PMBOK 6: The 10 Knowledge Areas & 49 Processes

PMBOK 5th Edition

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) 6th Edition was released September 2017. The new PMBOK® Guide 6th edition contains 978 pages, including the Agile Practice Guide (186 pages). When compared with PMBOK® Guide 5th edition was only 616 pages, the 6th edition is one of the major content updates.

Year Edition Process Groups Knowledge Areas Processes Pages
1996 1996 5 9 37 ~180
2000 2000 5 9 39 ~210
2004 Third 5 9 44 ~400
2008 Fourth 5 9 42 ~460
2013 Fifth 5 10 47 ~620
2017 Sixth + Agile 5 10 49 ~980

PMBOK 6 Process Groups

Process Group - The 5 process groups will remain the same: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling and control.

Knowledge Areas Project Management Process Groups
Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Controlling Closing  
[4] Project Integration Management 4.1 Develop Project Charter 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
  • 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work
  • 4.4 Manage Project Knowledge
  • 4.5 Monitor and Control Project Work
  • 4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control
4.7 Close Project or Phase 7
[5] Project Scope Management  
  • 5.1 Plan Scope Management
  • 5.2 Collect Requirements
  • 5.3 Define Scope
  • 5.4 Create WBS
 
  • 5.5 Validate Scope
  • 5.6 Control Scope
  6
[6] Project Schedule Management  
  • 6.1 Plan Schedule Management
  • 6.2 Define Activities
  • 6.3 Sequence Activities
  • 6.4 Estimate Activity Durations
  • 6.5 Develop Schedule
  6.6 Control Schedule   6
[7] Project Cost Management  
  • 7.1 Plan Cost Management
  • 7.2 Estimate Costs
  • 7.3 Determine Budget
  7.4 Control Costs   4
[8] Project Quality Management   8.1 Plan Quality Management 8.2 Manage Quality 8.3 Control Quality   3
[9] Project Resource Management  
  • 9.1 Plan Resource Management
  • 9.2 Estimate Activity Resources
  • 9.3 Acquired Resources
  • 9.4 Develop Team
  • 9.5 Manage Team
9.6 Control Resources   6
[10] Project Communications Management   10.1 Plan Communications Management 10.2 Manage Communications 10.3 Monitor Communications   3
[11] Project Risk Management  
  • 11.1 Plan Risk Management
  • 11.2 Identify Risks
  • 11.3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
  • 11.4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
  • 11.5 Plan Risk Responses
11.6 Implement Risk Responses 11.7 Monitor Risks   7
[12] Project Procurement Management   12.1 Plan Procurement Management 12.2 Conduct Procurements 12.3 Control Procurements   3
[13] Project Stakeholder Management 13.1 Identify Stakeholders 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Engagement 13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement 13.4 Monitor Stakeholder Engagement   4
  2 24 10 12 1 49

PMBOK Software

Manage your entire project management lifecycle using our Just-in-Time Process Map. The PMBOK process template provides you will all the PMBOK deliverable templates and work items essential in project management.

Learn More

PMBOK 6 Knowledge Areas

2 of the knowledge areas are renamed:

  1. Time management will be renamed to Schedule Management - this change will place an emphasis the importance of scheduling in project management.
  2. Human Resource management will be renaming to Resource Management - this change will also place a boarder perspective on all resources that a project will need; for example: materials, equipment, licenses etc.

PMBOK 6 Processes

In the 6th edition of PMBOK, three new processes will be added and one will be removed:

  1. Manage Project Knowledge (new process) - added under the executing process group
  2. Implement Risk Response (new process) - added under the executing process group
  3. Control Resources (new process) - added under monitoring and controlling process group
  4. Close Procurements (removed from 6th edition) - removed from close project phase

So there are 49 processes in PMBOK 6 (47 PMBOK 5 processes + 3 new processes - 1 process).

PMBOK guide 6th edition will gear towards more suggestive wording instead of mandatory wording. Thus, 9 processes have been renamed as follows:

PMBOK 5 Process Name PMBOK 6 Process Name
Perform Quality Assurance Manage Quality
Plan Human Resource Management Plan Resource Management
Control Communications Monitor Communications
Plan Stakeholder Management Plan Stakeholder Engagement
Control Stakeholder Engagement Monitor Stakeholder Engagement
Acquire Project Plan Acquire Resource
Develop Project Team Develop Team
Manage Project Team Manage Team
Control Risk Monitor Risks

New sections for Agile Development

The Agile concept is incorporated in all 10 knowledge areas. Each knowledge area will contain a section entitled Approaches for Agile, Iterative and Adaptive Environments, describing how these practices integrate in project settings.

PMBOK traditional to agile

New chapter about project manager role

PMBOK 6 will contain a new chapter on the role of the project manager which discusses the PMI Talent Triangle and the skill sets organizations demand that make project managers more competitive and relevant-technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management.

PMBOK talent triangle

Turn every software project into a successful one.

We use cookies to offer you a better experience. By visiting our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

OK