During the Develop Project Management Plan process in Project Integration Management, what is the primary result produced by this process?

Introduction / Context:
Develop Project Management Plan is a central process in Project Integration Management and occurs in the Planning Process Group. It brings together outputs from all planning processes to create an integrated document that guides project execution, monitoring and closing. For exam purposes, you must be very clear about what this process produces and how it differs from other documents like the preliminary scope statement, WBS dictionary or stakeholder register. This question focuses on the primary result of the process.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The process is Develop Project Management Plan, not Develop Project Charter or Create WBS.
• The process occurs after initial initiation outputs such as the project charter and preliminary scope.
• The result is an integrated plan that coordinates all knowledge area plans and baselines.
• You should distinguish this plan from more specialized project documents.

Concept / Approach:
The project management plan is the main output of Develop Project Management Plan. It is a comprehensive document that integrates and consolidates all subsidiary plans (such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk and procurement plans) and includes baselines for scope, schedule and cost. The preliminary scope statement, WBS dictionary and stakeholder register are separate artifacts produced in other processes. When answering, look for the option that clearly describes a consolidated, integrated plan covering all aspects of the project.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate option A. It states that the output is a comprehensive, integrated project management plan that consolidates all subsidiary plans and baselines. This matches the PMBOK description of the project management plan.Step 2: Evaluate option B. A preliminary scope statement is created earlier in initiation and is not the main result of Develop Project Management Plan.Step 3: Evaluate option C. The WBS dictionary and work packages come primarily from Scope Management processes such as Create WBS and are not the integrated plan.Step 4: Evaluate option D. The stakeholder register is created in Identify Stakeholders and is one of many subsidiary documents that may be referenced by the project management plan.Step 5: Conclude that option A best represents the primary result of this process.

Verification / Alternative check:
Review a PMBOK process description for Develop Project Management Plan. The output section clearly states Project management plan as the primary output. It also summarizes that the plan integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines into a single coherent document. None of the other documents listed in the options are described as the main output of this process. This confirms that option A is correct and that the other options point to related but distinct artifacts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B misplaces the preliminary scope statement, which is associated with earlier initiation work. Option C misidentifies a scope decomposition tool as the central integrated plan. Option D confuses stakeholder identification, which is one part of planning, with the entire project management plan. While all of these documents may be referenced by or contained within the plan, they are not the primary integrated output described by this process.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent misunderstanding is thinking of the project management plan as only a schedule or only a collection of charts. In reality, it is a comprehensive document that guides how the project will be executed, monitored and closed. Another pitfall is to overlook the fact that the plan is progressively elaborated; it may be updated multiple times as the project evolves. For exam questions, however, you should always associate Develop Project Management Plan with the creation of this integrated plan.

Final Answer:
The primary result of the Develop Project Management Plan process is a comprehensive, integrated project management plan that consolidates all subsidiary plans and baselines.