Project Integration Management
Project Integration Management involves coordinating all of the other project management knowledge
areas throughout the project's life cycle. It ensures the timely delivery and integration of all elements of
the project for successful completion.
Processes involved in project integration management are:
1. Developing a project charter: a document that formally recognizes the existence of a project,
and provides direction on the project's objectives and management. A template is available on
LMS.
2. Developing a scope statement: a document used to develop and confirm a common
understanding of the PROJECT SCOPE. It details the work or activities that are required to be
accomplished on the project, and is an important tool for preventing scope creep. Its purpose is
to generate important discussions and kick start work related to PROJECT SCOPE. For the
purposes of your project, the Requirements and Analysis (R&A) document should act as the
preliminary scope statement. A template is available on LMS.
3. Developing a Project Management Plan (PMP). This is the most important plan for
integrating or coordinating all activities and components of project management when
conducting a project. The PMP is used to coordinate all project planning documents, and to help
guide and control the project's execution (this includes product development). The other eight
PMBOK areas have individual management plans that are components of the PMP; these are
therefore considered subsidiary. They may exist as separate documents or as relatively
comprehensive sections of the PMP. In either case, the size and content of the subsidiary
document/section will depend on that plans importance to a particular project.
It should be understood that all plans (particularly the PMP) involved in conducting a project
need to be dynamic and flexible, because of possible changes in the project environment and
requirements. Plans are created to assist in the management of a project, and in determining
project status, in an ever changing environment. All changes to the PMP must be agreed upon
by the project manager (i.e. your supervisor) and the team, and must be documented.
4. Directing and managing project execution: involves performing the work on the project (i.e.
developing the product) and managing project activities as described in the PMP. This takes up
a majority of time in the project life cycle. However, it is important to understand that the
planning of the work to be executed in this section must precede this section; so effective
management plans must first be developed if the project is to have a realistic chance of success.
5. Monitoring and controlling project work/activities: involves collecting, measuring, and
disseminating performance information. This helps to assess the overall status of the project,
and identify areas that require special attention during the project’s execution.
6. Performing integration change control: involves identifying, evaluating, and managing
changes throughout the project life cycle. The integrated change control process includes:
revisions of the PMP (or subsidiary plans), work performance reports, requested changes,
recommended preventative and corrective actions, recommended defect repair. Any changes (in
these, or any other, areas) require approval by the project manager and the team.
The change control system is a formal documented process that describes when and how official
project documents may be changed, and who is authorized to do so.
