Project Integration Management Flashcards

What is Project Integration Management?

Answer: The process of identifying, defining, combining, unifying, and coordinating project management processes and activities within the project management process groups

Project Integration Management encompasses the processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate all project management processes—it is the overarching 'glue' that holds all other knowledge areas together.

What is the project charter and who typically authorizes it?

Answer: A document issued by a project sponsor or initiating entity that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply resources

The project charter formally authorizes the project, names the project manager, defines the high-level scope and objectives, and is issued by the project sponsor or an entity with the authority to commit organizational resources.

What is the primary output of the 'Develop Project Management Plan' process?

Answer: The project management plan

The project management plan is the primary output of Develop Project Management Plan—a comprehensive document integrating all subsidiary plans and baselines that guides project execution, monitoring, and control.

What is the purpose of the 'Direct and Manage Project Work' process?

Answer: To lead and perform the work defined in the project management plan and implement approved changes

Direct and Manage Project Work involves leading and performing the activities defined in the project management plan, implementing approved changes, and producing the project's deliverables.

What is 'work performance data' as generated in the Direct and Manage Project Work process?

Answer: The raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to carry out project work

Work performance data consists of raw, unanalyzed measurements and observations—such as actual start/finish dates, percent complete, costs incurred, and defect counts—gathered during project execution.

What is 'Perform Integrated Change Control' and why is it important?

Answer: The process of reviewing, approving, and managing all change requests across the entire project to ensure changes are controlled and their impacts are understood before approval

Perform Integrated Change Control reviews all change requests, approves or rejects them after impact analysis, and manages the implementation of approved changes—ensuring no unauthorized changes occur and impacts are understood.

What is the Change Control Board (CCB)?

Answer: A formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project baseline

The Change Control Board (CCB) is a formally chartered group with defined authority to review, approve, reject, or defer proposed changes to the project baseline.

What is the 'configuration management plan' and how does it relate to Integration Management?

Answer: A component of the project management plan describing how configuration items will be identified, tracked, and controlled throughout the project

The configuration management plan describes how project artifacts (deliverables, documentation, technical specifications) will be identified, tracked, version-controlled, and changed—ensuring the integrity of the project's technical and management documents.

In the 'Close Project or Phase' process, what does the project manager verify before officially closing?

Answer: That all project or phase work is completed according to plan, all deliverables are accepted, lessons learned are documented, and all administrative closure activities are finished

Close Project or Phase verifies that all work is complete, deliverables are formally accepted, contracts are closed, lessons learned are documented, final performance reports are produced, and all project records are archived.

What is a 'lessons learned register' and when should it be updated?

Answer: A project document used to record knowledge gained during a project that can be used to improve performance on future projects, updated throughout the project, not just at close

The lessons learned register captures insights—successes, failures, and improvement recommendations—throughout the project lifecycle, not just at closure, so that knowledge is captured while it is fresh.

What is the 'assumption log' and how does it relate to Integration Management?

Answer: A project document used to record all assumptions and constraints identified during the project—created at initiation and updated throughout

The assumption log records all assumptions and constraints identified during the project, providing a reference for decisions made based on those assumptions and a trigger for risk assessment when assumptions change.

Which document provides the project manager with the formal authority to begin project work and access organizational resources?

Answer: Project Charter

The project charter formally authorizes the project and grants the project manager authority to apply resources—without a signed charter, the project manager has no official organizational authority to commit resources.

What is the purpose of 'Monitor and Control Project Work'?

Answer: To track, review, and report overall progress against performance objectives defined in the project management plan

Monitor and Control Project Work tracks, reviews, and reports on overall project performance—comparing actual performance to the project management plan and identifying areas needing corrective or preventive action.

What is the relationship between 'corrective action,' 'preventive action,' and 'defect repair' in Integration Management?

Answer: Corrective action fixes current deviations; preventive action prevents future deviations; defect repair fixes identified defects in deliverables—all are change request types processed through Integrated Change Control

Corrective actions realign current performance with the plan; preventive actions reduce the probability of future negative events; defect repairs fix identified nonconformances—all are processed as change requests through Integrated Change Control.

What are organizational process assets (OPAs) and how do they support Integration Management?

Answer: Plans, processes, policies, procedures, knowledge bases, and historical information from the organization that can influence project success

Organizational process assets (OPAs) are the accumulated plans, processes, policies, procedures, lessons learned, historical information, and templates from the organization that project managers leverage to execute projects more effectively.

What is the 'Manage Project Knowledge' process, and what process group does it belong to?

Answer: Using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve project objectives and contribute to organizational learning; Executing process group

Manage Project Knowledge (Executing process group) leverages existing organizational knowledge to support project work while capturing new knowledge generated by the project for future organizational benefit.

How does Integration Management relate to the other PMBOK knowledge areas?

Answer: Integration Management connects and aligns all other knowledge areas—decisions in one area affect others, and integration management provides the framework for resolving trade-offs and coordinating all processes

Integration Management is the connective tissue linking all 9 other PMBOK knowledge areas—a change in scope affects schedule, cost, and risk, and Integration Management provides the framework (Integrated Change Control, project management plan) for managing these interconnections.

What is a 'project management information system' (PMIS) and how is it used in Integration Management?

Answer: A set of tools—software applications, data repositories, and reporting systems—used to gather, integrate, store, and distribute project management information

PMIS is the integrated set of tools used to gather, analyze, store, and communicate project information across all knowledge areas—supporting Integration Management by providing a single environment for managing all project data.

What is the significance of the 'project management plan' being an integrated document?

Answer: Integration means all subsidiary plans are aligned with each other and with the project baselines—changes in one plan trigger updates in related plans through Integrated Change Control

An integrated project management plan means all subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, etc.) are consistent with each other and with the baselines—when one area changes, Integrated Change Control ensures all affected plans are updated together.

What does 'management reserve' refer to in Integration Management, and how does it differ from 'contingency reserve'?

Answer: Contingency reserve is for known risks (identified risks with response plans); management reserve is for unknown unknown risks (unforeseeable events) and is held by management, not the project manager

Contingency reserve addresses identified risks (known-unknowns) and is part of the cost baseline controlled by the project manager; management reserve covers unidentified risks (unknown-unknowns) and is held outside the cost baseline by management.