Chapter 3:

The Project Management Process

Groups

Information Technology Project Management,

Fourth Edition
 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.

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 Learning Objectives
 Apply the PM process groups to manage an
information technology project, and understand the
contribution that effective project initiation, project
planning, project execution, project monitoring and
controlling, and project closing make to project
success.

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 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

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 Project Management Processes and
ITPM Phases

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 Initiating Processes
 Defining and authorizing a project or project phase
 Define the business need for the project, sponsor,
project manager

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 Planning Processes
 Devising and maintaining a workable scheme to ensure
that the project address the organization’s needs.
 There is no single project plan such as the scope
management plan, schedule management plan
 Defining each knowledge area as it relates to the
project
 The work needs to be done
 Schedule activities
 Cost estimate
 Resources to procure

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 Executing Processes

 Coordinating people and other resources to

 carry out the project plans
 produce the products, services, or results

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 Monitoring and Controlling
Processes
 Measuring and monitoring progress to ensure that the
project team meets the project objectives.
 Measure progress against the plans
 Common monitoring and controlling process is
performance reporting

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 Closing Processes
 Formalizing acceptance of the project or project phase
and ending it efficiently.
 Administrative activities are often involved in this
process group
 Archiving project files
 Closing out contracts
 Documenting lessons learned
 Receiving formal accepatance

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 Project Initiation
 Initiating a project includes recognizing and starting a new
project or project phase.
 Some organizations use a pre-initiation phase, while others
include items such as developing a business case as part of the
initiation.
 The main goal is to formally select and start off projects.
 Key outputs include:
 Assigning the project manager.
 Identifying key stakeholders.
 Completing a business case.
 Completing a project charter and getting signatures on it.

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 Project Initiation Documents
 Business case

 Project Charter

 Every organization has its own variations of what

documents are required to initiate a project. It’s
important to identify the project need, stakeholders,
and main goals.

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 Project Initiation- Business Case
 Attributes of a Good Business Case
 Details all possible impacts, costs, benefits
 Clearly compares alternatives
 Objectively includes all pertinent information
 Systematic in terms of summarizing findings

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 Project Charter
 Project charter is a document that formally recognizes
the existence of a project and provides a direction on
the project’s objectives and management.
 Purpose of the Project Charter
 Document the project objectives
 Define project infrastructure
 Summarize details of project plan
 Define roles and responsibilities
 Show explicit commitment to project
 Set out project control mechanisms

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 Project Planning
 The main purpose of project planning is to guide
execution.
 Every knowledge area includes planning information
 Key outputs in a project include:
 A team contract.
 A 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).

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 Project Executing
 Project execution usually takes the most time and
resources.
 Project managers must use their leadership skills to handle
the many challenges that occur during project execution.
 Table 3-9 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 keep the focus on completing major
milestones.

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 Project Monitoring and Controlling
 Involves measuring progress toward project objectives,
monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking
corrective action to match progress with the plan.

 Affects all other process groups and occurs during all

phases of the project life cycle.

 Outputs include performance reports, requested

changes, and updates to various plans.

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 Project Closing
 Involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance
of the final products and services.
 Even if projects are not completed, they should be
formally closed in order to reflect on what can be
learned to improve future projects.
 Outputs include project archives and lessons learned,
which are part of organizational process assets.
 Most projects also include a final report and
presentation to the sponsor or senior management.

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 Final Project Report Table of Content
s
1. Project Objectives
2. Summary of Project Results
3. Original and Actual Start and End Dates
4. Original and Actual Budget
5. Project Assessment (Why did you do this project? Wh
at did you produce? Was theproject a success? What
went right and wrong on the project?)
6. Transition Plan
7. Annual Project Benefits Measurement Approach

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 Final Project Report Table of Conten
ts (continued)
Attachments: A. Project Management Documentation
 Business case  Milestone reports
 Project charter  Status reports
 Team contract  Contract files
 Scope statement  Lessons-learned reports
 WBS  Final presentation
 Baseline and actual Gantt ch  Client acceptance form
art
 List of prioritized risks

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 Final Project Report Table of Conten
ts (continued)
Attachments: B. Product-Related Documentation
 Survey and results  Test plans and reports
 Summary of user inputs  Intranet site promotion infor
 Intranet site content mation
 Intranet site design documen  Intranet site roll-out informa
ts tion
 Project benefits measuremen
t information

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