KEVOS® Project Delivery Handbook
Project Management Process Groups
If the project lifecycle tells you where you are, process groups tell you what to do when you get there .
In this handbook article
- Why Process Groups Matter
- What is a Project Process?
- The Five Process Groups
- 1. The Initiating Process Group
- 2. The Planning Process Group
- 3. The Executing Process Group
- 4. The Monitoring & Controlling Process Group
- 5. The Closing Process Group
- How Process Groups Map to the Lifecycle
- The PDSA Cycle: Continuous Improvement Within the Lifecycle
- Process Groups vs. Phases: The Critical Distinction
- Five Common Pitfalls
- Key Takeaways
Why Process Groups Matter
If the project lifecycle tells you where you are, process groups tell you what to do when you get there.
A common misconception is that process groups are the same as project phases. They are not. Phases are sequential containers of time. Process groups are collections of activities that can be invoked within any phase, at any level of granularity, and — critically — they overlap. Planning doesn't stop when execution starts. Monitoring doesn't wait until construction is underway.
Understanding this distinction is what separates a project manager who follows a checklist from one who actually controls a project.
What is a Project Process?
Definition: 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.
Every process in project management follows the same fundamental logic:
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| 📥 INPUTS — Resources, Policies, — Contracts, Culture | leads to | ⚙️ PROCESS — Activity that transforms — inputs into outputs |
| ⚙️ PROCESS — Activity that transforms — inputs into outputs | leads to | 📤 OUTPUTS — Approvals, Documentation, — Products, Services |
| Process Inputs | Process Outputs |
|---|---|
| Resources | Approvals |
| Policies | Documentation |
| Procedures | Tools |
| Statements of Work | Products |
| Contracts | Services |
| Organisational Culture | Any result required to meet objectives |
The Five Process Groups
The PMBOK® Guide organises all project processes into five distinct groups. These are not phases — they are functional clusters that describe types of work performed throughout the project.
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Initiating — (2 processes) | leads to | Planning — (24 processes) |
| Planning — (24 processes) | leads to | Executing — (8 processes) |
| Executing — (8 processes) | leads to | Closing — (2 processes) |
| Monitoring & Controlling — (11 processes) | leads to | Initiating — (2 processes) |
| Monitoring & Controlling — (11 processes) | leads to | Planning — (24 processes) |
| Monitoring & Controlling — (11 processes) | leads to | Executing — (8 processes) |
| Monitoring & Controlling — (11 processes) | leads to | Closing — (2 processes) |
Notice how Monitoring & Controlling spans the entire project. It is not a phase — it is an ongoing discipline that touches every other group.
1. The Initiating Process Group
Purpose: Define and authorise the project or a project phase.
This is the genesis moment. The project is formally recognised, the project manager is empowered, and key stakeholders are identified. Without proper initiation, a project has no mandate — and a project without a mandate is a project without authority.
Key Processes:
| # | Process | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Develop Project Charter | Formally authorise the project and document initial requirements, objectives, and constraints |
| 2 | Identify Stakeholders | Identify all people or organisations impacted by the project and document their interests and influence |
Key Principle: Initiating processes are not one-and-done. They may be carried out at the start of subsequent phases to validate decisions made during the original charter and scope definition.
2. The Planning Process Group
Purpose: Define and refine objectives; plan the course of action required to attain the objectives and scope the project was undertaken to address.
Planning is the largest process group — 24 processes — because it is the most consequential. Every dollar spent on rigorous planning saves multiples during execution. Recall the Pareto Principle: 80% of project costs are locked in during the first 20% of the project life.
Key Processes:
| Domain | Processes |
|---|---|
| Integration | Develop Project Management Plan |
| Scope | Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS |
| Schedule | Plan Schedule Management, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule |
| Cost | Plan Cost Management, Estimate Costs, Determine Budget |
| Quality | Plan Quality Management |
| Human Resources | Plan Human Resource Management |
| Communications | Plan Communications Management |
| Risk | Plan Risk Management, Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses |
| Procurement | Plan Procurement Management |
| Stakeholders | Plan Stakeholder Management |
Common Pitfall: Teams often treat planning as a discrete event — a two-week sprint at the start of the project. In reality, planning is iterative. As the project progresses and uncertainty is reduced, plans must be refined, updated, and re-baselined.
3. The Executing Process Group
Purpose: Integrate people and other resources to carry out the project management plan.
This is where the plan meets reality. The executing group is where the majority of the project budget is spent, where quality is built into the product, and where team dynamics either accelerate or sabotage delivery.
Key Processes:
| # | Process | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Direct and Manage Project Work | Lead and perform the work defined in the plan; implement approved changes |
| 2 | Perform Quality Assurance | Audit quality requirements to ensure appropriate standards are being used |
| 3 | Acquire Project Team | Obtain the human resources needed |
| 4 | Develop Project Team | Improve competencies and team interaction |
| 5 | Manage Project Team | Track performance, provide feedback, resolve issues |
| 6 | Manage Communications | Create, distribute, and store project information |
| 7 | Conduct Procurements | Obtain seller responses, select sellers, award contracts |
| 8 | Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Communicate and work with stakeholders to meet their expectations |
4. The Monitoring & Controlling Process Group
Purpose: Regularly measure and monitor progress to identify variances from the plan so that corrective action can be taken when necessary.
This group runs continuously across the entire project lifecycle. It is the feedback loop that keeps the project aligned with its baseline. Without it, you are navigating without instruments.
Key Processes:
| # | Process | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monitor and Control Project Work | Track, review, and regulate progress |
| 2 | Perform Integrated Change Control | Review all change requests; approve or reject changes |
| 3 | Validate Scope | Formalise acceptance of completed deliverables |
| 4 | Control Scope | Monitor scope status; manage scope changes |
| 5 | Control Schedule | Monitor schedule status; manage schedule changes |
| 6 | Control Costs | Monitor cost status; manage budget changes |
| 7 | Control Quality | Monitor quality results; recommend necessary changes |
| 8 | Control Communications | Monitor and control communications throughout the lifecycle |
| 9 | Control Risks | Implement risk response plans; track identified risks |
| 10 | Control Procurements | Manage procurement relationships; monitor contract performance |
| 11 | Control Stakeholder Engagement | Monitor stakeholder relationships; adjust strategies |
Key Principle: The essence of monitoring and controlling is variance analysis — comparing actual performance against the baseline and taking corrective or preventive action. This is where Earned Value Management (EVM) becomes indispensable.
5. The Closing Process Group
Purpose: Formalise acceptance of the product, service, or result and bring the project or phase to an orderly end.
Closing is not an afterthought. It involves formal verification that all work has been completed, all contracts have been settled, all lessons have been captured, and ownership has been formally transferred.
Key Processes:
| # | Process | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Close Project or Phase | Finalise all activities; formally close the project |
| 2 | Close Procurements | Complete and settle each procurement contract |
How Process Groups Map to the Lifecycle
The relationship between lifecycle phases and process groups is not one-to-one. All five process groups can operate within a single phase, and they overlap significantly during execution.
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Starting the Project | leads to | Initiating |
| Organising & Preparing | leads to | Planning |
| Carrying Out the Work | leads to | Executing |
| Carrying Out the Work | leads to | Monitoring & Controlling |
| Closing the Project | leads to | Closing |
| Monitoring & Controlling | Spans all phases | Starting the Project |
| Monitoring & Controlling | Spans all phases | Organising & Preparing |
| Monitoring & Controlling | Spans all phases | Closing the Project |
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| Initiation | leads to | Planning |
| Planning | leads to | Execution |
| Execution | leads to | Closeout |
| P1 | leads to | P2 |
| P2 | leads to | P3 |
| P3 | leads to | P4 |
| P4 | leads to | P5 |
| E1 | leads to | E2 |
| E2 | leads to | E3 |
| E3 | leads to | E4 |
| E4 | leads to | E5 |
| Monitoring & Controlling | leads to | M2 |
| M2 | leads to | M3 |
| M3 | leads to | M4 |
| M4 | leads to | M5 |
| Project Timeline → | leads to | Initiation |
The PDSA Cycle: Continuous Improvement Within the Lifecycle
Complementary to the PMBOK process groups is Deming's Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. While the process groups describe what activities to perform, the PDSA cycle describes how to improve them iteratively.
Relationship details
| From | Relationship | To |
|---|---|---|
| 📋 PLAN — Establish objectives — and processes | leads to | 🔨 DO — Implement — the processes |
| 🔨 DO — Implement — the processes | leads to | 🔍 STUDY — Monitor and evaluate — against objectives |
| 🔍 STUDY — Monitor and evaluate — against objectives | leads to | 🔄 ACT — Update procedures — and integrate improvements |
| 🔄 ACT — Update procedures — and integrate improvements | leads to | 📋 PLAN — Establish objectives — and processes |
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| PLAN | Establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with higher-level objectives |
| DO | Implement the processes |
| STUDY | Monitor and evaluate the processes and results against objectives and specifications; report the outcome |
| ACT | Update procedures and implement the revised process; integrate into normal working practice |
Continuous Improvement: The PDSA cycle operates within each process group and across the project lifecycle. Each repetition of the cycle accumulates knowledge and experience, driving incremental improvement. This is particularly powerful during long execution phases where processes can be refined in real time.
The PDSA cycle maps onto the project lifecycle as follows:
- Plan aligns with the Starting and Organising phases
- Do aligns with the Carrying Out the Work phase
- Study / Act align with the Closing phase — but also feed forward into the next project or phase
Process Groups vs. Phases: The Critical Distinction
This is one of the most frequently confused concepts in project management. Let's make it concrete:
| Dimension | Lifecycle Phases | Process Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Sequential time-based containers | Functional clusters of related activities |
| Overlap | Generally sequential (with some overlap) | Heavily overlapping — especially Planning, Executing, and M&C |
| Repetition | Each phase occurs once (generally) | Process groups can be invoked multiple times within a single phase |
| Decision gates | Phase boundaries are decision points (proceed/modify/terminate) | Process groups do not have formal gates between them |
| Scope | Organisational / lifecycle level | Activity / work level |
The Bottom Line: Phases tell you where you are in the project's journey. Process groups tell you what type of work needs to be done — and that work doesn't respect phase boundaries.
Five Common Pitfalls
- Treating process groups as phases. They are not sequential. Planning continues during execution. Monitoring spans the entire project.
- Front-loading all planning. The planning process group is iterative. Plans must be updated as the project evolves and uncertainty decreases.
- Neglecting the Initiating group on subsequent phases. Initiating processes should be revisited at the start of each phase to validate prior assumptions.
- Under-resourcing Monitoring & Controlling. This is the group that catches variances before they become crises. Cutting corners here is false economy.
- Treating Closing as administrative overhead. Lessons learned, contract closure, and formal acceptance are investments in organisational capability.
Key Takeaways
- The PMBOK identifies five process groups: Initiating (2 processes), Planning (24), Executing (8), Monitoring & Controlling (11), and Closing (2).
- Process groups are not the same as phases — they are functional clusters that can operate within any phase and overlap extensively.
- Monitoring & Controlling spans the entire project and provides the feedback loop that keeps the project aligned with its baseline.
- The PDSA cycle (Plan-Do-Study-Act) provides a framework for continuous improvement within and across process groups.
- Planning is the largest group for good reason — rigorous upfront planning has the greatest leverage on final project cost and schedule.