How to plot the 47 Processes in Knowledge Area/Process Group grid in 3 minutes flat

Originally found @ http://www.pmzilla.com/how-plot-47-processes-knowledge-areaprocess-group-grid-3-minutes-flat

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There are 47 processes spread across 10 knowledge areas.

At first glance, it might look intimidating – how do I remember all those processes for the exam? Do I have to memorize? Well, I would say don’t panic. I have devised a method which I used for my learning, found it very effective to plot all the 47 processes in the Grid, under less than 3 minutes.

When you appear for the PMP Exam, at the exam centre, before 15 minutes for your exam start time, you are given some scrap paper. The first thing I did, was to plot the 47 processes in one of the paper. 3 Minutes of 15 minutes time is gone.

Let’s start…

Step 1: Draw the grid with 6 columns and 11 rows. Leave enough width and height for each row and column.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration
Scope
Time
Cost
Quality
HR
Communications
Risk
Procurement
Stakeholder

If you are worried that how you can remember the names of Knowledge Areas and/or process groups, here is the trick:
Process Groups: IPEM&CC
Knowledge Areas: I Scoped Time Cost and Quality with my HR to Communicate Risks on Procurement to ourStakeholders.
Its pretty simple. Isn’t it. Remember that the first I is for Integration.

Step 2: Write the number of processes across each knowledge area

You can remember these numbers bit easily.

Communicating Quality is 3.

Cost of Procurement to HR and Stakeholders is 4.

Integrating Risk and Scope is 6.

Time is more costly at 7.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Integration (6)
Scope (6)
Time (7)
Cost (4)
Quality (3)
HR (4)
Communications (3)
Risk (6)
Procurement (4)
Stakeholder (4)

Step 3: Mark the boundaries for Process Groups. You score 4.

Mark the four boundaries for the progress groups. One small thing to note is the bottom right boundary is one row above. Remember this. At these boundary locations, write the four processes as shown.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Closing
Score 4/47
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)
Time (7)
Cost (4)
Quality (3)
HR (4)
Communications (3)
Risk (6)
Procurement (4)		Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders

You have done the marking for Initiating and Closing process groups. Two process groups knocked down.

Step 4: Knock off Management Plans for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.

For each knowledge area, there is a corresponding management plan. Remember that a Project Manager must Plan before actually doing any work. Each of these management plans helps you to device strategies for managing the respective knowledge areas. Two things to keep in mind here are:

Integrating all the processes the main work for the Project Manager. So the Management Plan for Integration is the Project Plan.
Time is represented as Schedule in Management Plan.

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Closing
Score 14/47
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management
HR (4)		Plan HR Management
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management

Step 4: Knock off Controlling Processes for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.

Just like there is a management plan processes for each knowledge area, there are controlling processes for all but one knowledge areas. The following points must be kept in mind.

Integration has two controlling processes: Monitor and Control Project work and Perform Integrated Change Control.
Time is again represented as Schedule.
There is no Controlling process for HR

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Score 24/47
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management	Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management	Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management	Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management	Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management	Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management	Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management	Control Stakeholder Engagement

As you can see here, there is ONLY ONE Process left for Integration, Quality, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholder process groups after this step. Its that easy with this approach. As you guessed already, if we do Executing Process group, this will be done.

Step 5: Knock off Executing Processes for each knowledge area. You score 8.

The column without any single entry is our Executing Process group. Lets look at it.

Remember that Executing Process Group is where your team carries out the work to produce the deliverable towards the project.

Its interesting to note that Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas doesn’t have any executing processes. It is quite obvious that the Project Manager’s primary focus on these constraints: Cost, Time, Scope is Planning and Monitoring/Control.

The processes in Executing Group are:

Integration: Direct and Manage Project Work (to control your team and activities they do)
Quality: Perform Quality Assurance (to check adherence to Quality Standards, policies etc.)
HR: Acquire, Develop and Manage Project Team (Executing is the team’s stage to perform)
Communications: Manage Communications (Manage efficient and effective communications flow)
Procurements: Conduct procurements (Get the resources and/or material as required by the PM Plan)
Stakeholder: Manage Stakeholder Engagement (Update them regularly)

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Score 32/47
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Direct and Manage Project Work	Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management		Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management		Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management		Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management	Perform Quality Assurance	Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management	Acquire Project Team Develop Project Team Manage Project Team
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management	Manage Communications	Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management		Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Conduct Procurements	Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management	Manage Stakeholder Engagement	Control Stakeholder Engagement

Cool…. If you notice we knocked off the following knowledge areas completely: Integration, Quality, HR, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholders. Same way we are done with Initiating, Executing and Closing Process groups. Simple and easy – isn’t it?
What is left is: 4 in Scope, 5 in Time, 2 in Cost and 4 in Risk – a total of 15. So 32+15=47 our final score.

Step 6: Complete Scope, Time, Cost and Risk to get your score to 47.

Its good that we are dealing with most important things for a PM now. Since we do here, we remember them better – whey we need these processes and the order in which we do them.

Scope: Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Validate Scope. Wait a minute here. Collecting Reks, Defining Scope and Create WBS all are planning tasks. When you do validate scope? When a deliverable is produced to validate it. So obviously after Executing. So Validate Scope goes to Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. Before Controlling Scope.
Time: All about activities here. Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Duration’s and Develop Schedule. All are planning tasks – isn’t it?
Cost: Estimate Costs and Determine Budget. Again – lot of planning.
Risk: Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses. Again – lot of planning.

Lets complete our grid….

Knowledge Area/Progress Group	Initiating	Planning	Executing	Monitoring and Controlling	Closing
Score 47/47
Integration (6)	Develop Project Charter	Develop Project Management Plan	Direct and Manage Project Work	Monitor and Control Project Work Perform Integrated Change Control	Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)		Plan Scope Management Collect Requirements Define Scope Create WBS		Validate Scope Control Scope
Time (7)		Plan Schedule Management Define Activities Sequence Activities Estimate Activity Resources Estimate Activity Durations Develop Schedule		Control Schedule
Cost (4)		Plan Cost Management Estimate Costs Determine Budget		Control Cost
Quality (3)		Plan Quality Management	Perform Quality Assurance	Control Quality
HR (4)		Plan HR Management	Acquire Project Team Develop Project Team Manage Project Team
Communications (3)		Plan Communications Management	Manage Communications	Control Communications
Risk (6)		Plan Risk Management Identify Risks Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Plan Risk Response		Control Risks
Procurement (4)		Plan Procurement Management	Conduct Procurements	Control Procurements	Close Procurements
Stakeholder (4)	Identify Stakeholders	Plan Stakeholder Management	Manage Stakeholder Engagement	Control Stakeholder Engagement

Do a cross check of Process count and you should get 47. Is easy…
Practice this two to three times to get it right. Having this in front of you in the exam, should make you to answer more questions right. And it gives confidence. And it saves quite a lot of time.

Important Points to consider:

Integration knowledge area is the only knowledge area that has processes in each process group. This makes sense as a Project Manager your primarily integrating all the other process together to deliver the project.
Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas have all Planning and Monitoring & Controlling processes. The primary focus of the Project Manager.