TOPIC: Need One important clarification on one PMBOK 5th

Hi Guys,

I need to understand one important concept in PMBOK. During study it came to my mind.Can anyone of you help me understand it?

I need to understand Why neither OPA nor EEF is an input to Collect Requirements,Plan Risk

responses,Perform Quality Assurance,Develop PT,Validate Scope,Control Risk,Control

Procurements,Control Stakeholder Engagement and Close Procurements?



Really appreciate some responses to help me understand this important concept.



Thank You.

Hi Abhirup.

the PMBOK Guuid states:
"As explained in Section 2, the project manager needs to consider organizational process assets and
enterprise environmental factors. These should be taken into account for every process, even if they are not explicitly listed as inputs in the process specification."

so even if the EEF and the OPA are not explicitly mentioned as inputs in some processes, they should be considered in every process.

Hello Abhirup,

Ahmed has a good point -- the EEF's and OPA's can be thought of as inputs to all processes. It is nuances like this that can make the exam so challenging. Keep in mind that we need to choose the *best* answer -- there will most likely be questions where the answers all seem bad, and you'll just have to pick the one that makes the most sense.

Understanding the material is key, not merely rote memorization. Since you're thinking about the material and asking questions like this one, I think you're on the right track!

Thank you so much for helping me understand the concept that EEF and OPA can be considered input in every processes although it is not explicitly mentioned in PMBOK guide.

My Next question is:

Why Expert Judgement is not a T&T for the following processes? and Do I need to remember the fact that these processes do not have Expert Judgement mentioned as Tools and Technique in PMBOK 5th edition?
These processes are:
1>Collect Requirements
2>Develop Schedule
3>Plan Quality Management
4>Plan Communication management
5>Perform Quality Assurance
6>Acquire PT
7>Develop PT
8>Manage PT
9>Conduct Stakeholder Engagement.
10>Validate Scope
11>Control Scope
12>Control Cost
13>Control Quality
14>Control Procurement
15>Close Procurement

Abhirup, Expert Judgement is a valuable commodity to be used in reality, whenever you need some crucial information to help break up some confusion.

Yet, for the exam, and the sake of clarity when piecing together ITTOs, I often recommend to candidates to try to memorize ITTOs. The way the questions are worded on exams, after you've done your best to know the ITTOs, will offer clues within those words leading you to select the answer.

I'm not sure there's one response to directly answer your question, but here's my interpretation. When you're collecting requirements, for example, what are you really doing? You're gathering the facts about what has to be completed to satisfy the customer's demands. This requires interaction between you and that customer and related stakeholders. You've been entrusted by the sponsor so you should have the competence to do a voice of the customer analysis. You can't be going to some expert for every step in a project. I apply this reasoning to the Develop Schedule and several others from the list. It's you and your team that have the responsibility. If you build upon the project initiation steps where expert judgement is used, you've probably set up a base from which to plow through the remaing steps.

Thank you Michael so much for the explanation. Well this is what I get from your solution.
Although the project manager might need expert judgement in some crucial situations, it is not recommended that Project manager look for Expert Judgement for every processes mentioned in PMBOK.The reason being the PM and the Team should have some expertise in the work they are being assigned to.This makes so much sense.
Being said that,there are some processes like "Plan Quality Management" where Expert judgement is not mentioned as a T&T. Now if the PMBOK Guide implies that Expert Judgement is not required in this important/crucial process then I have my doubts on that.

Well so far my analysis leads me to realization that Expert Judgement should be memorized as an Important T&T in ITTO. So I will do that.

Once again, Thank you so much for your explanation Michael .I really appriciate it.