Project Management Process Groups

What are PROCESS GROUPS?

According to PMBOK Guide 4th Edition, a process is a set of interrelated actions and activities performed to achieve a pre-specified product, result or service. Each process is characterized by its inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. These individual processes are grouped in to five categories known as Project Management Process Groups. They are:

• Initiating Process Group – defining new project or new phase by obtaining authorization to start work
• Planning Process Group – establishing the scope, refining the objectives and establish the course of actions to achieve those objectives
• Executing Process Group – the actual work being performed to achieve the objectives
• Monitor and Controlling Process Group – tracking, reviewing and regulating project progress as well as identifying areas for changes and improvements
• Closing Process Group – finalizing activities to formally close the project or phase

What is the relationship between Process Groups and Project/Phase Lifecycle?

Processes involved in managing a project are iterative and many are repetitive. Processes are presented as discrete elements with well-defined interface. If a project is divided into phases, the product from one phase becomes the input to the next phase. It becomes the checkpoint to continue to the next phase, should it complies with all the requirements in the current phase. When you enter a project phase, you begin with the initiating processes. You end the phase by executing the closing processes. Similarly, if the project is not divided into phases, you begin the project with the initiating processes and the project will end when you finish executing the closing processes.

Important points to remember:

• The process groups are NOT project phases.
• Project management processes apply globally and across industry groups.
• Project manager (with assistance of project team) is responsible to identify the appropriate processes to be applied and the appropriate degree of rigor of each.
• Successful project management includes actively managing interactions between processes to meet stakeholder/customer requirements.
• Processes are interrelated and iterative. They are linked by the outputs they produce.
• Projects exist within the organization, as such they require inputs from data from the organization.

Project will be successful when:

• Project team selects the appropriate processes required to meet the project objectives
• Project team uses a defined approach that can be adopted to meet requirements
• Project team complies with requirements to meet stakeholders need and expectation
• Project team balances the competing demands of scope, time, cost, quality, resources and risks to produce the specified product, service or result