Project Integration Management

This chapter covers key concepts related to Project Integration Management.

The knowledge area of Project Integration Management consists of the following seven processes -

Project Integration Processes

Process	Project Phase	Key Deliverables
Develop Project Charter	Initiating	Project Charter
Develop Project Management Plan	Planning	Project Management Plan
Direct and Manage Project Execution	Execution	Deliverables
Monitor and Control Project Work	Monitoring and Control	Change Requests
Perform Integrated Change Control	Monitoring and Control	Change Requests status updates
Close Project or Phase	Closure	Final product

A project charter

• Formally authorizes the project.
• Gives the objectives and business case
• Identifies the Project Manager.
• Generic enough not to change often.
• Written by a Manager higher in authority than Project Manager.
• Includes name, description, deliverables
• A project does not start unless it has a Project charter.

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Develop Project Charter process are given below.

Develop Project Charter process

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project Statement of work	Expert judgment	Project Charter
Business case
Contract
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

During project execution the project team focuses on completing the tasks assigned. The Senior Management protects the project from changes and loss of resources. The Project Manager integrates all the pieces into the project as a whole.

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Develop Project Management Plan process are given in the table below.

Develop Project Management Plan process

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project charter	Expert judgment	Project Management Plan
Outputs from planning processes
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

At the end of each phase of a project, a lessons learned document must be prepared. The lessons learned document defines what was done right, wrong etc. It is required to be completed in order for the project to be completed.

Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a system that keeps track of status of all the project tasks. It is used to track the status of the project. The exam does not focus on any specific system (for example Microsoft Project ).

Project Management Plan is developed by Project Manager with inputs from the team, stakeholders and management. Project Management Plan development is iterative. A Project Management Plan is bought into, approved, realistic and formal.

A Project Management Plan includes -

• Project Charter
• Budget
• Schedule
• Resources
• Scope Statement
• WBS
• Responsibility charts/assignments
• Management Plans

A Project Management Plan consolidates other management plans. These are:

1. Scope management plan
2. Requirement management plan
3. Schedule management plan
4. Cost management plan
5. Quality management plan
6. Process improvement plan
7. Human resource plan
8. Communication management plan
9. Risk management plan
10. Procurement management plan

The Project Management Plan also includes project baselines. These are:

1. Schedule baseline
2. Cost performance baseline
and
3. Scope baseline

Project baseline refers to the original version of the project management plan. Once the project management plan is baselined, it may only be changed by raising a change request.

Progressive Elaboration involves the process of taking a project from concept to detailed design.

Kick-off meeting happens after the planning phase and before the project execution. It is typically used to communicate responsibilities of key stakeholders.

Direct and Manage Project Execution process includes performing the work defined in the PMP to achieve project goals. The Input, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process are given below.

Direct and Manage Project Execution process

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan	Expert judgment	Deliverables
Approved change requests	Project management information system	Work performance information
Enterprise Environmental factors		Change requests
Organizational process assets		Project management plan updates
		Project document updates

Monitor and Control project work process includes tracking and reviewing the progress of the project. The Input, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process are given below.

Monitor and Control project work process

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan	Expert judgment	Change requests
Performance reports		Project management plan updates
Enterprise environmental factors		Project document updates
Organizational process assets

The change requests that get generated are evaluated as part of the Perform Integrated Change Control process. The change requests on the project deliverables and project artifacts are managed in this process. The Input, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process are given below.

Perform Integrated Change Control process

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan	Expert judgment	Change request status updates
Work performance information	Change control meetings	Project management plan updates
Change requests		Project document updates
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

Change Control Board is formed to review change requests. It is used to approve or reject change requests. After the project scope has been baselined, each requested change must go through a change control review process.

Project Manager needs to be proactive in looking for deviations from project plan and then take timely corrective action. After that the Project Manager needs to evaluate the effectiveness of corrective action, and measure performance of corrective action, and then determine the need for further corrective action.

When a change request is received, the following steps must be taken (in this order) -

1. Evaluate (assess) the impact of change to the project
2. Create alternatives including cutting other tasks, crashing, fast-tracking etc.
3. Meet with management, sponsors etc.
4. Meet with the customer if necessary

The Close Project or Phase is the process of formal completion of all project related activities. The Input, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process are given below.

Close Project or Phase

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Project management plan	Expert judgment	Final product, service or result transition
Accepted deliverables		Organizational process assets updates
Organizational process assets

At the end of each phase of a project, a lessons learned document must be prepared. The lessons learned document defines what was done right, wrong etc. It is required to be completed in order for the project to be completed.

Questions on Project Integration Management fundamentals are available in Questions by Topic.