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PMI VISUAL WALL · MASTER EDITION

The complete knowledge system · 22 posters · 10 sections Tip: in the print dialog set paper = A3, layout = Landscape, margins = None, "Background graphics" ON. This prints all 22 posters as one document.

PMI Visual Wall — Master Edition

The entire project-management knowledge ecosystem on 22 A3-landscape posters, in one file. Each poster shares the same anatomy — Purpose → Visual Map → Key Concepts → Relationships → Exam Concepts → Executive View → Industry Example → Memory Hooks → 60-second Daily Review — and a colour spine coded by domain so the printed wall is navigable at a glance. All content is original instructional design in standard PMI terminology.

Colour code: ■ Master/Strategy   ■ PMBOK 7 / Project   ■ Business Analysis / Value   ■ Risk   ■ EVM / Formulas   ■ Program   ■ Portfolio   ■ OPM

SECTIONS 1–3

  • 01 PMI Ecosystem Master Map
  • 02 The 12 Principles
  • 03 The 8 Performance Domains
  • 04 Value Delivery System
  • 05 Tailoring
  • 06 Models, Methods & Artifacts
  • 07 Business Analysis & Its 6 Domains
  • 08 Needs Assessment
  • 09 Elicitation, Analysis & Requirements
  • 10 Traceability & Solution Evaluation

SECTIONS 4–6

  • 11 Risk — Fundamentals & Principles
  • 12 Risk — Process & Responses
  • 13 Risk — 3 Levels & Quant Tools
  • 14 EVM — Measures, Variances & Indices
  • 15 EVM — Forecasting (EAC/ETC/VAC/TCPI)
  • 16 Program — Fundamentals & Benefits
  • 17 Program — Domains, Life Cycle & Governance

SECTIONS 7–10

  • 18 Portfolio — Fundamentals & Alignment
  • 19 Portfolio — Domains, Selection & Balancing
  • 20 OPM & Organisational Maturity
  • 21 The Formulas Wall
  • 22 Master Revision Wall

Print all, hang in spine-colour order, and drill Poster 22 daily.

POSTER 01
Section 1 · The Whole System on One Page

The PMI Ecosystem — Master Map

Shows how strategy cascades down into delivery and how value flows back up; which of the seven standards governs each layer; and who holds decision authority. This is the index to the whole wall.

Visual Map — Strategy → Delivery → Value

Risk Standard
A single risk lens spans every level — Enterprise → Portfolio → Program → Project. Same language, scaled.
Governance
Authority, funding & decisions move down ▼. Reporting, benefits & learning move up ▲.
Drives all
Organisational Strategy
Vision, mission, objectives — the "why" everything must serve.
aligns / funds
Portfolio Std
Portfolio — do the RIGHT things
The org's programs, projects & operations chosen to meet strategy. Components need not be related.
Program Std
Program — coordinate for BENEFITS
Related projects + sub-programs + ops managed together to deliver benefits unattainable separately.
PMBOK Guide
Project — do things RIGHT
A temporary effort creating a unique output (product, service, result).
produces
Outputs
(deliverables)
Outcomes
(change)
Benefits
(gains)
VALUE
Operations → Customer
Run & sustain the output so benefits keep flowing. Value is realised here, often after the project closes.
OPM Standard
The container: aligns portfolio + program + project management to strategy via governance, methods & culture.
Business Analysis
Cross-cutting. Defines the right needs & requirements so the right thing gets built at every level.
EVM Standard
A performance lens integrating scope + schedule + cost to answer "are we on track & what will it cost?"
Portfolio Program Project Value

Key Concepts

Portfolio
Doing the right work — strategic selection & balance.
Program
Coordinated delivery of benefits across components.
Project
Doing work right — a unique, temporary endeavour.
Output
The deliverable a project hands over.
Outcome
The change/result the output enables.
Benefit
The measurable gain to the organisation.
Value
Worth to stakeholders — financial or not.
Governance
Authority, decisions, oversight (the "rules").
Management
Day-to-day execution within those rules.

Relationships — How the layers connect

  • Money & mandate flow down; benefits, status & lessons flow up.
  • A program groups related projects to unlock benefits no single project could.
  • A portfolio groups programs/projects/ops — related or not — to meet strategy.
  • OPM is the system that keeps all three aligned to strategy.
  • BA feeds every level the right requirements; Risk gives every level one risk language; EVM gives every level one performance language.

Exam Concepts

  • Portfolio components are not necessarily related; program components are.
  • Output ≠ outcome ≠ benefit ≠ value — know the ladder.
  • "Tactical vs strategic": project=tactical, portfolio=strategic.
  • Governance management.

Executive View

  • Allocate capital to the highest-value mix, not the loudest sponsor.
  • Kill, pause or continue investments at gates.
  • Steer by value & benefits, not just on-time/on-budget.
  • Confirm strategy is actually being executed.

Industry Example — Defence shipbuilding

Defence
  • Portfolio: naval capability investments.
  • Program: a frigate class program.
  • Projects: hull, combat system, integration.
  • Benefit→Value: in-service readiness → security.

Memory Hooks

  • "Right things → right way → done right" = Portfolio → Program → Project.
  • Money goes DOWN ▼, Value comes UP ▲.
  • P-P-P: Pick · Pace · Produce.
60-sec Review Name the 5 layers, top to bottom Who governs each layer? Match each layer to its standard Output→Outcome→Benefit→Value Where do Risk, OPM & EVM sit?
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 01 of the system · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 02
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The "Why / Ought"

The 12 Project Management Principles

Principles are guides for behaviour & decisions, not steps. They are outcome-oriented and apply to any approach. The 12 sit beneath the 8 Performance Domains (Poster 3) and tell you how to act when the playbook runs out.

Visual Map & Key Concepts — All 12, clustered

People Outcome & Value System & Uncertainty Adaptation & Change
01StewardshipBe diligent, respectful & caring — for the organisation and society/environment.
Cue: accountable to all affected, not just the sponsor.
02TeamBuild a collaborative, safe, shared-ownership team culture.
Cue: optimise the team, not the hero.
03StakeholdersEngage proactively, to the depth needed to deliver value.
Cue: engage early, often, at the right depth.
06LeadershipShow leadership behaviours — influence & direction beyond authority.
Cue: lead the behaviour you want to see.
04ValueContinually evaluate & adjust to maximise benefits & worth.
Cue: ask "so what's the value?" at every gate.
08QualityBuild quality into processes & deliverables — fitness for purpose.
Cue: prevent defects, don't just detect.
12ChangeEnable people to adopt the change & reach the future state.
Cue: no adoption = no benefits.
11Adaptability & ResiliencyBuild capacity to flex and to recover from setbacks.
Cue: plan to flex; design to bounce back.
05Systems ThinkingSee interacting wholes; anticipate ripple effects.
Cue: trace the ripple before you change.
09ComplexityRecognise complexity (systems, behaviour, ambiguity) & adapt.
Cue: probe–sense–respond when cause/effect is unclear.
10RiskAddress uncertainty — chase opportunity, limit threat — cost-effectively.
Cue: spend on response only where it pays.
07TailoringDesign the approach to fit the unique context; maximise value, minimise waste.
Cue: fit the method to the work, never the reverse.

Relationships

  • Principles rest on the PMI Code of Ethics: Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Honesty.
  • The 12 enable the 8 Performance Domains — principles = mindset, domains = activity.
  • Uncertainty cluster: Risk + Complexity + Adaptability work together.
  • People cluster (Stewardship, Team, Stakeholders, Leadership) underpins all the rest.

Exam Concepts

  • Principles are not prescriptive and are not processes.
  • Stewardship covers internal + external (society, environment).
  • Leadership ≠ positional authority — anyone can lead.
  • Tailoring appears as both a principle and a recurring theme.

Executive View

  • The 12 are a leadership operating system for delivery culture.
  • Stewardship + Value map directly to board & ESG conversations.
  • Promote leadership at all levels, not just at the top.
  • Use as decision tie-breakers when rules conflict.

Industry Example — Manufacturing line upgrade

Manufacturing
  • Systems thinking: a faster cell starves the next station — model the whole line first.
  • Quality built-in: poka-yoke & in-process checks beat end-of-line inspection.
  • Optimise risk: spend on a pilot cell before committing the full retrofit.
  • Change: operator training & buy-in decide whether throughput actually rises.

Memory Hooks

Sentence mnemonic (in order 1–12):

Stewards Tend Stakeholders' Value · Systems Lead Tailored Quality · Complexity, Risk, Adaptability, Change

  • 4 People, 2 Outcome, 3 System, 3 Adaptation — recite by colour.
60-sec Review Recite all 12 by cluster colour Run the sentence mnemonic Name the 4 ethics values Principle vs process — the difference Pick one cue to use today
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 02 · PMBOK 7 Principles · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 03
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The "What / Where It Shows Up"

The 8 Performance Domains

Domains are interacting areas of focus that run concurrently across the whole effort — not phases and not the old knowledge areas. You steer each one by its outcomes & checks. The 12 Principles (Poster 2) are the mindset behind them.

Visual Map & Key Concepts — the 8 domains, their outcomes, signals & traps

Stakeholders Team Dev Approach Planning Project Work Delivery + cross-cutting → Measurement· Uncertainty
DomainIntentTarget outcomesMeasures / indicatorsWatch-out
1 · StakeholdersBuild productive relationships & the right level of engagement.Stakeholders aware, engaged & supportive; conflicts surfaced & managed.Engagement level (unaware→leading); satisfaction; open issues.A hidden or under-engaged stakeholder.
2 · TeamGrow a high-performing, shared-ownership team & distributed leadership.Trust, safety, shared ownership, capability growth.Stable velocity; retention; morale / safety pulse.Hero culture & burnout.
3 · Development Approach & Life CycleChoose predictive / iterative / incremental / adaptive / hybrid & a fitting life cycle & cadence.Approach matches the deliverable & context; delivery cadence set.Fit-for-context check; release cadence.Forcing one approach onto every deliverable.
4 · PlanningOrganise & coordinate the work progressively & proportionately.Coordinated, "just-enough" plan; estimates that evolve.Forecast accuracy; plan/baseline stability.Over-planning & big-bang plans.
5 · Project WorkRun efficient processes — resources, procurement, communications, learning.Smooth flow; informed stakeholders; capable, supplied team.Throughput; WIP; lead / cycle time.Invisible work & bottlenecks.
6 · DeliveryDeliver the scope & quality that achieve the intended outcomes.Requirements met; acceptance & quality criteria satisfied; value delivered.Acceptance %; defect/escape rate; scope completion.Shipping output that produces no outcome.
7 · Measurement cross-cuttingAssess performance vs plan/value & act on it.Reliable information; timely, evidence-based decisions.EV · CPI · SPI; leading vs lagging KPIs; dashboards.Vanity metrics & gamed numbers.
8 · Uncertainty cross-cuttingNavigate risk, ambiguity, complexity & volatility.Threats reduced; opportunities captured; resilience built.Risk exposure (EMV); reserve burn; variability.Ignoring opportunity; false precision.

Relationships

  • All 8 run simultaneously & continuously — they are not a sequence.
  • Dev Approach shapes Planning & Project Work; Delivery realises Stakeholder value.
  • Measurement feeds decisions in every other domain.
  • Uncertainty overlays all — risk lives everywhere.

Exam Concepts

  • Domains are concurrent, not phases.
  • They are the lens that replaced the 10 knowledge areas.
  • Steer by outcomes & checks, not activities.
  • Leading indicators predict; lagging confirm.
  • You tailor the system of domains to context.

Executive View

  • Exec dashboards = the Measurement domain made visible.
  • Watch flow metrics (lead time, throughput) beside Earned Value.
  • Reward outcomes over outputs.
  • Treat Uncertainty as a standing board topic.

Industry Example — Rail station build

Infrastructure
  • Dev Approach: predictive civils, agile for the passenger-info software → hybrid.
  • Project Work: manage interfaces between contractors as flow & WIP.
  • Delivery: "trains stop & passengers flow safely," not just "platform poured."
  • Uncertainty: weather, utilities & possessions are the live risk drivers.

Memory Hooks

Order mnemonic (1–8):

Some Teams Develop Plans, Producing Deliverables Measured (under) Uncertainty

  • M & U are the two cross-cutting domains — picture them as a frame around the other six.
60-sec Review Name all 8 in order (mnemonic) Which 2 are cross-cutting? "Domains run concurrently" — say why One outcome + one trap per domain Leading vs lagging indicator
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 03 · PMBOK 7 Performance Domains · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 04
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — Why Projects Exist

The Value Delivery System

PMBOK 7 reframes projects as part of a system that creates value. Effort moves down as funding & direction; worth moves up as outcomes, benefits and value. The job is not "deliver the thing" — it's realise the value.

Visual Map — the system, end to end

▲   VALUE · BENEFITS · INFORMATION & FEEDBACK flow UP   ▲
Organisational
Strategy
Portfolio
right work
Program
benefits
Project
outputs
Product
thing of value
Operations
sustain
Customer
realises value
▼   STRATEGIC DIRECTION · FUNDING · DECISIONS & MANDATE flow DOWN   ▼

The system is governed as a whole. Feedback loops from operations & customers continually re-shape strategy and the portfolio — value delivery is circular, not a one-way pipeline.

The Value Ladder

Output
The deliverable produced (e.g. an app, a bridge).
Outcome
The change the output enables (people use it).
Benefit
The measurable gain (cost down, revenue up).
Value
Worth to stakeholders — financial or not.

Key Concepts

Value
Worth/importance to stakeholders.
Business value
Net quantifiable benefit to the org.
Internal value
Capability, IP, morale, readiness.
External value
Customer & market worth.
Value stream
The flow that turns need → value.
System view
Optimise the whole, not a part.

Relationships

  • Each component feeds the next; operations sustain the value over time.
  • Portfolio governance steers the whole toward strategy.
  • Benefits are often realised after the project closes — programs/operations own realisation.
  • Customer feedback loops back to reshape strategy.

Exam Concepts

  • Output ≠ outcome ≠ benefit ≠ value.
  • Value can be non-financial.
  • Benefit realisation may sit past closure.
  • Know the term "value delivery system."

Executive View

  • Steer the portfolio by value, not activity.
  • Maintain a benefits dependency network.
  • Ask: "value created — or just deliverables shipped?"
  • Fund realisation, not only build.

Industry Example — Enterprise SaaS

IT
  • Output: a new billing feature ships.
  • Outcome: finance teams adopt it.
  • Benefit: churn down, ARPU up.
  • Value: higher enterprise valuation.

Memory Hooks

  • Build → Use → Gain → Worth = the value ladder.
  • "OO-BV": Output, Outcome, Benefit, Value.
  • Money down ▼, value up ▲ — and it loops.
60-sec Review Draw the system left→right Climb the value ladder aloud Internal vs external value When are benefits realised? Name one feedback loop
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 04 · PMBOK 7 Value Delivery System · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 05
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — Fit the Approach to the Context

Tailoring

Tailoring is the deliberate adaptation of approach, governance and processes to suit the unique context of the work. The aim is to maximise value and minimise waste — never to cut corners. It is iterative: you tailor at the start and keep adjusting as you learn.

Visual Map — The Tailoring Funnel

Predictive — plan-driven, fixed scope, single delivery Hybrid — predictive shell, adaptive core Adaptive — iterative, evolving scope, frequent delivery
1 · Select
initial development approach
2 · Tailor for the Organisation
governance, methodology, policy, culture
3 · Tailor for the Project
product, team & the specific context
4 · Implement & Improve
inspect, adapt, refine continuously

The funnel narrows from a broad starting point to a precise fit, then loops — step 4 feeds learning back into steps 1–3 throughout delivery. You tailor the life cycle, processes, engagement (people), tools, methods & artifacts — but the 12 principles always apply.

What Drives the Decision? — Read the Context

DimensionPushes toward Predictive ▸◂ Pushes toward Adaptive
RequirementsStable, clear, well understoodEmerging, uncertain, fast-changing
Risk & regulationSafety-critical, heavily regulatedLow regulatory burden
Cost of changeExpensive to change lateCheap & easy to change
Delivery cadenceOne large, integrated deliveryFrequent small increments
Customer involvementLimited / milestone-basedContinuous & collaborative
Size & durationLarge, long, many interfacesSmall-to-medium, shorter
Team & cultureDistributed, low agile maturityCo-located/empowered, agile-fluent

What You Can Tailor

  • Life cycle & development approach — phases, gates, cadence.
  • Processes — add, remove, blend or align to fit value.
  • Engagement — how people & stakeholders interact.
  • Tools — methods of delivery, software, infrastructure.
  • Methods & artifacts — which models, methods & documents you actually use (Poster 6).

Relationships

  • Tailoring is Principle #7 and a theme across all 8 domains.
  • Organisational governance / the PMO sets the guardrails you tailor within.
  • Feeds Development Approach & Life Cycle domain directly.

Exam Concepts

  • Goal = maximise value, minimise wastenot reduce rigour.
  • Tailoring is iterative & ongoing, not a one-time setup.
  • Over-tailoring (too much process) and under-tailoring (too little) are both risks.
  • You tailor methods, never the principles.
  • Tailoring decisions should be justified & documented.

Executive View

  • Right-sized governance = speed without losing control.
  • Avoid one-size-fits-all mandates that burden small work.
  • A documented tailoring framework signals organisational maturity.
  • Frees senior attention for high-risk, high-value projects.

Industry Example — Defence vs Start-up

Defence
  • Shipbuilding: fixed config baselines, stage gates, safety regs → strongly predictive, minimal agile tailoring.
IT
  • Internal tooling team: backlog, 2-week sprints, continuous release → adaptive.
Hybrid
  • Regulated SaaS: agile build inside a predictive compliance & assurance wrapper.

Memory Hooks

  • "Tailor the suit to the person" — fit the method to the work, never the reverse.
  • A·O·P·I = Approach → Organisation → Project → Improve (the 4 funnel steps).
  • More tailoring ≠ less rigour — it means appropriate rigour.
  • Stable + regulated → predictive; uncertain + fast → adaptive; both → hybrid.
60-sec Review Draw the 4-step funnel + loop Predictive vs Adaptive drivers Name the 5 things you tailor Over- vs under-tailoring Why principles never tailor
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 05 · PMBOK 7 Tailoring · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 06
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The Practitioner's Toolkit

Models, Methods & Artifacts

PMBOK 7 stops prescribing process and instead gives a toolkit you tailor (Poster 5). Three families: Models are thinking frameworks that explain a situation; Methods are the means to produce an output; Artifacts are the templates, documents & deliverables you create.

MODELS — ways to think

  • Situational leadership: flex style (direct → coach → support → delegate) to follower readiness.
  • Communication: sender–receiver, channels = n(n−1)/2, cross-cultural & effectiveness models.
  • Motivation: Maslow (hierarchy) · Herzberg (hygiene vs motivators) · McGregor (Theory X / Y) · intrinsic vs extrinsic · Pink (Autonomy·Mastery·Purpose).
  • Change: ADKAR · Kotter 8-Step · Bridges Transition (ending→neutral→beginning) · Satir curve.
  • Complexity: Cynefin (clear / complicated / complex / chaotic) · Stacey matrix.
  • Team development: Tuckman (Forming·Storming·Norming·Performing·Adjourning) · Drexler–Sibbet.
  • Conflict: Thomas–Kilmann — Compete · Collaborate · Compromise · Avoid · Accommodate.
  • Stakeholders: Salience (Power·Legitimacy·Urgency) · Power/Interest grid.
  • Process / planning: PDCA · OODA · escalation & negotiation models.

METHODS — ways to do

  • Data gathering: brainstorming · interviews · focus groups · benchmarking · surveys · checklists.
  • Data analysis: alternatives · cost-benefit · earned value · forecasting · root-cause · variance · trend · what-if · SWOT · regression · reserve · assumption/constraint.
  • Estimating: analogous (top-down) · parametric · three-point / PERT · bottom-up · affinity (story points, t-shirt sizing).
  • Decision-making: voting / fist-of-five · multicriteria (MCDA) · weighted scoring.
  • Data representation: see Artifacts → "visual data & information".
  • Meetings & events: stand-ups · reviews · retrospectives · planning · kick-offs.

ARTIFACTS — things you show

  • Strategy: business case · project brief · charter · roadmap.
  • Logs & registers: assumption · backlog · change · issue · lessons-learned · risk · stakeholder (RAID).
  • Plans: PM plan + subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, comms, risk, etc.).
  • Baselines: scope · schedule · cost · the integrated performance measurement baseline (PMB).
  • Hierarchy charts: WBS · OBS · RBS (risk & resource breakdown).
  • Visual data & info: Gantt · burn-up/down · cumulative flow (CFD) · S-curve · RACI · dashboard · story map · value stream map.
  • Reports: status · progress · quality · risk reports.
  • Agreements / contracts: FFP · T&M · CPFF · CPIF.

High-Yield Exam Concepts

  • Contract risk: FFP = most risk on seller; CPFF / cost-plus = most risk on buyer; T&M = shared.
  • PERT (expected) = (O + 4M + P) / 6  ·  PERT σ = (P − O) / 6.
  • Communication channels = n(n − 1) / 2.
  • Baseline = approved version + approved changes; measure actuals against it.
  • Know cold: Tuckman stages · Cynefin domains · Thomas-Kilmann modes · Salience · ADKAR vs Kotter.
  • Match the tool to the context — there is no single "right" set.

Executive View

  • Standardise a core toolkit; let teams tailor the rest.
  • Dashboards & S-curves are the artifacts that reach the board.
  • Contract type = a strategic risk-allocation lever, not an admin detail.

Industry Example — Manufacturing Transformation (Lean Cell)

Manufacturing
  • Models: Cynefin to classify the change · Kotter + ADKAR to drive shop-floor adoption · Tuckman to read the new cell team.
  • Methods: cost-benefit + parametric estimate to justify the cell · root-cause (5 Whys) on defects · what-if for capacity.
  • Artifacts: business case · WBS · risk register · S-curve · RACI · value stream map of the line.

Memory Hooks

  • "Models think · Methods do · Artifacts show."
  • Tuckman: "Form a Storm, Normally Perform, then Adjourn."
  • Artifacts = the PM's paper trail (logs record, baselines compare, reports communicate).
60-sec Review Define model / method / artifact Recite PERT + channels formulas Who holds risk: FFP vs CPFF List Tuckman's 5 stages Name 3 visual-data artifacts
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 06 · PMBOK 7 Models, Methods & Artifacts · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 07
Section 3 · Business Analysis — The Discipline

Business Analysis & Its Six Domains

Business analysis is the set of activities that determine needs, recommend solutions and enable value delivery. In one line: BA finds the right problem and defines the right solution; the PM then delivers that solution right. The two are partners, not rivals.

Visual Map — The Six Business-Analysis Domains

1 · Needs Assessment
find & justify the right problem
2 · Stakeholder Engagement
plan BA & engage the right people
3 · Elicitation
draw out needs & requirements
4 · Analysis
model, specify & validate
5 · Traceability & Monitoring
link, baseline & manage change
6 · Solution Evaluation
prove value vs the need

Stakeholder Engagement and Traceability & Monitoring run continuously across the others; Elicitation ↔ Analysis iterate as a tight loop. The chain is shown left→right but the work is iterative, not strictly sequential.

BA vs PM — Two Roles, One Goal

LensBusiness AnalystProject Manager
Core questionAre we building the right thing?Are we building the thing right?
OwnsNeeds, requirements, solution scope, valueTime, cost, resources, delivery, risk
Key outputsBusiness case, requirements, traceability, evaluationCharter, plans, baselines, status reports
Shared groundScope · stakeholders · change control · quality · communication

Key Concepts

  • Need ≠ requirement: a need is the problem; a requirement is a stated condition the solution must meet.
  • BA can be a role or a set of activities anyone may perform.
  • BA is product-focused; PM is project-focused.
  • BA spans strategy → delivery → value, including after go-live.

Exam Concepts

  • Know the 6 domains and their order.
  • Requirements are the heart of business analysis.
  • BA precedes & outlives the project (needs → evaluation).
  • Stakeholder engagement & traceability are continuous.

Executive View

  • Good BA slashes costly rework by getting requirements right early.
  • Ties every requirement to a business value.
  • Bridges strategy and delivery — fewer orphaned features.

Industry Example

Defence
  • Upgrading a vessel's combat-management system: BA elicits needs from operators & maintainers, defines requirements, traces each to a capability gap, and later evaluates the fielded system against mission outcomes.

Relationships

  • Feeds the project charter (via the business case) and the PMBOK 7 value delivery system (Poster 4).
  • Supports portfolio selection — needs assessment justifies the investment.
  • Solution evaluation links to benefits realisation in programs (Poster 16).

Memory Hooks

  • "Right problem · right solution · real value."
  • Domain order — N·S·E·A·T·S: "Never Stop Eliciting And Tracing Solutions."
  • BA = the "what & why"; PM = the "how & when."
60-sec Review Name the 6 domains in order BA vs PM core question Need vs requirement Which 2 domains are continuous? Where BA outlives the project
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 07 · Business Analysis — Discipline & Domains · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 08
Section 3 · Business Analysis — Domain 1

Needs Assessment

Before any solution: understand the problem or opportunity, compare current vs future state, weigh viable options, and recommend & justify a solution in a business case. This is where bad ideas should die cheaply — and good ones earn their funding.

Visual Map — From Problem to Business Case

Identify
problem / opportunity
Assess Current State
capabilities, costs, pain
Define Future State
goals & objectives
Determine Options
assess feasibility
Recommend & Justify
the business case
→ Charter
hand-off to delivery

The gap between current and future state defines the solution scope. Options are screened on feasibility — operational, technical, financial, schedule — before one is recommended.

Define the Problem

  • Situation statement: problem/opportunity + impact + consequence.
  • Root cause: 5 Whys · Ishikawa (fishbone) — fix the cause, not the symptom.
  • SWOT to frame internal/external factors.
  • Quantify the cost of the problem & cost of delay.

Define the Future State

  • Goals (broad) → objectives (SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound).
  • Identify capability gaps to close.
  • Set the success measures / KPIs up front.
  • Bound the solution scope.

The Business Case

  • Recommended option + rationale.
  • Costs vs benefits — NPV, ROI, payback, IRR.
  • Risks, assumptions, constraints, dependencies.
  • Success measures & recommendation to proceed.

Exam Concepts

  • Needs assessment may occur pre-project (portfolio) or in-project.
  • Assess the current state — don't assume it.
  • Goals vs objectives; objectives are SMART.
  • Feasibility = operational · technical · financial · schedule.

Executive View

  • Kills weak ideas early — protects the budget.
  • Aligns each investment to strategy.
  • Locks in measurable success criteria before spend.

Industry Example

Manufacturing
  • "Should we automate the welding line?" Current state: labour cost & defect rate. Future state: +30% throughput, −50% rework. Options: cobots vs full automation vs outsource. Business case picks cobots on payback < 18 months.

Relationships

  • Output → business casecharter → BA plan & delivery.
  • Feeds portfolio selection & prioritisation (Poster 18).
  • Future-state measures become solution-evaluation criteria (Poster 10).

Memory Hooks

  • Sequence — P·C·F·O·C: Problem → Current → Future → Options → Case.
  • "Don't fall in love with a solution before you've defined the problem."
  • Gap = future − current = the scope.
60-sec Review Recite the P-C-F-O-C flow Write a situation statement Goals vs SMART objectives 4 feasibility types Business-case components
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 08 · Business Analysis — Needs Assessment · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 09
Section 3 · Business Analysis — Domains 3 & 4

Elicitation, Analysis & Requirements

The engine room of BA: draw out needs (elicitation), then classify, model, specify, validate & prioritise them (analysis). Elicitation is not passive note-taking — it actively surfaces latent needs. The two iterate as a tight loop until requirements are clear and agreed.

Elicitation — Draw It Out

Plan Conduct Confirm results
  • Techniques: interviews · facilitated workshops (JAD) · focus groups · observation / job-shadowing · surveys · document analysis · prototyping · brainstorming.
  • Always confirm elicitation results with stakeholders — capture, then play back.

Analysis — Make It Buildable

Model Specify Validate & Verify Prioritise
  • Validation = the right requirements (meet the need).
  • Verification = requirements built right (quality, testable).
  • Prioritise with MoSCoW — Must / Should / Could / Won't.

Requirement Types — The Classification Ladder

Business
why — goals & value
Stakeholder
who needs what
Solution — Functional
what it must do
+ Solution — Non-functional
how well (perf, security…)
Transition
how we get there (training, migration)

Good requirements are: clear · concise · complete · consistent · feasible · unambiguous · testable · traceable. Transition requirements are temporary — they retire once the solution is live.

Modelling Toolkit — Show, Don't Just Tell

  • Scope: context diagram · use-case · feature model.
  • Process: flowchart · swimlane · BPMN.
  • Rules: decision table · decision tree.
  • Data: ERD · data dictionary · state diagram.
  • Interface: wireframe · report table · prototype.
  • Agile: user stories + acceptance criteria.

Exam Concepts

  • Elicitation surfaces latent needs — it's active, not passive.
  • Always confirm elicitation results.
  • Functional = what it does; non-functional = how well.
  • Validate vs verify — know the difference cold.

Executive View

  • Prioritised, testable requirements = predictable delivery.
  • Models give a shared picture across business & tech.
  • MoSCoW makes trade-offs explicit when budgets tighten.

Industry Example

IT
  • New SaaS module: workshops + prototypes elicit needs; a context diagram bounds scope; user stories + acceptance criteria specify; MoSCoW sets the MVP.

Memory Hooks

  • Levels — B·S·S·T: Business → Stakeholder → Solution → Transition.
  • "Validate = right thing · Verify = thing right."
  • Elicit → Model → Specify → Confirm — then loop.
60-sec Review Plan-Conduct-Confirm List 4 elicitation techniques B-S-S-T requirement levels Functional vs non-functional MoSCoW + validate/verify
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 09 · Business Analysis — Elicitation, Analysis & Requirements · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 10
Section 3 · Business Analysis — Domains 5 & 6

Traceability, Monitoring & Solution Evaluation

The back end that closes the value loop: keep every requirement linked from origin to test and under change control (traceability & monitoring), then confirm the deployed solution actually delivers the intended value (solution evaluation). No trace, no proof; no evaluation, no learning.

Visual Map — The Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

Business need / objectiveStakeholder req.Solution req.Design / buildTest caseStatus
Cut line defects 50%Operator alert on faultFR-12 fault alarm <2sPLC module M4TC-12Verified
Cut line defects 50%Trace each rejectFR-15 log reject + causeMES report R7TC-15Implemented

Forward tracing = need → requirement → build → test (coverage). Backward tracing = test/feature → originating need (no orphans, no gold-plating). The RTM is the backbone for impact analysis & scope control.

Traceability & Monitoring

  • Trace each requirement both ways; maintain coverage.
  • Baseline approved requirements; control change via impact analysis.
  • Track requirement states: proposed → approved → implemented → verified.
  • Approve changes through the right authority before work proceeds.

Solution Evaluation

  • Define evaluation criteria & KPIs (from the future-state measures).
  • Collect actuals; compare actual vs expected value.
  • Identify limitations / solution & enterprise gaps.
  • Recommend: release · iterate · replace · retire.

Exam Concepts

  • Traceability enables impact analysis & guards against scope creep.
  • Evaluation can continue after go-live.
  • Tie results back to the business case & benefits.
  • A baseline is an approved version; changes are controlled.

Executive View

  • Proof the investment paid off — value, not just delivery.
  • Objective basis to continue, scale or kill.
  • Traceability protects scope & supports audit / assurance.

Industry Example

Manufacturing
  • Post go-live on the automated cell: measure OEE, scrap %, throughput vs the business case. Defects fell 42% (target 50%) → recommend tuning, then evaluate scaling to a second line.

Relationships

  • RTM underpins integrated change control with the PM.
  • Evaluation feeds benefits realisation (programs, Poster 16) & value (Poster 4).
  • Findings inform portfolio continue/kill decisions (Poster 18).

Memory Hooks

  • "Trace it · prove it · value it."
  • RTM = the spine linking need → test. No trace, no proof.
  • Evaluation answer = release · iterate · replace · retire.
60-sec Review Forward vs backward tracing Sketch an RTM row 4 requirement states Evaluation: actual vs expected 4 evaluation outcomes
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 10 · Business Analysis — Traceability & Solution Evaluation · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 11
Section 4 · Risk Management — Foundations

Risk Fundamentals & Principles

A risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive (opportunity) or negative (threat) effect on objectives. Risk management exists to maximise opportunity and minimise threat — protecting and creating value across projects, programs and portfolios.

The Core Distinctions

TermMeansNot to be confused with
RiskUncertain — may happen (future)Issue — has already occurred (now)
ThreatRisk with a negative effectOpportunity — risk with a positive effect
Individual riskOne discrete event/conditionOverall risk — aggregate effect of all uncertainty
Secondary riskCreated by a responseResidual risk — left after a response

How Much Risk? — The Appetite Stack

  • Risk appetite — the amount of risk an organisation is willing to pursue (board-level).
  • Risk tolerance — the acceptable variation around objectives.
  • Risk threshold — the measurable trigger point where action is required.
  • Risk capacity — the maximum risk the organisation can absorb.
  • Risk attitude: averse · neutral · seeking · tolerant.

Guiding Principles of Effective Risk Management

  • Value-focused — protect and create value.
  • Aligned to objectives, strategy & governance.
  • Tailored to context, scale & complexity.
  • Balanced — addresses threats and opportunities.
  • Integrated into decisions & everyday processes.
  • Best information — explicit about uncertainty & bias.
  • Transparent & inclusive communication.
  • Iterative & responsive to change.
  • Clear ownership & accountability.
  • Risk-aware culture — everyone, continuously.

Exam Concepts

  • Risk is both positive & negative — opportunities are risks.
  • Risk = future & uncertain; an issue is certain / already here.
  • Appetite ≠ tolerance ≠ threshold — know each.
  • Secondary vs residual risk; individual vs overall risk.

Executive View

  • Risk appetite is a board-level strategic statement.
  • Risk-adjusted decisions beat gut calls — fund uncertainty deliberately.
  • A risk-aware culture surfaces bad news early.

Industry Example

Defence
  • Threat: a single-source forging supplier could slip 12 weeks. Opportunity: a new alloy could cut hull weight and win follow-on work. Both are logged, owned and managed.

Relationships

  • Operationalises PMBOK 7 Principle 10 (Risk) & the Uncertainty domain (Poster 3).
  • Managed at three levels — project, program, portfolio (Poster 13).
  • Quantitative outputs feed reserves & the cost baseline (EVM, Posters 14–15).

Memory Hooks

  • "Risk is future; an issue is now."
  • Threats AND opportunities — risk cuts both ways.
  • Appetite → tolerance → threshold = want → accept → act.
60-sec Review Risk vs issue Threat vs opportunity Appetite / tolerance / threshold Secondary vs residual Name 4 principles
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 11 · Risk — Fundamentals & Principles · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 12
Section 4 · Risk Management — The Process

The Risk Management Process

An iterative cycle: set the strategy, find risks, size them (qualitatively then, where needed, quantitatively), plan & implement responses, and monitor — repeating throughout the life cycle. The risk register and risk report are the living artifacts that carry it.

Visual Map — Plan → Identify → Analyse → Respond → Monitor

1 · Plan
strategy, RBS, P&I scales
2 · Identify
ongoing → risk register
3 · Qualitative
P×I → prioritise
4 · Quantitative
model overall risk
5 · Plan Responses 6 · Implement 7 · Monitor

Identify and Monitor never stop. Quantitative analysis is optional — used on larger/complex efforts to size overall risk and justify reserves; qualitative is the fast triage every time.

Threat Responses

Avoid
eliminate the threat or its cause (change the plan).
Transfer
shift impact & ownership to a third party (insurance, warranty, fixed-price).
Mitigate
reduce probability and/or impact.
Accept
take no action (passive) or set a contingency (active).
Escalate
raise to the level with authority to act.

Opportunity Responses

Exploit
make certain the opportunity is realised (mirror of Avoid).
Share
partner with someone better able to capture it (mirror of Transfer).
Enhance
increase probability and/or impact (mirror of Mitigate).
Accept
take it if it arrives, but don't actively chase it.
Escalate
raise to the level that can pursue it.

Tools by Step

  • Identify: brainstorming, checklists, RBS, assumption analysis, SWOT, interviews.
  • Qualitative: probability & impact (P-I) matrix, risk categorisation, urgency.
  • Quantitative: EMV, decision tree, Monte Carlo, sensitivity / tornado.
  • Reserves: contingency vs management reserve analysis.

Reserves — Funding Uncertainty

  • Contingency reserve — for known risks; inside the cost baseline; the PM controls it.
  • Management reserve — for unknown risks; outside the baseline; management approves its release.

Exam Concepts

  • Qualitative = subjective P×I, fast; quantitative = numeric model of overall risk.
  • Contingency (known, PM) vs management (unknown, mgmt) reserve.
  • Risk owner manages the risk; a response owner executes an action.
  • A trigger is the early-warning sign a risk is occurring.

Executive View

  • Quantitative analysis defends the contingency ask to the board.
  • Response strategy = a cost-vs-exposure trade, not box-ticking.
  • Watch overall risk, not just the loudest single risk.

Industry Example

Manufacturing
  • Line install: supplier-delay risk → qualitative HIGHMonte Carlo shows P80 finish +5 wks → response = transfer (LD clause) + mitigate (dual-source).
60-sec Review Recite the 7-step cycle 5 threat responses 5 opportunity responses Qual vs quant Contingency vs management reserve
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 12 · Risk — The Process & Responses · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 13
Section 4 · Risk Management — Scaling & Quantifying

Risk Across the Three Levels & Quantitative Tools

This standard's signature idea: risk is managed at project, program and portfolio levels — each with a different focus and horizon — and risks cascade and escalate between them. Below: what risk means at each level, plus the quantitative tools that turn uncertainty into numbers.

Visual Map — One Risk Discipline, Three Altitudes

LevelRisk is about…Primary focusHorizonOwner
PortfolioStrategic objectives & the balance/mix of components; aggregate exposure vs risk capacityDoing the right mixLong / strategicPortfolio governance
ProgramRisks between components & their interdependencies; threats to benefits & integrationCoordinated benefitsMediumProgram manager
ProjectRisks to scope, schedule, cost, quality of a specific deliverableReliable deliveryShort / tacticalProject manager

Escalation & cascade: a project risk beyond the PM's authority escalates up to program or portfolio; strategic decisions and constraints cascade down. Consolidated reporting rolls individual risks into an overall picture at each level.

Expected Monetary Value (EMV)

EMV = Σ (probability × impact); impacts are signed (− threat, + opportunity).

  • Threat: 20% × (−$500k) = −$100k
  • Opportunity: 30% × (+$200k) = +$60k
  • Net EMV = −$40k → size the contingency accordingly.

Feed EMVs into a decision tree to choose the option with the best expected value (e.g. build vs buy).

Modelling Overall Risk

  • Monte Carlo: simulate thousands of runs → a range & confidence (e.g. P80 cost/finish).
  • Sensitivity / tornado: rank which risks swing the outcome most.
  • Decision tree: compare options by EMV under uncertainty.
  • Outputs justify reserves and feed the cost baseline (EVM).

Probability & Impact Matrix (Qualitative)

Prob ↓ / Impact →LowMediumHigh
HighMediumHighHigh
MediumLowMediumHigh
LowLowLowMedium

Score = probability × impact → a priority that drives response order & depth.

Exam Concepts

  • Portfolio = strategic / aggregate; program = interdependencies & benefits; project = delivery.
  • Risk capacity (portfolio) sets the ceiling that appetite sits within.
  • Escalate up, cascade down; aggregate vs individual risk.
  • EMV, Monte Carlo & decision trees are quantitative.

Executive View

  • Portfolio risk is a strategy & capacity conversation, not a register.
  • Consolidated, roll-up reporting gives the board one risk picture.

Industry Example — A Defence Prime

Defence
  • Portfolio: balance the mix of bids & live programs against capacity.
  • Program: integrate ship + combat system + training so the capability benefit lands.
  • Project: deliver the radar subsystem on cost & to spec.

Memory Hooks

  • Portfolio = right mix · Program = right benefits · Project = right delivery.
  • "Risk rolls up; response rolls down."
  • Reserves: contingency = knowns I control; management = unknowns the boss controls.
60-sec Review Risk focus at each level Escalate up vs cascade down Compute a 2-line EMV What Monte Carlo gives you Capacity vs appetite
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 13 · Risk — Three Levels & Quantitative Tools · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 14
Section 5 · Earned Value Management — The Engine

EVM Foundations: Measures, Variances & Indices

EVM fuses scope, schedule and cost into one objective read of performance. Three measures — PV, EV, AC — produce two variances ($) and two indices (ratios). The golden rule: EV starts every formula; subtract for a variance, divide for an index, and positive / > 1 is good.

Visual Map — The EVM S-Curve

Cumulative $ Time → data date (now) PV — planned value (BAC = total PV) EV — earned value AC — actual cost PV = 50k AC = 45k EV = 40k SV = EV − PV = −10k CV = EV − AC = −5k → behind schedule & over cost

EV below PV ⇒ behind schedule; EV below AC ⇒ over budget. The vertical gaps to EV are the variances.

The Three Measures

PV — Planned Value
budgeted cost of work scheduled (the baseline plan). Total PV = BAC, Budget at Completion.
EV — Earned Value
budgeted cost of work performed. EV = % complete × BAC.
AC — Actual Cost
actual cost of the work performed — what you really spent.

Variances ($) & Indices (ratios)

SV = EV − PV
+ ahead · − behind

CV = EV − AC
+ under · − over

SPI = EV ÷ PV
>1 ahead · <1 behind

CPI = EV ÷ AC
>1 under · <1 over

Worked Example

ItemValue
BAC$100k
PV (planned 50%)$50k
EV (40% complete)$40k
AC (spent)$45k
SV = 40−50−$10k behind
CV = 40−45−$5k over
SPI = 40/500.80
CPI = 40/450.89

Exam Concepts

  • Variances in $, indices are ratios. EV is always first.
  • Positive variance & index > 1 = favourable.
  • EV = % complete × BAC.
  • SV weakness: measured in $, it drifts to 0 at the end even if late — pair it with the schedule network or SPI.
  • Cost pair uses AC; schedule pair uses PV.

Executive View

  • One integrated number for scope + schedule + cost.
  • Objective early-warning system — trends, not anecdotes.
  • CPI is famously stable after ~20% complete — trust the trend.
  • Reports up cleanly through program & portfolio.

Relationships

  • Needs a sound scope, schedule & cost baseline first (Poster 6 baselines).
  • Risk reserves sit inside/outside the baseline (Poster 12).
  • Forecasting (EAC/ETC/VAC/TCPI) builds on these — Poster 15.

Industry Example

Capital Project
  • A $100k line-upgrade is 40% built but has consumed $45k by the planned-50% point: SPI 0.80 & CPI 0.89 flag it behind and over early enough to act.

Memory Hooks

  • "EV is the hero — it opens every formula."
  • Variance = minus, Index = divide; + and >1 are good.
  • Cost↔AC, Schedule↔PV (C-A, S-P).
60-sec Review Define PV / EV / AC Write SV, CV, SPI, CPI EV = ? × BAC Why SV in $ is weak Sketch the S-curve
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 14 · EVM — Measures, Variances & Indices · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 15
Section 5 · Earned Value Management — Forecasting

EVM Forecasting: EAC · ETC · VAC · TCPI

Performance to date predicts the finish. EAC forecasts the total cost, ETC the cost of what's left, VAC the projected over/under, and TCPI the efficiency you must now sustain to hit a target. Pick the EAC formula that matches your assumption about the remaining work.

Visual Map — Choosing Your EAC (assumption → formula)

Assumption about the remaining workEAC formulaReading
Current variance was a one-off / atypicalEAC = AC + (BAC − EV)finish the rest at the budgeted rate
Current cost efficiency continues (the default)EAC = BAC ÷ CPItoday's CPI holds to the end
Both cost & schedule pressure continueEAC = AC + (BAC − EV) ÷ (CPI × SPI)schedule drag worsens cost
Original estimate is no longer validEAC = AC + bottom-up ETCre-estimate the remainder

The Forecasting Family

BAC
Budget at Completion — the baseline total (the plan).
EAC
Estimate at Completion — forecast total cost.
ETC
Estimate to Complete — cost of the remaining work.
VAC
Variance at Completion — projected over/under at the end.
TCPI
To-Complete Performance Index — efficiency needed from here.

Core Formulas

ETC = EAC − AC
what's left to spend

VAC = BAC − EAC
+ under · − over at end

TCPI = (BAC − EV) ÷ (BAC − AC)
to still hit BAC

TCPI = (BAC − EV) ÷ (EAC − AC)
to hit the new EAC

Worked Example (same numbers)

From Poster 14Value
BAC / EV / AC100 / 40 / 45
CPI / SPI0.89 / 0.80
EAC = BAC/CPI$112.5k
ETC = EAC−AC$67.5k
VAC = BAC−EAC−$12.5k
EAC (cost×sched)≈ $129k
TCPI→BAC1.09

Reading TCPI

  • TCPI = work remaining ÷ funds remaining.
  • Compare to your CPI: TCPI 0.89 vs CPI 0.89 = on track.
  • Here TCPI 1.09 > CPI 0.89 → you must run better than you ever have → the BAC is likely unrecoverable.
  • Response: re-baseline, de-scope, or accept the overrun.

Exam Concepts

  • ETC = EAC − AC; VAC = BAC − EAC.
  • EAC = BAC/CPI is the default "current-trend" forecast.
  • Know all four EAC formulas & their assumptions.
  • TCPI > 1 (and > CPI) = must tighten up; recovery is hard.

Executive View

  • EAC & VAC answer the board's question: "Where will we land?"
  • TCPI tells you if a recovery target is realistic before you promise it.
  • Forecasts trigger re-baselining & funding decisions.

Industry Example

Capital Project
  • The $100k line upgrade now forecasts $112.5k (EAC) with a −$12.5k VAC. TCPI 1.09 says recovery to budget is unlikely → present a re-baseline + a de-scope option.

Memory Hooks

  • BAC=plan · EAC=forecast · ETC=what's left · VAC=the surprise.
  • "ETC peels AC off EAC."
  • If TCPI > CPI, you're in trouble.
60-sec Review 4 EAC formulas + assumptions ETC and VAC formulas Both TCPI formulas TCPI vs CPI meaning Recompute EAC from CPI
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 15 · EVM — Forecasting (EAC/ETC/VAC/TCPI) · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 16
Section 6 · Program Management — Foundations

Programs & Benefits Management

A program is a group of related projects, subsidiary programs & activities managed together to obtain benefits not available by managing them individually. Program management is about coordinated delivery for benefits — the components are related, and together they create synergy.

Project · Program · Portfolio

LensManages…DeliversQuestion
Projecta defined scopean output / deliverablebuild it right
Programrelated components & their interdependenciesbenefits & capabilitiesrealise the benefit
Portfolioall work, related or notstrategic alignmentthe right mix

Why a program (not just projects)? synergy · manage interdependencies · optimise shared resources · deliver outcomes too big for one project.

The Value Chain (program-owned)

Output
component delivers
Capability
ability to act
Outcome
change in state
Benefit
measurable gain

Components produce outputs → integrated into capabilities → used to create outcomes → realised as benefits. Projects stop at outputs; programs push through to benefits.

Visual Map — The Benefits Management Life Cycle

1 · Identify
quantify & justify (business case)
2 · Analyse & Plan
benefits register, plan, metrics, map
3 · Deliver
components → capabilities
4 · Transition
integrate into operations / BAU
5 · Sustain
benefits endure after closure

The benefits realisation plan & benefits register are the living artifacts. Each benefit has an owner and leading/lagging measures. Sustainment is the giveaway that programs care about value beyond the program's own life.

Exam Concepts

  • Programs exist for benefits & relatedness, not size alone.
  • Capability is delivered by a component; the benefit is realised in operations.
  • Benefits transition hands capability to BAU; sustainment continues after closure.
  • Benefits have owners & metrics — measured, not assumed.

Executive View

  • Programs convert strategy → capability → benefit.
  • The sponsor cares about outcomes, not outputs.
  • Governance gates are benefit-driven — fund what realises value.

Industry Example

Defence
  • A frigate capability program: shipbuild + combat-system + training/sustainment components. Benefit = a deployable, supportable naval capability — sustained over decades, not just a hull delivered.

Relationships

  • Realises the PMBOK 7 value delivery system (Poster 4) at program scale.
  • BA's solution evaluation (Poster 10) feeds benefit measurement.
  • Sits beneath the portfolio (Posters 18–19) and above projects.

Memory Hooks

  • "Projects make outputs; programs make BENEFITS."
  • Benefits cycle — I·A·D·T·S: Identify → Analyse/plan → Deliver → Transition → Sustain.
  • "A program is related; a portfolio is aligned."
60-sec Review Define a program Output→capability→benefit 5 benefits-cycle stages Transition vs sustainment Program vs portfolio
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 16 · Program — Fundamentals & Benefits · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 17
Section 6 · Program Management — How It Runs

Performance Domains, Life Cycle & Governance

Programs are run through five performance domains that operate concurrently, across a three-phase life cycle (Definition → Delivery → Closure) held together by governance gates. Governance is the value-protection mechanism: it authorises components, reviews benefits, and decides go / no-go.

Visual Map — Five Domains over the Life Cycle

1 Strategy Alignment 2 Benefits Management (Poster 16) 3 Stakeholder Engagement 4 Governance 5 Life Cycle Management
Definition
formulation + planning
⟢ gate ⟣ Delivery
authorise & oversee components · realise benefits
⟢ gate ⟣ Closure
transition + close

The five domains run concurrently throughout; the phases are the timeline; governance gates sit between phases and at component boundaries.

1 · Strategy Alignment

  • Link the program to organisational strategy.
  • Program roadmap & business case.
  • Environmental / readiness assessment.

3 · Stakeholder Engagement

  • Far more numerous, diverse & long-term than a project's.
  • Identify → analyse → plan → engage, continuously.
  • Engagement is strategic, not just communication.

4 · Governance

  • Program board / steering committee + sponsor.
  • Phase-gate reviews & component authorisation.
  • Go / no-go; balances component vs program tension.

The Program Roadmap (≠ schedule)

  • A high-level chronological view linking components, milestones & benefits to strategy.
  • Shows the why-when; the schedule shows the what-when.
  • Anchors gate decisions & sequencing of tranches.

Exam Concepts

  • The 5 domains run concurrently across the life cycle.
  • Governance authorises components & gates phases.
  • Roadmap ≠ schedule — higher-level, benefit/milestone-oriented.
  • The program board makes go / no-go calls.

Executive View

  • Governance is the value-protection mechanism.
  • The board & sponsor own the benefits case.
  • Kill failing components early at the gate.

Industry Example

Defence
  • The frigate program's board gates each tranche; the roadmap sequences build → integration → trials → handover; stakeholders span Navy, government, primes, unions & community.

Memory Hooks

  • 5 domains — S·B·S·G·L: "Some Big Ships Get Launched" (Strategy, Benefits, Stakeholders, Governance, Life cycle).
  • Phases: Define → Deliver → Close.
  • Roadmap = why-when; schedule = what-when.
60-sec Review Name the 5 domains 3 life-cycle phases What governance authorises Roadmap vs schedule Who makes go/no-go
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 17 · Program — Domains, Life Cycle & Governance · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 18
Section 7 · Portfolio Management — Foundations

Portfolios & Strategic Alignment

A portfolio is the collection of projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives. Portfolio management is "doing the right work" — selecting, prioritising, balancing & authorising the mix that best delivers strategy. Components need not be related.

What's in a Portfolio?

  • Programs — related components run for benefits.
  • Projects — standalone deliverables.
  • Subsidiary portfolios — e.g. by division.
  • Operations / BAU — ongoing work that consumes the same capacity.

The portfolio is the organisation's whole investment basket — and it is ongoing, not temporary.

Portfolio vs Program — The Key Distinction

LensProgramPortfolio
Grouped byRelatedness & synergyStrategic alignment
ComponentsMust be relatedMay be unrelated
GoalCoordinated benefitsOptimal value & balance
DurationTemporary (has an end)Ongoing
QuestionRealise the benefitThe right mix

Visual Map — Strategy Becomes a Funded Plan

Org Strategy
vision, goals, objectives
Portfolio
select · prioritise · balance · authorise
Programs & Projects + Operations
the authorised work
Strategic Objectives
value realised

The portfolio is the bridge between strategy and delivery: it converts intent into a funded, balanced plan, then feeds performance back to continuously realign as strategy shifts. Artifacts: portfolio strategic plan, charter & roadmap.

Value of Portfolio Management

  • Maximise value of the whole portfolio.
  • Align every investment to strategy.
  • Balance risk/reward & short/long term.
  • Optimise scarce resources & funding.
  • Transparency for investment decisions.

Exam Concepts

  • Portfolio = strategic alignment; components may be unrelated.
  • A portfolio includes operations, not just projects/programs.
  • "Right work" (portfolio) vs "work right" (project/program).
  • Portfolio management is ongoing, not temporary.

Executive View

  • The portfolio is the board's investment steering wheel.
  • This is where strategy becomes a funded plan.
  • Decisions are fund / defer / kill against strategy.

Relationships

  • Sits above programs (Posters 16–17) & projects in the hierarchy (Poster 1).
  • Manages aggregate risk & capacity (Poster 13).
  • Governed within OPM (Poster 20).

Industry Example

Defence
  • A prime's portfolio: naval programs + land-vehicle programs + R&D projects + sustainment operations + live bids — unrelated, but all balanced for strategy, capacity & risk.

Memory Hooks

  • "Portfolio = right WORK · project = work RIGHT."
  • "A program is related; a portfolio is aligned."
  • The portfolio is the whole investment basket — and it never ends.
60-sec Review Define a portfolio What it contains (incl. ops) Portfolio vs program Right work vs work right Why it's ongoing
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 18 · Portfolio — Fundamentals & Strategic Alignment · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 19
Section 7 · Portfolio Management — How It Runs

Performance Domains, Selection & Balancing

Portfolios are run through six performance domains and a recurring cycle that selects and balances components: categorise → evaluate → select → prioritise → balance → authorise → review. The defining skill is balancing the mix against value, risk and capacity — then rebalancing as strategy moves.

Visual Map — The Component Selection & Balancing Pipeline

Identify Categorise
group by type/strategy
Evaluate
score vs criteria
Select Prioritise Balance
optimise mix vs capacity & risk
Authorise Review

Categorisation enables apples-to-apples comparison; evaluation uses weighted scoring against strategic criteria; balancing optimises the whole mix — not each component in isolation. The loop never closes.

Balancing Tool — Risk vs Reward Bubble Chart

Value / reward → Risk → high value · low risk — FUND high value · high risk — BALANCE low value · high risk — DEFER / KILL efficient frontier A B D C E bubble size = investment / cost

The Six Performance Domains

  • 1 Strategic Management — align to strategy; portfolio roadmap & value proposition.
  • 2 Governance — decision framework; authorise / terminate components; oversight & optimisation.
  • 3 Capacity & Capability — balance resource & funding demand vs supply.
  • 4 Stakeholder Engagement — engage decision-makers & sponsors.
  • 5 Value Management — define, maximise, deliver & measure value.
  • 6 Risk Management — manage aggregate risk & the risk/return balance.

Balancing & Optimisation Tools

  • Weighted scoring models against strategic criteria.
  • Prioritisation matrices & ranking.
  • Bubble / quadrant charts (risk vs reward, above).
  • Efficient frontier — best value for a given risk.
  • Portfolio roadmap & dashboards for transparency.

Exam Concepts

  • Portfolio management continuously balances & reprioritises.
  • Governance authorises & terminates components.
  • Capacity management = demand vs supply of resources/funding.
  • Value & risk are managed at the aggregate level.

Executive View

  • Rebalance as strategy shifts — the mix is never "done".
  • Governance kills the zombies that drain capacity.
  • One dashboard for the entire investment.

Industry Example

Defence
  • The prime scores bids & programs against strategic criteria, balances naval vs land vs air, checks engineering capacity, and the board authorises the optimal mix — re-reviewed each quarter.

Memory Hooks

  • Pipeline — C·E·S·P·B·A: Categorise, Evaluate, Select, Prioritise, Balance, Authorise.
  • "Pick · balance · fund · review — forever."
  • Bubble chart = risk vs reward; size = cost.
60-sec Review Name the 6 domains Recite the C-E-S-P-B-A pipeline Sketch a risk/reward chart Capacity = demand vs ? What governance authorises
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 19 · Portfolio — Domains, Selection & Balancing · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 20
Section 8 · Organisational Project Management

OPM & Organisational Maturity

OPM is the framework that integrates portfolio, program & project management with organisational enablers so that strategy is delivered consistently & predictably. It is the organisation's strategy-execution operating system — owned at the executive level, not on any single project.

Visual Map — What OPM Integrates

Portfolio
the right work
+ Program
the right benefits
+ Project
the right delivery
+ Organisational Enablers
structure · culture · governance · methodology · people · knowledge
= OPM
strategy delivered, repeatably

OPM is the layer that makes good delivery systematic rather than heroic. Organisational enablers — a PMO, consistent & tailored methodology, governance, capability development, knowledge management — are what turn one good project into a repeatable capability.

Organisational Enablers

  • Structural: PMO, governance bodies, reporting lines.
  • Cultural: values, executive sponsorship, risk-awareness.
  • Methodology: consistent, tailored practices & templates.
  • People / HR: competency, training, career paths.
  • Knowledge: lessons learned, KM, continuous learning.

Maturity — The OPM3 Idea

Maturity = the ability to deliver consistently & predictably. The improvement cycle repeats:

Acquire Knowledge Perform Assessment Manage Improvement

Progression of practice: Standardise → Measure → Control → Continuously Improve (SMCI), built from best practices → capabilities → outcomes → KPIs.

Exam Concepts

  • OPM integrates portfolio + program + project + enablers.
  • OPM is a strategy-execution framework, not a methodology by itself.
  • OPM3 = maturity model; cycle = Acquire → Assess → Improve.
  • Maturity path = SMCI (Standardise, Measure, Control, Improve).

Executive View

  • OPM is the C-suite's strategy-delivery engine.
  • Maturity = predictability — fewer surprises, better forecasts.
  • Invest in enablers (PMO, methodology, capability), not just projects.

Industry Example

Manufacturing
  • A multi-plant manufacturer standardises stage gates, stands up a PMO, and uplifts PM capability. Maturity climbs from ad-hoc to measured & controlled — and strategic initiatives start landing on time, plant after plant.

Relationships

  • Wraps the entire hierarchy of Poster 1 — portfolio, program & project together.
  • Provides the governance & methodology that tailoring (Poster 5) operates within.
  • Feeds on lessons learned & benefits data from every delivery.

Memory Hooks

  • "OPM = strategy delivered, consistently."
  • PPP + enablers = OPM (Portfolio, Program, Project + the org).
  • Maturity ladder — S·M·C·I; improvement loop — Acquire → Assess → Improve.
60-sec Review What OPM integrates Name 3 organisational enablers The OPM3 cycle SMCI maturity ladder Maturity = ?
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 20 · Organisational Project Management & Maturity · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 21
Section 9 · Quick Reference — Every Formula in One Place

The Formulas Wall

All the maths across the wall, grouped by family. Golden rules: in EVM, EV starts every formula — a variance subtracts (EV − x), an index divides (EV ÷ x), and positive / > 1 is favourable. Cost pairs use AC; schedule pairs use PV.

Earned Value — Variances & Indices

SV = EV − PV
+ ahead · − behind

CV = EV − AC
+ under · − over

SPI = EV ÷ PV
>1 ahead

CPI = EV ÷ AC
>1 under budget

CV% = CV ÷ EV

SV% = SV ÷ PV

Earned Value — Forecasting

EAC = BAC ÷ CPI
current trend (default)

EAC = AC + (BAC − EV)
variance was one-off

EAC = AC + (BAC−EV) ÷ (CPI×SPI)
cost & schedule

EAC = AC + bottom-up ETC
re-estimate

ETC = EAC − AC

VAC = BAC − EAC

TCPI = (BAC−EV) ÷ (BAC−AC)
to hit BAC

TCPI = (BAC−EV) ÷ (EAC−AC)
to hit EAC

Estimating

PERT (Eₑ) = (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6
beta / weighted

σ = (P − O) ÷ 6
std deviation

Variance = ((P − O) ÷ 6)²

Triangular = (O + M + P) ÷ 3

Ranges: ±1σ ≈ 68% · ±2σ ≈ 95% · ±3σ ≈ 99.7% of outcomes.

Schedule / Critical-Path Network

Total Float = LS − ES = LF − EF

Free Float = ESₙₑₓₜ − EF − 1

Forward: EF = ES + Dur − 1

Backward: LS = LF − Dur + 1

Critical path = longest path = zero total float. (Drop the −1 / +1 if you count from day 0.)

Communication & Risk

Channels = n(n − 1) ÷ 2

EMV = Σ (Probability × Impact)
− threat · + opportunity

Finance (decision)

  • NPV — higher is better; already discounted.
  • IRR — higher is better.
  • ROI = (gain − cost) ÷ cost; higher better.
  • Payback — shorter is better.
  • BCR = benefits ÷ costs; > 1 good.

Contract (bonus)

PTA = ((Ceiling − Target Price) ÷ buyer share) + Target Cost

Point of total assumption — above it, the seller bears all extra cost (incentive contracts).

Sign-Reading & Golden Rules

  • EV first in every EVM formula.
  • Variance = subtract; index = divide.
  • Positive variance & index > 1 = good.
  • Cost ↔ AC; Schedule ↔ PV.
  • EV = % complete × BAC.
  • ETC = EAC − AC; VAC = BAC − EAC.
  • TCPI > CPI ⇒ recovery is hard.
  • Float 0 ⇒ on the critical path.

Most-Tested

  • CPI / SPI interpretation & EAC = BAC/CPI.
  • PERT (O+4M+P)/6 and σ = (P−O)/6.
  • Channels n(n−1)/2.
  • Total float = LS − ES.
  • EMV for decision trees.
Daily Drill All 4 EAC formulas PERT + σ + variance Float = LS − ES Channels for n = 10 Compute an EMV
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 21 · The Formulas Wall · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 22
Section 10 · The Whole System on One Sheet

Master Revision Wall

Everything, distilled. The hierarchy, the one-line essence of each area, the master mnemonics, the high-value distinctions and an exam-day playbook — the complete 22-poster wall on a single page. Drill this daily; reach for the other posters when a line here needs unpacking.

The Hierarchy — Strategy to Value

Strategy Portfolio
right work
Program
right benefits
Project
right delivery
Output Outcome Benefit Value

Money & direction flow down ▼; value & information flow up ▲. Risk spans every level; OPM wraps the whole thing; Business Analysis runs across it finding the right problem & proving value.

Each Area in One Line

  • 12 Principles: how to act when the playbook runs out.
  • 8 Domains: concurrent activity areas that replaced the knowledge areas.
  • Tailoring: fit the approach to context — appropriate rigour.
  • Models/Methods/Artifacts: think · do · show.
  • Business Analysis: right problem → right solution → real value.
  • Risk: max opportunity, min threat; managed at 3 levels.
  • EVM: one number for scope+schedule+cost; forecast the finish.
  • Program: related work → benefits that outlive the program.
  • Portfolio: the right work; balance the mix to strategy.
  • OPM: deliver strategy consistently (PPP + enablers); mature.

Master Mnemonics

  • 12 Principles: "Stewards Tend Stakeholders' Value · Systems Lead Tailored Quality · Complexity, Risk, Adaptability, Change."
  • 8 Domains: "Some Teams Develop Plans, Producing Deliverables Measured under Uncertainty."
  • BA domains (NSEATS): "Never Stop Eliciting And Tracing Solutions."
  • Risk: threats A-T-M-A-E · opps E-S-E-A-E · "rolls up, response rolls down."
  • EVM: EV opens every formula; minus = variance, divide = index; +/>1 good.
  • Program (SBSGL): "Some Big Ships Get Launched."
  • Portfolio (CESPBA): Categorise·Evaluate·Select·Prioritise·Balance·Authorise.
  • OPM: PPP + enablers; maturity = S-M-C-I.

High-Value Distinctions — Know These Cold

PairThe difference
Project / Program / Portfoliooutput · related→benefits · aligned→mix
Output / Outcome / Benefit / Valuething made · change · gain · worth
Risk vs Issuefuture & uncertain · now & certain
Threat vs Opportunitynegative risk · positive risk
Validation vs Verificationright thing · thing right
Contingency vs Mgmt reserveknown, PM · unknown, management
PairThe difference
Qualitative vs Quantitativesubjective P×I · numeric model
Appetite / Tolerance / Thresholdwilling · acceptable variation · trigger
Predictive vs Adaptivestable, plan-driven · uncertain, iterative
Leading vs Laggingpredicts · confirms
Accuracy vs Precisionclose to true · repeatable
Roadmap vs Schedulewhy-when · what-when

Exam-Day Playbook

  • Read the stem for MOST · BEST · FIRST · NEXT · EXCEPT · NOT.
  • Prefer proactive, value-driven, stakeholder-respecting answers.
  • Principles over rigid process; tailor to context.
  • Address the root cause; gather information before drastic action.
  • Consult the plan / follow the process before escalating.
  • Escalate only when beyond your authority.
  • Manage risk — don't ignore it or "always avoid".
  • EVM: apply the sign rules; EAC = BAC/CPI unless told otherwise.
  • Distrust absolutes ("always / never"); eliminate the clearly wrong first.
  • The PM is an ethical servant-leader: Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Honesty.

Colour-Code Navigation

Navy — Master / Strategy (1, 22)
Blue — PMBOK 7 / Project (2–6)
Gold — BA & Value (4, 7–10)
Red — Risk (11–13)
Green — EVM & Formulas (14–15, 21)
Teal — Program (16–17)
Violet — Portfolio (18–19)
Slate — OPM (20)
Daily Revision Cadence Recite the hierarchy aloud One mnemonic per area 5 distinctions from memory 3 formulas + their signs One exam rule applied
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 22 · Master Revision Wall · original instructional design · A3 landscape · END OF WALL