Effective project management is a crucial part of many organisations, bringing good communication, task management and general planning to the table. If you’re hoping to enhance your skills within project management, you’ll need to understand the 10 knowledge areas that are essential to running a successful project from start to finish.
About the 10 project management knowledge areas
These knowledge areas range from project scope and cost to resource and procurement, giving you everything you need to understand when it comes to better project management.
The areas form the key aspects that should be overseen by project managers, so whether you’re in IT or engineering, you’ll know exactly what you should be managing. This can be instrumental when it comes to delivering projects within your department.
What are the 10 project management knowledge areas?
With the above in mind, here we’ll talk you through each of those crucial project management knowledge areas and explain their role within an IT department, so that you can further your understanding of what it means to be an IT project manager.
Project integration management
Project integration management is the framework, or roadmap, that sets out the plan for the whole project. It’s the overseeing of the processes that are required to bring the project together, including physical and any digital aspects. It may also cover things like managing the relationship between stakeholders, or any changes.
For a straightforward example to demonstrate this, if the sales department requires data from the IT team in order to produce a report, the project integration management process would be used to make sure the data is properly delivered and presented, and that it meets the requirements.
Project scope management
The management of the project’s scope is incredibly important because it ensures the objectives are achieved within the resources and timeframe set. This will help to create a plan that keeps you on track, as well as allowing everyone on the project to understand what tasks are included.
This can be particularly important within IT project management. For example, if an IT team needs to roll out a new update across its system, the project manager will need to map out the scope of what is required in order to complete this successfully. This can help to deal with any expected, or even unexpected, delays or hiccups along the way.
Project time management
Most projects will require the input of different people, which means there are often various timelines and schedules to try and coordinate. This knowledge area, therefore, aims to help estimate the timeline of your project which can also allow you to efficiently track its progress along the way too. Thanks to your project scope above, you can gain a better idea of what tasks need to be done in which order, and how long each one may take.
For example, if the IT team needs to carry out an asset management audit, the project manager will need to take into account any participation or cooperation from other people in the organisation.
Project cost management
This knowledge area involves being able to effectively estimate the cost of the project and setting a budget. It also means you should be able to properly track the project’s spend and know how to minimise overspending, either by reducing cost or getting the most out of your resources.
As an example, should the IT department be planning to switch cloud providers, it is the responsibility of the IT project manager to ensure this switch is cost effective for the business and that the project of switching stays on track.
Project quality management
This is a little bit like quality control, making sure that the project is completed on time and within budget – as well as ensuring that it meets the necessary standards of course. This can include things like planning a quality assurance process and testing products before release.
For example, if the IT team have been rolling out a change to a process or product, this would include testing the change is successfully completed and ready for rollout.
Project resource management
One of the biggest elements of project management is working with people, usually across different teams. Effective resource management means that you’re able to create teams to get the job done, as well as understanding the capacity of that team. It can benefit you in knowing who you need at various points of the project, in order to deliver it.
For instance, depending on the project at hand, the IT department may need assistance from the retail team, or even marketing, at various stages along the project in order to get the information it needs.
Project communication management
The communication part of project management is crucial in making sure that stakeholders have the right information they need at any given time. It can also touch on the idea of knowing the difference between good communication, and under or over communicating too. Having the right communication plan can mean everyone is informed on any updates or potential issues.
This might look like setting up specific channels for communication and ensuring the necessary people have access to them. It might also include setting up the frequency of communications, such as a daily or weekly scrum where it’s felt needed.
Project risk management
It’s important to approach any project with the awareness that something will likely go wrong or off-plan at some point. With that being said, project risk management means you’re able to identify any potential risks throughout the project and plan how you might deal with them, should they arise.
You might wish to produce a risk register of some kind. A common risk scenario could be related to data security, such as potential data leaks or a credential compromise.
Project procurement management
This area of project management covers the notion of working with those outside of your organisation, in order to get the work done. In some cases, it may be that you don’t have the resource or necessary people to carry out the work required. In this case, you’ll need to identify the right contractor or freelancer.
For example, if you regularly use security products or controls within the IT department, you might need an independent tester to carry out penetration testing. With this in mind, you’d have to qualify the right company for the job and understand where they fit into the project.
Project stakeholder management
The final stage of any project is making sure that it has been delivered to the stakeholder’s expectations. The success of the project essentially depends on this. It’s important to recognise who your stakeholders are and understand if they have any concerns. This can help you to manage their expectations throughout the project as well as engaging in clear communication and delivery.
So, by putting all of these areas together, you can ensure that you are following project management best practices in developing and delivering plans, while also managing time and costs. By understanding these 10 project management knowledge areas, you can better complete your objectives from start to finish. Find your next role in project management today with SEFE.
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