Project Management Process Group
An organized set of related project management processes that groups their inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The five Process Groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. These groups are not the same as project phases and may repeat across the project lifecycle.
Key Points
- Groups processes by purpose and flow of inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs.
- The five groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.
- Process Groups can iterate multiple times within or across project phases.
- They are not project phases and do not define the lifecycle structure.
Example
A company implementing a new CRM starts by authorizing the project (Initiating), develops scope, schedule, and budget baselines (Planning), configures and migrates data (Executing), tracks performance and manages changes (Monitoring and Controlling), and then obtains acceptance and archives records (Closing). These steps reflect Process Groups and can recur for each release.
PMP Example Question
Which statement best describes Project Management Process Groups?
- They are sequential project phases from start to finish.
- They are logical groupings of related processes used throughout the project.
- They are organizational departments responsible for governance.
- They are a set of templates used to create project documents.
Correct Answer: B — Logical groupings of related processes used throughout the project
Explanation: Process Groups organize processes (inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs) into Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing; they are not the same as project phases.
