CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management Fundamentals

A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result — temporary means it has a defined beginning and end, unique means it is different from operations (ongoing repetitive work). The project lifecycle: a project goes through phases from conception to closure, with each phase producing deliverables that feed the next. PMBOK 6 defines five process groups: Initiating (authorise and define the project — creates the Project Charter, identifies stakeholders), Planning (develop the Project Management Plan across all knowledge areas — the most complex group with the most processes), Executing (lead the team and perform the work — managing people, communications, and quality), Monitoring and Controlling (track, review, and regulate progress — compare actuals to baseline, manage changes), Closing (formally complete the project — obtain sign-off, release resources, document lessons learned). The Project Charter formally authorises the project and names the Project Manager — it is created during Initiating and signed by a sponsor who is external to the project.

Planning is the most tested area in CAPM. Scope Management: collect requirements (gather stakeholder needs), define scope (detailed description of deliverables), create WBS (Work Breakdown Structure — decompose scope into manageable work packages). The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition — the lowest level elements are Work Packages. Schedule Management: define activities (break work packages into schedule activities), sequence activities (identify dependencies — Finish-to-Start is most common), estimate durations, develop schedule. Critical Path Method: the longest path through the network diagram determines project duration — activities on the critical path have zero float. Cost Management: estimate costs (estimate resources and their costs), determine budget (aggregate cost estimates into the cost baseline), plan cost control. Risk Management: identify risks (risk register), perform qualitative analysis (probability-impact matrix), plan risk responses (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept). Communications Management: identify stakeholder information needs, plan communication channels — formula: N(N-1)/2 gives number of channels for N stakeholders.

During execution, the PM leads the team and keeps the project on track. Direct and Manage Project Work: execute the plan, manage issues, communicate progress. Manage Project Knowledge: capture and share lessons learned throughout (not just at the end). Monitoring and Controlling: compare actuals to baseline using Earned Value Management (EVM). Key EVM formulas: PV (Planned Value — budgeted cost of work scheduled), EV (Earned Value — budgeted cost of work done), AC (Actual Cost). SV = EV-PV (Schedule Variance), CV = EV-AC (Cost Variance), SPI = EV/PV (Schedule Performance Index), CPI = EV/AC (Cost Performance Index). Values below 1.0 indicate problems. EAC (Estimate at Completion) = BAC/CPI when current performance will continue. Integrated Change Control: all change requests must be formally submitted, evaluated for impact on scope/schedule/cost/risk, approved or rejected by the Change Control Board, and tracked. The Project Manager never approves their own changes — the CCB has this authority. Stakeholder Engagement: monitor and manage stakeholder engagement levels — use the engagement assessment matrix (Unaware, Resistant, Neutral, Supportive, Leading).