PMP, PMI, PMP exam, Project Management, Framework

5 Key Concepts in the Project Management Framework for PMP

Understanding the fundamental concepts in PMI’s Project Management Framework is vital for anyone aiming to pass the PMP exam or excel in their project management career. Let’s dive into five key concepts—constraints, stakeholder management, organizational structure, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets—along with examples related to IT projects and tips for PMP exam preparation.

1. Project Constraints

Project constraints are the limitations within which a project must be executed. PMI highlights six common constraints: scope, time, cost, quality, resources, and risk. These constraints are interdependent; changes in one often affect the others.

Example: In a software development project, the client requests additional features (scope change). To accommodate this, the project manager needs to extend the timeline (time constraint) and allocate extra developers (resource constraint), leading to increased costs (cost constraint).

Tip: Memorize the “triple constraint” (scope, time, cost) and how it expands into the six-constraint model.

2. Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management involves identifying, analyzing, and engaging individuals or groups who are impacted by or can influence the project. Effective stakeholder management ensures that their needs and expectations are aligned with project goals.

Example: In a cloud migration project, stakeholders may include IT teams, end-users, and executive sponsors. While IT teams focus on technical feasibility, end-users may prioritize ease of use, and sponsors will want cost-effective implementation. Balancing these expectations is critical for success.

Tip: Treat stakeholders like assistant team – keep them informed, elicit their feedback and drive to satisfy their needs/expectation

3. Organizational Structure

Organizational structure defines how authority, roles, and responsibilities are distributed within a company. PMI recognizes three types of structures: functional, projectized, and matrix (weak, balanced, and strong).

Example: In a functional structure, a database upgrade project may rely on IT and finance departments coordinating separately. In a projectized structure, a dedicated project team handles everything. In a matrix structure, both departmental heads and project managers share authority over resources.

Tips:

Practice identifying organizational structures based on question scenarios in practice tests.
Understand the pros and cons of each structure, especially for resource allocation and authority distribution.

4. Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs)

EEFs include the external and internal conditions that influence a project’s success. These may include market conditions, organizational culture, available resources, regulations, or technology infrastructure.

Example: An IT company implementing a new cybersecurity tool must comply with government regulations (external EEF) and work within the constraints of its IT infrastructure (internal EEF).

Tips:

Think of it as company culture and existing system that comes with project and not in control of project team.
Remember that EEFs are typically uncontrollable and must be accounted for in planning.

5. Organizational Process Assets

Organizational Process Assets are the internal assets of an organization that influence project management. These include processes, templates, policies, historical data, and lessons learned from past projects.

Example: For a mobile app development project, the project team might use a standard risk management plan template from the company’s repository. They may also review lessons learned from a previous app project to avoid past mistakes.

Tips:

Differentiate between OPAs and EEFs—OPAs are controllable, whereas EEFs are not.
Think of existing processes, procedures and historical information that provide direction and guidance in project.

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