A Project Manager's Book of Forms

A Companion to the PMBOK Guide

Cynthia Snyder Stackpole

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9781118000250
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Industrial Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This source book of forms and procedures for using them follows exactly the content of the PMBOK® Guide. It provides a road-map approach so readers know exactly where they are and what forms precede and follow their current position on a project. The volume contains forms in hard copy for reproduction as well as in an accompanying CD for use and customization by a wide variety of project managers, consultants, and other associated professionals.

(PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

1

Introduction

The Project Management Book of Forms is designed to be a companion to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide)—Fourth Edition. The purpose is to present the information from the PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition in a set of forms and reports so that project managers can readily apply the concepts and practices described in the PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition to their projects.

The PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition identifies that subset of the project management body of knowledge generally recognized as good practice. As an ANSI Standard, it does not describe how to apply those practices, nor does it provide a vehicle for transferring that knowledge into practice.

This Book of Forms will assist project managers in applying information presented in the PMBOK^® Guide— Fourth Edition into project documentation. The Book of Forms does not teach project management concepts or describe how to apply project management techniques. Textbooks and classes can fulfill those needs. This book provides an easy way to apply good practices to projects.

Since one of the defining factors about projects is that they are unique, project managers must tailor the forms and reports to meet the needs of their individual projects. Some projects will require information in addition to what is presented in these forms; some will require less. These forms are presented in paper format and electronic versions to make them easy to adapt to the needs of specific projects. They follow the information in the PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition but can be adapted to meet the needs of the project manager and specific projects.

AUDIENCE

This book is written specifically for project managers to help manage all aspects of the project. Those new to project management can use the forms as a guide in collecting and organizing project information. Experienced project managers can use the forms as a template so that they collect a set of consistent data on all projects. In essence, the forms save reinventing the wheel for each project.

A secondary audience is the manager of project managers or a project management office. Using the information in this book ensures a consistent approach to project documentation. Adopting these forms on an organizational level will enable a repeatable approach to project management.

ORGANIZATION

The forms are organized by process group: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Within those process groups, the forms are arranged sequentially as presented in the PMBOK^® Guide— Fourth Edition.

A description of each form is presented along with a list of contents. For the planning forms, there is a description of where the information in the form comes from (inputs) and where it goes to (outputs). For some forms, there is a list of related forms. On the page(s) to come, a blank copy of the form is presented, followed by a copy of the form with a description of the information that goes into each field. In the back of the book, there is a completely editable CD-ROM with a copy of all the blank forms. All forms are in Microsoft^®Office software for ease of tailoring.

Some forms are included that are not mentioned in the PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition. These are forms that assist in managing a project but are not considered part of the project management standard.

Not all forms will be needed on all projects. Use the forms you need, to the degree that you need them, to assist you in managing your projects.

2

Initiating Forms

2.1 INITIATING PROCESS GROUP

The purpose of the Initiating Process Group is to authorize a project, provide a high-level definition of the project, and identify stakeholders. There are two processes in the Initiating Process Group:

• Develop Project Charter

• Identify Stakeholders

The intent of the Initiating Process Group is to at least:

• Authorize a project

• Identify project objectives

• Define the initial scope of the project

• Obtain organizational commitment

• Assign a project manager

• Identify project stakeholders

As the first processes in the project, the initiating processes are vital to starting a project effectively. These processes can be revisited throughout the project for validation and elaboration as needed.

The forms used to document initiating information include:

• Project Charter

• Stakeholder Register

• Stakeholder Analysis Matrix

• Stakeholder Management Strategy

These forms are consistent with the information in the PMBOK ^® Guide—Fourth Edition. Tailor them to meet the needs of your project by editing, combining, or revising them.

2.2 PROJECT CHARTER

The Project Charter is a document that formally authorizes a project or phase. The Project Charter defines the reason for the project and assigns a project manager and his or her authority level for the project. The contents of the charter describe the project in high-level terms, such as:

• Purpose or justification

• High-level project description

• High-level project and product requirements

• Summary budget

• Summary milestone schedule

• Initial risks

• Project objectives and success criteria

• Acceptance criteria

• Project manager authority

Use the information from your project to tailor the form to best meet your needs.

The Project Charter can receive information from:

• Contracts

• Statements of work

• Business case

It provides information to:

• Project Management Plan

• Project Scope Statement

• Stakeholder Register

• Requirements Documentation

• Requirements Management Plan

• Requirements Traceability Matrix

The Project Charter is an output from the process 4.1 Develop Project Charter in the PMBOK^® Guide—Fourth Edition.

PROJECT CHARTER

2.3 STAKEHOLDER REGISTER

The Stakeholder Register is used to identify those people and organizations impacted by the project and document relevant information ab...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Initiating Forms
• Chapter 3 - Planning Forms
• Chapter 4 - Executing Forms
• Chapter 5 - Monitoring and Control Forms
• Chapter 6 - Closing
• Index
• About the CD-ROM
• Access to Companion Site