Though the nature of a project is temporary, they are not performed in isolation. They work in a controlled environment and are affected by Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) and Organizational Process Assets (OPA).
The Project Management Institute terms them as influences. Enterprise environmental factors can be internal or external, while organizational process assets are always internal to an organization.
企业环境因素和组织过程资产在bob手机客户端and are inputs of almost all processes. You must have a thorough understanding of EEF vs OPA.
Although the concepts are straightforward, many PMP aspirants fail to understand them and often make mistakes on the exam.
Please note that you may or may not see a direct question on these topics in the exam, but having a better understanding of EEF and OPA will undoubtedly help you on your test.
Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF)
First, we should understand the word “environment” before we start to discuss enterprise environmental factors.
You can define the environment as anything related to the natural world and the impact of human activity or its condition, or the culture that an individual lives in, and the people and institutions with whom they interact (Wikipedia).
Since we live in an environment, it influences our behavior in a certain way.
For instance, in cold weather, we need to wear woolen clothes to keep ourselves warm. The cold weather is the “environment” that forces us to cover ourselves with woolen clothes.
This is the impact of a cold environment on us.
Now we come to enterprise environmental factors.
Enterprise environmental factors are the influences not under the control of the organization or the project management team that affect the organization, theproject, and its outcome. Every organization has to exist and work within the EEF.
这些影响可能会对您的项目限制产生积极或负面的影响,尽管通常会影响负面影响。
Enterprise environment factors can be either internal or external.
Examples of external enterprise environmental factors are as follows:
- Government regulations
- Market conditions
- External political conditions
- Industry standards
- 法律上的限制
A few examples of internal enterprise environmental factors include:
- Organizational culture
- Type of organizational structure
- Internal political conditions
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- Infrastructure
Organizational Process Assets (OPA)
Before moving on to the organizational process assets, let us define assets.
资产被定义为个人或公司拥有的有用或有价值的实体或财产,具有价值,可用于满足债务,承诺或遗产。
Assets are something that you can own, keep, and make use of at any point in time.
Examples of assets are numerous; you can have a car, which helps you move around, a house to live in, a computer to work on… the list is endless.
In the same way,组织也有资产,帮助他们实现他们的目标s. Here these assets are called organizational process assets. These OPAs are inputs of almost all processes of the PMBOK Guide. The project management team may modify these OPAs according to their requirements.
Once the project has ended, these organizational process assets can be stored in a central repository so that they can be used whenever required for any future projects.
Organizational process assets can be divided into two categories.
The first is for processes, policies, and procedures for conducting work, which includes the following:
- Policies
- Procedures
- Standard templates
- 一般准则
The project management team cannot update or modify these elements usually, as they have been provided by the organization. However, a project manager can provide feedback or suggestions, and higher management can make a decision to update or modify.
The second category comprises the corporate knowledge base for storing and retrieving information. For example:
- Risk register
- Lessons learned
- Stakeholder register
- Past project files
- Historical information
These organizational process assets influence the project’s success, and they keep growing as the organization becomes larger.
Let us say that you are in the identify risks process. You decide to start identifying risks by using a checklist.
You are not going to create this checklist from scratch; you will look at any similar past project records to find a risk checklist and customize it as per your project requirements. This will save you a lot of time.
There is a very famous saying in project management, “Why reinvent the wheel?” which means if you have something available to you, why would you try to remake it? You are free to update or modify elements from this category.
Organizational process assets are used extensively in project management. It is the responsibility of the project management team to look for any relevant documents in historical records before starting to build something from scratch.
组织过程资产和企业环境因素(EEF与OPA)之间的差异
There are many differences between organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors.
Organizational process assets help organizations to improve their processes, help project management teams to learn, and share best practices by using a collective knowledge base.
On the other hand, enterprise environmental factors may or may not help your organization. These are the conditions in which your organization has to work and do not fall under the control of the project management team.
For example, if the government increases taxes, it will affect your profits negatively; however, if they decrease taxes, your profits will increase.
Moreover, enterprise environmental factors are not easy to change; you have to live with them. Organizational process assets can be customized according to their suitability, and they make the project management team’s life much more comfortable.
重要的是要注意,组织流程资产始终支持项目团队,而企业环境因素可以帮助或阻碍它。
概括
Enterprise environmental factors (EEF) and organizational process assets (OPA) are the most widely referred to influences in the PMBOK Guide. EEFs provide you with a controlled environment in which your organization lives and you complete your project. OPAs help you by providing all corporate knowledge, policies, procedures, etc.
You have to understand these influences as they are inputs of most processes and you have to manage your project within them.
您的项目是如何影响企业environmental factors and organizational process assets (EEF and OPA)? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
你好法哈德,
Thank you for this explanatory article. It is really helpful for those who are studying for the exam.
Could you please clarify on a practice question that I have encountered: Why the pre-qualified sellers list considered an EEF instead of OPA? Because from my point of view this list is a documentation that aids the PM when planning procurement.
提前感谢你拨冗clarify.
Sometimes it is useful and other times not. You may be restricted to use only the prequalified sellers, so it is an EEF.
Hi great topic and clarity!
I’m preparing for the exam and need clarity as to which organization the EEF apply to? Should the performing org be considering these factors for their environment to complete the project or are they factors that should be considered for the requesting org where the P, S, R will eventually be transferred to? PMBOK is clear that OPA are used by and specific to the performing org, however not clear about EEF. I recently completed a class where instructor stated they apply to the requesting org however Rita Mulcahy is stating the performing org.
绝望的嘶嘶声清晰!
The PMBOK has dedicated a whole chapter on it.
Please refer chapter-2 (THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PROJECTS OPERATE) for complete understanding of the topic.
This is a good topic and very enlightening. Environmental regulations are hurtling companies presently. About fifty years ago and even much longer than that organizations were not under heavy regulations regarding environmental concerns. In our present time period companies pay heavily for environmental infractions.
Best regards to you sir,
We have to live with it and manage accordingly.
Thanks Llew for your visit.
Hi Fahad,
There seems to be a confusion even within PMBOK with regards to “personnel administration” which has been mentioned to be an organizational process asset (4.4.1.5) as well as an enterprise environmental factor (5.1.1.3, 5.2.1.6 and 5.3.1.4 )……………I wonder which one is correct?
To make things even worse, by contradicting the concept that “policies are OPAs”, Personnel Administration Policies are mentioned under enterprise environmental factors in 10.1.1.4, 10.2.1.4, 13.2.1.5, 13.3.1.3 & 13.4.1.4.
It will be great if someone could shed some light on this inconsistency.
Thanks for the helpful info! I understand the difference between OPA’s and EEFs but since they are an input to or output of most of the processes, is there a handy list of processes where OPA’s and/or EEFs are NOT an input or output? This would just make it easier in terms of trying to manage all the ITTOs and focus one the ones that are process or knowledge area specific,
Thanks!
You can assume it is input to always all processes. Cannot think of any process which will have them as an input.
really it is the best explanation I have seen to define the EEF & OPA. but I have a little confuse regarding to the quality control system that you specified as EEF
but I can see it as company can change the system – if their is another better practice will improve the projects- so it should be under OPA….can you please explain me why it goes under EEF and not under OPA?
your time and help is really appreciated and thanks in advance.
Yes, company can change the system, Government can change the regulation, market condition can also change, and political environment can also change.
A better regulation can come, and a favorable political environment can happen as well.
但是这些变化并不能使他们成为组织流程资产。
制造更多混乱,在第八page12丽塔玛尔卡茜8, the definition of Change Control System is “Many organizations have a change control system as part of their PMIS. This system includes …procedures and software to track control changes. It is part of an organization’s EEF”.
Look, according to Rita, the Change Control Procedures is included in the PMIS, and PMIS is part of EEF. Hence the change control procedures must be part of EEF. But PMBOK page 147 defines that OPA includes Change Control Procedures.
你的评论是什么
Change control procedure and change control system are different.
政策和程序是组织过程的一部分,因此变更控制程序也将成为OPA的一部分。
PMBOK®指南 - 第五版,第75页说:“组织过程资产……包括:标准化指南,工作说明,提案评估标准,变更控制程序,先前项目的项目文件,配置管理知识库等”。PMBOK®指南 - 第五版,第75页
For me, change control procedures is nothing related to lesson learned, historical data or knowledge base. Therefore, it it better in EEF. What do you think Fahad?
Hi Fahad,
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation and also crystal clear clarity on some of the topics mentioned.
1. Digressing to a different level, am confused about the term “Discretionary dependency” and why we need to eliminate discretionary dependencies during fast-tracking to control the schedule?
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Discretionary dependency are recommended dependency which some times take extra time.
Since these are not mandatory, during fast tracking you look on these dependencies to cut the time.
Hi Fahad, thanks for your patience to answer all questions. Here i have a confusion and seek your help.
当项目仍在运行时,所有项目数据存储在哪里?诸如PM计划,项目文档,工作绩效数据,工作绩效报告之类的数据。
If this data is stored through PMIS (EEF) as a front end, is it stored in some knowledge base like Corporate Knowledge base (OPA) as a backend?
Or does it data remain in EEF till the project completes and then is submitted to OPA through lessons learned?
如果以软格式使用,它将存储在计算机服务器中。否则,只要项目活跃,项目经理就会与他保持联系,后来可以将其转移到某个档案店。
Location is not important, important is its storage.
如果是软格式,那么它存储在哪种数据库中?它在OPA还是EEF下?该方案是关于项目关闭之前的项目数据。tia。
It may be stored in PMIS.
Not sure if this is not answered deliberately. The question asks if PMIS is considered OPA or EEF. Interestingly enough in PMBOK v6 it is sometimes shown under EEF and othertimes under OPA. Very confusing and clarity would be appreciated.
Yes, you are right, however, usually PMIS is an EEF.
Please oblige my question. I know it has been asked before, but I’m still struggling to understand the distinctions:
My understanding:
EEF – Condition (internal and external) under which you have to work. You have not choice. You cannot change it, it affects everybody (Cold weather, the law, harsh governmental policies, high altitude, unfriendly co-worker/work culture, functional matrix org, projectized org, etc)
OPA – (Internal only) Tools, techniques, information or knowledge that affect the actual “doing of the work” – they can help or guide you do your work (guidelines, procedures, historical information from past projects, lessons learned).
我的问题:公司政策属于什么?
一方面,我无法控制公司政策,必须遵守它,使其成为EEF
On the other hand, I need to know the policies in order to know how to do the work, making it an OPA
You understanding is correct.
政策是OPA,因为它们是由您的组织设计的,可以帮助您成功完成该项目。
Hi,
I have confusion between OPA and EEF and found your website. Looking at the comments and I see your categorization of these examples below. I don’t understand the rationale even though I feel I know what you mean by the article. Can you please elaborate more or relate it to the article definition for my better understanding? Thanks lot!
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Quality Controlling Systems -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
Organisational Policies -> Organisational Process Assets
非常感谢Fahad的解释。非常乐于助人,您的例子确实帮助我清除了关于OPA和EEF的大部分困惑。但是,他们中的几个仍然仍然存在,尊重您的所有努力和知识。
For the purpose of clarification – please bear with me.
1.您已经提到“……可以根据适用性定制OPA,它们使项目管理团队的生活更加轻松”。政策,程序,计划和知识基础是无UPA。在这里,我有点困惑,我对政策和程序的理解是,它们是组织拥有的“资产”,并在所有项目和运营活动中应用,这些活动并未单独定制用于特定的项目活动。例如,我目前的项目遵循我们组织的健康与安全政策(OPA),该政策无法为我的项目定制,因此可以受到约束,而不是支持。
2. Organization structure – I really need some help here – how would the org. structure an EEF? Please help.
If you find any new best practice, procedure can be update. Likewise policy can also be changed.
Organizational structure is environment in which you have work. For example if you working in weak matrix organization, you may have to approach the functional manager for you needs.
Great work Mr. Usmani.
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
质量控制系统 - >企业环境因素(因为它是EEF的一部分)
I understand the PMI calls PMIS and QCS Enterprise Environmental Factors but from a financial accounting definition perspective “”An asset is a resource controlled by the enterprise as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the enterprise.”
Thus, some PMIS and QCS and Infractructure can be considered assets. For instance, customized software for Accounting/Auditing Information System.
Thank you Mr JP for stopping by and providing the feedback on EEF from a financial accounting perspective.
Fahad,我如何对以下项目分类,它们是否属于EEF/ OPA
1. PMI-项目管理信息系统,例如项目企业解决方案,微软项目
3. Quality Controlling Systems – Defect Tracking, QA tools
4.环境和法律程序(假定也属于EEF)
5. Any other organizational policies which are not directly relating to project environment.
Hello Janaka, as per my understanding, items can be categorized as follow:
PMIS -> Enterprise Environmental Factors
质量控制系统 - >企业环境因素(因为它是EEF的一部分)
Environment and Legal Procedures ->Organisational Process Assets
Organisational Policies -> Organisational Process Assets