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Aspira, an authorized training partner (ATP) of PMI, has been delivering training using PMI standards for a long time. With the release of PMBOK 7, Aspira now provides the most up-to-date training, preparing professionals for the PMP exam using the latest teachings.

Let me explore the main differences between PMBOK 6 and PMBOK 7.

Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a project management guide that helps professionals in planning, implementing, monitoring, and controlling projects. The PMBOK guide is created by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is updated periodically to accommodate new trends, best practices, and developments in project management.

In 2017, PMI released the sixth edition of the PMBOK guide. PMBOK 6 covered the project environment, the role of the project manager, and the ten essential knowledge areas within project management. Each knowledge area in PMBOK 6 was accompanied by processes, inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs. The ten knowledge areas in PMBOK 6 were Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, and Stakeholder.

Three years later, in 2020, PMI released the seventh edition of the PMBOK guide. The PMBOK 7 was a significant shift from its predecessors, especially in content, structure, and approach. While the sixth edition focused on processes, the seventh was more concerned with performance.

PMBOK 7 is based on three foundational principles: Value Delivery, Tailoring, and the three dimensions of project management. The three dimensions of project management are the process, people, and business environment. PMBOK 7 is designed to be more adaptable, flexible, and relevant to different types of projects and industries.

One of the most significant changes between PMBOK 6 and PMBOK 7 is the shift from knowledge areas to performance domains. PMBOK 6 had ten knowledge areas, while PMBOK 7 had eight performance domains. The eight performance domains are Team, Stakeholders, Life cycle, Planning, Uncertainty and ambiguity, Delivery, Performance, and Project work. The performance domains focus on delivering value to the organization and its stakeholders through project delivery.

Another significant difference between PMBOK 6 and PMBOK 7 is the introduction of tailoring. Tailoring is a new framework found in PMBOK 7, which is based on the concept that a single approach may not allow project managers to meet the required project deliverables, organizational demands, and project needs. Once a project manager has selected an initial development approach, project tailoring encourages the manager to adapt a project’s specs to meet all project requirements.

PMI has also updated its project management standards in PMBOK 7. In PMBOK 6, the standard for project management included five comprehensive domains — initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. These standards summarize the processes that project managers apply to deliver a successful project. However, PMBOK 7's standards pivot from project management processes to project delivery principles. The 7th PMBOK edition sheds the 6th edition's five project domains and replaces them with 12 new project management standards: Stewardship, Team, Stakeholders, Value, Holistic Thinking, Leadership, Tailoring, Quality, Complexity, Opportunities & Threats, Adaptability & Resilience, and Change Management.

Finally, PMBOK 7 has also added a new section for models, methods, and artifacts, which provides users with a plethora of resources such as articles, videos, and templates, tying them to the performance domain in which they would be most beneficial. This offers great value for aspiring and working project managers alike.

In conclusion, PMBOK 7 represents a significant shift from PMBOK 6, focusing on performance domains, tailoring, and project delivery principles. Aspira is well-equipped to provide the necessary training to professionals seeking to stay current with the latest project management practices and prepare for the PMP exam.