PMI's PMBOK Guide

Like most professions such as law, medicine, and accounting, there exists a "body of Knowledge" within the project management profession. "Body of Knowledge" is an inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession. It includes knowledge of proven, traditional practices which are widely applied as well as knowledge of innovative and advanced ones which have seen more limited use. The project management body of knowledge cannot be found in one comprehensive document. The sum of this knowledge rests with the practitioners and academics who apply and advance it.

PMI's PMBOK® Guide serves as the official basis for the PMP® Certification Exam and provides a basic reference for anyone interested in the profession of project management. As a basic reference, this document is neither comprehensive nor all-inclusive. The PMBOK Guide identifies and describes that subset of the project management body of knowledge which is generally accepted. Generally accepted means that the knowledge and practices described are applicable to most projects most of the time, and that there is widespread consensus about their value and usefulness. Generally accepted does not mean that these practices are, or should be, applied uniformly on all projects; the project management team is always responsible for determining what is appropriate for any given project.

The Nine Knowledge Areas

The PMBOK Guide document provides a basic structure for understanding project management, the environment in which projects operate and a generalized view of how the various project management processes commonly interact. The document outlines nine Project management Knowledge Areas described in terms of component processes shown below:

• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communication Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management

In developing this document, PMI® worked with the International Organization for Standardization (IS) and actively solicited feedback from representatives around the world. In an effort to improve project management performance, many organizations are developing their project management processes and practices around PMI's PMBOK Guide.