This Guest paper was submitted for publication and is copyright to M. Abdomerovic © 2009.

PART 1 | Introduction to Part 2 | Results of Our Analysis 
Recommended Further Development and Updating of the PMBOK® Guide - Fourth Edition
Issues Related to "Project Documents" | Issues Related to Other Inputs and Outputs | Conclusion

Issues Related to Other Inputs and Outputs

There are other inconsistencies in the Fourth Edition that should be fixed. For example:

 

Where components with similar descriptions but different meaning, the descriptions for such components should be revised, e.g.

  

12.3.3.1 Procurement Documentation, which is "the procurement contract with all supporting schedules, requested unapproved contracts changes and approved change requests".[77]

  

12.1.3.4 Procurement Documents, "used to solicit proposals from prospective sellers" and "to facilitate an accurate and complete response from each prospective seller".[78]

 

Table A1. Differentiation between the Project Management Plan and Project Documents,[79] contains some errors:

  

The column "Project Management Plan" needs more clarification in presenting details. For example:

   

"Scope management plan" is not a knowledge area name, process name, input name, or output name. However, it is produced by Project Management Plan process,[80] Therefore, it should be replaced with some outputs from planning processes 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, or added as a new planning output.

   

"Scope statement" is shown as a part of "Scope baseline",[81] However, Figure 5-1. Project Scope Management: Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs,[82] shows "Project scope statement", "Scope baseline", "WBS", and "WBS Dictionary" as unique outputs. Beside this, if other subsidiary plans are not shown in detail, then the "Scope baseline" should be handled the same way.

  

Column "Project Documents" shows some items that could not be identified with any inputs, or outputs, such as: "Assumption log", "Forecasts", "Proposals", "Project organizational structure", "Roles and responsibilities", "Sellers list", "Stakeholders analysis", "Stakeholder requirements".[83]

 

Output 11.5.3.3 cannot be "Project Management Plan Updates" for two reasons. First,

 

Process 11.5 Plan Risk Responses belongs to the Planning Process Group and all outputs from this group, including 11.5.3.3, go to input 4.2.1.2 Outputs from planning processes, to develop the "Project Management Plan". Therefore, we can say that output 11.5.3.3 is "Risk Management Plan Updates". Second, "Project Management Plan" is used for the first time in the Project Risk Management at process 11.6 Monitor and Control Risks. Therefore it cannot have its update in the preceding process 11.5.[84]

 

"Quantity Control Measurements" appears as input to process 8.2 Perform Quality Assurance. A unique output 8.3.3.1 Quality Control Measurements, by its definition and name, can relate to input 8.2.1.4 Quality Control Measurements. However, it cannot be used for this purpose because output 8.3.3.1 Quality Control Measurements belongs to the later Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, while input 8.2.1.4 Quality Control Measurements belongs to the earlier Executing Process Group. This causes an invalid process loop within the following outputs/inputs: 8.3.3.1 - 8.2.1.4 - 8.2.3.2 - 8.3.1.5 - 8.3.3.1. Therefore, the only outputs that contain information relevant to the relation with input 8.2.1.4 Quality Control Measurements are 8.1.3.2 Quality metrics, 8.1.3.3 Quality checklists and 8.1.3.4 Process improvement plan.[85]

 

The output 4.3.3.2 Work Performance Information appears as input to processes 4.5, 5.5, 6.6, 7.3, 8.2, 10.5, 11.6 and 12.3. All those processes except 8.2 belong to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, while process 8.2 belongs to the Executing Process Group. That is why the relationship of output 4.3.3.2 Work Performance Information with input 8.2.1.3 Work Performance Information causes an invalid process loop within the following outputs/inputs: 4.3.3.2 - 8.2.1.3 - 8.3.3.2 - 4.3.1.2. - 4.3.3.2. However, we can use outputs 8.1.3.2 Quality Metrics[86] and 8.1.3.3 Quality Checklists[87] to relate with input 8.2.1.3 Work Performance Information.[88]

 

There are processes that do not produce an output with a unique name and such processes should be combined with other processes. For example, process 10.3 Distribute Information produces a single output 10.3.3.1 Organizational Process Assets Updates.[89] Therefore, process 10.3 Distribute Information should be combined with process 10.4 Manage Stakeholder Expectation.

 

"Performance reports" appears as an input to processes 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work, 9.4 Manage Project Team, 10.3 Distribute Information, 11.6 Monitor and Control Risks, and 12.3 Administer Procurements. A unique output, 10.5.3.1 Performance Reports,[90] can relate with most "Performance Reports" inputs associated with the foregoing processes. However, output 10.5.3.1 Performance Reports, cannot be related to "Performance Reports" inputs associated with processes 9.4 Manage Project Team,[91] and 10.3 Distribute Information.[92] The 10.5.3.1 Performance Reports belongs to the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, while processes 9.4 Manage Project Team and 10.3 Distribute Information belong to the Executing Process Group. If output 10.5.3.1 Performance Reports is related to input 9.4.1.4 Performance Reports, it will create an invalid process loop within the following outputs/inputs: 4.3.3.4 - 10.5.1.1 - 10.5.3.1 - 9.4.1.4 - 9.4.3.4 - 4.3.1.1 - 4.3.3.4. If output 10.5.3.1 Performance Reports is related to input 10.3.1.2 Performance Reports, it will create an invalid process loop within the following outputs/inputs: 10.5.1.1 - 10.5.3.1 - 10.3.1.2 - 10.3.3.1 - 10.4.1.6 - 10.4.3.3 - 10.5.1.1.

The preceding analysis examines some of the process relationships and output/input characteristics of the PMBOK® Guide - Fourth Edition, 2008. After making some necessary and logical changes to the process relationships, it was possible to generate critical outputs of the Fourth Edition. These are illustrated in Figure 3. That is, the Figure shows the chronological order in which the critical outputs of the Fourth Edition need to be processed to develop its Project Management Plan.

Figure 3: Critical Output Sequence, Development of 4.2.3.1 Project Management Plan
Figure 3: Critical Output Sequence, Development of 4.2.3.1 Project Management Plan

Note that the sequence shown is not the same as the sequence developed for the 2000 Edition.[93] Nor is it the same as the sequence developed for the Third Edition, 2004.[94] The differences are the result of the specific configuration of processes and their components in each of the PMBOK® Guide editions. We are currently developing further details of how to get better use of the PMBOK® Guide - Fourth Edition, 2008, including the development of output/input relationships.[95]

Issues Related to   Issues Related to "Project Documents"

77. Ibid, p340
78. Ibid, p326
79. Ibid, p350
80. Ibid, p104
81. Ibid, p350
82. Ibid, p104
83. Ibid, p350
84. Ibid, p274
85. Ibid, p191
86. Ibid, p200
87. Ibid, p201
88. Ibid, p203
89. Ibid, pp258-261
90. Ibid, p244
91. Ibid, p217
92. Ibid, p244
93. Abdomerovic, Muhamed, Brainstorming The PMBOK® Guide, © 2004 Project Management Publications, Louisville, USA, 2004, pp128-139, 289-309
94. Abdomerovic, Muhamed, Brainstorming The PMBOK® Guide Third Edition, © 2005 Project Management Publications, Louisville, USA, pp125-134, 149-151
95. Abdomerovic, Muhamed, Brainstorming The PMBOK® Guide Fourth Edition, © 2009, Project Management Publications, Louisville, USA. Study in progress.
 
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