Project Integration Management is a knowledge area that covers the entire life cycle of the project, from initiation to closing. During each phase, certain processes pertaining to this knowledge area take place. The purpose of these activities is to identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate all the activities within the Project Management Process Groups, such as resource allocation, balancing competing demands, examining alternative approaches, tailoring processes to meet the objectives, and mapping the inter dependencies. This area is specific to Project Managers, whereas other knowledge Areas may be managed by specialists, such as cost annalists, scheduling specialists, risk management experts, etc. The Project Manager is ultimately responsible for the project as a whole.

Project Initiation

The process that takes place during this phase is: Project Charter Development.

Project Charter Development

It lays out the goals of the project, the business case for it, and authorizes the project manager.

Inputs

1. Business documents
   • Business Case
   • Benefits management plan
2. Agreements
3. Enterprise environmental factors
4. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Data gathering
   • Brainstorming
   • Focus groups
   • Interviews
3. Interpersonal and team skills
   • Conflict management
   • Facilitation
   • Meeting management
4. Meetings

Outputs

1. Project charter
2. Assumption log

Project Planning

During this phase, there is only one process taking place: Project Management Planning.

Project Management Planning

It defines the how the project will be managed and it is regularly updated.

Inputs

1. Project charter
2. Outputs from other processes
3. Enterprise environmental factors
4. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Data gathering
   • Brainstorming
   • Checklists
   • Focus groups
   • Interviews
3. Interpersonal and team skills
   • Conflict management
   • Facilitation
   • Meeting management
4. Meetings

Outputs

1. Project management plan

Project Execution

There are 2 processes done during this phase: Project Work Management and Project Knowledge Management.

Project Work Management

It encompasses the daily work done to develop the objectives, such as responding to questions, directing the project team, holding status meetings, and so forth..

Inputs

1. Project management plan
   • Any component
2. Project documents
   • Change log
   • Lessons learned register
   • Milestone list
   • Project communications
   • Project schedule
   • Requirements traceability matrix
   • Risk register
   • Risk report
3. Approved change requests
4. Enterprise environmental factors
5. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Project management information system
3. Meetings

Outputs

1. Deliverables
2. Work performance data
3. Change requests
4. Project management plan updates
   • Any component
5. Project documents updates
   • Activity list
   • Assumption log
   • Lessons learned register
   • Requirements documentation
   • Risk register
   • Stakeholder register
6. Organizational process assets updates

Manage Project Knowledge

The project inherits a knowledge from its organization or team members and develops more throughout the project. In the end the new knowledge is to be incorporated into the organization for use in future endeavors.

Inputs

1. Project management plan
   • All components
2. Project documents
   • Lessons learned register
   • Project team assignments
   • Resource breakdown structure
   • Source selection criteria
   • Stakeholder register
3. Deliverables
4. Enterprise environmental factors
5. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Knowledge management
3. Information management
4. Interpersonal and team skills
   • Active listening
   • Facilitation
   • Leadership
   • Networking
   • Political awareness

Outputs

1. Lessons learned register
2. Project management plan updates
   • Any component
3. Organizational process assets updates

Project Controlling

In this phase, 2 processes take place: Work Control and Monitoring and Integrated Change Control .

Monitor and Control Project Work

The project work must be monitored and controlled to ensure that it adheres to the project management plan.  Earned value analysis is performed by the project manager at regular intervals to ascertain the project’s budget and schedule status.

Inputs

1. Project management plan
   • Any component
2. Project documents
   • Assumption log
   • Basis of estimates
   • Cost forecasts
   • Issue log
   • Lessons learned register
   • Milestone list
   • Quality reports
   • Risk register
   • Risk report
   • Schedule forecasts
3. Work performance information
4. Agreements
5. Enterprise environmental factors
6. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Data analysis
   • Alternatives analysis
   • Cost-benefit analysis
   • Earned value analysis
   • Root cause analysis
   • Trend analysis
   • Variance analysis
3. Decision making
4. Meetings

Outputs

1. Work performance reports
2. Change requests
3. Project management plan updates
   • Any component
4. Project documents updates
   • Cost forecasts
   • Issue log
   • Lessons learned register
   • Risk register
   • Schedule forecasts

Perform Integrated Change Control

Any project change needs to be identified and the changes to the project’s cost, schedule, quality, or any other factor must be documented and communicated with the appropriate stakeholders.

Inputs

1. Project management plan
   • Change management plan
   • Configuration management plan
   • Scope baseline
   • Schedule baseline
   • Cost baseline
2. Project documents
   • Basis of estimates
   • Requirements traceability matrix
   • Risk report
3. Work performance reports
4. Change requests
5. Enterprise environmental factors
6. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Change control tools
3. Data analysis
   • Alternatives analysis
   • Cost-benefit analysis
4. Decision making
   • Voting
   • Autocratic decision making
   • Multicriteria decision analysis
5. Meetings

Outputs

1. Approved change requests
2. Project management plan updates
   • Any component
3. Project documents updates
   • Change log

Project Closure

There is only one process taking place in this phase: Project Closing.

Project Closing

Things like final inspections, insurance or bonding documentation, or contract closures.

Inputs

1. Project charter
2. Project management plan
   • All components
3. Project documents
   • Assumption log
   • Basis of estimates
   • Change log
   • Issue log
   • Lessons learned register
   • Milestone list
   • Project communications
   • Quality control measurements
   • Quality reports
   • Requirements documentation
   • Risk register
   • Risk report
4. Accepted deliverables
5. Business documents
   • Business case
   • Benefits management plan
6. Agreements
7. Procurement documentation
8. Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques

1. Expert judgment
2. Data analysis
   • Document analysis
   • Regression analysis
   • Trend analysis
   • Variance analysis
3. Meetings

Outputs

1. Project documents updates
   • Lessons learned register
2. Final product, service, or result transition
3. Final report
4. Organizational process assets updates

Trending practices include the use of a project management information system (PMIS) , use of visual management tools that provides a real-time overview of the project status, a rigorous process of identifying knowledge and safeguarding it, initiating and finalizing business case development and benefits management,  managing the interfaces with various functional and operational departments and senior management personnel, use of agile with iterative processes, business analysis techniques for requirements management, tools for identifying complex elements in projects, organizational change management methods to integrate project outputs into organization.

Project Integration  Management processes are tailored to phased project life cycle, adaptive/predictive development life cycle, organizational management, collaborative knowledge management,  change management, project governance, lessons learned collection, benefits reporting. Any changes will impact cost estimates, activity sequencing, schedule dates, resource requirements, and risk response alternatives.

Most components of the project management plan are produced as outputs from other processes, though some are produced during this process such as change management plan, configuration management plan, performance measurement baseline, project life cycle, development approach, management reviews.

Next Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management 

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