Mid-point Review

The mid-point review consists of:

The PMP and the exam; preparing for it (a review); and signing up!
1. I put that first because it is important to commit. What are your intentions?

The Framework of Project Management
I took a review class, my first PMP review - I have to tell you, I did not know what I was getting myself into - sometimes (alot of times) I walk into these things - totally blind. The class made no sense to me. Why was I doing Project Management and what does PMBOK have to do with it. 5 processes and 9 knowledge areas? What does 44 activities have to do with it and what about 'integration'? Now that I am wiser, this makes absolute sense to me. I may not know it all, but I understand what it is about, it's purpose, and I know the goal.

The Framework:
From the American heritage Dictionary, Framework definition:

1. A structure for supporting or enclosing something else, especially a skeletal support used as the basis for something being constructed.
2. An external work platform; a scaffold.
3. A fundamental structure, as for a written work.
4. A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality.

I highlighted my favorite definitions. The Framework, as I know it to be in the PMP - PMBOK-3 definition - it is a structure to define the Project Management set up - the roof and the foundation, the Processes and the nine knowledge areas.

The five processes are:

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing

In every Knowledge area of Project Management - it touches one or more of the five processes - some will involve all 5 processes, some only two. The 9 knowledge areas are:

(using this tip to remember:

I saw the car quickly hit Chris's rear plate....

Integration Management

Scope Management

Time Management

Cost Management

Quality Management

HR Management

Communications Management

Risk Management

Procurement Management

The 44 activities are inside the framework and touch both a knowledge area (only one) and touches a process area (at least one, sometimes all 5 process areas).

The Framework must be understood, not memorized, but understood well. The process and knowledge areas will become very, very familiar as we progress forward in the PMBOK studies.

I use this blog to talk to myself, so - here is RITA's PROCESS CHART (my test to myself) - if you are listening, MEMORIZE THIS!!!

INITIATION

Select project Manager, Determine Company Culture and existing Systems, Collect processes, procedures and historical information, Divide project into phases, identify stakeholders, Determine Business Needs, Document Project Objectives, Document Assumptions and Constraints, Develop Project Charter, Develop Preliminary Scope Statement

PLANNING

Define plans on how to plan, part of PM plans;

I will update this later... Do you know the rest of the process chart?