Certified Professional in Project Management (CPPM) Exam Topics Cover:
Definition and importance of project management
Differences between projects, programs, and portfolios
Project management lifecycle and process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing)
Stakeholders and their roles in projects
Organizational structure types (functional, matrix, projectized)
Influence of organizational culture and governance
Project management office (PMO) functions
Purpose and elements of a project charter
Components of a project management plan
Developing and maintaining the project management plan
Executing project work as per the plan
Implementing approved changes and corrective actions
Capturing, distributing, and using knowledge effectively
Tracking, reviewing, and regulating project performance
Identifying and implementing necessary changes
Managing changes to the project scope, schedule, and costs
Finalizing all activities across process groups
Engagement activities: Communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations.
Monitoring effectiveness: Monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies to enhance engagement.
Techniques for gathering requirements
Documenting and managing requirements
Creating a detailed project and product scope
Breaking down project deliverables into smaller components
Formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables
Monitoring project scope and managing changes
Establishing policies and procedures for planning, developing, managing, and controlling the project schedule
Identifying and documenting specific actions to be performed
Determining the order of project activities
Estimating the amount of time each activity will take
Creating the project schedule model
Monitoring the status of project activities and managing changes
Establishing policies for planning, structuring, and controlling project costs
Developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed
Aggregating estimated costs to establish a cost baseline
Monitoring project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline
Identifying quality requirements and/or standards
Translating quality management plan into executable quality activities
Monitoring and recording results of executing quality activities
Developing a resource management plan
Estimating team resources and materials
Obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, and other resources
Improving competencies and interaction among team members
Tracking team performance, providing feedback, and resolving issues
Ensuring physical resources are available as planned
Developing an appropriate approach for project communications
Ensuring timely and appropriate collection, distribution, and management of project information
Ensuring stakeholder information needs are met
Defining how to conduct risk management activities
Determining risks that could affect the project
Prioritizing risks by assessing their impact and likelihood
Numerically analyzing the effect of identified risks
Developing options to enhance opportunities and reduce threats
Implementing agreed-upon risk response plans
Tracking identified risks and evaluating risk response plans
Documenting project procurement decisions and approaches
Obtaining seller responses, selecting sellers, and awarding contracts
Managing procurement relationships and monitoring contract performance
Identifying project stakeholders and analyzing their impact
Developing strategies to engage stakeholders
Communicating and working with stakeholders
Monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting plans
Understanding and adhering to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Ensuring individual integrity and professionalism
Recognizing the importance of contributing to the project management profession and community
Definition and importance: Understanding the definition of a project, the importance of project management, and its benefits to organizations.
Key concepts: Familiarity with terms such as project sponsor, project manager, project team, and project stakeholders.
Project vs. operations: Differences between project work and operational work.
Project constraints: Understanding the triple constraint (scope, time, cost) and other constraints (quality, resources, risk).
Organizational structures: In-depth analysis of functional, matrix (weak, balanced, strong), and projectized structures, and their impact on project management.
Enterprise environmental factors: Influence of internal and external factors.
Organizational process assets: Templates, procedures, and historical information.
Development: Process of creating the project charter, key components (objectives, scope, stakeholders, risks, milestones), and approval procedures.
Components: Detailed understanding of subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communication, risk, procurement, stakeholder).
Integration: Techniques for integrating all plans into a cohesive whole.
Execution: Techniques for leading and managing the project work as defined in the project management plan.
Deliverables: Ensuring that project deliverables meet requirements.
Knowledge management: Strategies for capturing and sharing knowledge within the project team.
Performance tracking: Methods for measuring project performance (Key Performance Indicators, dashboards, status reports).
Change management: Procedures for managing changes (change control board, change requests).
Closure activities: Ensuring all project work is completed, deliverables are accepted, and documentation is archived.
Scope management plan: Developing a plan to define, validate, and control project scope.
Techniques: Interviews, focus groups, surveys, workshops, observation, prototyping.
Documentation: Creating a requirements traceability matrix.
Scope statement: Developing a detailed project and product scope description, including deliverables, acceptance criteria, and exclusions.
Decomposition: Breaking down project deliverables into manageable components.
Validation process: Formal acceptance of completed project deliverables by stakeholders.
Scope control: Managing changes to the project scope using variance analysis and scope change control processes.
Schedule management plan: Developing procedures for creating, managing, and controlling the project schedule.
Activity list: Identifying and documenting all project activities.
Dependencies: Determining activity sequencing using methods like Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) and Dependency Determination.
Estimation techniques: Expert judgment, analogous estimation, parametric estimation, three-point estimation, bottom-up estimation.
Scheduling tools: Using Gantt charts, critical path method (CPM), critical chain method, resource leveling.
Monitoring techniques: Earned value management (EVM), schedule performance index (SPI), schedule variance (SV).
Cost management plan: Developing policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, and controlling project costs.
Cost estimation: Techniques such as analogous estimating, parametric estimating, bottom-up estimating, three-point estimating.
Cost aggregation: Combining estimated costs to establish a cost baseline.
Funding requirements: Determining funding needs and cash flow.
Cost control methods: Monitoring cost performance using EVM, cost performance index (CPI), and cost variance (CV).
Quality planning: Identifying quality requirements and standards for the project and product.
Quality assurance: Auditing quality requirements and results to ensure appropriate quality standards.
Quality control tools: Use of control charts, Pareto diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, histograms, flowcharts.
Resource management plan: Developing a plan to identify, acquire, and manage resources.
Resource estimation: Estimating the type and quantity of resources needed.
Acquisition: Obtaining team members, materials, equipment, and facilities.
Team building: Strategies for developing team skills and cohesion, using techniques like training, team-building activities.
Performance management: Tracking team performance, managing conflicts, providing feedback, and resolving issues.
Resource monitoring: Ensuring resources are available as planned and managing resource allocation.
Communication plan: Developing a plan for project communications, identifying stakeholders, communication requirements, and communication technology.
Execution: Ensuring effective communication among stakeholders, using techniques such as status reports, meetings, and information distribution tools.
Monitoring effectiveness: Ensuring communication needs are met through performance reports and feedback loops.
Risk management plan: Developing a plan to identify, analyze, and respond to project risks.
Risk identification: Using techniques such as brainstorming, SWOT analysis, checklists, and expert judgment.
Risk prioritization: Assessing the probability and impact of identified risks using risk probability and impact matrix.
Numerical analysis: Quantifying risk exposure using techniques like Monte Carlo simulation, decision tree analysis.
Response strategies: Developing strategies for positive (exploit, enhance, share) and negative (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept) risks.
Tracking risks: Monitoring identified risks, residual risks, and new risks, evaluating risk process effectiveness.
Procurement plan: Documenting decisions regarding procurement processes, contracts, and procurement documents.
Vendor selection: Obtaining seller responses, conducting bidder conferences, negotiating contracts, and selecting sellers.
Contract management: Managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making necessary changes.
Stakeholder identification: Identifying project stakeholders and analyzing their interests, influence, and impact.
Engagement strategy: Developing strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
