Recently, a very interesting question was posted on LinkedIn:

“Why is Integration Management the first knowledge area ?

I am just wondering why PMBOK placed and described the Integration Management(IM) knowledge area at the very beginning of all knowledge areas? Don’t you think it should come at 9th place (PMBOK 4th Ed.) or 10th place(PMBOK 5th Ed.) since, IM integrates all the knowledge areas? If other knowledge areas are not planned or executed then how can we integrate those at first hand? Any thoughts?”

My response:

Putting integration at the end, the implication is that the plan is an output of all other knowledge areas. Two issues: it is “bottom up” thinking, and forgets that the PMBOK is about more than just planning.

Integration management is arguably the most important area of project management. On a large project, a project manager can assign each of the knowledge areas to a specialist, a scheduler, a cost manager, a quality manager, even a communications manager (although communications management is another discipline that is tough to assign completely to someone else as it is fundamental to good integration management), but the project manager cannot and should not transfer responsibility for integration management although she/he may share it with a specialist vendor.

Many project struggle and even fail due to the lack of integration management by the project manager (Denver airport baggage handling system was a classic example), and complex projects succeed due to the proper attention paid by the PM to this area (Pearson airport). Think of a large complex project with many subcontractors – who is responsible to ensure that all the pieces fit at the right time, that communication flow between subcontractors is happening, and that the whole fits in with the client environment.

It is not the end story – it is the beginning. First you develop strategy and plan, paying particular attention to integration, then you develop tactical plans and implementations, like the schedule, budget, quality, etc. Integration continues to lead in execution, monitoring and control and closing.

Leave us a comment or feedback on with your thoughts.