The Executing Process Group completes the work defined in the Project Management Plan to satisfy project objectives and consumes the bulk of the project budget and resources. Direct and Manage Project Work produces the actual deliverables, work performance data, issue logs, change requests, and project management plan updates. The Monitoring & Controlling Process Group tracks, reviews, and regulates progress and performance, identifies areas where changes to the plan are required, and initiates corresponding changes. It is the only process group whose processes run in parallel with all the others. The Closing Process Group formally terminates the project, phase, or contract; verifies product acceptance; documents lessons learned; and releases resources. Closing is not always done only once — phases, contracts, and early-terminated projects can each go through Closing multiple times.
Change control is central to Monitoring & Controlling. A change request is a formal proposal to modify any baseline, plan, or document, and it must be routed through Integrated Change Control. Change requests come in three categories: defect repair (fixing a flaw), preventive action (reducing the probability of a future negative event), and corrective action (bringing future performance back in line with the plan). Perform Integrated Change Control reviews every change request, approves, rejects, or defers it, and updates the baselines as appropriate. The Change Control Board (CCB) is the group authorized to approve, reject, or defer change requests; it is defined in the Project Management Plan. Configuration management, distinct from change control, manages the product itself — its versions and baselines — whereas change control manages requested changes to baselines.
Lessons learned are collected throughout the project and formally documented during Closing; they should drive future improvements. Close Project or Phase produces the final product, service, or result transition; updates the lessons learned register; and issues the final report. Administrative closure confirms that contracts are settled and accounts are closed. A benefits management plan defines how and when the benefits of the project will be delivered and measured, often owned by a program or portfolio manager after the project ends.
Modern project management also embraces adaptive approaches. Predictive (waterfall) project management relies on detailed upfront plans and has a low tolerance for change. Agile project management is iterative, embraces change, and uses short feedback loops. Scrum, a common Agile framework, defines three roles: the Product Owner (prioritizes the backlog), the Scrum Master (facilitates the process and removes impediments), and the Development Team (delivers the product increment). The Scrum events are the Sprint itself, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. The Definition of Done is a team-agreed set of criteria for considering work complete — for example, passing tests, code review, and deployment to staging. Burn-down charts show remaining work over time, while burn-up charts show completed work plus total scope, making scope changes visible. These adaptive practices complement the predictive foundation of the process groups, giving project managers a richer toolkit for delivering value.