A Project Management Process Area at Maturity Level 3

The purpose of Integrated Project Management (IPM) is to establish and manage the project and the involvement of relevant stakeholders according to an integrated and defined process that is tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes.

Integrated Project Management involves the following activities:

·         Establishing the project’s defined process at project startup by tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes

·         Managing the project using the project’s defined process

·         Establishing the work environment for the project based on the organization’s work environment standards

·         Establishing teams that are tasked to accomplish project objectives

·         Using and contributing to organizational process assets

·         Enabling relevant stakeholders’ concerns to be identified, considered, and, when appropriate, addressed during the project

·         Ensuring that relevant stakeholders (1) perform their tasks in a coordinated and timely manner; (2) address project requirements, plans, objectives, problems, and risks; (3) fulfill their commitments; and (4) identify, track, and resolve coordination issues

The integrated and defined process that is tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes is called the project’s defined process. (See the definition of “project” in the glossary.)

Managing the project’s effort, cost, schedule, staffing, risks, and other factors is tied to the tasks of the project’s defined process. The implementation and management of the project’s defined process are typically described in the project plan. Certain activities may be covered in other plans that affect the project, such as the quality assurance plan, risk management strategy, and the configuration management plan.

Since the defined process for each project is tailored from the organization’s set of standard processes, variability among projects is typically reduced and projects can easily share process assets, data, and lessons learned.

The working interfaces and interactions among relevant stakeholders internal and external to the project are planned and managed to ensure the quality and integrity of the overall endeavor. Relevant stakeholders participate as appropriate in defining the project’s defined process and the project plan. Reviews and exchanges are regularly conducted with relevant stakeholders to ensure that coordination issues receive appropriate attention and everyone involved with the project is appropriately aware of status, plans, and activities. (See the definition of “relevant stakeholder” in the glossary.) In defining the project’s defined process, formal interfaces are created as necessary to ensure that appropriate coordination and collaboration occurs.

The acquirer should involve and integrate all relevant acquisition, technical, support, and operational stakeholders. Depending on the scope and risk of the project, coordination efforts with the supplier can be significant.

Formal interfaces among relevant stakeholders take the form of memoranda of understanding, memoranda of agreement, contractual commitments, associated supplier agreements, and similar documents, depending on the nature of the interfaces and involved stakeholders.

This process area applies in any organizational structure, including projects that are structured as line organizations, matrix organizations, or teams. The terminology should be appropriately interpreted for the organizational structure in place.

Refer to the Agreement Management process area for more information about ensuring that the supplier and the acquirer perform according to the terms of the supplier agreement.

Refer to the Measurement and Analysis process area for more information about aligning measurement and analysis activities and providing measurement results.

Refer to the Organizational Process Definition process area for more information about establishing and maintaining a usable set of organizational process assets, work environment standards, and rules and guidelines for teams.

Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control process area for more information about monitoring the project against the plan.

Refer to the Project Planning process area for more information about developing a project plan.

Specific Goal and Practice Summary

SG 1 Use the Project’s Defined Process

SP 1.1       Establish the Project’s Defined Process

SP 1.2       Use Organizational Process Assets for Planning Project Activities

SP 1.3       Establish the Project’s Work Environment

SP 1.4       Integrate Plans

SP 1.5       Manage the Project Using Integrated Plans

SP 1.6       Establish Teams

SP 1.7       Contribute to Organizational Process Assets

SG 2 Coordinate and Collaborate with Relevant Stakeholders

SP 2.1       Manage Stakeholder Involvement

SP 2.2       Manage Dependencies

SP 2.3       Resolve Coordination Issues