TABLE OF CONTENTS This appendix is a crash course on A Guide to the PMBOK s project management process groups and the nine knowledge areas. All projects progress through a logical series of steps, starting with the initiation of a project all the way through to the ending, or closing, of the project. The information in this appendix will describe each of these processes along with the types of results or outcomes you re likely to see from each.
Following the process groups discussion, you ll find the nine knowledge areas. These describe the types of information and knowledge project managers must have to successfully run projects. Each knowledge area lists the project management processes found within that discipline, according to the 2000 and 2004 versions of A Guide to the PMBOK. Every four years, the Project Management Institute (PMI) modifies and enhances A Guide to the PMBOK. Changes reflect new information, industry trends, and best practices. Since the Spotlight Series spans both the 2000 and 2004 versions, you ll find both process listings in this appendix.
A Guide to the PMBOK describes and organizes the work of a project into five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Each group is interrelated and depends on the other. For example, you can t start the work of the project (Executing) without first initiating the project and creating a project plan unless, of course, you work in Information Technology (IT) where we like to program the new system before...
