PMP Certification: Project Management Process Groups 101—PMBOK® Guide, 6th Edition Update (Part 1)

— (updated )

While no two projects will be identical, every project needs Process Groups to organize logically the activities planned to achieve project success.

Together with the 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas, the 5 Process Groups are the backbone of the PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition.

This article provides a big picture of the first two PMBOK® Process Groups—Initiating and Planning.

Part 2 describes at a glance the remaining three Process Groups—Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.

Read on!

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Project Management Process Group Defined

A Project Management Process Group is a logical grouping of project management processes to achieve specific project objectives.

A process group tells you what needs to be done during each process of the project.

A process group tells you what needs to be done during each process of the project.

Specific inputs and outputs connect the project management processes, where the result or outcome of one process may be used as input for another process.

Process Groups are independent of project phases.

Initiating and Planning Process Groups

by Processes and Key Outputs

Project management processes are grouped into five Project Management Process Groups:

  1. Initiating Process Group
  2. Planning Process Group
  3. Executing Process Group
  4. Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
  5. Closing Process Group

It follows a short description of Initiating and Planning Process Groups, with a table of processes and key outputs for each Process Group, handy while preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam.

See Part 2 of “Project Management Process Groups 101—PMBOK® Guide, 6th Edition Update” for the other three.

1. Initiating Process Group

Defining a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

PROCESSESKEY OUTPUTS
  • Project Charter
  • Stakeholder Register

2. Planning Process Group

Establishing the scope of the project, refining the objectives, and defining the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.

PROCESSESKEY OUTPUTS
  • Develop Project Management Plan
  • Plan Scope Management
  • Collect Requirements
  • Define Scope
  • Create WBS
  • Plan Schedule Management
  • Define Activities
  • Sequence Activities
  • Estimate Activity Durations
  • Develop Schedule
  • Plan Cost Management
  • Estimate Costs
  • Determine Budget
  • Plan Quality Management
  • Plan Resource Management
  • Estimate Activity Resources
  • Plan Communications Management
  • Plan Risk Management
  • Identify Risks
  • Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
  • Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
  • Plan Risk Responses
  • Plan Procurement Management
  • Plan Stakeholder Engagement
  • Project Management Plans and Related Documents:
    • Scope Requirements
    • Schedule
    • Cost
    • Quality
    • Human Resources
    • Communication
    • Risk
    • Procurement
    • Change
    • Stakeholders

For a detailed analysis of each process, click on “PMP Certification – Free Exam Prep” here or on the right menu.

SOURCE: Project Management Institute (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6th ed. Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

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