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The Complete PMP ITTOs Guide: PMBOK 6th Edition

One of the most difficult areas of the PMP (Project Management Professional) exam is ITTOs. Even mentioning the word ‘ITTOs’ can strike fear for many PMP candidates. This guide will explain what ITTOs are and how to dissect the common ITTOs used in the PMBOK 6th edition guide.

What are ITTOs and how do I read an ITTO process chart?

ITTOs stand for Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs. Together, they tell you how PMI wants you to complete the process.

You can read the ITTO chart the way you read a recipe. For example, if I was to write a process chart for baking a cake, it would look something like the following:

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Flour Butter Sugar Baking powder Eggs	Mixing Baking Whisking Pouring Decorating	Birthday cake

The ingredients are the inputs that I need; the tools and techniques are the methods that I use to transform the inputs into the outputs; and the outputs is the final product that I’m able to produce (in this case the birthday cake).

In other words, the ITTO chart for each of the 49 processes tells you how you can accomplish the objective of that process.

Let’s take an example for the PMBOK for a more realistic example. Below, we have the process chart for Develop Project Charter.

The first thing you want to do before you even look at the process chart is to understand what is the purpose of the process and what is it that it’s trying to accomplish.

Develop Project Charter is the process of developing a formal documentation that recognizes the existence of the project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. A project cannot start without a project charter.

Now that we know the purpose of this project, let’s take a look at its ITTO process chart.

Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Business documents Business case Benefits management plan Agreements Enterprise environmental factors Organizational process assets	Expert judgment Data gathering Brainstorming Focus groups Interviews Interpersonal and team skills Conflict management Facilitation Meetings	Project charter Assumption log

This ITTO chart tells us how we can go about developing the project charter for our project. We will need to look at any relevant business documents, agreements and take any existing organizational policies or procedures into consideration.

Once we have our inputs, we can meet with our experts to discuss how to create the project charter. We may also need to use data gathering techniques, such as brainstorming or interviews, in addition to interpersonal and team skills.

Once we’ve completed the work, the final outputs that we will obtain are the project charter and the assumption log.

The ITTO chart above summarizes how PMI wants project managers to develop project charter in just a few words.

If the ITTO chart is confusing, try writing it out in layman’s terms as we have done for the Develop Project Charter process above.

Tailoring Considerations for ITTOs

Note that you do not need to use all of the ITTOs from the chart in order to complete the process. The ITTO chart is meant to be comprehensive and equip the project manager for any situation that they may face.

However, in real life, the project manager will need to tailor the ITTOs to fit their specific project situation.

Do I need to memorize all the ITTOs?

No, you do not need to memorize the ITTOs. There are on average around 10+ ITTOs per process. With 49 processes, it means there are 500+ ITTOs in the PMBOK 6th edition guide.

While some of you may have photographic memory, most of us do not. The PMP exam is also not meant to be a memorization exam either.

What’s more important is that you understand why the specific input, tool or technique, and output belong to that specific process.

For each ITTO, ask yourself, “Why is it here in this process? What purpose does it serve? How does it help me accomplish the end objective?”

It’s more important to understand why it is included in the ITTO chart than it is to memorize all 49 ITTO charts.

We also have an ITTO mind map that you can download here & register in our free PMP training that will teach you how to get certified in 6 weeks.

Interactions & Flows Between Processes

The 49 processes work together to complete the project. In other words, none of the processes work in isolation. What this means is that: the output of one process becomes the input for another process.

Here’s an example:

interactions between processes pmbok 6th edition

This image above is taken from Figure 4-13 on page 114 of the PMBOK 6th edition guide. It shows you how the outputs of the Perform Integrated Change Control process then becomes inputs for a number of other processes.

Project processes do not happen in a vacuum; they work together to complete the project. The 49 processes interact with each other continuously, and outputs from one process then become inputs to another.

Understanding the Big Picture

When you’re studying for your PMP exam, it’s easy to get lost analyzing the endless amounts of ITTOs. However, before you dive in too deeply, you always need to keep the big picture in mind.

The big picture is how PMI wants you to complete a project from start to finish. This is shown on the 49 Process Chart from the PMBOK 6th edition (see below).

The 49 processes chart tells you how PMI wants you to manage a project from start to finish. Watch the video below for tips and tricks on how to memorize this chart for your PMP exam:

Across the column headers, you have the 5 Process Groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing).

Across the row headers, you have the 10 Knowledge Areas. In the intersection, you have 49 processes. Each process has a corresponding knowledge area and process group.

You can zoom into each of the processes and take a look at its ITTOs – but don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Pro tip: Although you don’t need to memorize all 500+ ITTOs, it’s a good idea to memorize the 49 process chart for your upcoming PMP exam.

Tools and Techniques Groups

When you deepdive into the ITTOs, you will start to see groupings of ITTOs. Each grouping shows you related ITTOs that all have a common objective.

Let’s talk a look at some common groupings below:

Data gathering techniques – these techniques are used to obtain & collect data from a variety of different sources.

Data analysis techniques – these techniques are used to organize and evaluate the information gathered.

Data representation techniques – these techniques are used to show the data in graphical forms.

Decision-making techniques – these techniques are used to select a course of action after evaluating various different alternatives.

Communication skills – these techniques are used to transfer information between team members or stakeholders on the project.

Interpersonal and team skills – these techniques are used to lead team members and stakeholders.

Here are the tools & techniques that fall under each of the groupings:

tools and techniques groupings - pmbok 6th edition

Integration Management ITTOS

Integration management is the knowledge area where the project manager combines the results from all the other knowledge areas together to provide an overall view of the project.

Below is the ITTO chart for all processes under integration management.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Develop Project Charter	Business Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Interpersonal and Team Skills Meetings	Project Charter Assumption Log
Develop Project Management Plan	Project Charter Outputs From Other Processes Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Interpersonal and Team Skills Meetings	Project Management Plan
Direct and Manage Project Work	Project Management Plan Project Documents Approved Change Requests Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Project Management Information System Meetings	Deliverables Work Performance Data Issue Log Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Manage Project Knowledge	Project Management Plan Project Documents Deliverables Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Knowledge Management Information Management Interpersonal And Team Skills	Lessons Learned Register Organizational Process Assets Updates Project Management Plan Updates
Monitor & Control Project Work	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Information Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Analysis Decision Making Meetings	Work Performance Reports Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates
Perform Integrated Change Control	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Reports Change Requests Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Change Control Tools Data Analysis Decision Making Meetings	Approved Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates
Close Project or Phase	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Accepted Deliverables Business Documents Agreements Procurement Documentation Organizational Process Assets	Expert judgment Data Analysis Meetings	Project Documents Updates Final Product, Service, Result, or Transition Final Report Organizational Process Assets Updates

Scope Management ITTOs

Scope refers to the features and functions in the end project deliverable. Project scope refers to the work that needs to be completed in order to complete the scope. Thus, project scope management is all about determining and managing the project scope throughout the project lifecycle.

The chart below shows all of the ITTOs for all processes under the Scope Management knowledge area.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Scope Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Analysis Meetings	Scope Management Plan Requirements Management Plan
Collect Requirements	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Business Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Decision Making Data Representations Interpersonal And Team Skills Context Diagrams Prototypes	Requirements Documentation Requirements Traceability Matrix
Define Scope	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Analysis Decision Making Interpersonal And Team Skills Product Analysis	Project Scope Statement Project Document Updates
Create WBS	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Decomposition	Scope Baseline Project Document Updates
Validate Scope	Project Management Plan Project Documents Verified Deliverables Work Performance Data	Inspection Decision Making	Accepted Deliverables Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Document Updates
Control Scope	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Organizational Process Assets	Data Analysis	Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

Schedule Management ITTOs

Project scheduling involves creating a detailed plan on when which task will be completed on the project. It provides the project team with a sequence of activities, and it tells the team when the overall project will be completed.

The project schedule is a major communication tool; it can also be used to manage stakeholder expectations.

Please see the chart below for all of the ITTOs for Project Schedule Management.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Schedule Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Analysis Meetings	Schedule Management Plan
Define Activities	Project Management Plan Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Decomposition Rolling Wave Planning Meetings	Activity List Activity Attributes Milestone List Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates
Sequence Activities	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) Dependency Determination And Integration Leads & Lags Project Management Information System	Project Schedule Network Diagrams Project Document Updates
Estimate Activity Durations	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Analogous Estimating Parametric Estimating Three-Point Estimating Bottom-Up Estimating Data Analysis Decision Making Meetings	Duration Estimates Basis Of Estimates Project Documents Updates
Develop Schedule	Project Management Plan Project Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Schedule Network Analysis Critical Path Method Resource Optimization Data Analysis Leads and Lags Schedule Compression Project Management information System Agile Release Planning	Schedule Baseline Project Schedule Schedule Data Project Calendars Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Control Schedule	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Organizational Process Assets	Data Analysis Critical Path Method Project Management Information System Resource Optimization Leads and Lags Schedule Compression	Work Performance Information Schedule Forecasts Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

Cost Management ITTOs

Project cost management deals with the cost of all resources (human and materials) needed to complete all project tasks.

As a project manager, you want to know what individual activities will cost as well as the entire project. You need to track the project budget and product reports about it on a regular basis.

Below are the processes within Cost Management and their associated ITTOs.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Cost Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Data Analysis Meetings	Cost Management Plan
Estimate Costs	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Analogous Estimating Parametric Estimating Bottom-up Estimating Three-Point Estimating Data Analysis Project Management Information System Decision Making	Cost Estimates Basis of Estimates Project Documents Updates
Determine Budget	Project Management Plan Project Documents Business Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Cost Aggregation Data Analysis Historical Information Review Funding Limit Reconciliation Financing	Cost Baseline Project Funding Requirements Project Documents Updates
Control Costs	Project Management Plan Project Documents Project Funding Requirements Work Performance Data Organizational Process Assets	Experts Judgment Data Analysis To-Complete Performance index (TCPI) Project Management Information System	Work Performance Information Cost Forecasts Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

Quality Management ITTOs

Quality is “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements” (ISO 9000).

Project managers should prevent quality issues from getting into the end deliverable. It is usually less costly to prevent problems than to fix it once the product is in the hands of the customer.

The project manager seeks to minimize the overall cost of quality, which is the sum of cost of conformance and cost of nonconformance.

Before the project ends, the project manager needs to inspect the deliverable to ensure that it meets the agreed upon quality standards.

Please see below for the ITTOs of all quality management processes.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Quality Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Data Gathering Data Analysis Decision Making Data Representation Test And Inspection Planning Meetings	Quality Management Plan Quality Metrics Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Manage Quality	Project Management Plan Project Documents Organizational Process Assets	Data Gathering Data Analysis Decision Making Data Representation Audits Design For X Problem Solving Quality Improvement Methods	Quality Reports Test And Evaluation Documents Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Control Quality	Project Management Plan Project Documents Approved Change Requests Deliverables Work Performance Data Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Data Gathering Data Analysis Inspection Testing/Product Evaluation Data Representation Meetings	Quality Control Measurements Verified Deliverables Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates

Resource Management ITTOs

Project resources include both physical resources (e.g. equipments and materials) and team resources.

Resource management revolves around the management of all resources on the project. The project manager needs to use different skills when managing physical and team resources.

When managing teams, the project manager needs to be aware of the organization’s culture, geographic location, and internal & external team influences.

The chart below shows all of the processes within resource management plus their corresponding ITTOs.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Resource Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Data Representation Organizational Theory Meetings	Resource Management Plan Team Charter Project Documents Updates
Estimate Activity Resources	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Bottom-Up Estimating Analogous Estimating Parametric Estimating Data Analysis Project Management Information System Meetings	Resource Requirements Basis Of Estimates Resource Breakdown Structure Project Documents Updates
Acquire Resources	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Decision Making Interpersonal And Team Skills Pre-Assignment Virtual Teams	Physical Resource Assignments Project Team Assignments Resource Calendars Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Develop Team	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Colocation Virtual Teams Communication Technology Interpersonal And Team Skills Recognition And Rewards Training Individual And Team Assessments Meetings	Team Performance Assessments Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Manage Team	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Reports Team Performance Assessments Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Interpersonal And Team Skills Project Management Information System	Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates
Control Resources	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Agreements Organizational Process Assets	Data Analysis Problem Solving Interpersonal And Team Skills Project Management Information System	Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

Communications Management ITTOs

Communication is the process of exchanging information. Communications on the project can be internal or external, formal or informal, written or oral.

As a project manager, you need to manage your communication upwards to senior management and project sponsors, downwards to team members, and horizontally to other peers.

Communication is the main task of a project manager, and you will constantly be doing it throughout the project. Effective communications is essential to ensure project success.

We have all the Communications Management processes and their respective ITTOs in the chart below.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Communications Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Communication Requirements Analysis Communication Technology Communication Models Communication Methods Interpersonal And Team Skills Data Representation Meetings	Communications Management Plan Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Update
Manage Communications	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Reports Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Communication Technology Communication Methods Communication Skills Project Management Information System Project Reporting Interpersonal And Team Skills Meetings	Project Communications Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Monitor Communications	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Project Management Information System Data Representation Interpersonal And Team Skills Meetings	Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

Risk Management ITTOs

Risk is an uncertain event that may or may not happen in the future. Project risk management aims to identify and manage risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Risks can be positive or negative. A positive risk is called an opportunity, and a negative risk is called a threat.

New risks can occur at any time on the project, so the project manager needs to perform the risk management processes continuously.

Below are the ITTOs for all the risk management processes.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Risk Management	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Analysis Meetings	Risk Management Plan
Identify Risks	Project Management Plan Project Documents Agreements Procurement Documentation Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Interpersonal And Team Skills Prompt Lists Meetings	Risk Register Risk Reports Project Documents Updates
Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Interpersonal And Team Skills Risk Categorization Data Representation Meetings	Project Documents Updates
Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Interpersonal And Team Skills Representations Of Uncertainty Data Analysis	Project Documents Updates
Plan Risk Responses	Project Management Plan Projects Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Interpersonal And Team Skills Strategies For Threats Contingent Response Strategies Strategies For Overall Project Risk Data Analysis Decision Making	Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Implement Risk Responses	Project Management Plan Project Documents Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgement Interpersonal And Team Skills Project Management Information System	Change Requests Project Documents Updates
Monitor Risks	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Work Performance Reports	Data Analysis Audits Meetings	Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates

Procurement Management ITTOs

Procurement involves obtaining goods and services from a third party vendor. As a project manager, you need to be familiar with the procurement management processes of your organization, and know how to procure, select and manage contractors on your project.

The signed contract between the buyer and seller is a legally binding document, and there is usually an extensive approval process. The 3 main types of contracts that you may have on your project are: fixed cost, time and material, and cost reimbursable.

All of the procurement processes are listed below along with their respective ITTOs.

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Plan Procurement Management	Project Charter Business Documents Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Source Selection Analysis Meetings	Procurement Management Plan Procurement Strategy Bid Documents Procurement Statement Of Work Source Selection Criteria Make-Or-Buy Decisions Independent Cost Estimates Change Requests Project Documents Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Conduct Procurements	Project Management Plan Project Documents Procurement Documentation Seller Proposals Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Advertising Bidder Conferences Data Analysis Interpersonal And Team Skills	Selected Sellers Agreements Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Document Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates
Control Procurements	Project Management Plan Project Documents Agreements Procurement Documentation Approved Change Requests Work Performance Data Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Claims Administration Data Analysis Inspection Audits	Closed Procurements Work Performance Information Procurement Documentation Updates Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates Organizational Process Assets Updates

Stakeholder Management ITTOs

A stakeholder is anyone with a stake on the project. A stakeholder can be positively or negatively impacted by the project. Some stakeholders have limited ability to influence project outcomes, while others have significant power and influence. It’s important for the project manager to know what the stakeholder’s stake is and how much power they have.

It is the project manager’s job to communicate with the stakeholders and manage their expectations accordingly. Identifying and managing stakeholders are done continuously throughout the project.

Please see the chart below for all processes and ITTOs associated with stakeholder management.

You should also read: PMP 5th Edition ITTO Commonly Asked Questions Answered

Processes	Inputs	Tools & Techniques	Outputs
Identify Stakeholders	Project Charter Business Documents Project Management Plan Project Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Data Representation Meetings	Stakeholder Register Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Plan Stakeholder Engagement	Project Charter Project Management Plan Project Documents Agreements Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Data Gathering Data Analysis Decision Making Data Representation Meetings	Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Manage Stakeholder Engagement	Project Management Plan Project Documents Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment Communication Skills Interpersonal And Team Skills Ground Rules Meetings	Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates
Monitor Stakeholder Engagement	Project Management Plan Project Documents Work Performance Data Enterprise Environmental Factors Organizational Process Assets	Data Analysis Decision Making Data Representation Communication Skills Interpersonal And Team Skills Meetings	Work Performance Information Change Requests Project Management Plan Updates Project Documents Updates

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