A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK Guide 7th Ed.

And The Standard for Project Management

Project Management Institute

Publisher: Project Management Institute, 2021, 339 pages

ISBN: 978-1-62825-664-2

Keywords: Project Management

Last modified: Feb. 10, 2025, 11:48 p.m.

PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition AND The Standard for Project Management

Over the past few years, emerging technology, new approaches, and rapid market changes disrupted our ways of working, driving the project management profession to evolve. Each industry, organization and project face unique challenges, and team members must adapt their approaches to successfully manage projects and deliver results.

With this in mind, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Seventh Edition takes a deeper look into the fundamental concepts and constructs of the profession.

Including both The Standard for Project Management and the PMBOK® Guide, this edition presents 12 principles of project management and eight project performance domains that are critical for effectively delivering project outcomes.

This edition of the PMBOK® Guide:

  • Reflects the full range of development approaches (predictive, traditional, adaptive, agile, hybrid, etc.);
  • Devotes an entire section to tailoring development approaches and processes;
  • Expands the list of tools and techniques in a new section, "Models, Methods, and Artificats";
  • Focuses on project outcomes, in addition to deliverables; and
  • Integrates with PMIstandards+, giving users access to content that helps them apply the PMBOK® Guide on the job

The result is a modern guide that better enables project team members to be proactive, innovative, and nimble in delivering project outcomes.

  • The Standard for Project Management
    1. Introduction
      1. Purpose of The Standard for Project Management
      2. Key Terms and Concepts
      3. Audience for this Standard
    2. A System for Value Delivery
      1. Creating Value
        1. Value Delivery Components
        2. Information Flow
      2. Organizational Governance Systems
      3. Functions Associated with Projects
        1. Provide Oversight and Coordination
        2. Present Objectives and Feedback
        3. Facilitate and Support
        4. Perform Work and Contribute Insights
        5. Apply Expertise
        6. Provide Business Direction and Insight
        7. Provide Resources and Direction
        8. Maintain Governance
      4. The Project Environment
        1. Internal Environment
        2. External Environment
      5. Product Management Considerations
    3. Project Management Principles
      1. Be a Diligent, Respectful, and Caring Steward
      2. Create a Collaborative Project Team Environment
      3. Effectively Engage with Stakeholders
      4. Focus on Value
      5. Recognize, Evaluate, and Respond to System Interactions
      6. Demonstrate Leadership Behaviors
      7. Tailor Based on Context
      8. Build Quality into Processes and Deliverables
      9. Navigate Complexity
      10. Optimize Risk Responses
      11. Embrace Adaptability and Resilience
      12. Enable Change to Achieve the Envisioned Future State
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)
    1. Introduction
      1. Structure of the PMBOK® Guide
      2. Relationship of the PMBOK® Guide and The Standard for Project Management
      3. Changes to the PMBOK® Guide
      4. Relationship to PMIstandards+
    2. Project Performance Domains
      1. Stakeholder Performance Domain
        1. Stakeholder Engagement
        2. Interaction with Other Performance Domains
        3. Checking Results
      2. Team Performance Domain
        1. Project Team Management and Leadership
        2. Project Team Culture
        3. High-Performing Project Teams
        4. Leadership Skills
        5. Tailoring Leadership Styles
        6. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        7. Checking Results
      3. Development Approach and Life Cycle Performance Domain
        1. Development, Cadence, and Life Cycle Relationship
        2. Delivery Cadence
        3. Development Approaches
        4. Considerations for Selecting a Development Approach
        5. Life Cycle and Phase Definitions
        6. Aligning of Delivery Cadence, Development Approach, and Life Cycle
        7. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        8. Measuring Outcomes
      4. Planning Performance Domain
        1. Planning Overview
        2. Planning Variables
        3. Project Team Composition and Structure
        4. Communication
        5. Physical Resources
        6. Procurement
        7. Changes
        8. Metrics
        9. Alignment
        10. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        11. Checking Results
      5. Project Work Performance Domain
        1. Project Process
        2. Balancing Competing Constraints
        3. Maintaining Project Team Focus
        4. Project Communications and Engagement
        5. Managing Physical Resources
        6. Working with Procurement
        7. Monitoring New Work and Changes
        8. Learning throughout the Project
        9. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        10. Checking Results
      6. Delivery Performance Domain
        1. Delivery of Value
        2. Deliverables
        3. Quality
        4. Suboptimal Outcomes
        5. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        6. Checking Results
      7. Measurement Performance Domain
        1. Establishing Effective Measures
        2. What to Measure
        3. Presenting Information
        4. Measurement Pitfalls
        5. Troubleshooting Performance
        6. Growing and Improving
        7. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        8. Checking Results
      8. Uncertainty Performance Domain
        1. General Uncertainty
        2. Ambiguity
        3. Complexity
        4. Volatility
        5. Risk
        6. Interactions with Other Performance Domains
        7. Checking Results
    3. Tailoring
      1. Overview
      2. Why Tailor?
      3. What to Tailor
        1. Life Cycle and Development Approach Selection
        2. Processes
        3. Engagement
        4. Tools
        5. Methods and Artifacts
      4. The Tailoring Process
        1. Select Initial Development Approach
        2. Tailor for the Organization
        3. Tailor for the Project
      5. Tailoring the Performance Domains
        1. Stakeholders
        2. Project Team
        3. Development Approach and Life Cycle
        4. Planning
        5. Project Work
        6. Delivery
        7. Uncertainty
        8. Measurement
      6. Diagnostics
      7. Summary
    4. Models, Methods, and Artifacts
      1. Overview
      2. Commonly Used Models
        1. Situational Leadership Models
        2. Communication Models
        3. Motivation Models
        4. Change Models
        5. Complexity Models
        6. Project Team Development Models
        7. Other Models
      3. Models Applied Across Performance Domains
      4. Commonly Used Methods
        1. Data Gathering and Analysis
        2. Estimating
        3. Meetings and Events
        4. Other Models
      5. Methods Applied Across Performance Domains
      6. Commonly Used Artifacts
        1. Strategy Artifacts
        2. Logs and Registers
        3. Plans
        4. Hierarchy Charts
        5. Baselines
        6. Visual Data and Information
        7. Reports
        8. Agreements and Contracts
        9. Other Artifacts
      7. Artifacts Applied Across Performance Domains
  • Appendix X1: Contributors and Reviewers of The Standard for Project Management and A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge — Seventh Edition
    1. Contributors
    2. PMI Staff
  • Appendix X2: Sponsor
    1. Introduction
    2. The Sponsor Role
    3. Lack of Engagement
    4. Sponsor Behaviors
    5. Conclusion
    6. Suggested Resources
  • Appendix X3: The Project Management Office
    1. Introduction
    2. The PMO Value Proposition — Why Have One?
    3. Key PMO Capabilities
    4. Evolving for Stronger Benefits Realization
    5. Learn More about PMOs
    6. Suggested Resources
  • Appendix X4: Product
    1. Introduction
    2. Global Market Shifts
    3. Impact on Project Delivery Practices
    4. Organizational Considerations for Product Management
    5. Summary
    6. Suggested Resources
  • Appendix X5: Research and Development for The Standard for Project Management
    1. Introduction
    2. The Move to a Principle-Based Standard
    3. Research for The Standard for Project Management
    4. Standard Development Process
    5. Validating the Standard
    6. Summary