Process: Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Risk, and Change
What to know
Process is the largest domain and rewards knowing the sequence and purpose of each artifact. Master scope (requirements, WBS, validate scope versus control scope), schedule (critical path, total float, crashing versus fast-tracking), cost (earned value: CV, SV, CPI, SPI, EAC), quality (manage quality means prevention and audits; control quality means inspection and testing), resources, communications, risk (identification, analysis, threat and opportunity response strategies, contingency versus management reserve), procurement (fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time and materials, and who carries cost risk), and integration (charter, project management plan, integrated change control, lessons learned, closing).
Traps
- A change request is evaluated for impact on all constraints before anyone decides anything.
- Baselines move only through an approved change request.
- Validate scope is customer acceptance; control quality is correctness. Missing either means the work is not finished.
- Crashing adds cost and risk; fast-tracking adds rework risk and needs discretionary dependencies.
- Accepting scope creep to keep a client happy, or gold-plating, is never the right answer.
- Deferring lessons learned until closing.
- On do-next questions, find the prerequisite process before picking the action.
Worked example
A stakeholder asks mid-execution for an extra report format. Wrong answers: just build it since it is small, or refuse because it is not in the baseline. Right sequence: assess the impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk; document the change request; route it to the change control board; update the plan and baselines if approved; communicate the decision; then implement.
Rule of thumb: evaluate before you act, and act through change control - never around it.