The AMA Handbook of Project Management, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 3Project Management Process GroupsProject Management Knowledge in Action

GEREE STREUN, PMP, CSQE, GVSOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC.

One often hears the project management profession’s standard, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide), described as consisting of nine knowledge areas. What is left out of this description is the equally important segment of the standard that describes the processes used by the project manager to apply that knowledge appropriately. These processes can be effectively arranged in logical groups for ease of consistent application. These process groups—Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing—describe how a project manager integrates activities across the various ...