Chapter 3:
The Project Management Process
Groups
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition
Note: See the text itself for full citations.
Learning Objectives
Describe the five project management (PM)
process groups, the typical level of activity for
each, and the interactions among them
Understand how the PM process groups relate
to the PM knowledge areas
Discuss how organizations develop information
technology PM methodologies to meet their
needs
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 2
Project Management Process Groups
A process is a series of actions directed toward a
particular result
Project management can be viewed as a number
of interlinked processes
The project management process groups include:
◦ Initiating processes
◦ Planning processes
◦ Executing processes
◦ Monitoring and controlling processes
◦ Closing processes
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 3
Figure 3-1. Percentage of Time Spent
on Each Process Group
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 4
Project Success or Failure
Philip A. Pell, PMP, commented on how the U.S. IRS
(Internal Revenue Service) needed to improve its project
management process. “Pure and simple, good,
methodology-centric, predictable, and repeatable project
management is the SINGLE greatest factor in the success
of any project… The project manager is ultimately
responsible for the success or failure of the project.”*
In 2006, the IRS lost more than $320 million due to a
botched (failed) fraud-detection system project
A 2008 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report
stated that IRS had fixed just 29 of 98 information security
weaknesses identified in the previous year
*Comments posted on CIO Magazine Web site on article “For the IRS, There’s
No EZ Fix,” (April 1, 2004).
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 5
Mapping the Process Groups to the
Knowledge Areas
You can map the main activities of each PM
process group into the nine knowledge areas
using the PMBOK® Guide 2008
Note that there are activities from each knowledge
area under the planning and monitoring and
controlling process groups
Two new processes were added in 2008: identify
stakeholders and collect requirements
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 6
Table 3-1. Project Management Process
Groups and Knowledge Area Mapping*
*Source: PMBOK® Guide, Fourth Edition, 2008.
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 7
Table 3-1. (continued)
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 8
Table 3-1 (continued)
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 9
Project Pre-initiation
It is good practice to lay the groundwork for a project
before it officially starts.
Senior managers often perform several pre-initiation
tasks, including the following:
◦ Determine the scope, time, and cost constraints for the project
◦ Identify the project sponsor
◦ Select the project manager
◦ Meet with the project manager to review the process and expectations
for managing the project
◦ Determine if the project should be divided into two or more smaller
projects
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 10
Project Initiation
Initiating a project includes recognizing and starting
a new project or project phase
The main goal is to formally select and start off
projects
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 11
Table 3-4. Stakeholder Register
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 12
Project Charters and Kick-off
Meetings
Charters are normally short and include key
project information and stakeholder signatures
It’s good practice to hold a kick-off meeting at
the beginning of a project so that stakeholders can
meet each other, review the goals of the project,
and discuss future plans
See Example of Project Charter
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 13
Figure 3-2. Kick-off Meeting Agenda
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 14
Project Planning
The main purpose of project planning is to guide
execution
Every knowledge area includes planning
information (see Table 3-1 )
Key outputs included in the project include:
◦ A team contract
◦ A project scope statement
◦ A work breakdown structure (WBS)
◦ A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all
dependencies and resources entered
◦ A list of prioritized risks (part of a risk register)
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 15
Figure 3-4. Project of Consulting Intranet
Site Project Baseline Gantt Chart
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 16
Table 3-10. List of Prioritized Risks
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 17
Project Executing
Usually takes the most time and resources to
perform project execution
Project managers must use their leadership skills
to handle the many challenges that occur during
project execution
Lists the executing processes and outputs; many
project sponsors and customers focus on
deliverables related to providing the products,
services, or results desired from the project
A milestone report can help focus on completing
major milestones
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 18
Part of Milestone Report (Table 3-12)
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 19
Project Monitoring and Controlling
Involves measuring progress toward project
objectives, monitoring deviation from the plan, and
taking corrective actions
Affects all other process groups and occurs during
all phases of the project life cycle
Outputs include performance reports, change
requests, and updates to various plans
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 20
Project Closing
Involves gaining stakeholder and customer
acceptance of the final products and services
Even if projects are not completed, they should be
closed out to learn from the past
Outputs include project archives and lessons
learned, part of organizational process assets
Most projects also include a final report and
presentation to the sponsor/senior management
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 21
Chapter Summary
The five project management process groups are
initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and
controlling, and closing
You can map the main activities of each process
group to the nine knowledge areas
Some organizations develop their own information
technology project management methodologies
The Project Consulting case study provides an
example of using the process groups and shows
several important project documents
Information Technology Project
Management, Sixth Edition Copyright 2009 22
