Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Develop Project Charter, Develop Project Management Plan, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control, Close Project or Phase
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Project Integration Management is the knowledge area that coordinates all elements of the project. It ensures that processes work together as a coherent whole. Integration Management includes processes that span the entire life cycle from initiation to closing. Understanding which processes belong to this knowledge area is essential for grasping how the project manager integrates scope, time, cost, quality, resources, communication, risk and procurement. This question asks you to identify the list that contains only Integration Management processes.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Project Integration Management typically includes the following processes: Develop Project Charter, Develop Project Management Plan, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control and Close Project or Phase. These processes deal with overall coordination, from initial authorization through planning, execution, monitoring and closing. By contrast, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Verify Scope and Control Scope belong to Scope Management; Plan Quality, Perform Quality Assurance and Perform Quality Control belong to Quality Management; and Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis and Plan Risk Responses belong to Risk Management. To answer the question, identify which option aligns with the integration list.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine option A. It lists Develop Project Charter, Develop Project Management Plan, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control and Close Project or Phase, which are known Integration Management processes.Step 2: Examine option B. Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Verify Scope and Control Scope are part of Scope Management, not Integration Management.Step 3: Examine option C. Plan Quality, Perform Quality Assurance and Perform Quality Control are Quality Management processes.Step 4: Examine option D. Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis and Plan Risk Responses are Risk Management processes.Step 5: Conclude that only option A contains processes all belonging to the Project Integration Management knowledge area.
Verification / Alternative check:
Verify against a PMBOK Guide process chart that shows knowledge areas horizontally and process groups vertically. Integration Management appears in its own column listing exactly the processes in option A. Scope, Quality and Risk Management each have separate columns with the processes shown in options B, C and D. This cross reference confirms that option A is accurate and complete for Integration Management.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B focuses entirely on defining and controlling project scope, which is essential but not part of Integration Management. Option C is limited to establishing and applying quality standards. Option D deals with identifying and planning for risks. Each of these is a separate knowledge area. None of them includes the charter, integrated plan, integrated execution, integrated monitoring and integrated closing processes that characterize Integration Management.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates mistakenly think that every process with the word Project in its name belongs to Integration Management, or that integration means anything that touches multiple areas. In reality, PMBOK defines a specific set of Integration processes. Another pitfall is to confuse process groups with knowledge areas and think that all Initiating processes are Integration processes, which is not always true in later editions. Careful study of the standard process matrix will help you avoid these misunderstandings.
Final Answer:
The list that includes only Project Integration Management processes is Develop Project Charter, Develop Project Management Plan, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control, Close Project or Phase.
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