Study guide
1.6 Performance Domains Overview
Project Management Professional PMP
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1 Chapter 1: Introduction & Fundamentals
1.1 About the PMP Exam 1.2 What is a Project? 1.3 Project, Program & Portfolio Management 1.4 The Project Manager Role 1.5 PMBOK 7 Principles Overview 1.6 Performance Domains Overview 1.7 What Changed in the July 2026 PMP Exam
2 Chapter 2: People Domain Part 1
2.1 Managing Conflict 2.2 Leading a Team 2.3 Supporting Team Performance 2.4 Empowering Team Members 2.5 Training & Development 2.6 Building a Team 2.7 Removing Impediments
3 Chapter 3: People Domain Part 2
3.1 Negotiating Project Agreements 3.2 Collaborating with Stakeholders 3.3 Building Shared Understanding 3.4 Engaging Virtual Teams 3.5 Defining Team Ground Rules 3.6 Mentoring Stakeholders 3.7 Emotional Intelligence
4 Chapter 4: Process Domain - Planning
4.1 Determining Project Methodology 4.2 Integrating Project Planning 4.3 Planning & Managing Scope 4.4 Planning & Managing Schedule 4.5 Planning & Managing Budget 4.6 Planning & Managing Quality 4.7 Planning & Managing Resources 4.8 Planning & Managing Procurement
5 Chapter 5: Process Domain - Execution & Control
5.1 Executing with Urgency for Value 5.2 Managing Communications 5.3 Assessing & Managing Risks 5.4 Engaging Stakeholders 5.5 Managing Project Changes 5.6 Establishing Project Governance 5.7 Managing Project Issues 5.8 Managing Project Artifacts 5.9 Knowledge Transfer & Closure
6 Chapter 6: Business Environment Domain
6.1 Planning & Managing Compliance 6.2 Evaluating & Delivering Benefits 6.3 External Environment Changes 6.4 Supporting Organizational Change
7 Chapter 7: Agile & Hybrid Approaches
7.1 Agile Mindset & Values 7.2 Scrum Framework 7.3 Kanban & Lean 7.4 Extreme Programming (XP) 7.5 Hybrid Project Management 7.6 Agile Planning & Estimation 7.7 Agile Metrics & Tools
8 Chapter 8: Predictive (Waterfall) Approaches
8.1 Predictive Lifecycle 8.2 Scope Management 8.3 Schedule Management 8.4 Cost Management 8.5 Quality Management 8.6 Risk Management Process 8.7 Procurement & Contracts 8.8 Change Control
1.6 Performance Domains Overview
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
PMBOK 7 introduced 8 Performance Domains that replaced the 10 Knowledge Areas from PMBOK 6
The 8 domains are: Stakeholders, Team, Development Approach & Life Cycle, Planning, Project Work, Delivery, Measurement, and Uncertainty
Performance Domains represent interactive areas of focus that run concurrently throughout the project, not sequential phases
Do NOT confuse the 8 Performance Domains (from PMBOK 7) with the 3 Exam Domains (People, Process, Business Environment) on the PMP exam
Each domain includes outcomes that indicate successful project performance and interacts with the other domains throughout the project lifecycle
Last updated: October 2026
Note
This section teaches the eight performance domains of the PMBOK Guide – Seventh Edition. PMI's Eighth Edition (November 2025) reorganizes them into seven performance domains : governance, scope, schedule, finance, stakeholders, resources, and risk. The PMP exam itself is organized by the three ECO domains below, not by either edition's performance domains.
PMBOK 7th Edition replaced the traditional 10 Knowledge Areas with 8 Project Performance Domains . These domains represent integrated areas of focus that enable successful project outcomes.
What Are Performance Domains?
Performance Domains are groups of related activities that are critical for the effective delivery of project outcomes. Unlike the sequential processes of previous editions, domains are:
- Interactive — They work together, not in isolation
- Concurrent — All domains are active throughout the project
- Outcome-focused — Each has specific outcomes indicating success
- Adaptable — Applied differently based on project context
- The 8 Performance Domains
- Domain Focus Area
- 1. Stakeholders Engagement and relationships
- 2. Team Leadership and team dynamics
- 3. Development Approach & Life Cycle Methodology and phases
- 4. Planning Organizing the work
- 5. Project Work Executing and managing work
- 6. Delivery Creating value and outcomes
- 7. Measurement Assessing performance
- 8. Uncertainty Risk and ambiguity
- 1. Stakeholders Domain
Focus: Engaging with those who affect or are affected by the project.
Key Activities
- Activity Description
- Identify Stakeholders Determine who has interest in the project
- Analyze Stakeholders Understand their expectations, influence, and impact
- Prioritize Engagement Focus efforts on key stakeholders
- Build Relationships Develop trust and collaboration
- Manage Expectations Align stakeholder expectations with reality
- Outcomes
- Stakeholders are identified and understood
- Relationships support project success
- Expectations are appropriately managed
- Stakeholder satisfaction is achieved
- 2. Team Domain
Focus: Creating an effective project team environment.
Key Activities
- Activity Description
- Build the Team Acquire and develop team members
- Define Team Culture Establish norms and working agreements
- Develop Capabilities Grow team skills and knowledge
- Empower the Team Enable autonomous decision-making
- Recognize Contributions Acknowledge team member efforts
- Leadership Considerations
- Leadership Aspect Application
- Servant Leadership Serve the team's needs
- Psychological Safety Enable open communication
- Distributed Leadership Share leadership responsibilities
- Collaboration Foster teamwork
- 3. Development Approach & Life Cycle Domain
Focus: Selecting and applying the appropriate development approach.
Development Approaches
- Approach Characteristics
- Predictive (Waterfall) Sequential, plan-driven, upfront requirements
- Adaptive (Agile) Iterative, incremental, evolving requirements
- Hybrid Combination of predictive and adaptive elements
- Life Cycle Phases
- Phase Activities
- Starting Authorization, initial planning
- Organizing Team setup, detailed planning
- Performing Execution, delivery
- Ending Transition, closure
- Tailoring Considerations
- Project size and complexity
- Degree of uncertainty
- Organizational culture
- Stakeholder preferences
- Regulatory requirements
- 4. Planning Domain
Focus: Organizing and elaborating project work.
Planning Elements
- Element Content
- Scope What will be delivered
- Schedule When work will be completed
- Cost Budget and financial resources
- Resources People, materials, equipment
- Communications Information flow
- Risk Threats and opportunities
- Quality Standards and criteria
- Procurement External goods and services
- Planning Characteristics
- Progressive elaboration — Details increase over time
- Adaptability — Plans adjust as needed
- Just enough — Appropriate level of detail for context
- Living documents — Plans evolve throughout the project
- 5. Project Work Domain
Focus: Establishing processes and performing project work.
Key Activities
- Activity Description
- Manage Processes Implement project management processes
- Balance Constraints Manage scope, schedule, cost, quality
- Maintain Focus Keep team aligned on objectives
- Enable Learning Capture and apply lessons
- Manage Physical Resources Equipment, materials, facilities
- Work Execution
- Consideration Approach
- New Work Plan and initiate new activities
- Implicit Work Address overhead and supporting tasks
- Communications Share information appropriately
- Change Management Handle changes to plans
- 6. Delivery Domain
Focus: Delivering the intended value and outcomes.
Key Activities
- Activity Description
- Deliver Value Create intended benefits
- Meet Requirements Satisfy stakeholder needs
- Ensure Quality Deliverables meet standards
- Support Transition Enable adoption and use
- Realize Benefits Confirm value is achieved
- Value Considerations
- Aspect Focus
- Scope of Value What benefits are expected
- Timing of Value When benefits will be realized
- Value Measurement How benefits will be assessed
- Continuous Delivery Incremental value throughout project
- 7. Measurement Domain
Focus: Assessing project performance and taking appropriate actions.
What to Measure
- Metric Type Examples
- Performance Schedule, cost, scope adherence
- Delivery Features completed, defects
- Baseline Comparison Planned vs. actual
- Forecasts Estimated completion, final cost
- Information Flow Communication effectiveness
- Measurement Approaches
- Approach Application
- Leading Indicators Predict future performance
- Lagging Indicators Assess past performance
- KPIs Key performance indicators
- Dashboards Visual status reporting
- 8. Uncertainty Domain
Focus: Addressing risk and ambiguity in projects.
Types of Uncertainty
- Type Description
- Risk Known unknowns — identifiable events
- Ambiguity Lack of understanding or awareness
- Complexity Multiple interconnected elements
- Volatility Rapid or unpredictable change
- Risk Response Strategies
- For Threats For Opportunities
- Avoid Exploit
- Transfer Share
- Mitigate Enhance
- Accept Accept
- Important Distinction
Do NOT confuse these 8 Performance Domains with the 3 PMP Exam Domains:
- 8 Performance Domains (PMBOK 7) 3 Exam Domains (ECO)
- Stakeholders People (33%)
- Team Process (41%)
- Development Approach & Life Cycle Business Environment (26%)
- Planning —
- Project Work —
- Delivery —
- Measurement —
- Uncertainty —
The 3 Exam Domains are how the PMP exam is structured; the 8 Performance Domains are how PMBOK 7 organizes project management activities.
- Key Takeaways
- PMBOK 7 introduced 8 Performance Domains replacing 10 Knowledge Areas
- Domains are interactive and concurrent , not sequential
- Each domain has specific outcomes indicating success
- The Stakeholders domain focuses on engagement and relationships
- The Uncertainty domain addresses risk, ambiguity, and complexity
- Don't confuse 8 Performance Domains with 3 PMP Exam Domains