PMP Exam Prep - Chapter 4

Integration Management

This was the most challenging chapter to read thus far. Rita Mulcahy actually suggests reading chapter 4, then reading the rest of the book, and finally coming back and re-reading chapter 4. She said that many people have a hard time on the exam with this knowledge area because it is one of the most difficult. Rita suggests thinking about integration as balancing all of the processes (scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk, and procurement management) with each other.

A project manager's role is to perform integration management - to pull all of the pieces of the project together and create a cohesive whole. So, I guess a project manager is kind of like a "puzzle master". In integration management you:

• Develop a Project Charter
• Develop a Project Management Plan
• Direct and Manage Project Execution 
• Monitor and Control Project Work
• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Close the Project or Phase

Before reading this chapter, I had a vague idea of what the term project charter meant. I know it was a document that included important information. Close enough, right? Wrong! A project charter must include:

• Project Title and Description
• What is the project?
• Project Manager Assigned and Authority Level
• Who is given authority to lead the project, and can he/she determine, manage, and approve changes to budget, schedule, staffing, etc.?
• Business Case
• Why is the project being done? On what financial or other basis can we justify doing this project?
• Resources Preassigned
• How many or which resources will be provided?
• Stakeholders
• Who will affect or be affected by the project?
• Stakeholder Requirements as Known
• Requirements related to both project and product scope.
• Product Description/Deliverables
• What specific product deliverables are wanted, and what will be the end result of the project?
• Measurable Project Objectives
• How does the project tie into the organization's strategic goals?
• Project Approval Requirements
• What items need to be approved for the project, and who will have sign-off?
• High-Level Project Risks
• Potential threats and opportunities for the project.
• Project Sponsors Authorizing This Project  

A project management plan records how you will define, manage, and control the project. It helps you to look forward in time. A project management plan includes processes used, knowledge area management plans, scope, schedule, and cost baselines, requirements management plan, change management plan, configuration management plan, and a process improvement plan. I have seen WBS throughout the book and found out that it stands for Work Breakdown Structure. A WBS is included the scope baseline, along with the project scope statement, and WBS dictionary. The three baselines that make up the Performance measurement baseline are scope, schedule, and cost. The second baseline used to measure performance is the schedule baseline. The schedule baseline is the agreed upon schedule. The third baseline is the cost baseline. This includes the time-phased cost budget, which could include the spending plan indicating how much money is available for the project and when the funds are available.

First a sponsor/customer asks, "What do I want?" Then a project statement of work is created, company culture and existing systems are reviewed, as well as processes, procedures, and historical information. The project manager then helps identify stakeholders and documents the charter. The sponsor signs and issues the charter next. Finally, the project manager develops the project management plan. The project management plan is for the project and is used to help manage the project daily. Once project planning is done, and approved changes, corrective actions, preventive actions, and defect repair is complete you may then move into direct and manage project execution.

When doing integrated change control be sure to look at the impact the change has on all of the project constraints. In order to evaluate the changes impact, you must have a realistic management plan and completed product and project scopes. Changes are grouped into two broad categories - those that affect the project management plan, baselines, policies, charter, contract, or statement of work and those that don't. Changes are ALWAYS evaluated first. Once evaluation of changes is complete, you will look for options and then meet with the sponsor or change control board. The detailed process for making changes includes:
 1. Prevent the root cause of changes
 2. Identify change
 3. Look at the impact of the change
 4. Create a change request
 5. Perform integrated change control
     a. Assess the change
     b. Look for options
     c. The change is approved or rejected
     d. Update the status of the change in the change control system
 6. Adjust the project management plan, project documents, and baselines
 7. Manage stakeholders' expectations by communicating the change to stakeholders affected by the change
 8. Manage the project to the revised project management plan and project documents

As a less experienced, aspiring project manager, I did not realize the significance and importance of closing in the project management process. I understand that you need to formally close a project in order for it to be considered officially complete, but did not realize the steps included in formal closure. According to PMP Exam Prep, "A project manager must get formal acceptance of the project, issue a final report showing that the project has been succesful, issue the final lessons learned, and index and archive all the project records." You must close out a project, no matter what happens. If it is stopped, terminated, or is complete, you must formally close the project.