PMBOK guide has suggested ten project management knowledge areas which should be known to every project manager. PMBOK stands for project management body of knowledge which is a set of guidelines and standard terminology for the project management professionals all over the world. PMBOK is published and updated by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Project Management Knowledge Areas

According to the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), the project management is divided into ten knowledge areas. These Project Management knowledge areas coincide with the with the process groups of project management. These process groups are phase of project lifecycle and named as initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control and closing. A project manager must know all these knowledge areas and apply them in a project to effectively manage the project.

These 10 knowledge areas and 49 processes are mapped in a tabular form in the following manner:

These knowledge areas are as follows:

Project Integration Management

Project integration management is the most important knowledge area as it acts as a binding force for the project and includes the processes to identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate the various processes and activities of the project.

This knowledge area interacts at every phase (process group) of the project lifecycle.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Scope Management

Scope is one of the constraints of within which the project is performed. Project scope means the works performed to deliver a product or service with the specified features and functions. It the prime responsibility of the Project Manager to deliver the project outcome strictly as per the scope defied initially. Project scope management includes the processes which are required to insure that the project consists of all the works required and only the works required, to complete the project successfully.  

This knowledge area runs across two process groups, i.e., planning and monitoring & controlling. The planning process group includes plan scope, collect requirements, define scope and create WBS processes. The monitoring & control phase includes validate scope and control scope processes.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Schedule Management

Project schedule management includes the processes which are required to complete the project timely. This knowledge area is very important because completing the project on time is what the client and other stakeholders want. The processes including in this knowledge area are plan schedule management, define activities, sequence activities, estimate activity durations, develop schedule and control schedule. Out of these plan schedule management, define activities, sequence activities, estimate activity durations, develop schedule processes belong to planning process group while the control schedule process belong to monitoring & control process group.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Cost Management

The budget is one of the constraints within which the project is to be performed. A project is called successful when it is done within the cost initially decided. Project cost management involves the processes related to estimating, budgeting, financing, managing and controlling costs, so that the project may be completed within the approved budget. Cost management is basically about how to plan, manage and control the project cost in relation to the cost baseline.

There are two process groups or project phases through which cost management knowledge area extends. These are planning phase and monitoring & control phase of the project. The processes like plan cost management, estimate costs and determine budget are performed in the planning phase. During the control & monitoring phase, the control cost process is done.

The Earned Value Management technique is used to determine the potential deviation from the cost and/or schedule baseline.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Quality Management

Quality of deliverable is crucial for the project success. The project should be able to deliver intended quality output as defined in the project. Every stakeholder need good quality. Meeting the quality expectation of stakeholders is not only the prime responsibility of only project manager but everybody involved in the project. A project is said to meet quality expectations when all the project requirements agreed in the beginning of the project are met.

Quality management includes the steps like Total Quality Management, Key Principles and Advantages“>quality planning, quality assurance and quality control. Project quality management is present in three process groups, i.e., planning, executing and monitoring & controlling.

The process involved in the planning process group is plan quality management. At the execution stage, the process of manage quality is done and the process of control quality is performed during the monitoring & control phase of the project.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Resource Management

Resource management is one of the most crucial parts of the project. Project resource management includes identification, acquiring and management of resources needed for the successful completion of the project. Resources may be human resources like project team, employees, contractors, suppliers, etc. or physical resources like tools, machinery, equipment, property, etc. necessary for the project.

Resource management runs across planning, execution and monitoring and control process groups. The planning phase includes the processes like plan resource management and estimation of resources for each of the activities. During the execution phase, the resources are acquired, teams are developed and managed. In the monitoring and control phase, the resources are controlled.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Communications Management

There should be effective communication, not only between the project team members but all the other stakeholders as well. The communication management is to determine who need what and when. How much communication each stakeholder requires? What will be the frequency of communication? What will be the mode of communication? Communication involves transfer of information to project stakeholders, reporting project progress, etc.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Risk Management

Risk management involves identification, categorization and management of risk. The first step in risk management is making a risk register. All the risks which are identified are penned down in the risk register. The risk management runs over planning, execution and monitoring & control phases.

In the planning stage, the processes like risk management plan preparation, identification & categorization of risks, risk analysis (quantitative as well as qualitative) and planning risk response are done.

At the execution stage, the action is taken as per risk management plan to mitigate the risk. The risk response depends upon the type of risk and the strategies may be risk avoidance, risk mitigation, risk transfer and risk acceptance.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Procurement Management

Procurement means acquiring the goods and services to accomplish the objectives of the project. It is not only limited to getting supply of goods or getting services but it also involves vendor management i.e., there selection, evaluation, relationship management, etc.

In the planning phase, the procurement plan is prepared and all the activities for the procurement are included in the procurement plan. Organizational requirements, the quantities of the supplies, services required, the time of procurement, method of procurement, specifications, etc. are part of the procurement plan.

In the execution phase, actual procurement is done. The goods and services are procured, checked for quality and stored. There may be many activities involved in the execution of procurement plan, such as, drafting of specifications and request for proposal (RFP) documents, invitation of bids or proposals, selection of supplier, contract preparation and signing, taking supply of goods and services, quality checking of materials procured, supplier management, supplier relationship management, etc. All the above activities are taken care during the execution phase.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Project Stakeholder Management

Making stakeholders happy is very important for the project manager. The projects are done to fulfil the needs of the stakeholders. Therefore, the stakeholders need to be managed actively.

There are three steps in stakeholder management. (1) Stakeholder identification, (2) Stakeholder Prioritization, (3) Stakeholder Management.

There are different strategies to manage stakeholders, which depends from which category they belong. One powerful tool to manage stakeholders is using power-interest matrix.

The processes related to this knowledge area which are involved in different phases are tabulated as follows:

Conclusion

These ten knowledge areas along with 49 set of processes gives a complete know how about how to manage a project and complete it successfully. To know more about these, one can pursue PMP Certification Course given by PMI. Applying these knowledge areas/skills into real life scenarios will reduce your risks substantially and you will be able to complete your projects successfully. As you will refine them and iterate them in your projects, you will become a master of managing projects.

Read more: Nine Most Popular Project Management Methodologies