Project Management

Performance Domains
PMBOK GUIDE 7 TH EDITION
 Principles and
Performance Domain
Domains are a group of related activities that are
critical for the effective delivery of project outcomes.
They are interactive, interrelated, and interdependent
areas of focus that work in unison to achieve desired
project outcomes.
They operate as an integrated system, with each
domain being interdependent of the other domains to
enable successful delivery of the project and its
intended outcomes.
The specific activities undertaken within each of the
performance domains are determined by the context
of the organization, the project, deliverables, the
project team, stakeholders, and other factors.
Principles and
Performance Domain

PMI PMBOK Guide 7th Edition Page 5

 Stakeholder
performance domain
Addresses activities and functions associated
with stakeholders.
A productive working relationship with
stakeholders throughout the project.
Stakeholder agreement with project
objectives.
Stakeholders who are project beneficiaries are
supportive and satisfied while stakeholders
who may oppose the project or its
deliverables do not negatively impact project
outcomes.
Defining and sharing a clear vision at the start
of the project can enable good relationships
and alignment throughout the project.
 Stakeholder
performance domain
Effective Stakeholder Engagement

Identify

Monitor Understand

Engage Analyze

Prioritize
 Stakeholder
performance domain
Identify
◦ Identification is done throughout the project to understand
who your stakeholders are, both internal and external.

Understand and Analyze

◦ the project manager and the project team should seek to
understand stakeholders’ feelings, emotions, beliefs, and
values.

Prioritize
◦ Focus on stakeholders with the most power and interest as
one way to prioritize engagement.

Engage
◦ Entails working collaboratively with stakeholders to introduce
the project, elicit their requirements, manage expectations,
resolve issues, negotiate, prioritize, problem solve, and make
decisions.

Monitor
◦ Throughout the project, stakeholders will change as new
stakeholders are identified and others cease to be
stakeholders.
Stakeholder performance domain
Outcome Check
A productive working relationship with Productive working relationships with stakeholders can be
stakeholders throughout the observed.
project

Stakeholder agreement with project objectives A significant number of changes or modifications to the
project and product requirements in addition to the scope
may indicate stakeholders are not engaged or aligned with
the project objectives.
Stakeholders who are project recipients are Stakeholder behavior can indicate whether project
supportive and satisfied; stakeholders who may recipients are satisfied and supportive of the project or
oppose the project or its deliverables do not whether they oppose it. Surveys, interviews, and focus
negatively impact project results groups

A review of the project issue register and risk register can

identify challenges associated with individual stakeholders.
 Team Performance
Domain
Deals with activities and functions associated with the
people who are responsible for creating project
deliverables that realize business outcomes.
Outcomes includes:
◦ Shared ownership
◦ A high-performing team
◦ Appropriate leadership and other interpersonal skills

This performance domain entails establishing the culture

and environment that enables a collection of diverse
individuals to evolve into a high-performing project team.
Terms used in this domain made of:
◦ Project Manager: Assign by the business to lead the
team and is responsible for accomplishing the project
objectives
◦ Project Management team: People who are directly
involved in project management activities
◦ Project Team: A group of individuals performing the
work of the project to achieve its purposes
 Team Performance
Domain
Management activities includes:
◦ Meeting project objectives,
◦ Effective processes, planning, coordinating, measuring, and
monitoring work, among others.

Leadership activities includes:

◦ Influencing
◦ Motivating
◦ Listening
◦ Enabling

Leadership can be centralized and

distributed.
◦ Centralized: Accountability (being
answerable for an outcome), is usually
assigned to one individual,
◦ Distributed: Shared among a project
management team, and project team
members
 Team Performance
Domain
Servant leadership is a method of leadership that is
based on the understanding and addressing the
needs and development of project team members.
Servant leaders place emphasis on developing
project team by focusing on addressing questions,
such as:
◦ Are project team members growing as
individuals?
◦ Are project team members becoming healthier,
wiser, freer, and more autonomous?
◦ Are project team members more likely to
become servant leaders?
Servant leadership behaviors include:
◦ Obstacle removal.
◦ Diversion shield.
◦ Encouragement and development
opportunities.
 Team Performance
Domain
Common Aspects of Team Development
includes:
Vision and objectives: Everyone is aware of
the project vision and objectives
Roles and responsibilities: members
understand and fulfill their roles and
responsibilities.
Project team operations: Facilitating project
team communication, problem solving, and
the process of coming to consensus
Guidance: ensure everyone is headed in the
right direction
Growth: Identifying where the project team
is carrying out well and pointing out areas
where the project team can improve
 Team Performance
Domain
Project team culture:
Each project team develops its own team culture.
The project manager is important in establishing
and maintaining a safe, respectful, nonjudgmental
environment that allows the project team to
communicate openly.
This is accomplish this is by modeling behaviors
such as:
◦ Transparency
◦ Integrity
◦ Respect
◦ Positive discourse
◦ Support
◦ Courage
◦ Celebrating success
 Team Performance
Domain

HIGH-PERFORMING PROJECT TEAMS

Here are a Number of factors that contribute
to high-performing project teams:
◦ Open communication.
◦ Shared understanding
◦ Shared ownership.
◦ Trust.
◦ Collaboration
◦ Adaptability
◦ Resilience.
◦ Empowerment
◦ Recognition
 Team Performance
Domain
Leadership skills are valuable for all project team
members whether the project team is operating. This
includes:
◦ Establishing and Maintaining Vision
◦ Critical Thinking
◦ Motivation
◦ Interpersonal Skills
◦ Emotional intelligence. Being able to be self-
aware, self-manage and have social awareness
and social skills.
◦ Decision making.
◦ Conflict management
Leadership methods are also tailored to meet the
needs of the project, the environment, and the
stakeholders. This can depend on:
◦ Experience with the type of project
◦ Maturity of the project team members
◦ Organizational governance structures
◦ Distributed project teams
Team performance domain
Outcome Check
Shared ownership All team members know the vision and objectives.
A high-performing team The team trusts each other and collaborates.
The team adapts to changing situations and is resilient in
the face of challenges.
The project team feels empowered and empowers
Appropriate leadership and other interpersonal skills are Team members apply critical thinking and interpersonal
demonstrated by all team members skills.
Team members leadership styles are appropriate to the
project context and environment.
Development Approach and Life
Cycle Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions

associated with the development approach,
cadence, and life cycle phases of the
project.
Delivery cadence refers to the timing and
frequency of project deliverables.
Outcomes includes:
◦ Correct development approaches.
◦ A project life cycle that connect the delivery of
business and stakeholder value from the
beginning to the end of the project.
◦ A project life cycle consisting of phases that
facilitate the delivery cadence and
development approach required to produce
the project deliverables.
Development Approach and Life
Cycle Performance Domain

Projects can have a single delivery,

multiple deliveries, or periodic
deliveries.
A development approach is the means
used to create and evolve the product,
service, or result during the project life
cycle.
There are different development
approaches. Three common approaches
includes:
◦ Predictive approach
◦ Adaptive approach, including both
iterative and incremental
◦ Hybrid approach
Development Approach and Life
Cycle Performance Domain
There are several factors that influence the selection of a
development approach.
◦ Product, service, or result
◦ Degree of innovation
◦ Requirements certainty
◦ Scope stability
◦ Ease of change
◦ Delivery options
◦ Risk
◦ Safety requirements
◦ Regulations
◦ The project
◦ Stakeholders
◦ Schedule constraints
◦ Funding availability
◦ Organization
◦ Organizational structure
◦ Culture
◦ Organizational capability
◦ Project team size and location
 Development Approach and Life
Cycle Performance Domain

The type and number of project phases in a

project life cycle rest on upon many things..
One example of a life cycle can be:

Feasibility Design Build Test Deploy Close

Development Approach and Life Cycle
Performance Domain
Outcome Check
Development approaches are reliable with project The development approach for deliverables (predictive,
deliverables hybrid, or adaptive) reflects the product variables and is
suitable for the project and the organization.
A project life cycle entailing phases that connect the Project work from start to end is represented in the
business and stakeholders to value from the beginning to project phases.
the end of the project
Project life cycle phases that facilitate the delivery cadence The cadence for development, testing, and deploying is
and development approach required to create the represented in the life cycle phases.
deliverable.
 Planning Performance
Domain
Deals with activities and functions associated with
the initial, ongoing, and evolving organization and
coordination necessary for delivering project
deliverables and outcomes.
The purpose of planning is to proactively develop an
approach to create the project deliverables.
Outcomes includes:
◦ The project moves in an organized, coordinated, and
deliberate manner.
◦ There is a holistic approach to providing the project
outcomes.
◦ Evolving information is elaborated.
◦ Time spent planning is appropriate.
◦ Planning is sufficient to manage stakeholder
expectations.
◦ There is a process for the adaptation of plans.
 Planning Performance
Domain
Because each project is unique, the volume,
timing, and frequency of planning varies.
Variables include, but are not limited to:
◦ Development approach
◦ Project deliverables
◦ Organizational requirements
◦ Market conditions
◦ Legal or regulatory restrictions
Planning Performance
Domain
When planning things to consider will be:
◦ Delivery – What is the scope being delivered
by the project
◦ Estimating – Scope, schedule, budget of
resources both people and physical
◦ Schedules - Models used to determine when
work has to be done
◦ Budget- How much work will cost
Planning for how the team will be made begins
with identifying the skill sets required to
accomplish the project work.
Communication planning overlaps with
stakeholder identification, analysis,
prioritization, and engagement
Planning Performance
Domain
Physical resources apply to any resource that is
not a person.
Procurements can happen at any time during a
project.
There will be changes throughout the project.
Some changes are a result of a risk event and
others are due to customer requests or other
reasons
Planning Performance Domain
Outcome Check

The project moves in an organized, coordinated, and deliberate manner. A performance review of project results against the project baselines

There is a holistic approach to delivering the project outcomes. The delivery schedule, funding, resource availability and procurements

Evolving information is elaborated to produce the deliverables and outcomes. Initial information about deliverables and requirements compared to current
information can demonstrate appropriate elaboration.
Time spent planning is appropriate for the project. Project plans and documents demonstrate the correct level of planning

Planning information is sufficient to manage stakeholder expectations. The communications management plan and stakeholder analysis indicate
that the communications are sufficient to manage stakeholder expectations.
There is a process for the adaptation of plans throughout the project. Projects using a backlog show the adaptation of plans throughout the project.
Projects using a change control process have change
 Project Work
Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated

with establishing project processes, managing
physical resources, and fostering a learning
environment.
Project work is connected with establishing the
processes and performing the work done by the
project team to deliver the expected deliverables
and outcomes.
Outcomes includes:
◦ Efficient and effective project performance.
◦ Project processes are suitable for the project and
the environment.
◦ Appropriate communication with stakeholders.
◦ Efficient management of physical resources.
◦ Effective management of procurements.
◦ Improved team capability due to continuous
learning and process improvement.
Project Work
Performance Domain

Project work keeps the project team

dedicated and project activities running
correctly. This includes but is not limited to:
◦ Managing the flow of existing, new and
change work.
◦ Keeping the project team focused
◦ Establishing an efficient project systems and
processes
◦ Communicating with stakeholders
◦ Managing physical resources
◦ Working external vendors
◦ Monitoring changes
◦ Enabling project learning and knowledge
transfer.
Project Work
Performance Domain

The project manager and the project team establish and

periodically review the processes the project team is using to
conduct the work.
This can take the form of reviewing task boards such as using
Kanban.
Process tailoring can be used to optimize the process for the
needs of the project
Balancing constraints can take the form of fixed delivery dates,
compliance to regulatory codes, a predetermined budget, and
quality.
Project managers have a responsibility for assessing and
balancing the project team focus and attention.
Much of the project work is associated with communication and
engagement.
Some projects require materials and supplies from third parties.
Planning, ordering, transporting, storing, tracking, and controlling
these physical resources can take a large amount of time and
effort.
 Project Work
Performance Domain

Working on procurements which can involve hiring

and managing vendors throughout the project. This
includes managing bids and contracts.
Monitoring new work and changes.
From time to time, the project team may meet to
determine what they can do better in the future
(lessons learned) and how they can improve and
challenge the process in upcoming iterations
(retrospectives).
 Work Performance Domain
Outcome Check

Efficient and effective project performance Status reports show that project work.
Project processes that are appropriate for the project and the environment Evidence shows that the project processes have been tailored to meet the needs of
the project and the environment.
Appropriate communication and engagement with stakeholders The project communications management plan and communication artifacts
demonstrate that the planned communications are being delivered to stakeholders.

Efficient management of physical resources The amount of material used, scrap discarded, and amount of rework indicate that
resources are being used efficiently.
Effective management of procurements A procurement audit demonstrates that appropriate processes utilized were
sufficient for the procurement and that the contractor is performing to plan.

Effective handling of change Projects using a predictive approach have a change log and Projects using an
adaptive approach have a backlog that shows the rate of accomplishing

Improved capability due to continuous learning and process improvement Team status reports show fewer errors and rework with an increase in velocity.
 Project Delivery
Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated

with delivering the scope and quality that the
project was undertaken to achieve.
Outcomes includes:
◦ Projects contribute to business objectives
◦ Projects realize the outcomes
◦ Project benefits are realized in the time frame
◦ The project team has an understanding of
requirements.
◦ Stakeholders accept and are satisfied with
project deliverables.

Project delivery is about meeting

requirements, scope, and quality expectations
to produce the expected deliverable.
 Project Delivery
Performance Domain

Some project deliver value throughout and

others deliver the bulk at the end.
The project manager will need to
understand how the deliverable is able to
deliver value to the stakeholders. This
includes:
◦ Requirements gathering.
◦ Evolving and discovering requirements
◦ Managing requirements
◦ Define and decompose the scope
◦ Completion of deliverables
Project Delivery
Performance Domain

Quality requirements can be reflected in

the completion criteria, definition of
done, statement of work, or
requirements documentation.
The project manager must the following
of quality:
◦ Cost of Quality
◦ Prevention.
◦ Appraisal.
◦ Internal Failure
◦ External Failure
◦ Cost of Change
Project Delivery Performance Domain
Outcome Check

Projects contribute to business objectives and advancement of The organization plans and the project demonstrate that the
strategy project deliverables and business objectives are aligned.
Projects realize the outcomes they were initiated to deliver The business case and underlying data indicate the project is still
on track to realize the intended outcomes.
Project benefits are realized in the time frame as planned The project deliveries are being achieved as planned.

The project team has a clear understanding of requirements In predictive development, small change in the initial requirements
reflects understanding.
In projects where requirements are developing, a clear
understanding of requirements may not take place until well into
the project.
Stakeholders accept and are satisfied with project deliverables Interviews, observation, and end user feedback indicate
stakeholder satisfaction.
Measurement
Performance Domain
Deals with activities and functions associated with
assessing project performance and taking
appropriate actions to maintain acceptable
performance.
Outcomes includes:
◦ A reliable understanding of the status of the
project.
◦ Actionable data to enable decision making.
◦ Timely and appropriate actions to keep the project
on track.
◦ Achieving targets and generating business value

Involves measuring project performance and

implementing appropriate responses to keep the
project on track.
This domain evaluates the amount to which the
work done in the Delivery Performance Domain is
meeting the metrics identified in the Planning
Performance Domain.
Measurement
Performance Domain
Measures are used for multiple reasons,
including:
◦ Evaluating performance compared to plan
◦ Tracking the utilization of resources
◦ Demonstrating accountability
◦ Providing information to stakeholders
◦ Assessing whether project deliverables are
on track
◦ Ensuring the project deliverables will meet
customer acceptance criteria.
 Measurement
Performance Domain
Creating effective measurements helps to ensure the
right things are measured.
Ways to measure performance include:
◦ Key Performance Indicators (KPI) - two types of
KPIs: leading indicators and lagging indicators.
◦ Leading indicators predict changes or trends in
the project
◦ Lagging indicators measure project deliverables
or events. They provide information after the
fact.
◦ Effective Metrics
◦ Use of SMART (Specific, Meaningful,
Achievable, Relevant, Timely) criteria.
 Measurement
Performance Domain
What to measure includes:
◦ Deliverable Metrics
◦ Information on errors or defects
◦ Measures of performance
◦ Delivery
◦ Work in progress
◦ Lead time
◦ Cycle time
◦ Process efficiency
◦ Baseline Performance
◦ Start and finish dates
◦ Actual cost compared to planned cost
◦ Resources
◦ Planned resource utilization compared to actual
resource utilization
◦ Business Value
◦ Cost-benefit ratio
◦ Stakeholders
◦ Mood chart
◦ Forecasts
Measurement
Performance Domain
Metrics can be presented using:
◦ Dashboards
◦ Information Radiators
◦ Visual Controls
Pitfalls associated with measurement includes:
◦ Hawthorne effect
◦ Vanity metric
◦ Demoralization
◦ Misusing the metrics
◦ Confirmation bias
A portion of measurement is having agreed to
plans for measures that are outside the
threshold ranges.
Thresholds can be established for a
assortment of metrics such as schedule,
budget, velocity, and other project-specific
measures.
Measurement Performance Domain
Outcome Check
A reliable understanding of the status of the project Review measurements and reports demonstrate if
data is reliable.
Actionable data to facilitate decision making Measurements indicate whether the project is
performing as expected.
Timely and appropriate actions to keep project on Measurements provide indicators and/or current
track status
Achieving targets and generating business value by Comparing the actual performance to the planned
making informed and timely decisions performance
 Uncertainty
Performance Domain
Deals with activities and functions associated with risk
and uncertainty.
Effective execution of this performance domain results in
the following desired outcomes:
◦ An awareness of the environment in which projects occur
◦ Proactively exploring and responding to uncertainty.
◦ An awareness of the interdependence of multiple variables on
the project.
◦ The capacity to anticipate threats and opportunities
◦ Project delivery with little or no negative impact
◦ Opportunities are realized to improve project performance
and outcomes.
◦ Cost and schedule reserves are utilized
Projects happen in environments with varying degrees of
uncertainty.
Uncertainty in the broadest sense is a state of not
knowing or unpredictability.
Uncertainty presents threats and opportunities that
project teams explore, assess, and decide how to handle.
 Uncertainty
Performance Domain

There are many shades to uncertainty, such

as:
◦ Risk associated with not knowing future
events
◦ Ambiguity associated with not being aware
of current or future conditions
◦ Complexity associated with dynamic systems
having unpredictable outcomes.

Options for responding to uncertainty:

◦ Gather information
◦ Prepare for multiple outcomes
◦ Build in resilience
Uncertainty
Performance Domain
Volatility exists in an environment that is
subject to rapid and unpredictable
change.
Volatility can occur when there are
ongoing fluctuations in available skill sets
or materials.
Risks are an aspect of uncertainty.
Uncertainty Performance Domain
Outcome Check
An awareness of the environment in which projects occur. The team incorporates environmental considerations when
evaluating uncertainty, risks, and responses.

Proactively exploring and responding to uncertainty Risk responses are aligned with the project constraints.
An awareness of the multiple variables on the project Actions to address complexity, ambiguity, and volatility.
The capacity to anticipate threats and opportunities Systems for identifying, capturing, and responding to risk are
appropriately.
Project delivery with little or no negative impact from unforeseen Scheduled delivery dates are met, and the budget performance is
events within the Variance.

Realized opportunities to improve project performance and Teams use established mechanisms to identify and leverage
outcomes opportunities.
Cost and schedule reserves used effectively to maintain alignment Teams take steps to proactively prevent threats.
with project objectives