Team Policies Updated: Organizational Process Assets Categories

PMBOK v8 Definition

Organizational process assets (OPAs) are internal to the organization and may be updated and added to by project team members as necessary throughout the project. They are grouped into two categories: (1) Policies, processes, and procedures, which are generally not updated as part of the project work and are established by the PMO or another function outside the project, and (2) Organizational knowledge repositories, which are updated throughout the project with project information such as financial performance, lessons learned, performance metrics, issues, and defects.

Why It Matters for the Exam

This concept appears frequently in PMI exam questions testing your understanding of what project team members can versus cannot update during a project. It is commonly tested in situational questions where the exam presents a scenario about updating organizational documents, and you must determine whether the team has authority to make the change.

Key Points to Remember (for the exam)

• Two Categories of OPAs: Policies, processes, and procedures (Category 1) versus Organizational knowledge repositories (Category 2)
• Category 1 Rule: These assets are generally NOT updated as part of project work; they are established by the PMO or another function outside the project
• Category 1 Update Constraint: Can be updated ONLY by following the appropriate organizational policies associated with updating them
• Category 2 Rule: These assets ARE updated throughout the project with project information
• Tailoring Permission: Some organizations encourage teams to tailor templates, life cycles, and checklists for the project according to the project's needs
• Common Confusion: Confusing which OPA category the team can update directly versus which requires organizational policy approval
• Key Examples of Category 2 Updates: Financial performance data, lessons learned, performance metrics, issues, and defects

Typical PMI Exam Example

A project manager discovers that the organization's lessons learned database contains outdated information from previous projects. The project team wants to add new lessons learned from the current project. Can the team update this database? Yes, because lessons learned are part of organizational knowledge repositories (Category 2 OPAs), which are updated throughout the project with project information.

PMI Exam Traps

• Trap: Assuming all OPAs can be updated by the project team Reality: Only organizational knowledge repositories (Category 2) are updated during the project; policies, processes, and procedures (Category 1) require following organizational update policies

• Trap: Thinking the project team can create new organizational policies Reality: Policies are established by the PMO or another function outside the project; the team can only tailor templates, life cycles, and checklists

• Trap: Confusing "tailoring" with "updating organizational policies" Reality: Tailoring means adapting templates for the project's needs; updating policies requires following organizational procedures outside the project's authority

• Trap: Believing OPAs are external to the organization Reality: OPAs are explicitly internal to the organization; enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) are external

Important PMI Connections

Quick Review Questions

1. A project team wants to update the organization's standard risk management procedure. According to PMBOK v8, can the team make this update as part of the project work?

2. During a project, the team identifies a new lesson learned. Should this be added to the organizational knowledge repositories?

3. The PMO has established a template for project status reports. The project team finds the template does not fit their project's needs. What action can the team take regarding this OPA?

4. A project manager needs to update the organization's financial performance data for the current project. Is this an allowed update during project execution?

5. What is the key difference between how Category 1 OPAs (policies, processes, procedures) and Category 2 OPAs (organizational knowledge repositories) are updated during a project?

PMBOK v8 Reference

Section 2.2 - Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)