PMP Basics will help you understand different terminology, definitions and fundamental concepts that are helpful to progress through PMP certification preparation.

Have you started studying PMP Basics?

Do you want to start preparing for PMP certification Exam? Don’t know where to start?

Then here is the answer to all your questions.

Nevertheless to say, PMP Basics is you very first step to start your PMP preparation.

Firstly, PMP Basics covers all the fundamental PMP concepts that you need for the PMP exam.

Furthermore, it also introduces required project management terminology, which you will use in the rest of your PMP preparation.

PMP Basics

This is a summarized post to explain, various blog posts listed below to understand PMP basics, before we get into the core PMP concepts.

1. Project Management Terms
2. Types of Organizations
3. Project management roles
4. Common PMP ITTOs
5. Project Life Cycle Vs Project Management Life Cycle
6. Work Performance Data Vs Work Performance Information Vs Work Performance Reports
7. Project Constraints and Triple constraints of project management

Project Management Terms

This article simplifies the understanding of some of the PMP basics. It mainly focuses on the fundamental project management terminology, definitions and the difference between related project management terms.

• What is a project?
• And what are operations?
• What is program?
• What is a portfolio?
• Characteristics of a project manager
• Organizational Project Management (OPM)
• Project Governance
• OPM3

The key to understand here is the difference between projects and operations. Projects are temporary in nature whereas Operations are ongoing business lines.

To summarize, Programs always work only if it has shared benefits between the projects grouped under the program.

On the other hand, portfolio is group of projects and programs. Grouping them into one unit will simplify manageability to achieve organization strategic objectives.

Then this topic also explains the characteristics a project manager must have.

Finally it concludes with some of the PMP basics such as OPM (Organizational Project Management), OPM3, and project governance.

Here is the link to the detailed blog post on 7 Important Project Management Terms Every PMP Aspirant Must Know.

Types of Organizations

As part of the PMP Basics, this is very key concept to understand, how PMI categorizes the type of organizations.

Which organizations are good for project manager?

In a nutshell, there are 3 primary types of organizational structures. They are

• Functional organization
• Projectized organization
• Matrix organization
  1. Weak matrix organization
  2. Balanced matrix organization
  3. Strong matrix organization

Functional Organization

In functional organizations, organization groups into functional areas or departments. Departmental head or functional manager will have full power over the projects. So, project managers report to functional head.

Projectized Organization

Projectized organization is complete opposite to functional organizations. Organization is grouped by projects. Project managers manage the projects. So project manager will have full power and authority to take decision on projects and resources.

Matrix organization

Mixed blend of both functional and projectized organizations. Furthermore, matrix organizations categorizes into the following…

Weak matrix organization –These are more near to functional organization

Balanced matrix organization – More or less both functional and project manager will have equal powers.

Strong matrix organization – These are more near to Projectized organizations.

For more detailed information on the types of organizational structures, please go through my recent blog post on the Types of Organizational structures.

Project management roles

This article emphasizes different roles and terminology related to project management roles you come across.

Furthermore, it also explains the key roles and responsibilities (R&R) such as Project manager, project team, project management team, functional manager, project coordinator, project expediter, sponsor, senior management.

Then it introduces a term called stakeholder which we use to refer anyone who is impacted by the project.

Finally it touches what PMO (project management office) is all about? It also explains different types of PMO s and their definitions.

For detailed information on these R&R, please refer to my recent blog post on Project Management Roles & Responsibilities – From PMI perspective.

Common PMP ITTOs

ITTO is abbreviated as INPUTS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES and OUTPUTS.

Basically PMBOK has several (47) project management processes across 10 knowledge areas and 5 process groups.

These project management processes are described in the form of ITTOs. Every process requires

Inputs – the information required to start the process.

Tools & Techniques – Converts the inputs to the outputs.

Outputs – Expected outcomes from the process.

Please read through my recent blog post on Common PMP ITTO s – Very Important for PMP Exam Preparation. In this blog post, I have explained some of the most common ITTOs that you encounter while preparing for your PMP Certification.

Project Life Cycle Vs Project Management Life Cycle

Eventually project life cycle is about your SDLC (Software development life cycle) required to execute the project to produce the required outputs from the project.

Firstly Project life cycles vary from waterfall model to iterative and adaptive life cycles.

On the other hand, Project management life cycle is about the life cycle required to manage the project work. This is typically follows the sequence as the project management process groups.

So, Project management life cycle follows the cycle such as initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing.

Please read through my blog post Project Life Cycle Vs Project Management Life Cycle for more detailed information.

Work Performance Data Vs Work Performance Information Vs Work Performance Reports

This post starts by explaining the basic definitions of data, information and reports.

Then it explains the key difference between work performance data, work performance information and work performance reports.

Work performance data

During the executing process group, project will collect lot of raw data from the project pertaining to each component project plan such as scope, time, cost, etc. This raw data is referred as work performance data.

Work performance information

Eventually by processing the work performance data, project managers prepare work performance information which is more informative.

Work performance reports

By presenting the work performance information in the relevant view to address a specific stakeholder concern, project manager produces work performance reports.

Then project manager distributes the work performance reports to the relevant stakeholders according to the communication management plan.

To get more detailed information on the key differences between work performance data vs work performance information vs work performance reports.

Project Constraints and Triple constraints of project management

This topic starts with the explanation of what a project constraint is all about?

Eventually a project constraint is factor that limits the execution of the project.

Traditionally project managers were more focused on only 3 constraints, which are scope, time and cost. They are also termed as triple constraints.

However, managing only triple constrains will not work now.

Eventually project manager has to manage all the six constraints namely scope, time, cost, resources, risks and quality.

Please refer to my recent blog post on Triple constrains of project management for more details.

Conclusion:

To conclude with, this blog post PMP Basics covered all the fundamentals every PMP aspirant required for his PMP preparation.

Without knowing PMP Basics, one cannot proceed to advanced PMP concepts.

Please drop a comment or your feedback on this post, so as to improvise the PMP Basics as necessary.

Please let me know, if you are looking for any help or any queries on the topics in the blog, I would be glad to help you…