Kaplan IT Training Blog

PMBOK 5th Edition: Changes to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group (8/9)

This is the eighth installment of my PMBOK 5th Edition overview. The previous posts in the series are:

• Knowledge Area and Process Group changes
• Initiating Process Group changes
• Planning Process Group Changes – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Executing Process Group Changes

The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group has a few changes, including one new process and four process name changes. This post will cover the following processes:

• Monitor and Control Project Work
• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Validate Scope
• Control Scope
• Control Schedule
• Control Costs
• Control Quality
• Control Communications
• Control Risks
• Control Procurements
• Control Stakeholder Engagement

So now let’s get to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group changes!

Changes to the Monitor and Control Project Work process

The Monitor and Control Project Work process has four new inputs. The inputs to this process are as follows:

• project management plan
• schedule forecasts – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• cost forecasts – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• validated changes – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• work performance information – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• enterprise environmental factors
• organizational process assets

This process has three new tools and techniques: analytical techniques, project management information system, and meetings. The analytical techniques include regression analysis, grouping methods, causal analysis, root cause analysis, forecasting methods, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), fault tree analysis (FTA), reserve analysis, trend analysis, earned value management, and variance analysis.

One new output has been added to this process: work performance reports.

Changes to the Perform Integrated Change Control process

The name of one of the inputs to the Perform Integrated Change Control process has been changed: work performance information is now referred to work performance reports to better reflect the state of the data when it is used by this process.

As I mentioned in the Executing Process Group Changes article, the terms work performance data, work performance information, and work performance reports have been better defined and separated in the PMBOK 5th Edition. Work performance data is raw data from the project. Work performance information is the work performance data combined with some technique or tool to produce usable conclusions or metrics. Work performance reports is the work performance information that is arranged into a project report (usually based on some reporting template).

One new tool was added to this process: change control tools. The name of one tool was changed: change control meetings is now referred to meetings.

Two new outputs have been added to this process: approved change requests and the change log. Change request status updates has been removed as an output of this process.

Changes to the Validate Scope process (formerly the Verify Scope process)

In the PMBOK 5th Edition, the Verify Scope process has been renamed to the Validate Scope process.  Somewhat confusingly, the input previously named the validated deliverables (of the Verify Scope process) has been renamed the verified deliverables input (of the Validate Scope process). Work performance data has been added to this process as an input.

One new technique has been added to this process: group decision-making techniques.

One new output was added to this process: work performance information.

Changes to the Control Scope process

The Control Scope process only has a couple of changes. The work performance information input has been changed to work performance data. The work performance measurements output has been changed to work performance information.

Changes to the Control Schedule process

The Control Schedule has two new inputs and one input name change. The inputs to this process are as follows:

• project management plan
• project schedule
• work performance data – referred to as work performance information in the PMBOK 4th Edition.
• project calendars – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• schedule data – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition
• organizational process assets

This process has two new techniques. The full list of tools and techniques used by this process are as follows:

• performance reviews – includes trend analysis, critical path method (CPM), critical chain method (CCM), and earned value management (EVM).
• project management software
• resource optimization techniques – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition. The techniques listed include resource leveling and resource smoothing.
• modeling technique – new to this process in the PMBOK 5th Edition.The techniques listed include what-if scenario analysis and simulation.
• leads and lags – referred to as applying leads and lags in the PMBOK 4th Edition.
• schedule compression
• scheduling tool

One new output was added to this process: schedule forecasts. The work performance measurements output was changed to work performance information.

Changes to the Control Costs process

One input to the Control Costs process was changed: work performance information was changed to work performance data. Reserve analysis was added as a new tool/technique for this process. Finally, the name of two outputs was revised: work performance measurements was changed to work performance information, and budget forecasts was changed to cost forecasts.

Changes to the Control Quality process (formerly the Perform Quality Control process)

In the PMBOK 5th Edition, the Perform Quality Control process has been renamed to the Control Quality process.  The work performance measurements input was changed to work performance data. Project documents were added as an input to this process.

In the PMBOK 4th Edition, there were ten tools/techniques listed. In the PMBOK 5th Edition, seven of these tools were combined under the heading of seven basic quality tools, which includes cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, check sheets, Pareto diagrams, histograms, control charts, and scatter diagrams. There are now four tools/techniques assigned to this process:

• seven basic quality tools (cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, check sheets, Pareto diagrams, histograms, control charts, and scatter diagrams)
• statistical sampling
• inspection
• approved change requests review

For this process, there is one new output: work performance information. The validated deliverables outputs was changed to verified deliverables.

Changes to the Control Communications process (formerly the Report Performance process)

According to PMI, a name change occurred in the PMBOK 5th Edition for this process: Report Performance was changed to Control Communications. However, there were so many changes to this process that I feel we need to review this process in its entirety.

The Control Communications process has five inputs:

• project management plan
• project communications
• issue log
• work performance data
• organizational process assets

The Control Communications process has three tools and techniques:

• information management systems
• expert judgment
• meetings

The outputs of this process are as follows:

• work performance information
• change requests
• project management plan updates
• project document updates
• organizational process assets updates

Changes to the Control Risks process (formerly the Monitor and Control Risks process)

In the PMBOK 5th Edition, the Monitor and Control Risks process has been renamed to the Control Risks process.  The work performance measurements input was changed to work performance data. The performance reports input was changed to work performance reports.

The status meetings tool is now referred to as simply meetings.

Work performance information was added as a new output of this process. Risk register updates has been removed as an output of this process.

Changes to the Control Procurements process (formerly the Administer Procurements process)

In the PMBOK 5th Edition, the Administer Procurements process has been renamed to the Control Procurements process.  The inputs to this process are as follows:

• project management plan
• procurement documents
• agreements – referred to as contracts in the PMBOK 4th Edition
• approved change requests
• work performance reports – referred to as performance reports in the PMBOK 4th Edition
• work performance data – referred to as work performance information in the PMBOK 4th Edition

There are no changes to the tools and techniques for this process.

The procurement documentation output was changed to project documents updates because the broad category better describes the possible documents that can be used. Work performance information was added as a  new output of this process.

Introducing the Control Stakeholder Engagement process – NEW IN PMBOK 5th EDITION

The Control Stakeholder Engagement process is a new process to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group and the Project Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area. This process controls overall project stakeholder relationships and stakeholder engagement.

The Control Stakeholder Management process has four inputs:

• the project management plan
• issue log
• work performance data
• project documents

This process has three tools/techniques: expert judgment, information management systems,  and meetings.

This process has five outputs, as follows:

• work performance information
• change requests
• project management plan updates
• project document updates
• organizational process assets updates

That covers all the processes in the Executing Process Group. Watch in the coming days for the posts covering the changes to the Closing Process Group.

Drop  me a line if you have any questions! I would love to hear from you….

-Robin