PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH PMI
APPROACH
Edwin Ivan Colmenares Velasquez
University Foundation the Liberators
Bogota, Colombia
eicolmenaresv@libertadores.edu.co
Abstract— The following document consists of taking the
reader to deepen on an important topic for the working life in
the area of engineering, which is the project management
institute (PMI), to identify when this type of management
should be applied. For this you must know their different life
cycles. Knowing that project management is a set of processes
to a set of knowledge areas and their interaction.
I. INTRODUCTIÓN
The project management study will focus on the good
practices defined by the PMI in the PMBOK. For this we
will know the good practices that should be applicable when
carrying out any project such as the use of knowledge,
processes, skills, tools and techniques and thus be more
likely to succeed.
II. BASIC CONCEPTS OF A PROJECT
What is a project?
It is a temporary effort that is carried out to create a product,
service or unique result. It has a defined beginning and end.
It is considered finished when the objectives have been
carried out.
Direction / Management of projects
It is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and
techniques to project activities to meet the requirements of
the project.
These groups of processes are:
 Start
 Planning
 Execution
 Monitoring and Control
 Close
Management / direction of programs
A program is defined as a group of related projects managed
in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits and control,
which would not be obtained if they were managed
individually.
Management / direction of portfolios
A set of projects or programs and other works that have been
grouped to facilitate the efficient management of that work,
in order to comply with the strategic business objectives. The
projects or programs in the portfolio are not necessarily
interdependent or directly related.
Office of management / project management
It is a body or entity within an organization that has several
responsibilities assigned in relation to the centralized and
coordinated management of those projects that are under its
jurisdiction. The responsibilities of a project management
office can range from providing support functions for project
management to the responsibility of directing projects
directly.
Project director
The project manager is the person assigned to achieve the
project's objectives.
The role of the project manager is different from that of a
functional manager or that of an operations manager. In
general, the functional manager is dedicated to the
managerial supervision of a technical or administrative area,
while the operations managers are responsible for a basic
business area.
Life cycle of a project
It is a series of phases that the project goes from its inception
until its closure. The phases are usually sequential, and the
number and name of the phases depends on the management
and
control of the needs of the organization or organizations
involved in the project, the nature of the project itself, and its
area of application.
Projects vary in size and complexity. All projects, without
importing how small or large, or how simple or complex
they may be, can be configured within the following life
cycle structure:
 home,
 organization and preparation,
 work execution
 closure.
GROUPS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
III.
PROCESSES
Process group management describes what is needed to
manage the work, the project.
Project management processes are grouped into five
categories known as Project Management Process Groups
or process groups:
 Start process group. Those processes carried out
to define a new project or a new phase of an
existing project by obtaining the authorization to
start the project or phase.
 Planning process group. Those processes carried
out to establish the total scope of the effort, define
and refine the objectives and develop the course
of action required to achieve those objectives.
  Execution process group. Those processes carried
out to complete the work defined in the plan for
the direction of the project to meet the objectives
of the project.
 Monitoring and control process group. Those
processes required to monitor, analyze and
regulate the progress and performance of the
project, to identify areas in which changes to the
plan are necessary and to initiate the
corresponding changes.
 Group of closing processes. Those processes
performed for finalize all the activities through all
the groups of processes, in order to formally close
the project or a phase of it. At the close of the
project or phase, the following may occur:
 Obtain the acceptance of the client or the
sponsor
 Conduct a review after the project closure
or the completion of a phase
 record the impacts of adaptation to a
process
 document the lessons learned
 apply appropriate updates to the assets of
the processes of the organization
 archive all the relevant documents of the
project in the information system for
project management to be used as
Historical facts
 close acquisitions
IV. AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE OF PROJECT
MANAGEMENT.
For the PMBOK® a good way to treat the processes is to
group them in Knowledge Areas.
An area of knowledge represents a complete set of concepts,
terms, and the activities that make up a professional field,
field of project management, or area of expertise.
Ten areas of knowledge are identified:
 Integration
 Reach
 Time
 Costs
 Quality
 Human
 Resources
 Communications
 Risk
 Acquisitions
 Interested
The ten areas of knowledge that are used in most projects
Integration management
Includes the processes and activities necessary to identify,
define, combine, unify and coordinate the various processes
and activities of project management within the groups of
project management processes
Scope management
 Scope of the project. The work that must be done to
deliver a product, service or result with the
specified characteristics and functions.
 Preparation of the Outreach Plan. Process of
creating a plan Scope management documenting
how the scope will be defined, the validation and
control of the project.
 Collect Requirements. It is the process that consists
in defining and documenting the needs of the
interested parties in order to fulfill the objectives of
the project.
 Define the Scope. It is the process that consists of
developing a detailed description of the project and
the product.
 Create the Work Breakdown Structure (hereinafter
EDT). Is the process that consists of subdividing
deliverables and project work into smaller and
easier to manage components.
 Verify the Scope. It is the process that consists of
formalizing the acceptance of the deliverables of the
project that have been completed.
 Control the Scope. It is the process that consists of
monitoring the status of the scope of the project and
the product, and in managing changes to the base
line of the scope.
Time management
Includes the processes required to manage the completion of
the project on time. The general description of Project Time
Management processes is as follows:
 Elaborate schedule management. It is the process in
which the policies, procedures and documentation
are established to plan, develop, manage, execute
and control the project schedule.
 Define Activities. It is the process that consists of
identifying the specific actions to be carried out to
elaborate the deliverables of the project.
 Sequence Activities. It is the process of identifying
and documenting the interrelationships between
project activities
 Estimate the Resources of the Activities. It is the
process that consists of estimating the type and
quantities of materials, people, equipment or
supplies required to execute each activity.
  Estimate the Duration of Activities. It is the process
that consists in establishing approximately the
amount of work periods necessary to complete each
activity with the estimated resources.
 Develop the Schedule. It is the process that consists
of analyzing the sequence of activities, their
duration, the resource requirements and the
constraints of the schedule to create the project
schedule.
 Control the Schedule. It is the process by which the
status of the project is monitored to update the
progress of the project and manage changes to the
baseline of the schedule.
Cost management
The Project Costs Management includes the processes
involved in estimating, budgeting and controlling costs so
that the project is completed within the approved budget.
 Prepare the cost plan. It is the process that
establishes the policies, procedures and
documentation for planning, management, expense
and control of project costs.
 Estimate Costs. It is the process that consists of
developing an approximation of the financial
resources necessary to complete the activities of the
project.
 Determine the Budget. It is the process that consists
of adding the estimated costs of individual activities
or work packages to establish the authorized cost
baseline.
 Control Costs. It is the process that consists in
monitoring the situation of the project to update the
project budget and manage changes to the cost base
line
Project quality management
The Quality Management of the Project includes the
processes and activities of the organization that determine
responsibilities, objectives and quality policies in order that
the project meets the needs for which it was undertaken.
 Plan the Quality. It is the process by which the
quality requirements and / or standards for the
project and the product are identified, documenting
the manner in which the project will demonstrate
compliance with them.
 Carry out Quality Assurance. It is the process of
auditing quality requirements and the results of
quality control measures, to ensure that the
appropriate quality standards and operational
definitions are used.
 Perform Quality Control. It is the process by which
the results of the execution of quality control
activities are monitored and recorded, in order to
evaluate the performance and recommend necessary
changes.
Human resources management of the project
The Human Resources Management of the Project includes
the processes that organize, manage and lead the project
team.
 Develop the Human Resources Plan. It is the
process by which the roles within a project are
identified and documented, the responsibilities, the
required skills and the communication relationships,
and the plan for the direction of the personnel is
created.
 Acquire the Project Team. It is the process by which
the available human resources are confirmed and
the necessary equipment is formed to complete the
assignments of the project.
 Develop the Project Team. It is the process that
consists in improving the skills, the interaction of
the team members and the general environment of
the team to achieve a better performance of the
project.
 Direct the Project Team. It is the process of tracking
the performance of team members, providing
feedback, solving problems and managing changes
in order to optimize project performance.
Management of project communications
Project Communications Management includes the processes
required to ensure that the generation, collection,
distribution, storage, retrieval and final disposal of project
information are adequate and timely.
 Prepare the communication plan. The process of
developing an adequate approach and
communication plan of the project based on the
information of the interested parties needs and
requirements, and available organizational assets.
 Manage communication. The process of creation,
collection, distribution, storage, recovery and final
disposal of project information in accordance with
the management of communications plan.
 Control communications. The process of
supervision and control communications throughout
the life cycle of the project to ensure the
information needs of those interested in the Project
are met
Risk management
It includes the processes related to carry out management
planning, identification, analysis, risk response planning, as
well as its monitoring and control in a project. Plan the Risk
Management. It is the process by which you define how to
perform risk management activities for a project.
 Identify the Risks. It is the process by which the
risks that can affect the project are determined and
its characteristics are documented.
 Perform the Qualitative Risk Analysis. It is the
process that consists of prioritizing the risks to carry
out other analyzes or subsequent actions, evaluating
and combining the probability of occurrence and the
impact of said risks.
 Carry out the Quantitative Risk Analysis. It is the
process that consists in analyzing numerically the
effect of the identified risks on the general
objectives of the project.
 Plan the Response to the Risks. It is the process by
which options and actions are developed to improve
opportunities and reduce threats to the objectives of
the project.
  Monitor and Control Risks It is the process by
which risk response plans are implemented, the
identified risks are tracked, residual risks are
monitored, new risks are identified and the
effectiveness of the process against risks is
evaluated through the project.
Procurement management
It includes the processes of purchase or acquisition of the
products, services or results that it is necessary to obtain
outside the project team.
 Plan the Acquisitions. It is the process of
documenting purchase decisions for the project,
specifying the way to do it and identifying potential
sellers.
 Carry out the Acquisitions. It is the process of
obtaining responses from sellers, selecting a seller
and awarding a contract.
 Control Acquisitions. It is the process of managing
procurement relationships, monitoring the execution
of contracts, and making changes and corrections as
necessary.
 Close the Acquisitions. It is the process of
completing each acquisition for the project
Management of interested parties
It includes the processes required to identify the persons,
groups or organizations that could affect or be affected by
the project, to analyze the expectations of the interested
parties and their impact on the project. Identify interested
 The process of identifying the individuals, groups or
organizations that could affect or be affected by a
decision, the activity, or the result of the project;
and analyze and document relevant information
regarding their interests, participation,
interdependencies, influence and potential impact
on the success of the project.
 Draw up a stakeholder management plan. The
process of developing appropriate management
strategies to effectively participate stakeholders
throughout the life cycle of the project, based on the
analysis of their needs, interests and possible
repercussions on the success of the project.
 Manage the expectations of the interested parties.
The process of communicating and working with
stakeholders to meet their needs / expectations,
management problems as they occur, and
encouraging interest groups to participate
appropriately in project activities throughout the life
cycle of the project.
 Control the expectations of the interested parties.
The process of monitoring the general interest
groups of the project, relationships and adjustment
strategies and plans to involve stakeholders
V. CONCLUSIONES
The previous document will help the reader to know about a
very important topic such as the PMI, since it is a great help
for the elaboration and development of projects for all the
engineers that are involved in this work, since it is a very
important work and very well paid.
Every project must have important guidelines, which by
following them to the letter, can reach a perfect closure as is
the PMI approach.
VI. REFERENCIAS
[1] Rita-PMP® Exam Prep 8th Edition – Autor: Rita Mulcahy
[2] Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK Guide, 5th Ed
(PMBOK®) Autor: Project Management Institute
[3] http://pmpencasa.info/ciclo-de-vida-del-proyecto/ (15/11/2015)
[4] Guía de los Fundamentos para la Dirección de Proyectos (Guía del
PMBOK®)4ªEd Autor: Project Management Institute
[5] agilemanifesto.org/iso/es/ (30/12/2015)
[6] http://blog.leanmonitor.com/es/que-son-las-metodologias-agiles/
(30/12/2015)