According to the PMBOK Guide, the relationship between the five Process Groups and the ten Knowledge Areas (noting that earlier versions focused on nine) is often visualized through a mapping matrix.
* The Planning Process Group: This is the only process group that contains at least one process from every single Knowledge Area. Because planning is comprehensive, the project manager must develop subsidiary plans for Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communications, Risk, Procurement, and Integration.
* Knowledge Area Integration:
* Integration: Develop Project Management Plan
* Scope: Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS
* Schedule: Plan Schedule Management, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule
* Cost: Plan Cost Management, Estimate Costs, Determine Budget
* Quality: Plan Quality Management
* Human Resources: Plan Human Resource Management
* Communications: Plan Communications Management
* Risk: Plan Risk Management, Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses
* Procurement: Plan Procurement Management
Analysis of Other Options:
* A. Executing: Does not include processes from every knowledge area (e.g., it lacks specific processes for Scope or Schedule execution, which are managed via the Direct and Manage Project Work process in Integration).
* B. Monitoring and Controlling: While very broad, it typically does not have a unique process for Human Resources (which is managed/developed in Executing).
* D. Initiating: This group is very limited, containing only two processes: Develop Project Charter (Integration) and Identify Stakeholders (Stakeholder Management).