HKSM

A structured analysis technique to determine, approve, and integrate changes to the project management plan and its subsidiary components based on new information, performance, and decisions. It keeps governance, baselines, and plans current so the team works from a single, accurate source of truth.

Key Points

• Focuses on analyzing what parts of the project management plan need to change and why.
• Triggered by performance variances, risks/issues, stakeholder feedback, audits, or strategic shifts.
• Baselined elements require formal integrated change control before updates are applied.
• Emphasizes traceability, version control, and clear ownership for each updated component.
• Updates must be consistent across related plans and logs to avoid contradictions.
• Supports tailoring by refining methods and governance as the project learns and evolves.

Purpose of Analysis

• Keep the project management plan aligned with current objectives, constraints, and context.
• Translate data and decisions into clear, controlled changes to plans and baselines.
• Reduce miscommunication by maintaining a single, authoritative set of plans.
• Enable timely corrective and preventive actions to protect value delivery.

Method Steps

• Identify triggers: variances, decisions, risks/issues, lessons learned, or policy changes.
• Analyze impact across scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, risks, and stakeholders.
• Draft proposed updates and, if baselines are affected, prepare a change request.
• Seek review and approval per governance (e.g., change control board for baselined items).
• Integrate approved updates, revise related artifacts, and update version history.
• Communicate changes, responsibilities, and effective dates to all impacted parties.
• Monitor results to confirm the updates achieved the intended outcomes.

Inputs Needed

• Performance data and reports (e.g., trends, forecasts, variances).
• Change requests and decision logs.
• Risk, issue, and assumption registers.
• Stakeholder feedback and communication records.
• Quality findings, audits, and compliance reviews.
• Lessons learned and retrospective outcomes.
• Policies, standards, and organizational process assets.

Outputs Produced

• Updated project management plan components (e.g., baselines, subsidiary plans, governance approach).
• Approved change requests and documented rationale.
• Aligned updates to related artifacts (registers, logs, calendars, backlogs, WBS).
• Version history, configuration status, and effective dates.
• Communications to stakeholders highlighting what changed and why.

Interpretation Tips

• Differentiate between routine document edits and changes that alter baselines.
• Check cross-impacts so updates in one area do not create conflicts elsewhere.
• Use lightweight, frequent updates for agility but keep approvals for baselined items.
• Maintain traceability from trigger to decision to updated artifact.
• State who owns each component, when it updates, and how success will be measured.

Example

Mid-project, performance data shows a 10 percent schedule slip driven by rework. The team analyzes causes, drafts options, and submits a change request to rebaseline schedule and adjust staffing for the critical path. After approval, they update the schedule baseline, risk responses, and communications plan, record a new version, and brief stakeholders on the new dates and roles.

Pitfalls

• Making undocumented changes without formal approval for baselined items.
• Updating one artifact but not synchronizing dependent plans or registers.
• Over-documenting minor edits that do not affect execution or outcomes.
• Unclear ownership leading to outdated or conflicting versions.
• Skipping post-implementation checks to verify the update solved the problem.

PMP Example Question

A project shows growing schedule variance and stakeholders request a faster delivery. What should the project manager do first when performing project management updates?

1. Immediately compress the schedule and publish the new dates.
2. Submit a change request to rebaseline the schedule without analysis.
3. Analyze cross-impacts and prepare proposed updates for review and approval.
4. Revise the communications plan only, since expectations changed.

Correct Answer: C — Analyze cross-impacts and prepare proposed updates for review and approval.

Explanation: Updates should be impact-assessed and follow governance. Baselined changes require formal approval before integrating and communicating new plans.