HKSM

Documented additions or changes to the organization’s processes, templates, checklists, and knowledge bases that arise while executing the project. They capture usable lessons and improved artifacts to raise consistency, speed, and quality on current and future work.

Key Points

• Output from executing work that enhances internal processes, templates, checklists, guidelines, and knowledge repositories.
• Derived from performance data, issue resolution, audits, inspections, change control, and lessons learned during execution.
• Stored in a central repository managed by the PMO or process owners with versioning and access control.
• Distinct from enterprise environmental factors; OPAs are internal assets the organization can tailor and improve.
• Aims to reduce rework, improve compliance, and accelerate planning and delivery on future efforts.

Purpose

• Institutionalize what worked and avoid repeating mistakes across projects.
• Standardize practices to improve predictability and governance compliance.
• Provide reliable historical data for estimating, risk identification, and decision support.
• Enable continuous improvement without disrupting approved baselines unless warranted.

How to Create

• Identify triggers: recurring defects, audit findings, process bottlenecks, high-impact risks, vendor performance insights, or successful techniques.
• Draft the update: concise description, rationale, before-versus-after view, usage guidance, and links or attachments.
• Classify and tag: asset type (template, checklist, guideline, data set), domain (scope, schedule, quality), and keywords for searchability.
• Review and approve: route to the PMO or designated process owner for quality, consistency, and governance alignment.
• Version and publish: assign version, effective date, owner, change log, and repository location; retire superseded versions.
• Communicate and enable: notify teams, update references in project artifacts, and provide quick-start notes or short training if needed.

How to Use

• Apply updated templates and checklists immediately to improve ongoing execution where allowable by the project’s change control rules.
• Leverage new guidelines and lessons to inform decisions on quality controls, risk responses, and vendor management.
• Reference historical data updates for more accurate estimating, forecasting, and capacity planning.
• Demonstrate compliance in audits by citing current versions and showing evidence of adoption.
• If adopting an OPA update would alter the approved plan or baselines, raise and process a change request before implementation.

Ownership & Update Cadence

• Ownership: PMO, quality or process owners, and knowledge management functions; contributors include the project manager, team members, and SMEs.
• Cadence: continuous during execution with checkpoints after audits, retrospectives, phase gates, or major releases.
• Controls: submission workflow, approvals, version history, traceability to source, effective dates, and access permissions.
• Measurement: track usage, defect trends, and cycle-time improvements to validate asset impact.

Example

During a cloud migration, repeated rollback events reveal missed dependency checks. The team drafts a Deployment Dependency Checklist, includes examples, and cites incidents it prevents. The PM submits it to the PMO, which reviews, versions, and publishes the checklist and a short guideline. The project adopts it for subsequent releases, and future projects use it at release readiness reviews.

• Updated assets: deployment checklist v2.0, rollback playbook addendum, change approval worksheet with new dependency verification step, and a lessons learned article with metrics.
• Result: fewer failed releases, faster approvals, and clearer audit evidence of pre-release validation.

PMP Example Question

While executing a project, the team creates a streamlined test plan template that cuts preparation time by 25% without reducing coverage. What should the project manager do next?

1. Replace the quality management plan with the new template immediately.
2. Submit the improved template through the organization’s process to update OPAs and publish the new version.
3. Request the sponsor to approve a change to enterprise environmental factors.
4. Archive the template for use only by the current project to avoid governance issues.

Correct Answer: B — Submit the improved template through the organization’s process to update OPAs and publish the new version.

Explanation: OPA updates capture and share better practices organization-wide. Use the established review and publishing workflow; only change the project’s approved plans or baselines via formal change control if impacted.