In the old days we called this part of the PMBOK "Files and Historical Information". That was before HD or 3D TV!
The fourth edition PMBOK® defines Organizational Process Assets as “any or all process related assets, from any or all of the organizations involved in the project that can be used to influence the project’s success.” Examples include: plans, procedures, lessons learned, historical information, schedules, risk data and earned value data. Organizational Process Assets fall into two broad categories—Processes and Procedures, and the Corporate Knowledge Base. The key concept is that these are assets a project manager may use for the benefit of the project. They work together with Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF’s) to bring those things outside the project team into focus.
Organizational Process Assets is a common input into the project management processes. In fact, most of the 42 processes list it as an input. These processes are: Develop Project Charter, Identify Stakeholders, Develop Project Management Plan, Define Scope, Create WBS, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule, Estimate Costs, Determine Budget, Plan Quality, Develop Human Resource Plan, Plan Communications, Plan Risk Management, Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Procurements, Direct and Manage Project Execution, Acquire Project Team, Manage Project Team, Distribute Information, Manage Stakeholder Expectations, Conduct Procurements, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control, Control Scope, Control Schedule, Control Costs, Perform Quality Control, Report Performance, and Close Project or Phase
Fewer processes have updates to the Organizational Process Assets as one of their outputs. These processes are: Perform Quality Assurance, Manage Project Team, Distribute Information, Manage Stakeholder Expectations, Control Scope, Control Schedule, Control Costs, Perform Quality Control, Report Performance, Monitor and Control Risks, Administer Procurements, Close Project or Phase, and Close Procurements.
Arun
December 14, 2011
In regard to OPA and EEF page #37 of PMBOK 4th edition clearly says “these must be taken into account for every process even if they are not explicitly listed as inputs in the process specification”.
Nimitha swaroop
April 17, 2011
Hi,
Could you please tell me why organizational process assets are not an input to ‘Collecting requirements’ process whereas it is an input to ‘Define scope’ process? I am not able to come up with a reason for this. Thanks in advance
Regards,
Nimitha
David Kohrell
April 21, 2011
Nimitha – good question and I agree about wanting to see OPA’s (organizational process asset) as an input to Collect Requirements. Enterprise Environmental Factors, which reflect both what the organization provides and external factors to the organization impose upon the project are excluded from each as well (and don’t make an appearance in the Scope Planning Processes at all).
If I were “king” of the PMBOK, I would include OPA’s for all 42 processes (or how ever many processes are in the 5th Edition). OPA’s include templates, policies, historical information that the project team uses.
Some of this may be explained by understanding that Identify Stakeholder’s, Project Charter and the Project, and resulting documentation, provide a good amount of the “template” side and enterprise/external side of the project. Again I don’t think that’s a completely satisfactory explanation.