PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition Update
The 6th edition of Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is here.
Project management Institute’s PMBOK® Guide is considered the holy grail of project management. PMI® regularly updates their standard to stay up to date with the current trends in project management. And here is what it takes to get yourself upgraded to the new standards.
When was the PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition Released?
The latest PMBOK® Guide 6th edition was released on the 27, September 2017.
You may find a copy of the latest edition here – PMBOK® Click Here to Purchase
When Can You Expect the PMBOK® 6th Edition Changes to Reflect in PMP® Exams?
All PMP® exams will be aligned to the PMBOK® 6th edition. This change will reflect in the examinations taken after March 2018. Until then, members can continue to follow the PMBOK® 5th edition and take exams.
What is the PMBOK® Guide and Why Does PMI® Release New Editions?
Project Management Institute (PMI®) is a global non-profit association consisting of project management professionals across the globe. Together, they form a consortium for defining project management guidelines which are accepted as standards for the project management industry.
The PMBOK® Guide is a collection of knowledge areas, processes, best practices and set of guidelines that are universally accepted across various industries that require project management expertise.
Here is a timeline of the previous editions of the PMBOK® Guide:
PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition vs. 5th Edition: What Changed?
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Major Changes Include –
- Effective leadership centralized into one section
- Standardization of terminologies
- Update to structure in knowledge areas
Change #1: Guide Structure
The PMBOK® 6th edition guide is divided into 3 sections:
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)
- The Standard for Project Management
- Appendices, Glossary, and Index
Note: Chapter 1 (The Introduction), Chapter 3 (Project management processes) and Annex A1 of the PMBOK® Guide 5th edition have been consolidated as Part 2 (The standard of Project Management) in the PMBOK® 6th edition.
Change #2: Changes in Knowledge Areas
| PMBOK® 5th Edition Knowledge Areas | PMBOK® 6th Edition Knowledge Areas |
|---|---|
| Time Management | Schedule Management |
| Human Resource Management | Resource Management |
As you can see that although the number of knowledge areas is the same, their names have been modified so that they sound more relevant to the project needs. Apart from the above changes, knowledge areas will additionally consist of the four new sections listed below:
- Key concepts.
- Trends and emerging practices.
- Tailoring considerations.
- Considerations for the Agile and Adaptive environment.
Change #3: New Additions to Processes
There will be three new additions to the processes in the PMBOK® 6th edition
| Processes | Process Groups | Knowledge Area |
|---|---|---|
| Manage Project Knowledge | Executive Project Group | Integration Management |
| Implement Risk Responses | Executing Process Group | Risk Management |
| Control Resources | Monitoring and Controlling | Resource Management |
Change #4: Changes in Existing Processes
There are a couple of marginal changes in the PMBOK® 6th edition guidebook.
Estimate Activity Resource which is now a part of Planning process group under Time Management knowledge area will belong to the same process group under Resource Management knowledge area.
In addition to this, 6 processes have been renamed to align with the current project management trends, though their content remains the same. Here is an overview:
| PMBOK® 5th Edition Process Name | PMBOK® 6th Edition Process Name |
|---|---|
| Perform Quality Assurance | Manage Quality |
| Plan Human Resource Management | Plan Resource Management |
| Control Communications | Monitor Communications |
| Control Risks | Monitor Risks |
| Plan Stakeholder Management | Plan Stakeholder Engagement |
| Control Stakeholder Engagement | Monitor Stakeholder Engagement |
Here is a comparison of the processes by knowledge areas in PMBOK® 5th edition and PMBOK® 6th edition.
Change #5: Changes in Project Management Plan and Project Documents
Earlier in PMBOK® 5th edition, the project management plan components like procurement management plan, stakeholder management plan, and so on were represented as Inputs/Outputs to a process. In the PMBOK® 6th edition, project management plan itself is represented as an Input/Output.
Change #6: More Emphasize on Agile and Other Adaptive Methodology
To keep up with the current project management trends, PMBOK® 6th edition consists of more iterative and adaptive methods. Agile is considered to be one of the top emerging methodologies that many project managers are using effectively. Project managers are able to deliver complex projects efficiently using the Agile methodology. PMI® has taken into account this valuable feedback from its members and has reinforced the importance of adaptive mythologies to by including agile frameworks and practices that are required for each knowledge area. On top of this, PMBOK® 6th edition also consists of an appendix section for quick reference.
Change #7: PMI® Talent Triangle
While it is essential to possess strong technical skills to manage projects, a research conducted by PMI® proves that these alone will not be sufficient to survive in today’s increasingly complex global marketplace.
The PMBOK® 6th edition will include a entire chapter dedicated to the role of a project manager which reiterates the importance of PMI® Talent Triangle and other skillsets that project managers need to be quipped with in order to make them more competitive and more productive.