The planning process group establishes the overall scope, schedule, budget, quality, human resource communications, risk management, procurement and stakeholder management plans for the project.  The planning processes Knowledge areas from Table 3-1 of the PMBOK guide, which are also included in the eportfolio matrix, are addressed in this section. In the Planning Process Group the Knowledge Areas and processes are:

• 4.  Project Integration management 
  • 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
• 5.  Project Scope Management 
  • 5.1 Plan Scope Management 
  • 5.2 Collect Requirements
  • 5.3 Define Scope
  • 5.4 Create WBS

• 6.  Project Time Management
  • 6.1 Plan Schedule Management
  • 6.2 Define Activities
  • 6.3 Sequence Activities
  • 6.4 Estimate Activity Resources
  • 6.5 Estimate Activity Duration
  • 6.6 Develop Schedule
• 7.  Project Cost Management
  • 7.1 Plan Cost Management
  • 7.2 Estimate Costs
  • 7.3 Determine Budget
• 8.  Project Quality Management
  • 8.1 Plan Quality Management
• 9.  Project human Resource Management
  • 9.1 Plan Human Resource Management
• 10. Project Communications Management
  • 10.1 Plan Communications Management
• 11. Project Risk Management
  • 11.1 Plan Risk Management
  • 11.2 Identify Risks
  • 11.3 Perform Qualitative Analysis
  • 11.4 Perform Quantitative Analysis
  • 11.5 Plan Risk Responses
• 12. Project Procurement Management 
  • 12.1 Plan Procurement Management
• 13. Project Stakeholder Management
  • 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Management

During this process plans are drawn up for execution of these project components and the process of organizing the project begins.  This is the largest portion of the administrative processes in the project.  The management of the project begins in earnest during the planning process. 

The planning process is iterative in nature.  Interrelated plans and processes being developed will require revisiting to be coordinated and blended together until the over all Project plan is completed and agreed upon.  Because of this change management, communication and documentation are essential elements of this process group.    

It is also important for the project team to reach out to stakeholders, subject matter experts, customers, suppliers and any person or organization related to the project to gather information in order to effectively complete each process.  Without some sort of deadline this process could conceivably go on and delay the project execution thus; the originating organization establishes a date or time the initial planning will end; at which the project team will tie off loose ends and begin the execution phase.