What is Project Management?
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the
appropriate application and integration of the 47 logically grouped project management processes
(*), which are categorized into five Process Groups. These five Process Groups are:
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Initiating,
Planning,
Executing,
Monitoring and Controlling, and
Closing.
Managing a project typically includes, but is not limited to:
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Identifying requirements;
Addressing the various needs, concerns, and expectations of the stakeholders in planning and
executing the project;
Setting up, maintaining, and carrying out communications among stakeholders that are active,
effective, and collaborative in nature;
Managing stakeholders towards meeting project requirements and creating project deliverables;
Balancing the competing project constraints, which include, but are not limited to:
 Scope,
 Quality,
 Schedule,
 Budget,
 Resources, and
 Risks.
The specific project characteristics and circumstances can influence the constraints on which the project
management team needs to focus.
The relationship among these factors is such that if any one factor changes, at least one other factor is
likely to be affected. For example, if the schedule is shortened, often the budget needs to be increased
to add additional resources to complete the same amount of work in less time. If a budget increase is
not possible, the scope or targeted quality may be reduced to deliver the project's end result in less time
within the same budget amount.
Project stakeholders may have differing ideas as to which factors are the most important, creating an
even greater challenge. Changing the project requirements or objectives may create additional risks. The
project team needs to be able to assess the situation, balance the demands, and maintain proactive
communication with stakeholders in order to deliver a successful project.
Due to the potential for change, the development of the project management plan is an iterative activity
and is progressively elaborated throughout the project's life cycle. Progressive elaboration involves
continuously improving and detailing a plan as more detailed and specific information and more
accurate estimates become available.
Progressive elaboration allows a project management team to define work and manage it to a greater
level of detail as the project evolves.
(PMBOK, 5th. Ed., pps. 5-7)
(*) The 47 Project Management Processes
The magic 47 number is a series of 47 tasks that can be performed in a project life cycle. The PMBOK
identifies besides de 5 process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and closing), 10
knowledge areas necessary to go through these tasks. The 10 project management knowledge areas are:
1) Integration (6 processes)
2) Scope (6 processes)
3) Time (7 processes)
4) Cost (4 processes)
5) Quality (3 processes)
6) Human Resources (4 processes)
7) Communications (3 processes)
8) Risk (6 processes)
9) Procurement (4 processes)
10) Stakeholder (4 processes)
Table 3-1, below, Project Management Process Group and Knowledge Area Mapping, taken from the
PMBOK, 5th. Ed., p.61, enumerates all 47 processes, mapped by knowledge area and process group.