Project Management Articles
What is new in PMBOK Sixth Edition
So whats new in PMBOK6?
Many things. Let’s see them one by one:
1. Projects and business value creation
There is lot more stress on the projects, why projects are initiated, the change projects bring in an organization and how to measure the success and business benefits. It was long due to being included as the project manager needs to go beyond and understand the whole dimension of how and where the project fits in the organization. Great addition in PMBOK6.
2. Updates to knowledge area and processes
Time management knowledge area is changed to schedule management.
Human resource management is now Resource Management.
There are few required processes which are added in PMBOK6, eg, Implement risk response (executing), very practical and needed in the process chart – so have been added. Few processes were let go, e.g., Close procurement is no more part of procurement management knowledge area as PMs generally does not close the procurement, and this process is typically handled by the procurement team. Here is the newly updated process chart. The changes in the process are highlighted in bold or different colors:
Knowledge Area |
Initiating |
Planning |
Executing |
Monitoring and Controlling |
Closing |
| Integration | 4.1 Develop Project Charter | 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan | 4.3 Direct & Manage Project Work | 4.5 Monitor & Control Project Work | 4.7 Close Project or Phase |
| 4.4 Manage Project Knowledge | 4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control | ||||
| Scope | 5.1 Plan Scope Management | 5.5 Validate Scope | |||
| 5.2 Collect Requirements | 5.6 Control Scope | ||||
| 5.3 Define Scope | |||||
| 5.4 Create WBS | |||||
| Schedule | 6.1 Plan Schedule Management | 6.7 Control Schedule | |||
| 6.2 Define Activities | |||||
| 6.3 Sequence Activities | |||||
| 6.4 Estimate Activity durations | |||||
| 6.5 Develop Schedule | |||||
| Cost | 7.1 Plan Cost Management | 7.4 Control Costs | |||
| 7.2 Estimate Costs | |||||
| 7.3 Determine Budget | |||||
| Quality | 8.1 Plan Quality Management | 8.2 Manage Quality | 8.3 Control Quality | ||
| Resources | 9.1 Plan ResourceManagement | 9.3 Acquire Resources | 9.6 Control Resources | ||
| 9.2 Estimate Activity Resources | 9.4 Develop Team | ||||
| 9.5 Manage Team | |||||
| Communications | 10.1 Plan Communications Management | 10.2 Manage Communications | 10.3 Monitor Communications | ||
| Risk | 11.1 Plan Risk Management | 11.6 Implement Risk Responses | 11.7 Monitor Risks | ||
| 11.2 Identify Risks | |||||
| 11.3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis | |||||
| 11.4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis | |||||
| 11.5 Plan Risk Responses | |||||
| Procurement | 12.1 Plan Procurement Management | 12.2 Conduct Procurements | 12.3 Control Procurements | ||
| Stakeholder | 13.1 Identify Stakeholders | 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Management | 13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement | 13.4 Monitor Stakeholder Engagement |
New Additions in the processes:
| 4.4 Manage Project Knowledge |
| 9.6 Control Resources |
| 11.6 Implement Risk Responses |
Processes Deleted:
| Close Procurements |
3. Agile methodology
Agile as the methodology is added as part of all the knowledge areas and process tools. A new agile standard is also being shipped with PMBOK6. You can download it from here:
https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/practice-guides/agile
4. New Thought Process – Trends and emerging practices
There is always a demand from aspiring Project Managers to know about the latest trend in PM sphere, and A new section is added in each knowledge area to discuss the Trends and Emerging Practices. A very welcome change in the way each knowledge area is presented.
5. Structured
Most of us saw three items in PMBOK5 and earlier PMI standard – Plan updates, document updates and OPA updates. This is now changed too much more structured manner. Each artifact in PM domain is categorized as Project document or project plan, Instead of listing the artifacts independently, they are listed under Project Plan or Project Documents. You need to see the new PMBOK6 to understand and appreciate this new change.
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