According to WorkFront 2018 State of Work report, 57% of knowledge workers “have not been formally trained to manage projects but do manage projects.”

Project Management is a large and complex field and it sometimes becomes difficult to comprehend it in totality. To be a successful project manager you need to master the skills, knowledge, creative problem-solving, communication and many more.

Project Management Institute, PMI covers this vast field of knowledge by dividing this into 10 knowledge areas and 5 process groups in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ver 6). These two categories are the backbone of the PMBOK Guide (Project Management Body of Knowledge).

• Project Management Knowledge area deals why are we doing process
• whereas Project Management Process Groups deal when are we doing any process

The 49 processes divided in these 10 Knowledge Area”s or in 5 Process groups are interconnected processes and cannot be performed in silos.

To be an effective change agent, you not only need a raw talent but a methodological approach. You need to learn to avoid making the same mistakes again and again.

The fight of Phase or Process group;

Phases are sequential or chronological elements whereas Process Groups are not.  Two or more process groups can be/ will be running in parallel with each other as drawn below.

PDCA Cycle

The process groups are derived from  Walter A. Shewhart and Edward Deming 4 step management method for better control and continuous improvement.

P(lan) D(o) C(check) A(ct).

The phases or steps of the PDCA cycle are linked together by results – the result of one step becomes the input to another.

• Plan: identify and analyze the problem or opportunity, develop hypotheses about what the issues may be, and decide which one to test.
• Do: test the potential solution, ideally on a small scale, and measure the results.
• Check/Study: study the result, measure effectiveness, and decide whether the hypothesis is supported or not.
• Act: if the solution was successful, implement it.

The Process groups are as follows;

The five process groups have clear dependencies and are typically performed in the same sequence on each project.

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Every project may have a different life cycle but the Project management process groups remain the same.

• Initiating Process Group. All initiatives which eventually turn into projects are usually gone through the conceptualization stage. The Initiation process group helps the stakeholders determine the nature and the scope of the project. The process commits the organization to a project or phase by providing necessary approvals, and authorizations with the clear identification of the Schedule and budget. Read More
• The Planning Process Group is of major importance to a project because the project involves doing something which has not been done before. It helps to narrow down the goals and objectives outlined in the project charter. It defines the Project Scope, Sets the action plan, Defines timelines and most importantly budgetary constraints.  Read More
• Executing Process Group. The action time. Making sure that what is planned is in execution. All respective stakeholders are taking actions assigned to them. Read More
• Monitoring and Controlling Process Group; Project performance must be measured regularly to identify variances from the plan. Variances are fed into the control processes in the various knowledge areas to address the change orders and also to mitigate unforeseen circumstances. Read More
• Closing Process Group answers one and one question only Are we done? Delivering a project within a constraint is not a small win. This process group makes sure that we properly collect and submit our experiences over a period of time. A good project closure always becomes a reason for future references. Read More

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