What Is PMBOK?

The term ‘PMBOK’ stands for ‘Project Management Body of Knowledge. This is the whole collection of processes, best practices, terminologies, and guidelines which are accepted as standards within the project management industry.

As the collection of knowledge is always growing – as project management practitioners discover new methods or best practices – the PMBOK must be updated and sent out. This is an effort which is overseen by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The PMI is the global not-for-profit member association of project management professionals which captures and publishes the PMBOK in the book, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). The first edition of the PMBOK Guide appeared in 1996. It is now on its fifth edition, which was published in 2013.

What Are The PMBOK Project Manager Knowledge Areas?

There are ten Project Management Knowledge Areas[7]. Knowledge Areas cover what you need to KNOW. In the order that these appear in the PMBOK® Guide, the knowledge areas are:

1. Project Integration Management

These are the processes which are required in order to ensure that the various elements of the project are accurately coordinated.

2. Project Scope Management

This refers to the processes that are required in order to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and just the work required, to complete the project successfully.

3. Project Time Management

Project time management the processes required in order to ensure the timely completion of the project.

4. Project Cost Management

Project cost management refers to the processes that are required to ensure the project is completed within the approved budget.

5. Project Quality Management

This term encompasses the processes required to ensure the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.

6. Project Human Resource Management

These are the processes that are required to make the most effective use of the people involved with the project.

7. Project Communications Management

Project communications management is an umbrella term for the processes required to ensure the timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage as well as the ultimate disposition of project knowledge.

8. Project Risk Management

These are the processes which are concerned with identifying, analysing, and responding to project risk.

9. Project Procurement Management

These are the processes which are required to acquire the goods and services from outside the performing organisation.

10. Project Stakeholder Management

Project stakeholder management is concerned with identifying stakeholders, understanding their role and needs in the project and ensuring the project can deliver those.

Knowledge areas are used on most projects, most of the time. It is up to the project management team to define the appropriate depth of implementation for each project. Knowledge areas also allow us to review project management practices by separate and distinct siloes.

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