PMBOK Guide: Process Groups

Process Groups in Project Management

• The PMBOK Guide outlines five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.
• These process groups overlap within and between the phases of the project.

Initiating Process Group

• Signals the beginning of the project or a phase.
• Example: developing a business case as part of an organization's project methodology.
• Output of this process group becomes the input for the next phase.

Planning Process Group

• Supports planning of the entire project and each individual phase.
• Includes project management processes such as scope planning, activity planning, resource planning, cost estimating, schedule estimating, and procurement planning.
• Planning effort should be in line with the size and complexity of the project.
• Planning processes are most important during the second phase of the project methodology.

Executing Process Group

• Focuses on integrating people and resources to carry out the planned activities of the project plan or phase.
• SDLC and associated project methodology play an important role in developing the product or system.
• Project management processes such as quality assurance, risk management, and team development play a supporting role.

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

• Allows for managing and measuring progress toward the project's goal and scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives.
• Includes supporting project management processes such as scope control, change control, schedule control, budget control, quality control, and a communications plan.
• Emphasis on monitoring and controlling processes occurs during the execution and control phase of the IT project methodology.

Closing Process Group

• Provides a set of processes for formally accepting the project's product, service, or system.
• Verifies that all project work has been satisfactorily completed before the project sponsor accepts a phase's or the project's end product.