Head First PMP

1. Project Management: Knowledge, Performance, and Personal Skills

It’s not enough to have a good plan and all the resources you need to make your project a success.

Three Core Skills. Effective project managers need a blend of knowledge (understanding PMBOK® Guide principles), performance (applying those principles to achieve project goals), and personal skills (leadership, communication, and problem-solving). Neglecting any of these areas can lead to project failures.

Knowledge is Power. Project managers must understand the PMBOK® Guide and other project management concepts. This includes knowing the processes, tools, and techniques available to manage projects effectively. Without this knowledge, project managers may miss opportunities to solve problems or improve project outcomes.

Soft Skills Matter. Personal skills are crucial for leading and motivating teams, managing conflicts, and communicating effectively with stakeholders. Project managers must be able to build trust, influence others, and create a positive working environment.

2. Organizational Structures: Functional, Matrix, and Projectized

The project manager has the most authority and power in a project-oriented organization.

Organization Types. The type of organization significantly impacts the project manager's authority and how the team operates. Functional organizations prioritize functional departments, while projectized organizations give the project manager the most power. Matrix organizations balance authority between functional and project managers.

PMO Influence. Project Management Offices (PMOs) can play different roles: supportive (providing templates and guidance), controlling (ensuring adherence to processes), or directive (directly managing projects). The PMO's role affects the project manager's autonomy and the level of standardization across projects.

Matrix Nuances. Matrix organizations come in weak, balanced, and strong flavors, each offering varying degrees of authority to the project manager. In a weak matrix, the project manager has limited authority, while in a strong matrix, the project manager has significant control over resources and decision-making.

3. Process Groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing

Even though you’re constantly gathering requirements, managing stakeholders, and working within constraints, different situations can call for different tools for dealing with all of those challenges.

Five Key Stages. Projects progress through five process groups: Initiating (defining the project and obtaining authorization), Planning (creating the project management plan), Executing (carrying out the work), Monitoring & Controlling (tracking progress and managing changes), and Closing (formalizing project completion). Each process group contains specific processes that contribute to the overall project success.

Iterative Nature. While the process groups are sequential, projects often involve iteration and overlap between them. For example, planning may continue throughout the project as new information becomes available, and monitoring and controlling occur concurrently with execution.

Process Group Purpose. The process groups help organize the work you do as your project progresses and keep your role in the project straight. The groups help you organize all of the work you do as your project progresses and keep your role in the project straight.

4. Knowledge Areas: Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resources, Communications, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder

The processes are organized in two ways — the process groups are about how you do the work, and the knowledge areas are there to help you categorize them and help you learn.

Ten Key Areas. The PMBOK® Guide organizes project management processes into ten knowledge areas: Integration Management, Scope Management, Schedule Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Resource Management, Communications Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, and Stakeholder Management. Each knowledge area contains specific processes, tools, and techniques for managing a particular aspect of the project.

Interconnectedness. While each knowledge area focuses on a specific aspect of the project, they are all interconnected and influence one another. For example, changes in scope can impact the schedule and cost, requiring adjustments in other knowledge areas.

Knowledge Area Purpose. The knowledge areas are there to help you categorize them and help you learn. All of the knowledge areas are used throughout every project to keep your project on track.

5. Project Charters: Authorizing Projects and Project Managers

A project charter is a document that describes a project’s requirements and high-level schedule, assigns a project manager, and authorizes the project.

Formal Authorization. The project charter formally authorizes the project and assigns the project manager. It provides a high-level overview of the project's objectives, scope, and stakeholders. Without a charter, the project lacks official sanction and the project manager lacks the authority to allocate resources.

Key Elements. A typical project charter includes:

• Project description
• Project requirements
• Assigned project manager and authority level
• Summary milestone schedule
• Business case

Sponsor's Role. The project sponsor is responsible for creating the project charter. The project manager or the project sponsor can write the charter; only the sponsor approves it.

6. Project Constraints: Balancing Time, Scope, Cost, Quality, Resources, and Risk

Any time your project changes, you’ll need to know how that change affects all of the constraints.

Interdependent Factors. Projects operate within constraints, including time, scope, cost, quality, resources, and risk. These constraints are interconnected, and changes to one constraint can impact the others. Effective project management involves balancing these constraints to achieve project goals.

Constraint Management. Project managers must carefully manage these constraints throughout the project lifecycle. This involves making trade-offs, prioritizing tasks, and communicating effectively with stakeholders to ensure that the project remains on track.

Constraint Examples. If a project is running late, the project manager may need to reduce the scope or increase the budget to meet the deadline. Similarly, if the budget is cut, the project manager may need to reduce the scope or extend the schedule.

7. Project Lifecycles: Predictive vs. Adaptive Approaches

You can follow one of the lifecycles defined here, or make a new combination of predictive and adaptive practices that better suits your organization.

Predictive Planning. Predictive lifecycles (also known as waterfall) involve detailed planning upfront, with a focus on executing the plan and minimizing changes. This approach is suitable for projects with well-defined requirements and stable environments.

Adaptive Flexibility. Adaptive lifecycles (also known as agile) embrace change and involve iterative development, frequent feedback, and continuous improvement. This approach is suitable for projects with evolving requirements and dynamic environments.

Lifecycle Types. Other lifecycle types include iterative, incremental, and hybrid. Project managers often have an important role in helping the team decide which approach to take.

8. Project Communications: Keeping Stakeholders Informed

Communications management is about keeping everybody in the loop.

Key to Success. Effective communication is essential for project success. Project managers must develop a communications management plan that identifies stakeholders, their information needs, and the methods for disseminating information.

Communication Elements. Effective communication involves encoding (creating the message), transmitting (sending the message), decoding (interpreting the message), acknowledging (confirming receipt), and providing feedback (responding to the message). Noise, or interference, can disrupt the communication process.

Communication Methods. Communication methods can be formal (e.g., reports, presentations) or informal (e.g., emails, phone calls), and verbal or written. The choice of method depends on the audience, the message, and the context.

9. Project Risk: Planning for the Unknown

You can use risk planning to identify potential problems that could cause trouble for your project, analyze how likely they’ll be to occur, take action to prevent the risks you can avoid, and minimize the ones that you can’t.

Proactive Approach. Risk management involves identifying, analyzing, and responding to potential risks that could impact the project. A proactive approach to risk management can help minimize negative impacts and maximize opportunities.

Risk Responses. Common risk response strategies include:

• Avoid: Eliminate the risk
• Mitigate: Reduce the probability or impact of the risk
• Transfer: Shift the risk to a third party (e.g., insurance)
• Accept: Acknowledge the risk and take no action

Risk Register. The risk register is a central document for tracking identified risks, their probability and impact, and planned responses. It is updated throughout the project lifecycle.

10. Procurement: Getting Help from Outside

If you find the right seller, choose the right kind of relationship, and make sure that the goals of the contract are met, you’ll get the job done and your project will be a success.

When to Procure. Procurement involves acquiring goods or services from outside the organization. This is often necessary when the project requires specialized expertise or resources that are not available internally.

Contract Types. Different types of contracts exist, including fixed-price (where the price is set upfront), cost-reimbursable (where the buyer reimburses the seller's costs), and time and materials (where the buyer pays for time and materials). The choice of contract type depends on the project's complexity, risk, and the buyer's and seller's preferences.

Key Steps. The procurement process involves planning procurement, conducting procurements (soliciting bids and selecting a seller), and controlling procurements (managing the contract and ensuring compliance).

11. Stakeholder Engagement: Satisfying Key People

If your project is going to be successful, you’ve got to satisfy your stakeholders.

Stakeholder Identification. Stakeholder management involves identifying individuals or groups who are affected by the project or can influence its outcome. This includes the project team, sponsors, customers, and other interested parties.

Engagement Levels. Stakeholders can have varying levels of engagement: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, or leading. Project managers must tailor their communication and engagement strategies to each stakeholder's level of involvement.

Power/Interest Grid. A power/interest grid can help prioritize stakeholders based on their level of influence and interest in the project. High-power, high-interest stakeholders require close management, while low-power, low-interest stakeholders require minimal effort.

12. Professional Responsibility: Ethics and Conduct

You need to make good choices to be good at your job.

Ethical Conduct. Project managers are expected to adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct. This includes honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Ethical dilemmas can arise in various project situations, and project managers must make decisions that align with ethical principles.

Key Principles. The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct emphasizes:

• Following laws and company policies
• Treating everyone fairly and respectfully
• Respecting the environment and community
• Contributing to the project management profession
• Continuously improving skills

Ethical Decision-Making. When faced with ethical dilemmas, project managers should consider the potential consequences of their actions and choose the course that upholds ethical standards and promotes the best interests of the project and its stakeholders.

Last updated: February 27, 2025