Projects are not ordinary. They are different from normal operations, which happen from time to time.
In this article,i want to talk about some of the Project management Process Groups that we have in Project management . But first and foremost, I need to explain what Process groups are.
Many activities happen when one is embarking on a project. You have to complete different activities before you complete your project. These activities are grouped into different categories to make projects more manageable.
There are five process groups in project management. I will discuss the five of them here, one after the other. Join me as we do this together now.
Any difference between project Process Groups and project Phases?
You need to know that they are independent of each other. Like I said, Process groups are logical groupings of activities in order to achieve project goals and objectives. Project phases are different stages that a particular project is divided into in order to make it more manageable.
The initiation process group is the first project group when we are managing a project. This is when the project is being defined. It is at this stage that we have to conclude what the project is all about. This is the period that we have to gather requirements for the project.
At this stage of the project. You have to engage the stakeholders. you will need to deploy the use of interpersonal skills such as Facilitation and meeting Management among other interpersonal skills to understand what your stakeholder wants.
You will also need to analyse documents that have been created before the project started. Analysing these documents will assist you in understanding the reasons why the organisation is embarking on that project.
#2 Planning Process Groups
Planning Process Groups consist of activities that you need to carry out when you need to decide on how the project will be executed. Here you will need to plan for different aspects on the project such as cost, quality, schedule, resources both physical and material resources among others.
These also includes process groups to establish the required scope for the project. this is when you need to decide on what is and what is not part of the project. You have to make sure that you are only doing what is required in order to prevent scope creep.
Also, the planning process group is used to refine the objectives for the project and define the course of action that is required in order to attain the objectives that the projects wants to achieve.
#3 Executing Process Groups
This Process Group defines some of the processes involved when you need to implement some of the things that you have planned during the planning phase of the project. These include activities that are performed to complete the work that you have planned to do.
At this phase, you want to be sure that you have performed all the activities that you have planned. This will guarantee that your stakeholders are satisfied. It will ensure that the projects satisfy stakeholder requirements.
#4 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
This includes process groups that are required to track project activities so as to confirm and be sure that we are on track.
Through this process group we can have a holistic group of what we are doing on the project. We will also be able to identify areas where changes are required so that necessary adjustments can be made on the project.
This will help us to initiate changes that will move the project forward. We also need to know that this process group can interact with other process groups. That means there is no stage on a project where monitoring and controlling cannot be done.
#5 Closing Process Group
This consists of different activities that are being carried out to wrap up the project and bring it to a formal close. At this stage we need to look at the project and conclude that all activities that needed to be done have been achieved before we wrap up the project.
There is also the introduction of Process flow Diagram,s which are meant to show how each of the activities is related to each other.
These process flow diagrams are linked by a series of activities which show the input and the outcomes for each of the activities on a project.
You also need to know that most times, the outcome of one activity can be an input into another activity on a project.
Conclusion
There are always some elements of Tailoring that can be introduced to each of the tailoring activities on a project. We have to look at the project environment, project resources and project scopes, among others, in order to determine what can be done and what cannot be done on a project.
Action Point
PS: I know you might agree with some of the points raised in this article or disagree with some of the issues raised.
Please share your thoughts on the topic discussed. We would appreciate it if you could drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
