Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

Term Definition

In a general sense, the project management “body of knowledge” would refer to all standard, generally accepted project management information and practices. Typically, however, references to the PMBOK are actually referring to the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide, a publication from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The PMBOK® Guide
The PMBOK® Guide was first published in 1987 as a whitepaper in an effort to document the project management body of knowledge. The first edition as a book format appeared in 1996, and the 4th edition was released at the end of 2008.

The guide is an internationally regarded standard as one of the profession’s most essential resources. It is not intended to function as a “how-to” guide for project management, but rather as a handbook that documents five basic process groups and nine knowledge areas that are typical of good practice project management.

The five process groups are: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Monitoring, and Closing.

The nine knowledge areas are: Project Integration Management, Project Scope Management, Project Time Management, Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management, Project Human Resource Management, Project Communications Management, Project Risk Management, and Project Procurement Management.

The PMBOK® Guide has been recognized by several well-respected organizations, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the International Organization for Standardization Technical Report.

Related Terms
Project Management Institute 
PRINCE2

External Links
Project Management Institute