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Projet management

PMI VISUAL WALL · BATCH 1

The PMI Visual Wall compresses into a clear, high‑signal layout that shows how strategy, governance, delivery, and value connect in real project environments. It turns a dense standard into a fast, visual reference engineers and project leaders can use for daily decisions and exam‑level mastery.

,   and  K G J
18 min read
PMI Visual Wall — Batch 1: Foundation & PMBOK 7

PMI VISUAL WALL · BATCH 1

Foundation + PMBOK 7 core · Posters 1–6 Tip: in the print dialog set paper = A3, layout = Landscape, margins = None, "Background graphics" ON.

How to use this wall

Each sheet is a self-contained A3 landscape poster. On screen, scroll to review; to print, use the button above (set paper to A3, landscape, no margins, background graphics on). Each poster keeps the same anatomy — Purpose → Visual Map → Key Concepts → Relationships → Exam Concepts → Executive View → Industry Example → Memory Hooks → 60-second Daily Review — and a colour spine coded by domain so the wall is navigable at a glance.

Colour code: ■ Master/Strategy   ■ Project / PMBOK   ■ Program   ■ Portfolio   ■ Business Analysis / Value   ■ Risk   ■ EVM

POSTER 01
Section 1 · The Whole System on One Page

The PMI Ecosystem — Master Map

Shows how strategy cascades down into delivery and how value flows back up; which of the seven standards governs each layer; and who holds decision authority. This is the index to the whole wall.

Visual Map — Strategy → Delivery → Value

Risk Standard
A single risk lens spans every level — Enterprise → Portfolio → Program → Project. Same language, scaled.
Governance
Authority, funding & decisions move down ▼. Reporting, benefits & learning move up ▲.
Drives all
Organisational Strategy
Vision, mission, objectives — the "why" everything must serve.
▼ aligns / funds
Portfolio Std
Portfolio — do the RIGHT things
The org's programs, projects & operations chosen to meet strategy. Components need not be related.
▼
Program Std
Program — coordinate for BENEFITS
Related projects + sub-programs + ops managed together to deliver benefits unattainable separately.
▼
PMBOK Guide
Project — do things RIGHT
A temporary effort creating a unique output (product, service, result).
▼ produces
Outputs
(deliverables)▶ Outcomes
(change)▶ Benefits
(gains)▶ VALUE
▼
Operations → Customer
Run & sustain the output so benefits keep flowing. Value is realised here, often after the project closes.
OPM Standard
The container: aligns portfolio + program + project management to strategy via governance, methods & culture.
Business Analysis
Cross-cutting. Defines the right needs & requirements so the right thing gets built at every level.
EVM Standard
A performance lens integrating scope + schedule + cost to answer "are we on track & what will it cost?"
Portfolio Program Project Value

Key Concepts

Portfolio
Doing the right work — strategic selection & balance.
Program
Coordinated delivery of benefits across components.
Project
Doing work right — a unique, temporary endeavour.
Output
The deliverable a project hands over.
Outcome
The change/result the output enables.
Benefit
The measurable gain to the organisation.
Value
Worth to stakeholders — financial or not.
Governance
Authority, decisions, oversight (the "rules").
Management
Day-to-day execution within those rules.

Relationships — How the layers connect

  • Money & mandate flow down; benefits, status & lessons flow up.
  • A program groups related projects to unlock benefits no single project could.
  • A portfolio groups programs/projects/ops — related or not — to meet strategy.
  • OPM is the system that keeps all three aligned to strategy.
  • BA feeds every level the right requirements; Risk gives every level one risk language; EVM gives every level one performance language.

Exam Concepts

  • Portfolio components are not necessarily related; program components are.
  • Output ≠ outcome ≠ benefit ≠ value — know the ladder.
  • "Tactical vs strategic": project=tactical, portfolio=strategic.
  • Governance ≠ management.

Executive View

  • Allocate capital to the highest-value mix, not the loudest sponsor.
  • Kill, pause or continue investments at gates.
  • Steer by value & benefits, not just on-time/on-budget.
  • Confirm strategy is actually being executed.

Industry Example — Defence shipbuilding

Defence
  • Portfolio: naval capability investments.
  • Program: a frigate class program.
  • Projects: hull, combat system, integration.
  • Benefit→Value: in-service readiness → security.

Memory Hooks

  • "Right things → right way → done right" = Portfolio → Program → Project.
  • Money goes DOWN ▼, Value comes UP ▲.
  • P-P-P: Pick · Pace · Produce.
60-sec Review Name the 5 layers, top to bottom Who governs each layer? Match each layer to its standard Output→Outcome→Benefit→Value Where do Risk, OPM & EVM sit?
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 01 of the system · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 02
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The "Why / Ought"

The 12 Project Management Principles

Principles are guides for behaviour & decisions, not steps. They are outcome-oriented and apply to any approach. The 12 sit beneath the 8 Performance Domains (Poster 3) and tell you how to act when the playbook runs out.

Visual Map & Key Concepts — All 12, clustered

People Outcome & Value System & Uncertainty Adaptation & Change
01StewardshipBe diligent, respectful & caring — for the organisation and society/environment.
Cue: accountable to all affected, not just the sponsor.
02TeamBuild a collaborative, safe, shared-ownership team culture.
Cue: optimise the team, not the hero.
03StakeholdersEngage proactively, to the depth needed to deliver value.
Cue: engage early, often, at the right depth.
06LeadershipShow leadership behaviours — influence & direction beyond authority.
Cue: lead the behaviour you want to see.
04ValueContinually evaluate & adjust to maximise benefits & worth.
Cue: ask "so what's the value?" at every gate.
08QualityBuild quality into processes & deliverables — fitness for purpose.
Cue: prevent defects, don't just detect.
12ChangeEnable people to adopt the change & reach the future state.
Cue: no adoption = no benefits.
11Adaptability & ResiliencyBuild capacity to flex and to recover from setbacks.
Cue: plan to flex; design to bounce back.
05Systems ThinkingSee interacting wholes; anticipate ripple effects.
Cue: trace the ripple before you change.
09ComplexityRecognise complexity (systems, behaviour, ambiguity) & adapt.
Cue: probe–sense–respond when cause/effect is unclear.
10RiskAddress uncertainty — chase opportunity, limit threat — cost-effectively.
Cue: spend on response only where it pays.
07TailoringDesign the approach to fit the unique context; maximise value, minimise waste.
Cue: fit the method to the work, never the reverse.

Relationships

  • Principles rest on the PMI Code of Ethics: Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Honesty.
  • The 12 enable the 8 Performance Domains — principles = mindset, domains = activity.
  • Uncertainty cluster: Risk + Complexity + Adaptability work together.
  • People cluster (Stewardship, Team, Stakeholders, Leadership) underpins all the rest.

Exam Concepts

  • Principles are not prescriptive and are not processes.
  • Stewardship covers internal + external (society, environment).
  • Leadership ≠ positional authority — anyone can lead.
  • Tailoring appears as both a principle and a recurring theme.

Executive View

  • The 12 are a leadership operating system for delivery culture.
  • Stewardship + Value map directly to board & ESG conversations.
  • Promote leadership at all levels, not just at the top.
  • Use as decision tie-breakers when rules conflict.

Industry Example — Manufacturing line upgrade

Manufacturing
  • Systems thinking: a faster cell starves the next station — model the whole line first.
  • Quality built-in: poka-yoke & in-process checks beat end-of-line inspection.
  • Optimise risk: spend on a pilot cell before committing the full retrofit.
  • Change: operator training & buy-in decide whether throughput actually rises.

Memory Hooks

Sentence mnemonic (in order 1–12):

Stewards Tend Stakeholders' Value · Systems Lead Tailored Quality · Complexity, Risk, Adaptability, Change

  • 4 People, 2 Outcome, 3 System, 3 Adaptation — recite by colour.
60-sec Review Recite all 12 by cluster colour Run the sentence mnemonic Name the 4 ethics values Principle vs process — the difference Pick one cue to use today
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 02 · PMBOK 7 Principles · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 03
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The "What / Where It Shows Up"

The 8 Performance Domains

Domains are interacting areas of focus that run concurrently across the whole effort — not phases and not the old knowledge areas. You steer each one by its outcomes & checks. The 12 Principles (Poster 2) are the mindset behind them.

Visual Map & Key Concepts — the 8 domains, their outcomes, signals & traps

Stakeholders↔ Team↔ Dev Approach↔ Planning↔ Project Work↔ Delivery + cross-cutting → Measurement· Uncertainty
DomainIntentTarget outcomesMeasures / indicatorsWatch-out
1 · StakeholdersBuild productive relationships & the right level of engagement.Stakeholders aware, engaged & supportive; conflicts surfaced & managed.Engagement level (unaware→leading); satisfaction; open issues.A hidden or under-engaged stakeholder.
2 · TeamGrow a high-performing, shared-ownership team & distributed leadership.Trust, safety, shared ownership, capability growth.Stable velocity; retention; morale / safety pulse.Hero culture & burnout.
3 · Development Approach & Life CycleChoose predictive / iterative / incremental / adaptive / hybrid & a fitting life cycle & cadence.Approach matches the deliverable & context; delivery cadence set.Fit-for-context check; release cadence.Forcing one approach onto every deliverable.
4 · PlanningOrganise & coordinate the work progressively & proportionately.Coordinated, "just-enough" plan; estimates that evolve.Forecast accuracy; plan/baseline stability.Over-planning & big-bang plans.
5 · Project WorkRun efficient processes — resources, procurement, communications, learning.Smooth flow; informed stakeholders; capable, supplied team.Throughput; WIP; lead / cycle time.Invisible work & bottlenecks.
6 · DeliveryDeliver the scope & quality that achieve the intended outcomes.Requirements met; acceptance & quality criteria satisfied; value delivered.Acceptance %; defect/escape rate; scope completion.Shipping output that produces no outcome.
7 · Measurement cross-cuttingAssess performance vs plan/value & act on it.Reliable information; timely, evidence-based decisions.EV · CPI · SPI; leading vs lagging KPIs; dashboards.Vanity metrics & gamed numbers.
8 · Uncertainty cross-cuttingNavigate risk, ambiguity, complexity & volatility.Threats reduced; opportunities captured; resilience built.Risk exposure (EMV); reserve burn; variability.Ignoring opportunity; false precision.

Relationships

  • All 8 run simultaneously & continuously — they are not a sequence.
  • Dev Approach shapes Planning & Project Work; Delivery realises Stakeholder value.
  • Measurement feeds decisions in every other domain.
  • Uncertainty overlays all — risk lives everywhere.

Exam Concepts

  • Domains are concurrent, not phases.
  • They are the lens that replaced the 10 knowledge areas.
  • Steer by outcomes & checks, not activities.
  • Leading indicators predict; lagging confirm.
  • You tailor the system of domains to context.

Executive View

  • Exec dashboards = the Measurement domain made visible.
  • Watch flow metrics (lead time, throughput) beside Earned Value.
  • Reward outcomes over outputs.
  • Treat Uncertainty as a standing board topic.

Industry Example — Rail station build

Infrastructure
  • Dev Approach: predictive civils, agile for the passenger-info software → hybrid.
  • Project Work: manage interfaces between contractors as flow & WIP.
  • Delivery: "trains stop & passengers flow safely," not just "platform poured."
  • Uncertainty: weather, utilities & possessions are the live risk drivers.

Memory Hooks

Order mnemonic (1–8):

Some Teams Develop Plans, Producing Deliverables Measured (under) Uncertainty

  • M & U are the two cross-cutting domains — picture them as a frame around the other six.
60-sec Review Name all 8 in order (mnemonic) Which 2 are cross-cutting? "Domains run concurrently" — say why One outcome + one trap per domain Leading vs lagging indicator
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 03 · PMBOK 7 Performance Domains · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 04
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — Why Projects Exist

The Value Delivery System

PMBOK 7 reframes projects as part of a system that creates value. Effort moves down as funding & direction; worth moves up as outcomes, benefits and value. The job is not "deliver the thing" — it's realise the value.

Visual Map — the system, end to end

▲   VALUE · BENEFITS · INFORMATION & FEEDBACK flow UP   ▲
Organisational
Strategy▶ Portfolio
right work▶ Program
benefits▶ Project
outputs▶ Product
thing of value▶ Operations
sustain▶ Customer
realises value
▼   STRATEGIC DIRECTION · FUNDING · DECISIONS & MANDATE flow DOWN   ▼

The system is governed as a whole. Feedback loops from operations & customers continually re-shape strategy and the portfolio — value delivery is circular, not a one-way pipeline.

The Value Ladder

Output
The deliverable produced (e.g. an app, a bridge).
▼
Outcome
The change the output enables (people use it).
▼
Benefit
The measurable gain (cost down, revenue up).
▼
Value
Worth to stakeholders — financial or not.

Key Concepts

Value
Worth/importance to stakeholders.
Business value
Net quantifiable benefit to the org.
Internal value
Capability, IP, morale, readiness.
External value
Customer & market worth.
Value stream
The flow that turns need → value.
System view
Optimise the whole, not a part.

Relationships

  • Each component feeds the next; operations sustain the value over time.
  • Portfolio governance steers the whole toward strategy.
  • Benefits are often realised after the project closes — programs/operations own realisation.
  • Customer feedback loops back to reshape strategy.

Exam Concepts

  • Output ≠ outcome ≠ benefit ≠ value.
  • Value can be non-financial.
  • Benefit realisation may sit past closure.
  • Know the term "value delivery system."

Executive View

  • Steer the portfolio by value, not activity.
  • Maintain a benefits dependency network.
  • Ask: "value created — or just deliverables shipped?"
  • Fund realisation, not only build.

Industry Example — Enterprise SaaS

IT
  • Output: a new billing feature ships.
  • Outcome: finance teams adopt it.
  • Benefit: churn down, ARPU up.
  • Value: higher enterprise valuation.

Memory Hooks

  • Build → Use → Gain → Worth = the value ladder.
  • "OO-BV": Output, Outcome, Benefit, Value.
  • Money down ▼, value up ▲ — and it loops.
60-sec Review Draw the system left→right Climb the value ladder aloud Internal vs external value When are benefits realised? Name one feedback loop
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 04 · PMBOK 7 Value Delivery System · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 05
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — Fit the Approach to the Context

Tailoring

Tailoring is the deliberate adaptation of approach, governance and processes to suit the unique context of the work. The aim is to maximise value and minimise waste — never to cut corners. It is iterative: you tailor at the start and keep adjusting as you learn.

Visual Map — The Tailoring Funnel

Predictive — plan-driven, fixed scope, single delivery Hybrid — predictive shell, adaptive core Adaptive — iterative, evolving scope, frequent delivery
1 · Select
initial development approach ▸ 2 · Tailor for the Organisation
governance, methodology, policy, culture ▸ 3 · Tailor for the Project
product, team & the specific context ▸ 4 · Implement & Improve
inspect, adapt, refine continuously ↺

The funnel narrows from a broad starting point to a precise fit, then loops — step 4 feeds learning back into steps 1–3 throughout delivery. You tailor the life cycle, processes, engagement (people), tools, methods & artifacts — but the 12 principles always apply.

What Drives the Decision? — Read the Context

DimensionPushes toward Predictive ▸◂ Pushes toward Adaptive
RequirementsStable, clear, well understoodEmerging, uncertain, fast-changing
Risk & regulationSafety-critical, heavily regulatedLow regulatory burden
Cost of changeExpensive to change lateCheap & easy to change
Delivery cadenceOne large, integrated deliveryFrequent small increments
Customer involvementLimited / milestone-basedContinuous & collaborative
Size & durationLarge, long, many interfacesSmall-to-medium, shorter
Team & cultureDistributed, low agile maturityCo-located/empowered, agile-fluent

What You Can Tailor

  • Life cycle & development approach — phases, gates, cadence.
  • Processes — add, remove, blend or align to fit value.
  • Engagement — how people & stakeholders interact.
  • Tools — methods of delivery, software, infrastructure.
  • Methods & artifacts — which models, methods & documents you actually use (Poster 6).

Relationships

  • Tailoring is Principle #7 and a theme across all 8 domains.
  • Organisational governance / the PMO sets the guardrails you tailor within.
  • Feeds Development Approach & Life Cycle domain directly.

Exam Concepts

  • Goal = maximise value, minimise waste — not reduce rigour.
  • Tailoring is iterative & ongoing, not a one-time setup.
  • Over-tailoring (too much process) and under-tailoring (too little) are both risks.
  • You tailor methods, never the principles.
  • Tailoring decisions should be justified & documented.

Executive View

  • Right-sized governance = speed without losing control.
  • Avoid one-size-fits-all mandates that burden small work.
  • A documented tailoring framework signals organisational maturity.
  • Frees senior attention for high-risk, high-value projects.

Industry Example — Defence vs Start-up

Defence
  • Shipbuilding: fixed config baselines, stage gates, safety regs → strongly predictive, minimal agile tailoring.
IT
  • Internal tooling team: backlog, 2-week sprints, continuous release → adaptive.
Hybrid
  • Regulated SaaS: agile build inside a predictive compliance & assurance wrapper.

Memory Hooks

  • "Tailor the suit to the person" — fit the method to the work, never the reverse.
  • A·O·P·I = Approach → Organisation → Project → Improve (the 4 funnel steps).
  • More tailoring ≠ less rigour — it means appropriate rigour.
  • Stable + regulated → predictive; uncertain + fast → adaptive; both → hybrid.
60-sec Review Draw the 4-step funnel + loop Predictive vs Adaptive drivers Name the 5 things you tailor Over- vs under-tailoring Why principles never tailor
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 05 · PMBOK 7 Tailoring · original instructional design · A3 landscape
POSTER 06
Section 2 · PMBOK 7 — The Practitioner's Toolkit

Models, Methods & Artifacts

PMBOK 7 stops prescribing process and instead gives a toolkit you tailor (Poster 5). Three families: Models are thinking frameworks that explain a situation; Methods are the means to produce an output; Artifacts are the templates, documents & deliverables you create.

MODELS — ways to think

  • Situational leadership: flex style (direct → coach → support → delegate) to follower readiness.
  • Communication: sender–receiver, channels = n(n−1)/2, cross-cultural & effectiveness models.
  • Motivation: Maslow (hierarchy) · Herzberg (hygiene vs motivators) · McGregor (Theory X / Y) · intrinsic vs extrinsic · Pink (Autonomy·Mastery·Purpose).
  • Change: ADKAR · Kotter 8-Step · Bridges Transition (ending→neutral→beginning) · Satir curve.
  • Complexity: Cynefin (clear / complicated / complex / chaotic) · Stacey matrix.
  • Team development: Tuckman (Forming·Storming·Norming·Performing·Adjourning) · Drexler–Sibbet.
  • Conflict: Thomas–Kilmann — Compete · Collaborate · Compromise · Avoid · Accommodate.
  • Stakeholders: Salience (Power·Legitimacy·Urgency) · Power/Interest grid.
  • Process / planning: PDCA · OODA · escalation & negotiation models.

METHODS — ways to do

  • Data gathering: brainstorming · interviews · focus groups · benchmarking · surveys · checklists.
  • Data analysis: alternatives · cost-benefit · earned value · forecasting · root-cause · variance · trend · what-if · SWOT · regression · reserve · assumption/constraint.
  • Estimating: analogous (top-down) · parametric · three-point / PERT · bottom-up · affinity (story points, t-shirt sizing).
  • Decision-making: voting / fist-of-five · multicriteria (MCDA) · weighted scoring.
  • Data representation: see Artifacts → "visual data & information".
  • Meetings & events: stand-ups · reviews · retrospectives · planning · kick-offs.

ARTIFACTS — things you show

  • Strategy: business case · project brief · charter · roadmap.
  • Logs & registers: assumption · backlog · change · issue · lessons-learned · risk · stakeholder (RAID).
  • Plans: PM plan + subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, comms, risk, etc.).
  • Baselines: scope · schedule · cost · the integrated performance measurement baseline (PMB).
  • Hierarchy charts: WBS · OBS · RBS (risk & resource breakdown).
  • Visual data & info: Gantt · burn-up/down · cumulative flow (CFD) · S-curve · RACI · dashboard · story map · value stream map.
  • Reports: status · progress · quality · risk reports.
  • Agreements / contracts: FFP · T&M · CPFF · CPIF.

High-Yield Exam Concepts

  • Contract risk: FFP = most risk on seller; CPFF / cost-plus = most risk on buyer; T&M = shared.
  • PERT (expected) = (O + 4M + P) / 6  ·  PERT σ = (P − O) / 6.
  • Communication channels = n(n − 1) / 2.
  • Baseline = approved version + approved changes; measure actuals against it.
  • Know cold: Tuckman stages · Cynefin domains · Thomas-Kilmann modes · Salience · ADKAR vs Kotter.
  • Match the tool to the context — there is no single "right" set.

Executive View

  • Standardise a core toolkit; let teams tailor the rest.
  • Dashboards & S-curves are the artifacts that reach the board.
  • Contract type = a strategic risk-allocation lever, not an admin detail.

Industry Example — Manufacturing Transformation (Lean Cell)

Manufacturing
  • Models: Cynefin to classify the change · Kotter + ADKAR to drive shop-floor adoption · Tuckman to read the new cell team.
  • Methods: cost-benefit + parametric estimate to justify the cell · root-cause (5 Whys) on defects · what-if for capacity.
  • Artifacts: business case · WBS · risk register · S-curve · RACI · value stream map of the line.

Memory Hooks

  • "Models think · Methods do · Artifacts show."
  • Tuckman: "Form a Storm, Normally Perform, then Adjourn."
  • Artifacts = the PM's paper trail (logs record, baselines compare, reports communicate).
60-sec Review Define model / method / artifact Recite PERT + channels formulas Who holds risk: FFP vs CPFF List Tuckman's 5 stages Name 3 visual-data artifacts
PMI Visual Wall · Poster 06 · PMBOK 7 Models, Methods & Artifacts · original instructional design · A3 landscape

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