The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK) i.e. Pmbok Guide is the guide released by the Project Management Institute(PMI) for assisting aspirants of PMP certification with their preparation. The first edition of the PMBOK Guide was released back in 1994. With the evolution of project management over the years, the guide was released in various editions by incorporating the necessary changes. The 7^th edition of PMBOK is the latest guide for project management professionals which is released in 2021.

What are the changes made in the 7^th edition of PMBOK Guide?

The latest seventh edition of the pmbok® guide is the foundation for individuals taking up the PMP exam. The seventh edition focuses on the system for value delivery which was briefly introduced in the 6^th edition.

Summary of changes:

• The drastic change found in the latest edition is that the process groups which were found under the title of “The Standard for Project Management” are replaced with 12 principles of project management.
• Under the title of “ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge”,  the 10 knowledge areas are replaced with 8 project performance domains.
• New section:
• Tailoring: The tailoring section reflects on how the domains can be altered and modified according to the varying project environments.
• Models, Methods, and Artifacts: This section is linked to the tools, techniques and output as earlier described in the 6^th edition.

Need for PMP Exam Prep Course

PMP aspirants can undergo PMP Certification Training course as it is instilled with changes that are mentioned in the content outline of PMP exam. The training sessions help individuals to gain a comprehensive understanding of all the 12 principles and 8 domains that are listed in the PMBOK Guide through the expertise of highly qualified professionals in the project management field.

How to acquire PMBOK Guide?

The PMBOK guide is available as a paperback as well as a digital copy. To access the free digital copy of the guide an individual has to be a member of the Project Management Institute. The paperback is available in several bookstores and on Amazon. 

What does the PMBOK Guide consist of?

Below is the list of contents that can be found within the PMBOK Guide. This content is covered by every PMP aspirant who is prepping for the PMP exam.

1. Standard for Project Management
   • System for value delivery
   • Project Management Principles
2. PMBOK Guide
   • Project Performance Domains
   • Tailoring
   • Models Methods and Artifiacts

Standard for Project Management:

This section specifies the standard that has to be followed for project management irrespective of the size, industry, location, and delivery methods. The section is for the eyes of stakeholders, consultants, project practitioners, and any individual who is directly related to the performance of the project.

1. System for value delivery:

An elaborate description of this element is newly added to the PMBOK guide. It assists in creating value for organizations and stakeholders, a governance system to measure the value created, a list of operations for supporting the project, the influence of external and internal environment on the project, and the interconnection of projects, portfolios, programs and products.

2. Project Management Principles:

As the new PMP syllabus highlights the key areas of processes, people, and business environment, project management principles are instilled to focus on providing guidelines to project managers for managing people involved in the project. These principles include:

• Being a diligent, caring and respectful steward
• Creation of collaborative environment for the project team
• Engaging with stakeholders
• Focusing on value
• Recognizing, responding and evaluating system interactions
• Demonstrating the different leadership behaviors
• Tailor the project development approach based on the project
• Devising quality into processes and deliverables
• Navigate the complexities of the project
• Optimizing risk responses
• Embracing adaptability and resiliency to project team
• Enabling change to achieve the visualized future state

PMBOK Guide

This part of the book describes the link between the standard of project management and PMBOK guide, PMIstandards+, and the changes made to the guide.

1. Project Performance Domains:

These domains are included in the section to establish an integrated system for delivering projects with the desired outcomes. The domains are as follows:

• Stakeholder: This domain highlights the activities revolving around the stakeholders. Aspiring project management professionals learn the methods of performing stakeholder analysis to maintain a healthy relationship with them.
• Team: Functions related to managing people responsible for producing end results whilst demonstrating interpersonal skills are described under this domain.
• Development approach and lifecycle: Activities related to the development of deliverables and different phases of the project lifecycle are labeled under this domain.
• Planning: This domain lists out the plan for organizing and collaboration of activities necessary for delivering the results, through the project cycle.
• Project work: Activities related to processes of the project, resources to be acquired and establishing a learning environment for the project team is listed under this performance domain.
• Delivery: This element is known for listing out the processes which are related to the delivery of scope and quality that the project intends to achieve on completion.
• Measurement: This domain helps project management professionals to assess the performance of the project and take appropriate actions for maintaining the benchmarked level of performance throughout the project.
• Uncertainty: This is the most crucial domain of the PMBOK guide as it lists out the activities associated with risks and uncertainties arising out of the project.

2. Tailoring:

This section is included for the first time in the PMBOK guide to assist aspiring project management professionals in devising and implanting changes of variables to suit the organization, requirements of the project and its environment.

Tailoring can be applied to the elements of the project lifecycle, processes, engagement with stakeholders, tools, models, and artifacts. This benefits the organization as well as project managers in terms of commitment from team members, customer orientation, and optimum use of project resources.

3. Models, methods and artifacts:

Under this section, project management professionals master the commonly used methods, models, artifacts that are necessary for managing projects. It enables the project team to select from the wide range of options available to them for dividing strategies, achieve the desired outcomes, and specific artifacts which can be applied across various domains.

Conclusion:

With the help of the PMBOK Guide, PMP aspirants gain a clear understanding of project management and its latest practices, tools and techniques. With this knowledge, PMP certified professionals can effectively manage their project-related tasks. As many organizations are looking for project managers with the credential of PMP, the PMBOK guide helps in speeding up the process of acquiring the gold standard of Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMI-PMP) Certification.

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