This comparison takes each part of the PMBOK and gives an opinion on what match there is with elements of the PRINCE2 method. It can be used in any discussion of the level of compatibility between two approaches, or can be used to identify where additional material is required to be added or changed to training in one or the other in order to cover both approaches.
The PMBOK is divided into 4 sections; the Project Management framework, the Project Management knowledge areas, Appendices and a glossary and index. The first two sections are sub-divided into chapters. Section III has 7 appendices and section IV is broken into glossary and index.
Section I The Project Management Framework
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The Project Management Context
Chapter 3 Project Management Processes
Section II The Project Management Knowledge Areas
Chapter 4 Project Integration Management
Chapter 5 Project Scope Management
Chapter 6 Project Time Management
Chapter 7 Project Cost Management
Chapter 8 Project Quality Management
Chapter 9 Project Human Resource Management
Chapter 10 Project Communications Management
Chapter 11 Project Risk Management
Chapter 12 Project Procurement Management
Section III Appendices
Appendix A The Project Management Institute Standards-Setting Process
Appendix B Evolution of PMI’s ‘A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
Appendix C Contributors and Reviewers of PMBOK
Appendix D Notes
Appendix E Application Area Extensions
Appendix F Additional Sources of Information on Project Management
Appendix G Summary of Project Management Knowledge Areas.
Each of these will be summarised and assessed against PRINCE2.
There is no equivalent PMBOK pre-project process to PRINCE2’s ‘Starting up a Project’ (SU), so there is no discussion of what or who should be in place at the beginning of a project, nor of how to go about getting it if it is lacking.
PRINCE2 offers a complete change control approach, whereas PMBOK just talks of the need for it.
PMBOK says little about configuration management, and certainly offers no link between it, the Configuration Librarian role and change control.
The PMBOK only talks about a Project Plan, whereas PRINCE2 offers Stage and Team Plans and discusses the advantages of breaking the Project Plan down, e.g. for easier planning and better control.
PRINCE2 offers standard roles for its project management team.
The PMBOK only covers the creation of a WBS, and does not compare to the PRINCE2 Product-based Planning technique in terms of the latter’s Product Descriptions and Product Flow Diagram. Nor is there any real detail in the PMBOK Planning process to take a plan through to a network plan and a Gantt or bar chart.
The Product Description is far more positive about what information should be provided to the producer of a product. The PMBOK offers only vague advice.
The PMBOK covers procurement.
The PMBOK covers the actual procurement, pre-assignment or negotiation for team members for a project in some detail.
The PMBOK identifies needs to be covered in human resource management, and soft skills in general.
Summary
PRINCE2
Comments
Ch1 Introduction
No clash with PRINCE2
PMBOK goes into more detail about its overlap with other management areas, whereas PRINCE2 simply says ‘we don’t try to re-invent the wheel’
Purpose of the Guide
This says that the purpose is to identify and describe that subset of the PMBOK that is generally accepted, i.e. has widespread consensus about their value and usefulness. There is no indication of what else is in PMBOK outside the subset. It also aims to provide a common lexicon of project management terms.
No contention with PRINCE2.
What is a project?
A general and familiar description of a project’s characteristics
What is Project Management?
After a general description there is a reference to the 12 chapters of the guide in sections I and II.
No contention with PRINCE2. The 12 chapters are discussed in greater detail later in the comparison
Relationship to other Management Disciplines
This touches very briefly on areas where there is overlap between PMBOK and General Management (e.g. planning, staffing law, logistics) and Application Area Knowledge (e.g. software development, government contracting, marketing)
PRINCE2 specifically avoids most of these overlaps.
Related Endeavours
This is mainly a discussion of the relationship of projects to programs and sub-projects
No contention with PRINCE2. PMBOK sub-projects relate to Work Packages and the typical division of work between the Project Manager and a team.
Ch 2 The Project Management Context
Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle
Discussion of phases linked to decision points to review key deliverables and project performance to date. Several examples are given of Representative Project Life Cycles.
PRINCE2 uses the word ‘stage’ rather than ‘phase’ but same concept. PMBOK makes the same distinction between project and product life cycles as PRINCE2. The examples of life cycles are what PRINCE2 would call ‘technical stages’, but these may well match PRINCE2 management stages in the examples given.
Project Stakeholders
This defines the term ‘stakeholder’ and gives examples of who they might be. It makes the point that stakeholders may have different objectives
No major difference to PRINCE2, although PMBOK includes the Project Manager and team members as stakeholders, whereas the interpretation in PRINCE2 stays at a higher level and gives examples of stakeholders outside the project management team.
Organizational Influences
This discusses the possible impact of the overall organisation within which the project operates. Several organisational structures are described.
PRINCE2 has the same approach but doesn’t go into it in the detail of examples that PMBOK does
PMBOK briefly discusses two organisational cultures and how a project might benefit from or clash with its organisation’s culture.
Key General Management Skills
This describes key general skills that a Project Manager needs, including Leading, Communicating, Negotiating, Problem Solving and Influencing the Organisation
PRINCE2 does not attempt to cover these skills.
The PMBOK simply describes in brief terms what each of the skills is, without offering any approach to them or relating them to the PMBOK aspects where they will be useful.
Social-Economic-Environmental Influences
This simply says that a Project Manager must be aware of current conditions and trends in Standards & Regulations, Internationalization, Cultural Influences and Socio-Economic-Environmental Sustainability
PRINCE2 does not cover these topics
PMBOK says nothing about when or how to handle the influences, just gives examples of what they might be
Ch3 Project Management Processes
This talks of the interactive impact of changes and tradeoffs
Project Processes
This is a brief mention that a project is composed of processes, to be expanded in chapters 4 – 12.
No contention with PRINCE2. The PMBOK terms of ‘project management processes’ and ‘product-oriented processes’ relate to PRINCE2’s concept of management and technical stages.
Process Groups
PMBOK talks of 5 groups of one or more processes each; initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing.
These relate to the PRINCE2 processes plus some of the Components, such as Plans and Controls, and the linkages between them.
The PRINCE2 processes are more clearly separated for understanding and the 8 processes provide more detail than the 5 PMBOK groups
Process Interactions
This takes the 5 process groups and describes them in terms of their inputs, outputs tools and techniques.
PMBOK also has a proce...
stokar1