The directive for the 4^th Edition update was to undertake “Any necessary work to make the standard more accurate, up to date, relevant, clear, concise and easy to understand and implement. This may include the re-organization of content, additional content, refinement of content, or deletion of content“.    

 

The Fourth Edition continues to reflect the evolving knowledge within the profession of project management. Like previous editions it represents generally recognized good practice in the profession.

However, the Fourth Edition also reflects a focus on improved consistency and clarity. Great consideration was given by the project teams to remove redundant information and add clarifying statements where needed. Terminology was updated only to present process names consistently in a verb-noun format. 

The PMBOK® Guide—Fourth Edition continues the tradition of excellence in project management with a standard that is easy to understand and implement.

Essential changes in this 4^th edition: