You are asked to apply PMBoK as Construction Project Management Professional on a new project, where do you start?
PMBoK starts the 10 knowledge areas with a chapter called Integration Management. There are experts in every other knowledge area that could assist the Project Manager except the coordination, communication, and integration of all project management efforts performed by the PMP as discussed in the Integration Management chapter!
Per PMI’s Construction Extension, the main interpersonal skills of a CPMP in a project are Leading, communicating, negotiating and problem solving issues as they arise during the completion of the Project Management processes.
Teaching PMBoK to Construction PMPs
When teaching PMBoK, it is best to start with the three constraints: Time, Cost, Quality. Since most project managers understand the concept based on experience. Chapter four (Integration Management) is the last of all 13 chapters that is taught, since it will connect all the information gathered and defines how all the processes are managed in a cohesive approach and integrates change management for an Agile continuous Improvement effort.
Start Applying PMBoK to Projects
However to start applying PMBoK to projects doesn’t start with discussing the project’s triple constraints. The likely scenario is that you are invited to join a meeting where people are discussing an idea, concept, schematic design, or even bid documents to get familiar with the project. Therefore, the first initial step as taught in PMBoK is to obtain a signed Project Charter as the PM working on the project. Not…
In a realistic situation, you are the only PMP on the team and the sponsors will have no idea or interest in handing over a signed document with all that information as they might not have fixed much of the information anyway. So the first step is to gather as much information as you can in the first meeting to complete the following: Stakeholder Registry, Risk Registry, WBS, Requirement Matrix, and obtain as much information as you can on the Organization chart and roles & responsibilities to complete the project’s RACI Matrix to start drafting your Project Management Plan.
As a Construction Project Management Professional or CPMP you know that this process is an iterative and continuous improvement effort. Therefore, pieces of the puzzle will be completed as you go along and complete the project.