Chapter 1-۲:Defining Project Management

Defining Project Management

You are now equipped to identify a project and have a better idea of what types of IT projects you will be managing. But what exactly is project management? You may have already heard a lot of different answers to that question. To eliminate any confusion, we define project management and associated terms according to the standards set by the Project Management Institute (PMI) . PMI is the leading professional project management association, with over 100,000 members in over 125 countries worldwide. PMI is a leader in the development of project management standards, which are listed in what is called the Guide to the PMBOK .

The Guide to the PMBOK

Project management ’s standards are documented in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge ( Guide to the PMBOK) . PMI also manages a very rigorous certification program, the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. The Guide to the PMBOK is the basis for the exam portion of the PMP certification. If you continue in a career in project management, you may move on to the PMP certification. The material you have studied to prepare for the IT Project+ exam is an excellent foundation on which to build your project management knowledge. PMI members were involved in the revision of the IT Project+ exam, and the questions on the exam are consistent with the Guide to the PMBOK standards.

The Guide to the PMBOK defines project management as “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.”

The project manager (PM) is the person who oversees all of the work identified to complete the project and applies a variety of tools and techniques. Successfully managing a project involves dealing with competing needs for your resources, obtaining adequate budget dollars, identifying risks, managing to the project requirements, interacting with stakeholders, staying on schedule, and ensuring a quality product. Sounds a little overwhelming at times, doesn’t it? Guide to the PMBOK categorizes each of these into nine knowledge areas. Let look at these in more detail.

Later in this chapter we will look at the five process groups that cover these knowledge areas.

Project Management Knowledge Areas

Successful project management is dependent on the use of key processes. These processes must cover the core knowledge areas critical to project management. The Guide to the PMBOK defines the nine Project Management Knowledge Areas as:

  • Scope Management

  • Time Management

  • Cost Management

  • Quality Management

  • Human Resources Management

  • Communications Management

  • Risk Management

  • Procurement Management

  • Integration Management

As you move through subsequent chapters, we will cover these items in more detail. These areas make up the total realm of project management, and Guide to the PMBOK threads each of these knowledge areas into a series of process groups, which will be discussed later in this chapter. These knowledge areas may not have equal importance in your specific IT job area. For example, if you do not have outside contracts for your project, Procurement Management may not apply. The IT Project+ exam has a strong focus on the knowledge areas that are part of the planning processes and the project execution processes.

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