TOPIC: Policies are not always under OPAs?

All,

I have been so confused that if policies is always under OPAs?? Also is Human Resource policies same as Human Resources Management policies? are they referring the same policy?

PMBOK guide
page 39-40;

2.3 Organizational Process Assets includes;

Processes, policies and procedures and;
Organizational knowledge base.

2.3.1 Processes, Policies and Procedures

Initiating and Planning;
2nd bullet point;

Specific organizational standards such as policies (e.g human resources policies, health and safety policies, ..........................

Page 339

9.4.1.3 Enterprise Environmental Factors;
The enterprise environmental factors that can influence the Develop Team process include but are not limited to:
Human Resource Management policies regarding hiring and termination , employee performance reviews, employment development and training records, and recognition and rewards.

Anyone can shed some light here?

Many Thanks.

Hi Pang.

I have gone through the references you have provided from PMBOK 6th edition and I will attempt to answer your queries (hopefully) to your satisfaction. I understand reading the PMBOK can take you round in circles.

"I have been so confused that if policies is always under OPAs??"
# I prefer not to use definites like "always" when discussing matters project management, PMI and PMBOK. But policies are usually part of OPA's

Also is Human Resource policies same as Human Resources Management policies? are they referring the same policy?
# In my opinion, yes. Human Resource policies = Human Resources Management policies

Hope that helps.

Pang:

I also didn't like the double use of the word "policy" in the definitions, but here's an explanation that makes sense to me:

Human Resource polices are often based on regulations which are EEFs. The company has their hands tied with a lot of the HR regulation.

Hope that helps

Harry

Harry,

Should health and safety policies, security and confidentiality policies, quality policies, procurement policies and environmental policies be under EEFs? What kind of policies are classified as OPAs?

Regards

Pang,

There seems to be a nuanced difference when it comes to human resources and the other areas, of which I do not fully understand. With respect to health, safety and environment, there are (US) regulations stating that you will have a plan and what the plan must cover, but the regulations are silent on HOW the plan will be implemented with any one employer. In that respect, the regulation is an EEF, the company program is an OPA.

With respect to quality, there are no regulations but there are consensus industry standards (think ISO, ANSI, etc.) that are recognized best practices but generally unenforceable; so again the company must develop it's own program. There again, the consensus standard is an EEF and the corporate policy is an OPA.

Human resource management is specifically called out in the PMBOK as an EEF. Personally, I just went with it and moved on.

A more experienced moderator may have more helpful advice here.

Harry

Thank you Harry!

The PMI guide to Business Analysis actually does a much better job of explaining Human Resources Management (HRM) policies than does the PMBOK. They are actually listed as both an EFF and an OPA. For an OPA, HRM are obvious specific organizational standards developed and tailored by the company.

As an EFF, HRM becomes a constraint or a factor once adopted for the project, including but not limited to: staffing and retention guidelines, performance reviews and training records, reward and overtime policy, cost per skill type, and time tracking.

If I were rewriting the PMBOK, I would say that any standard developed by the company would be an OPA, but the constraints and factors of that policy become EFFs once they begin to effect your project (such as limiting a reward mechanism).

I believe on the exam there were no muddy waters when it came to differentiating between an OPA and an EFF.

Hope this helps.

Great summary Devin. I would change one thing for clarity:

"...I would say that any POLICY (program or procedure) by the company is an OPA but the EXTERNAL constraints (REGULATIONS, CONSENSUS STANDARDS, etc.)....become EEFs..."

I live in a very regulated world, Companies do not make standards or regulations, they make corporate policy. and procedures.
Just my 2-cents worth.

Harry