Mastering ITTO for scaling PMP

Importance of Input, Tools and Techniques and output’s (ITTO)

My name is AK and this blog will provide you with an insight on how to master ITTO

When I was preparing for the PMP I found IITO’s incredibly important and useful to ace the exam

Most of the training institutes will teach the PMBOK around ITTO’s and many jargons are tied to them

PMPBOK would cease to exist without ITTO’s

It’s so important that I cannot emphasize enough!

I have spoken at length about its importance in my previous blog: http://projectmanagementwithak.com/how-to-conquer-pmp/

Let’s see what “value “they bring to the table and why they are important to understanding from the exam standpoint

If you understand and remember the ITTO’s you will be in a better position to answer the questions

Let’s take an example –

The Project Manager is conducting “appraisal’s “which stage the team is in – Acquire, Develop, Manage, control?

Now if you scratch your head and figure out that one of the TT of Manage process is Project Performance appraisal

Had you not understood/remembered this you may select Develop

Similarly, there can be multiple questions (and there will be) along these lines

The questions would be lengthy to confuse you a bit, but the idea remains the same

To test your knowledge of ITTO

I got at least 30 questions correct in the main exam and I knew they were correct as I had mastered them

25 to 30 questions can make or break your RESULT!

Way’s to Remember ITTO??

If you search the internet for answers to remember ITTO’s there would be more than 101 listings to cater to

But be authentic to yourself

One technique may work for one person but may not necessarily work for another

Let me tell you how I did it

• I took Printout’s of all the 10 processes and their ITTO’s in a sheet
• I stuck them on my bedroom wall (47 pages in all)
• First thing in the morning I did was going through them one by one
• Remember once you do it for 2 weeks it will be a walk in the park
• We remember well what we see, the number of times we see the more we remember
• However, there is a catch: If you manage to skip them even for one week you are back to square one
• Plan not to skip them, the more you practice remembering them the more you will master the craft
• 2 weeks before the exam you may want to do it twice (morning and evening)
• It may sound a lot but believe me, once you master it won’t take more than 1 minute for 1 knowledge area
• 10 Knowledge Area = 10 minutes!
• Now before following all the steps above you need to understand them logically
• You need to ask yourself why the I/P of one process the way is it is and why not other documents

Logical Approach to ITTO (Part 1)

Let’s look into how we can understand them without memorizing: E.g. Project Charter

To me, Project Charter is the “birth certificate of the Project “, the Inception of the Project

PMPOK guide the IITO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Body_of_Knowledge

Ask this question to yourself

Why is the Project SOW the I/P to PC and why not other documents?
It is because it contains business needs (why the project should be started), Project Scope description and Strategic plan

No other document will provide you this information (whether it’s coming from an internal/external customer/sponsor)

Business case: It is represented in a well-written document that includes business need and Cost-benefit analysis

Business Case presents the information to judge if the project is desirable, viable & achievable

Reasons for initiating the project may be as below

• Market demand
• Organization needs
• Customer Request
• Technology Advance
• Legal Requirement
• Ecological Impact
• Social Need

You need a business case to start a Project otherwise we cannot justify it

Agreements: Contract, MOU, SLA, Letter of agreement, LOI, Verbal Agreements, E-Mails, and other written agreements

EEF’s are an organization’s structure and culture and OPA’s are process and procedures

They are repeated for many processes over time

Now if we focus on each IITO’s they contribute individually to the PC, we find they are unique

The Expert and facilitation technique (Tool and Technique) is quite self-explanatory

No other documents apart from those will help us create the PC

So, try to understand it logically!

Logical Approach to ITTO (Part 2)

Let’s focus on some important I/P’S that goes into different processes to understand ITTO’s better

Approved Change Requests:  I/P to the direct and manages process group

Because whatever is approved by the change request board is executed in this process

This may arise from corrective, preventive actions but we execute things only in this process and thus the I/P

The execution process is a process where infrastructure, software, and hardware, etc are built (no other process does it)

Validated changes: I/P to M&C process: Remember the difference between validation and verifications

Verification is done by your internal team

Validation is always done by the customer (external) hence the validated changes is the I/p to the M&C process

Validation means the customer vouches that the product conforms to his expectation or documentation

Change Request: Change Request is an I/P because whatever changes we plan to do has to be discussed on a Change request

changelog: Whatever is approved/rejected must be documented here hence it’s an O/P

Accepted deliverable: I/P to Close Project or Phase and O/P to validate scope

Remember the customer accepts the deliverable in, validate scope process so it becomes an i/p to close process

That’s the link between, validate scope and close project, easy to remember

Similarly, why “inspection “is a Tool and technique to validate scope

Because inspection is always done by the customer to verify the conformance to standards

Logical Approach to ITTO (Part 3)

Let’s look into Work Performance Data, Work Performance Information, and Work Performance Report

These 3 are I/p’s and o/p’s to various processes and critical from ITTO standpoint

Let’s look into their content to makes sense and figure out why they are the way they are

Work performance data: The raw observations and measurements identified during activities performed to carry out the project work

Examples include reported percent of work physically completed, quality and technical performance measures, start and finish dates of scheduled activities

Number of change requests, number of defects, actual costs, actual durations, etc.

Work performance Information: It’s the performance data collected from various controlling processes and integrated based on relationships across areas

Examples are status of deliverables, implementation status for change requests, and forecasted estimates to complete

Work Performance Reports: Physical/electronic representation of work performance information intended to generate decisions or raise issues, actions, or awareness

EG – include status reports, memos, justifications, information notes, electronic dashboards, recommendations, and updates

The hierarchy would be

Work Performance Data >> Work Performance Information >> Work Performance Report

Example: Why do we have Work performance report as an O/P to the Monitor and control Project work?

The reason why it’s an O/P is in the description above

WPR is used to generate decisions/raise issues, actions or awareness as we are Monitoring thing in the M&C Process

We assure that the product we are creating stays within the tolerance/acceptable limits

Looks Logical!

Logical Approach to ITTO (Part 4)

Why (EEF’S) Enterprise Environmental Factors and Organizational Process Assets (OPA) are I/ Ps and O/P’S to so many processes?

If our parents were alcoholic will it affect our upbringing?

It certainly will and that’s the reason why the EEF’s/OPA’s are important, they are the guiding forces to the project

EEF are conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, direct the project, program/portfolio

They include

• Organizational/ Company structure and culture
• Statutory/ Industry Standards
• Existing Company Infrastructure /Skillsets
• Company Delegation of Authority rules/ Personnel policies
• Stakeholders’ risk aversions
• External factors like Political Systems
• PMIS

We must work within the boundaries of the EEF’s and OPA’S

The OPA’s are the knowledge database, Organizational policies, procedures, standards,

Financial Control Procedures, Change Control procedures, Metrics and Guidelines, and Historical Information

Can we change the organization policies?

Maybe not as we are too small to challenge the might of an organization

They tell what standards we are expected to follow through they are not mandatory as regulations

Remember standards are not mandatory but regulations are

It’s expected we follow the company’s standard but if the Government has passed a new resolution/order it becomes a regulation

E.g.  why is the OPA updates an O/P to the close project/phase?

Reason: When we close a project/phase we update the historical records, the organization can use it for future project/engagements

Think logically when preparing for ITTO’s

Logical Approach to ITTO (Part 5)

Project Management Plan is the most critical artifact of the Project Plan

So it’s imperative we know what makes it so critical to master ITTO’S

Project Management Plan gets it’s I/p from the o/p of other processes, so it consolidates it into a master plan’s

The reason why it’s the most critical plan is that it encompasses 11 subsidiary plans and 3 baselines

Eg The Plan scope management plan’s o/p is scope management plan which becomes an I/p to the Project Management Plan

The other reason why it’s such an important I/p is that it has the approved version of the 3 baselines

Cost, schedule, and scope called Tripe Constraints 

Example why Project management plan is an I/p to the Perform Integrated change control process?

It’s because it is the only process that approves changes to the baseline/corrective actions

And we need to know what was documented and approved earlier

So, it’s not a Document but a Plan, document like issue log, etc can be changed without approval

Scope baseline is O/P of Create WBS process, Schedule baseline is the O/P of, develop schedule process

Similarly, cost baseline is the O/P of, determine budget process making it an approved version

All 3 baselines are part of Project Management Plan and once approved  can only be changed after control board approval

PMBOK defines it here details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_plan

Co Relate ITTO of Processes: Part 1

I used to remember them by Co-relating ITTO’s to other processes

I would co-relate Project Stakeholder Management and Plan Communications Management and figure out the difference they hold

Identify stakeholder process is all about identifying stakeholders

Thus we have Project Charter, Procurement documents (maybe external to the company), EEF’s and OPA’s as I/P’s

Stakeholder Analysis, meeting, and expert judgment are the TT’s and the o/p is stakeholder Register

What about Plan Communication Management and Plan Stakeholder Management (planning process)?

We notice that all the I/P to both the processes are the same

(Project Management Plan, Stakeholder Register, EEF’s and OPA’s), this helps us in remembering

Apart from Meetings, the TT for both are different and so are the o/p’s

What about Manage Communications and Manage Stakeholder Expectations (Executing process)?

Communications Management plan and OPA’s are the same I/p’s for both and the TT is different

Some O/P’s as same – Project Management plan, Project document updates, and OPA Updates

What about the Control Communications and Control Stakeholder Engagement (M & C Process)?

I/P: Project Management plan, Issue log, Work Performance data are the same for both

TT: All the 3 TT’s (IMS, Expert judgment, and Meetings) are the same for both

O/P: All 5 O/P’s Project Management plan updates, Change Requests, Project documents updates, OPA updates, Work Performance Information is same

Now we can figure out the differences between the two and remember it better

Co Relate ITTO of Processes: Part 2

This technique helped me figure out the difference between various ITTO and remember them better

Let’s take another example of Estimate activity duration and Estimate cost which are both planning processes

If we look at their ITTO’s there are 6 TT’S which are the same

Expert judgment, Analogous, Parametric Estimation, 3-point estimation, Group decision-making techniques, and Reserve Analysis

Except for Bottom-up, cost of quality, Project Management Software and Vendor bid analysis which is additional to estimate the cost

Now to remember the TT’s of both has become easy!

The other O/p’s which is considerably repeated many times are Project Management plan updates, Project document updates and OPA updates

For each process try to understand what document you need to update with respect to what the process does

Many documents like issue log, changelog, etc need to be updated

The Project management plan has 11 subsidiary plans embedded so it’s imperative after a change we need to update it

Similarity for OPA’s we have lessons learned, process and procedure and we can have to amend that every time we run through a process

We can co-relate the processes and see what is in one process that is not there in another and vice versa

For instance, if we look at Develop schedule and Control schedule which are planning and M & C

We notice that 5 TT’s are the same as both

It becomes easier to remember them!

Refer Templates for ITTO

Try to scan through templates and figure out what information they scatter

This approach will help in answering the exam questions to perfection along with remembering ITTO

Does Eg Which document have the assumptions and constraints?

So, if we have seen the Project charter template we know that it’s one document along with Project scope statement where we have it

On the other hand, we also know why the PC is an I/p to “develop Project Management plan”, Project Scope, cost, Risk and schedule Management, collect requirements, define the scope and Identify stakeholders

So, we kill two birds with one stone!

Remember template will not be the same for all companies and they may vary

The Project manager is authorized to drive the Project after the charter is signed and most likely the content would be 90% true

Similarly, what about RTM: Requirement traceability matrix

If the requirement is lost/unclear in the process the RTM can be used to track back the requirements

If we refer to templates, we can visualize things better as we have seen them many times

Try collecting templates, they are available free on the internet and investigate the specifics

The content will justify why that document is an I/P or O/P to that process

The templates can help you in your professional world as well

If you are working a Project Manager use them to document and drive your project

That would help!

Additional Tips/tricks on ITTO: Your Favourite Knowledge Area!

We all had favorite subjects in school

Likewise, whatever knowledge area (out of 10) is your favorite go through them at length

You should be able to answer any ITTO’S coming out of that area, that’s the idea

Project Human resource management was favorite to me as I like to deal with the human side of things

For the Project communications and Project Stakeholder Management use co-relations to address them better

Project Integration Management is important and is quite easy to prepare

Look at the TT’s of Integration, we have 6 processes in all

To develop Project charter and develop Project Management plan we have the same TT (Expert Judgement and Facilitation techniques)

For direct and Manage Project work just add 1 more TT (Project Management Information system) to the 2 above and that is the TT for the process

Similarly, for Monitor and Control Project work add 1 more TT (Analytical Techniques) to the 3 above and we have the TT for the process

To Perform Integrated change control add Change Control tools to Expert Judgement and Meetings and we have the 3 TT’s for the process

Replace change control tools to Analytical Techniques and we have the 3 TT’s for the Close project Project/phase

You have mastered TT’s for the Integration Management in 5 minutes

How easy was that!

Similarly, try remembering/understanding the TT’s for other knowledge areas and move on from strength to strength

Practice and you will conquer them

Additional Piece of Advice on ITTO

There would be hundreds of other ways coaches/trainers might advise you to do

Try them out and see if they work

Many training centers give handouts of the ITTO’s but to me, they are rather confusing

I would like to keep things simple and take it one process at a time

By doing so I prepare not only for IITO’s but also for the knowledge areas and it helps me to understand them, better

A lot of arrows going back and forth on a chart is more confusing than easy to understand

Your style of understanding the ITTO’s is the key

No one on this planet has a “magical band” on his head and can get you that ITTO’S in a flash

They require practice, hard work, and understanding

Remember the 47 processes in the PMBOK are all glued together by these ITTO’S

Each Process would have differences so we need to figure that out and then connect the dots

Keep it simple and easy to remember

Above all, I would recommend you keep practicing them on a day in day out basic as they are easy to lose track of

As I advised earlier if you can master them you master the PMBOK!

They have everything you need to understand, the process and the way PMI wants us to learn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Institute

Soul Searching  on ITTO 

Keep a track on a spreadsheet and see which ITTO’s you are forgetting most

I used to struggle with schedule and the Risk ITTO

So I made sure that I ran through them rigorously to master them to perfection

Writing them multiple times helped the cause

Like always do not memorize but gets into the specifics of what they do and “ study them ”

You can make ” 47 flashcards” out of them and carry them with you when you are traveling

Whenever you got some free time, pop them out of your pocket and revise

There are certain ITTO apps available as well for Android and I phone users, it may help

Most importantly figure out what suits your learning and embraces that for ITTO excellence

You can only do it with regular practice

Conquer ITTO’s and you Conquer PMP!

Keep Inspiring!

Regards,

AK, PgMP ®, PMP®, CSP-SM™, CSM ®, ICP-ACC, ITILv3

PMI is a registered trademark and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc

PMP is a registered certification mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.