---
reference_type: Performance Domain
reference_id: PD05
name: Project Work
version: "1.0.0"
status: Deprecated
edition: PMBOK7
pmbok8_source: "PMBOK8 Guide §2.5 — Project Work Performance Domain"
authority: PMI-derived
---

# PD05 — Project Work Performance Domain
**Type:** Performance Domain
**PMBOK8 Source:** PMBOK8 Guide §2.5 — Project Work Performance Domain
**Version:** 1.0.0

## Definition
The Project Work Performance Domain encompasses the activities and functions associated with establishing project processes, managing physical resources, and fostering a learning environment (PMBOK8 §2.5). This domain covers the operational dimension of project management — the day-to-day execution work that keeps the project running. It is distinct from product or deliverable scope (which belongs to the Delivery domain); rather, it concerns the management of project processes themselves: how work is organized, how information flows, how resources are obtained and used, how knowledge is preserved, and how the project team maintains the conditions under which productive work can occur.

## Desired Outcomes
- Efficient and effective project performance where processes are appropriately tailored to the project context
- Productive working environment in which team members can perform their assigned work and resolve issues quickly
- Appropriate management and use of physical and material resources throughout the project
- Effective procurement and supplier relationships that deliver contracted value on time
- Organizational learning is supported through systematic capture and transfer of knowledge and lessons

## Key Activities and Considerations
- **Establish project processes:** Define and implement processes that are appropriate to the project — tailored to scale, complexity, and methodology — and ensure the team understands how work will flow through the project
- **Manage project knowledge and information:** Facilitate the capture, organization, and sharing of knowledge — both explicit (documented) and tacit (experiential) — so that lessons are not lost and information is accessible to those who need it
- **Manage material and physical resources:** Identify resource needs, acquire materials and equipment, monitor usage and availability, and take corrective action when resource shortfalls or surpluses occur
- **Manage procurement:** Plan and conduct procurement activities — including vendor selection, contract management, and supplier performance monitoring — ensuring that procured goods and services meet project requirements
- **Maintain project communications:** Ensure that the right information reaches the right stakeholders at the right time, using communication methods and channels appropriate to the project context
- **Monitor work performance:** Continuously observe project execution against plans, identify deviations and impediments, and take timely corrective or preventive actions
- **Foster a learning environment:** Create conditions where team members can experiment, reflect, and improve; support retrospectives, lessons learned sessions, and knowledge transfer activities

## Relationship to Principles
| Principle | Connection |
|---|---|
| P01 — Stewardship | Responsible stewardship of project resources — human, material, financial — is a core obligation of this domain; project work processes must protect and optimize resource use |
| P08 — Quality | Quality is built into project work processes, not inspected in afterward; how work is done determines the quality of what is produced |
| P05 — Systems Thinking | Project work processes are elements of a larger system; understanding how work activities interact with stakeholder engagement, planning, and delivery prevents local optimization at the expense of system performance |

## Artifact Connections
| Artifact | Connection |
|---|---|
| A03 — Repository and Tool Configuration Record | Captures the tools, environments, and configuration standards that enable and constrain project work processes |
| A18 — Issue, Impediment, and Action Log | Primary operational artifact for tracking work impediments, decisions, and action items that emerge during day-to-day project execution |
| A30 — Knowledge and Lessons Management Record | Documents captured lessons and knowledge assets; the primary output of this domain's knowledge management activities |
| A31 — Procurement and Supplier Management Record | Records procurement decisions, vendor agreements, and supplier performance; central to resource and procurement management activities |
| A17 — Performance Reporting Record | Communicates work performance status to stakeholders; produced through ongoing monitoring of project work |

## Skill Connections
| Skill ID | Skill Name | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| SKL-04-01 | Direct and Manage Project Work | Core execution skill for this domain — the primary activity of directing day-to-day project operations |
| SKL-04-02 | Manage Project Knowledge | Implements the knowledge and learning functions of this domain — capturing, sharing, and applying project knowledge |
| SKL-04-09 | Conduct Procurements | Executes procurement activities including vendor selection, contracting, and supplier onboarding |
| SKL-05-01 | Monitor and Control Project Work | Continuously monitors execution against plans, identifies variances, and initiates corrective actions |

## Interaction with Other Domains
| Domain | Interaction |
|---|---|
| PD04 — Planning | Project Work executes the plans established in the Planning domain; changes encountered during execution feed back into plan adaptation and re-planning |
| PD06 — Delivery | Project Work provides the operational conditions and process infrastructure through which deliverables are produced; the Delivery domain depends on effective work processes to produce quality outputs |
| PD07 — Measurement | Work performance data generated in this domain feeds directly into the Measurement domain; metrics on resource usage, process efficiency, and impediment resolution are key measurement inputs |

## Questions to Ask in Practice
1. Are the project processes appropriately tailored — not too heavy for a small project, not too lean for a complex one?
2. Is knowledge being captured and made accessible, or is critical information locked in individual team members' heads?
3. Are procurement and supplier relationships being actively managed, or are contracts treated as set-and-forget?
4. When work impediments arise, is there a clear path to resolution, and are actions tracked through to completion?

*Authority: PMBOK8 Guide §2.5 · Source type: PMI-derived*
*Repository: https://github.com/fakhruldeen/PMOSkills*
