For the review of the project management community, the Project Management Institute (PMI) announced the PMBOK 7th Edition exposure draft in January 2020. Based on the same, the new edition of the PMBOK Guide is all set to be released in Q4 2020.”
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is one of the most important resources when getting ready for the PMP Exam. Every few years, PMI updates the PMBOK Guide. There’s usually a lot of anticipation and speculations when such changes come around, as the resource is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential documents in the field of project management.
Why the change?
As reinforced from the requests from a wide range of professionals from across the globe – the need to update the PMBOK Guide had been building up for several years. With the fast-paced technology, and the need for practitioners & organizations to adapt to the changes in the current market – the dynamics of the PMBOK are all set to change. The PMI seeks to remain relevant and meet the needs of the customer and the professional community in the rapidly changing landscape.
To ensure that the needs of the practitioners and organizations are met, PMBOK 7th Edition intends to reflect the flexibility and assist the practitioner in delivering outputs that enable envisioned outcomes while managing projects. The new edition contains some of the most significant changes since the guide’s inception in the 1990s.
What is changing in the PMBOK – 7th Edition?
Firstly, and most importantly, rather than having the predictive approach which was traditionally associated with project management, the revamped standard adopts a principle-based framework in order to be more inclusive of the full range of approaches to value delivery.
As most of you are aware – the PMBOK 6th Edition features 12 governing principles and is built around a set of statements that, regardless of the development approach – best summarizes the generally accepted actions and behaviours of project management practice. But, rather than structuring around the Knowledge Areas and ITTOs, the PMBOK 7th Edition builds on Project Performance Domains which is a group of related activities that are critical for effective delivery of project outcomes.
The seventh edition also features in-depth information and an expanded section on tools and techniques tilted Models, Methods, and Artefacts. With the introduction of a new digital platform called the PMIstandards+ – exclusive knowledge on how to apply such tools and techniques can be found. A digital and interactive element of the PMBOK 7th Edition can also be found on this platform.
How you’ll benefit from these changes?
With the “dawn of a new era” – the ultimate goal of the revamped PMBOK Guide is to offer Project Management Professionals with greater flexibility. Whether its disruptions from new technology, competitions, or from a global pandemic crisis such as COVID-19 – the changes in the 7th Edition intends to make practitioners and organizations more proactive, innovative, and nimble in response to change.
