Guide to the

Project
Management Body
of Knowledge
Jag Venugopal
05/07/2009
About The PMBOK Guide
„ Subset of overall body of project
management knowledge
„ Generally recognized as “good practice”
„ Applicable to most projects, most of the
time
„ Consensus about value and usefulness
„ Does not necessarily apply to all of the
projects all of the time
About The PMBOK Guide
„ Accepted as the US standard on Project
Management
„ Published by Project Management
Institute
„ Basis of PMP Certification Exam
„ Basis of PM Training Courses
What the PMBOK Guide Is and
Isn’t
„ What the PMBOK Guide Is
„ A useful framework of all project management activities
„ Moderate to large projects
„ Virtually all of this has to be accounted for somewhere in your
methodology
„ A generic framework, not IS specific
„ A way to standardize the meanings of various PM terms
„ What the PMBOK Guide Isn’t
„ A project management methodology

„ Specific to software development

„ You’ll have to customize it for your SDLC
„ A prescriptive guide on how to manage projects
„ An infallible resource
„ A particularly easy read
Baseline Definitions
„ Project Management
„ “Application of knowledge, skills, tools and
techniques to project activities to meet project
requirements”
„ Composed of Five Processes
„ Initiating
„ Planning
„ Executing
„ Monitoring and Controlling
„ Closing
Baseline Definitions
„ Portfolio Management
„ Collection of projects or programs
„ Grouped together
„ Facilitate effective management
„ Meet strategic business objectives

Important note: Projects within a portfolio

may not have interdependencies
Baseline Definitions
„ Program Management
„ Group of related projects
„ Managed in a coordinated way
„ Obtain benefits and control
„ Not available by managing individually

Important note: Projects within a

program will have interdependencies
Summary (p 9)
Project Management
Processes
Not software development phases!
 Mapping to SDLC
Scope

Requirements

Design

Development

Final QA

Implementation
 Reading the PMBOK Guide
„ Structured by Knowledge Areas (p 411)
Integration Scope Time
Management Management Management
Cost Quality Human
Management Management Resource
Management
Communication Risk Procurement
s Management Management Management
Studying the PMBOK Guide
„ Issues With This Approach
„ Not how a project flows
„ Tailored towards curriculum writers,
authors, examiners
„ Sure-fire cure for insomnia
An Alternative Approach
Base Reading On Project Management
Processes
Initiating (p 45)
Initiating
Planning
(p 47)
Executing (p56)
Monitoring and Controlling (p60)
Closing (p65)
PMI and PMP
Is The PMI Worth Joining?
„ Pros
„ Network with PMs
„ Keep abreast of project management
„ Become PMP Certified
„ Cons
„ PM as Profession vs. Skillset
„ Which one is it?
„ Not SDLC specific
„ However, see ISSIG
„ Sometimes characterized as too bureaucratic
„ Certifications ‘R Us
Is the PMP Worth Studying
For?
„ Yes, If You Value
„ A rigorous style of project management
„ Works great sometimes
„ Dictated by organizational culture and process maturity
„ Not suitable in certain settings
„ You value the process, not the goal
„ The value is in the self training and preparation
„ You want your PM skills to be recognizable
„ Fast becoming industry standard for PMs
What About the Other
Certifications?
„ CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management
„ Project team members aspiring to PM positions
„ PgMP: Program Management Professional
„ Program management certification
„ PMI-RMP: PMI Risk Management Professional
„ Assess and identify risks and mitigates threats
„ PMI-SP: PMI Scheduling Professional
„ Develops and maintains project schedules

My biased opinion
„ Not worth it
„ Too specialized yet too generic
„ Too specialized in the “PM Space”
„ To generic – not customized to Software Development
„ PMI has become a certification provider
Final Thoughts
„ Every BA will benefit from reading the PMBOK
Guide
„ Use it as a guide, not gospel
„ PMP certification may be worth it
„ Other PMI certifications are irrelevant
„ PMI membership not worth it for BA’s
„ Unless you want to buy heavily into the PMI
mindset
„ Or, want to take the PMP exam
„ PM’s get to network in their local chapters