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In previous articles, we have demonstrated to PMP® exam students that there is some logic and common sense to the inputs and outputs that relate the various project management processes. We have highlighted where enterprise environmental factors, organizational process assets, work performance data, information and reports, as well as change requests are used. However, the fifth and sixth editions of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) decided to tidy things up by hiding specific inputs and outputs under the generic heading “project documents”.
The really frightening thing for someone undergoing PMP® exam preparation is that project documents are a moveable feast – they are literally context dependent. This is a problem for the PMP® exam student because, even if you can recall all 33 instances of project documents across all 49 project management processes, you still might be caught out by questions relating to particular project documents.
The project documents are listed in Table 4-1 of the PMBOK® Guide and reproduced here for your convenience.
| Activity Attributes | Project Team Assignments |
| Activity List | Quality Control Measurements |
| Assumption Log | Quality Metrics |
| Basis of Estimates | Quality Report |
| Change Log | Requirements Documentation |
| Cost Estimates | Requirements Traceability Matrix |
| Cost Forecasts | Resource Breakdown Structure |
| Duration Estimates | Resource Calendars |
| Issue Log | Risk Register |
| Lessons Learned Register | Risk Report |
| Milestone List | Schedule Data |
| Physical Resource Assignments | Schedule Forecasts |
| Project Calendars | Stakeholder Register |
| Project Communications | Team Charter |
| Project Schedule | Test and Evaluation Documents |
| Project Schedule Network Diagram | Project Team Assignments |
| Project Scope Statement |
While this is a long list, you will notice that each document is associated with a particular knowledge area, so there is potential to relate these documents to the right processes intuitively.
Exploring the PMBOK® Guide for details of what project documents mean in each context reveals the infuriating phrase “may include but is not limited to” in most sections. Let us look at what we can learn from the PMBOK® Guide with regard to project documents as inputs:
|
Process |
Project documents may include, but are not limited to |
| Direct and Manage Project Work | Change Log
Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Project Communications Project Schedule Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Risk Report |
| Manage Project Knowledge | Lessons Learned Register
Project Team Assignments Resource Breakdown Structure Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor and Control Project Work | Assumption Log
Basis of Estimates Cost Forecasts Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Quality Reports Risk Register Risk Report Schedule Forecasts |
| Perform Integrated Change Control | Basis of Estimates
Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Report |
| Close Project or Phase | Assumption Log
Basis of Estimates Change Log Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Project Communications Quality Control Measurements Quality Reports Requirements Documentation Risk Register Risk Report |
| Collect Requirements | Assumption Log
Lessons Learned Register Stakeholder Register |
| Define Scope | Assumption Log
Requirements Documentation Risk Register |
| Create WBS | Project Scope Statement
Requirements Documentation |
| Validate Scope | Lessons Learned Register
Quality Reports Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix |
| Control Scope | Lessons Learned Register
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix |
| Sequence Activities | Activity Attributes
Activity List Assumption Log Milestone List |
| Estimate Activity Durations | Activity Attributes
Activity List Assumption Log Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Project Team Assignments Resource Breakdown Structure Resource Calendars Resource Requirements Risk Register |
| Develop Schedule | Activity Attributes
Activity List Assumption Log Basis of Estimates Duration Estimates Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Project Schedule Network Diagrams Project Team Assignments Resource Calendars Resource Requirements Risk Register |
| Control Schedule | Lessons Learned Register
Project Calendar Project Schedule Resource Calendars Schedule Data |
| Estimate Costs | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Resource Requirements Risk Register |
| Determine Budget | Basis of Estimates
Cost Estimates Project Schedule Risk Register |
| Control Costs | Lessons Learned Register |
| Plan Quality Management | Assumption Log
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Manage Quality | Lessons Learned Register
Quality Control Measurements Quality Metrics Risk Report |
| Control Quality | Lessons Learned Register
Quality Metrics Test and Evaluation Documents |
| Plan Resource Management | Project Schedule
Requirements Documentation Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Estimate Activity Resources | Activity Attributes
Activity List Assumption Log Cost Estimates Resource Calendars Risk Register |
| Acquire Resources | Project Schedule
Resource Calendars Resource Requirements Stakeholder Register |
| Develop Team | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Project Team Assignments Resource Calendars Team Charter |
| Manage Team | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Team Assignments Team Charter |
| Control Resources | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Physical Resource Assignments Project Schedule Resource Breakdown Structure Resource Requirements Risk Register |
| Plan Communication Management | Requirements Documentation
Stakeholder Register |
| Manage Communications | Change Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Quality Report Risk Report Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor Communications | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Communications |
| Plan Risk Management | Stakeholder Register |
| Identify Risks | Assumption Log
Cost Estimates Duration Estimates Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Requirements Documentation Resource Requirements Stakeholder Register |
| Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis | Assumption Log
Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis | Assumption Log
Basis of Estimates Cost Estimates Cost Forecasts Duration Estimates Milestone List Resource Requirements Risk Register Risk Report Schedule Forecasts |
| Plan Risk Responses | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Project Team Assignments Resource Calendars Risk Register Risk Report Stakeholder Register |
| Implement Risk Responses | Lessons Learned Register
Risk Register Risk Report |
| Monitor Risks | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Risk Register Risk Report |
| Plan Procurement Management | Milestone List
Project Team Assignments Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Resource Requirements Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Conduct Procurements | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Requirements Documentation Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Control Procurements | Assumption Log
Lessons Learned Register Milestone List Quality Reports Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Identify Stakeholders | Change Log
Issue Log Requirements Documentation |
| Plan Stakeholder Engagement | Assumption Log
Change Log Issue Log Project Schedule Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Change Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor Stakeholder Engagement | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Communications Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
You can clearly see from this exercise that trying to learn off every input and output for every process is a pointless exercise. It is a similar situation with the project documents updates which are listed below:
|
Process |
Project documents may include, but are not limited to |
| Direct and Manage Project Work | Activity List
Assumption Log Lessons Learned Register Requirements Documentation Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor and Control Project Work | Cost Forecasts
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Risk Register Schedule Forecasts |
| Perform Integrated Change Control | “Any formally controlled project document may be changed as a result of this process.” |
| Close Project or Phase | “All project documents may be updated and marked as final versions as a result of project closure.” |
| Define Scope | Assumption Log
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Stakeholder Register |
| Create WBS | Assumption Log
Requirements Documentation |
| Validate Scope | Lessons Learned Register
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix |
| Control Scope | Lessons Learned Register
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix |
| Sequence Activities | Activity Attributes
Activity Lists Assumption Log Milestone List |
| Estimate Activity Durations | Activity Attributes
Assumption Log Lessons Learned Register |
| Develop Schedule | Activity Attributes
Assumption Log Duration Estimates Lessons Learned Register Resource Requirements Risk Register |
| Control Schedule | Assumption Log
Basis of Estimates Lessons Learned Register Project Schedule Resource Calendars Risk Register Schedule Data |
| Estimate Costs | Assumption Log
Lessons Learned Register Risk Register |
| Determine Budget | Cost Estimates
Project Schedule Risk Register |
| Control Costs | Assumption Log
Basis of Estimates Cost Estimates Lessons Learned Register Risk Register |
| Plan Quality Management | Lessons Learned Register
Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Manage Quality | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Risk Register |
| Control Quality | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Risk Register Test and Evaluation Documents |
| Plan Resource Management | Assumption Log
Risk Register |
| Estimate Activity Resources | Activity Attributes
Assumption Log Lessons Learned Register |
| Acquire Resources | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Resource Breakdown Structure Resource Requirements Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Develop Team | Lessons Learned Register
Project Schedule Project Team Assignments Resource Calendars Team Charter |
| Manage Team | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Team Assignments |
| Control Resources | Assumption Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Physical Resource Assignments Resource Breakdown Structure Risk Register |
| Plan Communications Management | Project Schedule
Stakeholder Register |
| Manage Communications | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Schedule Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor Communications | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Stakeholder Register |
| Identify Risks | Assumption Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register |
| Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis | Assumption Log
Issue Log Risk Register Risk Report |
| Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis | Risk Report |
| Plan Risk Responses | Assumption Log
Cost Forecasts Lessons Learned Register Project Schedule Project Team Assignments Risk Register Risk Report |
| Implement Risk Responses | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Project Team Assignments Risk Register Risk Report |
| Monitor Risks | Assumption Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Risk Register Risk Report |
| Plan Procurement Management | Lessons Learned Register
Milestone List Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Conduct Procurements | Lessons Learned Register
Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix Resource Calendars Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Control Procurements | Lessons Learned Register
Resource Requirements Requirements Traceability Matrix Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
| Identify Stakeholders | Assumption Log
Issue Log Risk Register |
| Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Change Log
Issue Log Lessons Learned Register Stakeholder Register |
| Monitor Stakeholder Engagement | Issue Log
Lessons Learned Register Risk Register Stakeholder Register |
Despite the volume of them, the project documents inputs and the project documents updates outputs have a certain logic to them. The PMP® exam could have a question that lists one of these documents as a correct answer. You will need to understand the process well and ask yourself if such an input or output would be plausible.
The only thing we can say for definite about project documents is that project documents are always inputs and project documents updates are always outputs.
Velopi’s PMI® Authorized PMP® Exam Preparation courses cover just about everything you need to know to obtain PMP® certification. Please visit our training page or contact us directly if you are interested in this, or any of the other project and program management courses we offer. Velopi is an Authorized Training Partner of the Project Management Institute so you are in good hands.
New Horizons
Project Management Academy
Velopi
Six Sigma Online
Watermark Learning