicable to most projects, most of the timeConsensus about value and usefulness

Does not necessarily apply to all of the projects all of the time

About The PMBOK Guide

Accepted as the US standard on Project ManagementPublished by Project Management InstituteBasis of PMP Certification ExamBasis of PM Training Courses

What the PMBOK Guide Is and Isn’t

What the PMBOK Guide IsA useful framework of all project management activities

Moderate to large projectsVirtually all of this has to be accounted for somewhere in your methodologyA generic framework, not IS specificA way to standardize the meanings of various PM terms

What the PMBOK Guide Isn’tA project management methodologySpecific to software development

You’ll have to customize it for your SDLCA prescriptive guide on how to manage projectsAn infallible resourceA particularly easy read

Baseline Definitions

Project Management“Application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements”

Composed of Five ProcessesInitiatingPlanningExecutingMonitoring and ControllingClosing

Baseline Definitions

Portfolio ManagementCollection of projects or programsGrouped togetherFacilitate effective managementMeet strategic business objectives

Important note: Projects within a portfolio may not have interdependencies

Baseline Definitions

Program ManagementGroup of related projectsManaged in a coordinated wayObtain benefits and control

Not available by managing individually

Important note: Projects within a program will have interdependencies

Summary (p 9)

Project Management Processes

Not software development phases!

Mapping to SDLC

Scope

Requirements

Design

Development

Implementation

Final QA

Reading the PMBOK Guide

Structured by Knowledge Areas (p 411)

Procurement Management

Risk Management

Communications Management

Human Resource Management

Quality Management

Cost Management

Time Management

Scope Management

Integration Management

Studying the PMBOK Guide

Issues With This ApproachNot how a project flowsTailored towards curriculum writers, authors, examiners

Sure-fire cure for insomnia

An Alternative Approach

Base Reading On Project Management Processes

Initiating (p 45)

Initiating

Planning(p 47)

Executing (p56)

Monitoring and Controlling (p60)

Closing (p65)

PMI and PMP

Is The PMI Worth Joining?Pros

Network with PMsKeep abreast of project managementBecome PMP Certified

ConsPM as Profession vs. Skillset

Which one is it?Not SDLC specific

However, see ISSIGSometimes characterized as too bureaucraticCertifications ‘R Us

Is the PMP Worth Studying For?

Yes, If You ValueA rigorous style of project management

Works great sometimesDictated by organizational culture and process maturity

Not suitable in certain settings

You value the process, not the goalThe value is in the self training and preparation

You want your PM skills to be recognizableFast becoming industry standard for PMs

What About the Other Certifications?

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project ManagementProject team members aspiring to PM positions

PgMP: Program Management ProfessionalProgram management certification

PMI-RMP: PMI Risk Management ProfessionalAssess and identify risks and mitigates threats

PMI-SP: PMI Scheduling ProfessionalDevelops and maintains project schedules

My biased opinionNot worth itToo specialized yet too generic

Too specialized in the “PM Space”To generic – not customized to Software Development

PMI has become a certification provider

Final ThoughtsEvery BA will benefit from reading the PMBOK Guide

Use it as a guide, not gospelPMP certification may be worth it

Other PMI certifications are irrelevantPMI membership not worth it for BA’s

Unless you want to buy heavily into the PMI mindsetOr, want to take the PMP examPM’s get to network in their local chapters