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The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

The PMBOK, a formalized set of knowledge about project management, is published by the Project Management Institute (also the folks behind the PMP certification). The PMBOK is a process based approach to managing projects. The processes PMI documents in the PMBOK are:

Initiating: defines and authorizes the project (i.e. create project charter).
Planning: shapes the outcomes/goals for the project by knowledge area.
Executing: carries out project plans.
Controlling and Monitoring: assesses actual project outcomes to planned targets and makes corrective actions when necessary.
Closing: obtains a formal acceptance of the product/service by stakeholders and tapers out project activities in a planned, organized fashion.

The PMBOK defines nine knowledge areas, organized by their role in a project. The knowledge areas are separated into three groups: core knowledge areas, facilitating knowledge areas, and the coordination knowledge area. The knowledge areas are:

Core Knowledge Areas
- Scope Management
- Time Management
- Cost Management
- Quality Management

Facilitating Knowledge Areas
- Communications Management
- Human Resources Management
- Risk Management
- Procurement Management

Coordination Knowledge Area
- Integration Management

If any one of the core knowledge areas is changed in a project, ...