From the course: Project Management Foundations

Focus on project outcomes through performance domains

From the course: Project Management Foundations

Focus on project outcomes through performance domains

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- [Instructor] Pin Box seven describes eight performance domains. That is, sets of activities that help achieve the desired outcomes for a project. These domains are similar to the knowledge areas from previous editions, but they focus more on delivering outcomes, benefits, and value. Stakeholders are people or groups who contribute to a project or expect something from it. The stakeholder performance domain represents tasks that ensure stakeholders are satisfied with project outcomes. These tasks include identifying project stakeholders, analyzing their role in the project, and engaging with them. Projects are performed by people. The best results are achieved when people work together as a high performance team. The team performance domain activities include establishing a culture and environment that supports effective teamwork, and encouraging all project team members to act as leaders. The best development approach and life cycle for a project depends on the type of deliverables it produces. For example, a project might have a single delivery, like a tangible product, or it could have multiple or periodic deliveries for incremental deliverables. The development approach and life cycle performance domain comprises activities for establishing the development approach to use, the cadence for deliveries, and the life cycle phases that support the approach and cadence. With a single delivery, a predictive or waterfall approach might be appropriate. For periodic deliveries, an adaptive approach might be suitable. You plan a project so that the work progresses in an organized fashion and delivers the desired outcomes. The planning performance domain activities involve project planning, of course, but with an emphasis on delivering project outcomes. It's important that the time spent on planning is appropriate, not too much and not too little. And you need a process for adjusting the plan as business needs and conditions change over the project's life. The activities in the project work performance domain revolve around keeping the team focused and work progressing smoothly. For example, it's important to establish efficient processes for performing work. You also manage your team's workflow as well as materials, equipment, and other resources. You might have to manage procurement activities if you use contractors or vendors. Projects are undertaken to deliver outcomes that support business strategy and objectives. The activities in the delivery performance domain ensure that project deliverables satisfy requirements, match project scope, and meet quality expectations. Once project work is underway, you need to track progress and performance. And if the project is off track, you must make adjustments to get it back on track. The measurement performance domain represents activities for assessing performance, as well as implementing course corrections. Projects, by their nature, come with some degree of uncertainty or risk, whether that uncertainty represents threats or opportunities. The uncertainty performance domain includes activities for identifying project risks, assessing their likelihood and impact, and deciding how to handle them. That's a quick overview of the performance domains that ensure projects deliver outcomes, benefits and value.

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