## What is a Project Process? A project process is an activity which produces an outcome that is required to achieve a project objective. A process requires appropriate input in order to produce the correct output. Common project process inputs and outputs include the following: 1. Process Inputs - Resources - Policies - Procedures - Statements of Work - Contracts - Culture 2. Process Outputs - Approvals - Documentation - Tools - Products - Services - Any other result required to meet project objectives ## What are Project Process Groups? Complementary but separate to project phases, the PMBOK® Guide groups project processes into five distinct process groups which fit within the project lifecycle in the following order: 1. Initiating Process Group (2 processes) 2. Planning Process Group (24 processes) 3. Executing Process Group (8 processes) 4. Monitoring & Controlling Process Group (11 processes) 5. Closing Process Group (2 processes) ## Process Groups within the Project Lifecycle ![[Pasted image 20240624000129.png]] ## The Initiating Process Group This process group defines and authorises the project or a project phase. The key processes within this group include: 1. Develop Project Charter 2. Identify Stakeholders ## The Planning Process Group This process group defines and refines objectives and plans the course of action required to attain the objectives and scope that the project was undertaken to address. The key processes within this group include: - Develop Project Management Plan - Plan Scope Management - Collect Requirements - Define Scope - Create WBS - Plan Schedule Management - Define Activities - Sequence Activities - Estimate Activity Resources - Estimate Activity Durations - Develop Schedule - Plan Cost Management - Estimate Costs - Determine Budget - Plan Quality Management - Plan Human Resource Management - Plan Communications Management - Plan Risk Management - Identify Risks - Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis - Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis - Plan Risk Responses - Plan Procurement Management - Plan Stakeholder Management ## The Executing Process Group This process group integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for the project. The key processes within this group include: 1. Direct and Manage Project Work 2. Perform Quality Assurance 3. Acquire Project Team 4. Develop Project Team 5. Manage Project Team 6. Manage Communications 7. Conduct Procurements 8. Manage Stakeholder Engagement ## The Monitoring & Controlling Process Group This process group regularly measures and monitors progress to identify variances from the project management plan so that corrective action can be taken when necessary to meet project objectives. The key processes within this group include: 1. Monitor and Control Project Work 2. Perform Integrated Change Control 3. Validate Scope 4. Control Scope 5. Control Schedule 6. Control Costs 7. Control Quality 8. Control Communications 9. Control Risks 10. Control Procurements 11. Manage Stakeholder Engagement ## The Closing Process Group This process group formalises acceptance of the product, services or result and brings the project or a project phase to an orderly end. This can involve commissioning the product and handing it over to the owner for operation. The key processes within this group include: 1. Control Project or Phase 2. Close Procurements ## What is the PDSA Cycle? Complimentary to the PMBOK progress groups, Deming’s Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle helps us understand the nature of project processes and how they can be subject to improvement through repetition through four basic steps: - **PLAN:** establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the higher-level objectives - **DO:** implement the processes - **STUDY:** monitor and evaluate the processes and results against objectives and specifications and report the outcome - **ACT:** update procedures and implement the revised process (integrate into normal working practice) ## Continuous **Improvement** Based on the notion that a process or product should always get better as knowledge and experience accumulates over time, the PDSA cycle illustrates how further improvement can be achieved through each repetition. ![[Pasted image 20240624000821.png]] ## PDSA Cycle within the Project Lifecycle ![[Pasted image 20240624000840.png]]