Friday, February 8, 2008

PMBOK Chapt 4 - Project Integration Mgmt

Being ambitious, I want to summarize Chapt 4 - Project Integration management. This can all be attributed to Chapter 4 of the PMBOK 3 review guide, page 79 - I adlib (ed) trying to make sense of the integration management process flow - it is very logical and I maintain that an understanding is much better unless you have sometype of photographic memory!

Taken from PMBOK directly: "The Project Integration Management Knwolede ARea includes the processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate the various processes and project managemnt activies within the Project Management Process Groups.

ARe you asking yourself what this means? My take on it we have 5 process areas, 9 knowledge areas, 44 activities - how does this all work together? More specifically - this could fit into an overall process of Integration as follows:

4.1 Develop Project Charter
4.2 Developo Preliminary project Scope Statement
4.3 Develop Projec tManagement Plan
4.4 Direct and Manage Projec tExecution
4.5 Montior and Control projec tWork
4.6 Integrated Change Control
4.7 Close Project

Doesn't this make sense? The trickier part in understanding this, thinking logically, is knowing what the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and the Outpust of 4.1 thru 4.7 are. It is all very logical if you think about it. Review the chart beginning on page 79 of the PMBOK - 3. Do you see that the output of one is the input of the next?

For example, after developing the Project Charter (Output) - are you ready to develop the Preliminary Project Scope STatement? O.K. that was too obvious. How about Develop Project Management plan and Direct and Manage Project Execution?

Think logically - what information do you need? For the Project charter, you need certain information - is their a contract? What about the Project SOW? Enterprise Environmental Factors (You need to know what the organization is like and what they have!) Organizational Process Assets - let's hope they have lessons learned - remember - that is like gold! Then there are the processes and procedures to gather and study.

That's right, we are now in Tools & TEchniques, what's that all about? Some information about Tools & Techniquest - you need to know and become familiar with the Project Selection Methods (Benefit Measurement methods: comparative approaches: scoring models, benefit contribution, economic models) and (Mathematical models that use linear, nonlinear, dynamic, integer, or multi-objective programming algorithms). The rest is again, pretty logical - what method of Project Management mehodology are you using and where are you going to store the information - what automated system of PM tools are you going to use? (PMIS)? Read Chapter four and study the inputs, tools and techniquest, and outputs. It reads like a flowchart - and works the same way.

Outputs of Project Charter- well, that one is obvious.

What do you need to develop the preliminary Project Scope STatement? Obivously the Project Charter and the Project Statement of Work. Again, there is Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) and Organizational Process Assets (OPA) - which reminds me - do you know OPM3 is? It's pmi-ism and PMI's Maturity Model (that's all you really need to know - how mature is an organization in their Project Management methods?

The Outputs of Project Scope Statement? Obvious.

Inputs to Develop Project Management Plan:

What was that output from the Project Scope Statement?
Project Management Processes (you might just need to memorize this one)
Then our old friends again, EEF and OPA - noted in all initiation, most of Planning development processes.

Tools & TEchniques in developing Project Management Plan: Project management methodology; PMIS, Expert Judgement (Me :) ) - had to make you smile.

OUTPUTS: What planning process are we in? Develop Project Management Plan? Oh yeah, output = The Project Management Plan

Direct and Manage Project Execution:
Sorry but some of this is re-reading, becoming familiar - try not to worry about memorizing - but here it is:
Inputs: Project Mangement Plan; Approved correction/preventive actions; Approved Change requests: Approved defect repair; Validated defect repair and Administrative closure procedure.

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES: Projec tManagement Methodology; PMIS

OUTPUTS: (from the inputs): Deliverables (the results); Requested changes; Implemented change requests; Implement corrective and preventive actions; implemented defect repair and Work Performance information. Key into this - Outputs are inputs to the next process. This is the general rule of thumb and it is important how the process flows - it logically inter-relates and once you realize this - it is an 'ah hah' moment.

Monitor and Control Project Work:
This is the part that gets interesting: Measuring, Forecasting - think about what is happening at this level.

Inputs: Project Management Plan, Work Performance Information and Rejected Change Requests. (remember that you are monitoring and controlling project work - are you working according to the plan)?

Tools & TEchniques: Project Management Methodology, PMIS, Earned value technique (are you getting your money's worth??) and Expert Judgement.

Outputs: Recommended corrective action (there is a problem - off centered, and you need to do something to get the project back inline)
Recommended Preventive Actions (things you do to make sure that the project doesn't get off track - insurance)

Forecasts; Recommended defect repair and requested changes.

INTEGRATED CHANGE CONTROL (I can only hope that you are following the chart on page 79 in PMOBK 3 Guide). IT's the only way you will understand this - and READ, READ, READ - you will get it then!

Inputs: Project Management Plan; REquested Changes Work Performance Informaton; Recommended Preventive and Corrective actions; Recommended defect repair; DELIVERABLES.

Note the Recommended actions and the deliverables - then of course, a change is based on some reason - to measure the impact - Work Performance Information (Measurements have to be provided!)

Tools and TEchniques: Project management methodology; PMIS and Expert judgement. (This one was easy)

OUTPUTS: APPROVED and REJECTED Change requests. Project Mangement Plan; Project scope statement ; Approved coreective and preventive actions; approved defect repair and validated defective repairs; DELIVERABLES.

CLOSE PROJECT:
Inputs: Project Management Plan, Contract Documentation; EEF, OPA , Work performance information (how on budget and on time were you?) and DELIVERABLES (Of course!).
Tools & TEchniques: Project Management Methodology; PMIS: Expert Judgement
OUTPUTS: Adminstrative Closure Procedures, Contract Closure Procedures, Final Product, SErvice or result and OPA UPDATES (Like LEssons LEarned?- yeah, right) :)

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