TOPIC: Project Management Plan Update Versus CR

Hi all,

I'm confused as to why in "Manage Project Knowledge", one of the outputs is "PMP Updates". Shouldn't the output be "Change Request", since an approved PMP is a controlled document?

In 4.4.3.2, the PMBOK says "Any change to the project management plan goes through the organization's change control process via a change request. Any component of the project management plan may be updated as a result of this process." Isn't this telling me directly that the output should be a CR?

Thanks,
Pat

Hi, Patrick.

Manage Project Knowledge is defined as the process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve the project’s objectives and contribute to organizational learning. This definition implies that new knowledge that will be vital for this and other future projects will be created as the project work continues.

The project management plan (PMP) with all it’s a components is a living document that continues to change as the project goes on. From it, templates such as the WBS and its associated dictionary can be extracted for future projects and as such (PMP) updates are included as part of the outputs. You are of course correct when you point out that change requests are required to change the (PMP). We can perhaps conclude that PMI in its wisdom is using the principle of “abundance of caution” to ensure that you do both the change requests and PMP updates. (PMBOK 6th Edition, Pg. 70)

I hope that helps.

I agree with Eric, you may not get a satisfactory answer on this, but on page 70: "Figure 4-1 provides an overview of the Project Integration Management processes. The Project Integration Management processes are presented as discrete processes with defined interfaces while, in practice, they overlap and interact in ways that cannot be completely detailed in the PMBOK® Guide."

Looking on page 596 are closely linked and that process does create change requests. So perhaps the change request is not emanating from the manage project knowledge process, but rather the output is a new project document we need to manage (a new version).

Interesting catch - because most of the other executing processes do produce change requests!