Processes and process groups of integration management

Processes and process groups of integration management

This section describes the key processes that fall within project integration management. The aim is to describe each process and enable you to understand its role in integration, so that you can do it. The context of this is project integration management. The individual processes (and in brackets the process groups to which they belong) within project integration management are:

• Develop project charter (Initiating)

• Develop preliminary project scope statement (Initiating)

• Develop project management plan (Planning)

• Direct and manage project execution (Executing)

• Monitor and control project work (Monitoring and Controlling)

• Integrated change control (Monitoring and Controlling)

• Close project (Closing).

Note that this list can also be read as a sequence of things to do to run a project. The charter is a 'plan for a plan' or a high-level, first-cut plan for the project. Often it need be no more than a one-page 'What? Why? Who? How? Where? When?' outline of the project as it is first conceived, but for larger projects it may be a longer document. The purpose of the scope statement is to say what does and does not fall within the project, and, following from that, what the key interfaces of the project are. The key elements of the charter and the scope statement are also key ingredients of the project plan. Why are they separated out in project management methodology as separate activities before the main planning ^[2] ? For all but the smallest, simplest projects, planning is a complex activity and it can be hard to know how to begin planning the work. If you are having difficulty in deciding or even thinking about how to start planning your project, don't worry “ that is entirely normal, even for very highly qualified and experienced executives.

If you are finding it hard to start planning, here are two ideas that may help. First, start by writing just a one-page plan, with a few lines under the headings 'What are we trying to do in this project: Why? How? When?'. And secondly, develop in your mind, and later on paper, a high-level, very rough view of the aim and rationale for the project, which is provided by the charter, and an initial or 'strawman' view of the rough scope of the project and the key interfaces. In both of these, use the strawman approach (see key idea box). Things can always be revised as more is learnt.

Key Idea The strawman A dictionary definition of 'strawman' is an argument set up to be defeated [3] . In project management, we use the term to mean something, typically a plan or report, that is set up to be modified or changed completely. The key idea is that it is a starting point only, and criticism, comment and total change not only do not matter, they are positively welcomed. We use a strawman to get the ball rolling, that is to get things started. People who receive strawman ideas should understand that they ought not to get angry with the strawman idea or use it to attack the project, but instead if they think it is misguided, they should come up themselves with a better idea and feed it back to the project. Getting traditional cultures to use the strawman can require a little cultural change.

The sequence of integration processes

Project management starts with project initiation. In project initiation the various project stakeholders are brought together to develop the project charter and the preliminary scope statement. Once those things are done the project then moves into the planning phase. Planning uses the outputs from initiation to start integrating all the detail needed to prepare, develop and coordinate the subsidiary plans produced in the project management plan.

The next stage of integration management is to direct and manage the execution process group by completing the work specified in the project management plan, together with the implementation of the approved changes. During execution a major output presented to the project manager is information about work performance. This information is assessed and reviewed to determine whether the project is running as planned or whether it is running at variance to the performance baselines. This information gathering and assessment is what is called monitoring and controlling.

PMI says Control 'Control (Technique). Comparing actual performance with planned performance. Analyzing variances. Assessing trends to effect process improvements. Evaluating possible alternatives, and recommending appropriate corrective actions as needed.' PMBOK Guide (p.355)