---
ref_id: REF-19
ref_type: Companion
ref_index: 19
shortcode: Process-Groups
name: Process Groups — A Practice Guide
status: Active
version: "1.0.0"
file_path: "reference/companion-references/REF-19.md"
pmbok8_source: "PMBOK8 Guide §2 (All Performance Domains) · Standard §4.5 (Focus Areas)"
last_updated: "2026-06-03"
---

# REF-19 — Process Groups: A Practice Guide
**Shortcode:** Process-Groups  
**Publisher:** Project Management Institute (PMI), 2022  
**Authority:** PMBOK8 Companion — Process Group Lifecycle Framework  
**Version:** 1.0.0 · **Status:** Active

## Full Bibliographic Citation
Project Management Institute. (2022). *Process Groups: A Practice Guide*. Project Management Institute. Official release: https://www.pmi.org/standards/process-groups

## What This Reference Adds Beyond PMBOK 8
The Process Groups Practice Guide bridges the transition from PMBOK 6 (which used process groups and knowledge areas as its primary structure) to PMBOK 7/8 (which uses performance domains and principles). It organizes the 40 PMBOK 8 processes into five familiar process groups — Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing — providing a process-group-based view of project work for practitioners more comfortable with that mental model. It is the cross-reference map between PMBOK 8 and traditional process group thinking.

## PMBOK 8 Domain and Principle Coverage

| PMBOK 8 Element | Process-Groups Contribution |
|---|---|
| All Performance Domains (§2.1–§2.7) | Maps all 40 PMBOK 8 processes to five process groups |
| Standard §4.5 — Focus Areas | Process groups align closely with PMBOK 8 focus areas (Initiating, Planning, Executing, M&C, Closing) |
| P1 — Adopt a Holistic View | Process group view reinforces integrated project lifecycle thinking |

## PMOSkills Artifact and Skill Connections

| Item | Connection |
|---|---|
| LIFECYCLE-MAP.md | Process-Groups provides the lifecycle phase structure that LIFECYCLE-MAP.md is built upon |
| A41 — Process Inputs, Outputs, and Tools Reference Record | Process-Groups is a key source for I/O and T&T cross-references in A41 |
| All process records PR01–PR40 | Process-Groups provides cross-reference validation for all process record §Refs |

---
*Authority: PMI Process Groups Practice Guide (2022) · PMBOK8 §2, Standard §4.5*  
*Repository: https://github.com/fakhruldeen/PMOSkills*
