In this blog, we will explore the Manage Project Execution process, along with its associated inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs.
Let’s start with the key output of this process—deliverables. Deliverables are the outputs produced by team members, suppliers/vendors, or task owners as they perform the planned and assigned work.
Now, let’s look at the inputs, tools, and techniques required to produce these deliverables.
In PMBOK Guide, “any component” of the plan can be an input here. Following are the most relevant ones for execution and how they contribute.
First, the Scope Baseline.
The Manage Project Work process is about converting what is planned on paper into reality. For example, when constructing a house, the defined activities and work packages are executed to produce the final deliverable.
The Scope Baseline—comprising the approved Project Scope Statement, WBS, and WBS Dictionary (or Product Backlog and User Stories in Agile)—provides the team with a clear understanding of the planned work. Using this as input, team members and suppliers perform the assigned work packages and produce the corresponding deliverables.
Scope baseline defines what work and what deliverables are in and out of the project so it Prevents scope creep (that is the uncontrolled Expansion of Project Scope) during execution and keeps the team focused on agreed deliverables.
Next is the Schedule Baseline.
It provides the approved timeline for all project activities, including tasks, milestones, and dependencies. This helps the project manager and team clearly understand what work should be happening at any given time, what is coming next, and whether the project is ahead or behind schedule.
While the Scope Baseline defines what deliverables need to be produced, the Schedule Baseline defines when those deliverables should be completed and in what sequence. It ensures that work is executed in the right order, considering dependencies between activities, and helps the team stay aligned with the planned timeline.
Next the Cost Baseline – We should know within how much money we should complete the planned work. For this we need the cost baseline. Cost baseline is the approved version of the project budget. It Defines the approved budget over time for executing the work and Guides resource usage during execution and provides a reference for controlling cost overruns.
Next the Resource Management Plan – It Describes how human and physical resources are acquired, assigned, and managed during execution. It Helps avoid overloading key individuals, clarifies roles and responsibilities, and ensures that required resources are available when needed to produce the deliverables.
Next the Quality Management Plan – it Ensures that work is performed with the right reviews, tests, and validations, which reduces rework and defects.
Next the Riks Management Plan – This Document Defines how risk will be identified, analyzed, and responded to while work is being executed.
Provides a structured way to act when risks materialize during execution, rather than reacting ad hoc.
For Example the risk management plan defines thresholds and escalation paths. When a supplier delay exceeds five days, the PM knows it must be escalated to the steering committee.
Next the Communications Management Plan – it Describes what information will be communicated, to whom, when, and by what means and ensures that stakeholders receive appropriate, consistent information during execution, reducing misunderstandings.
The plan specifies a weekly progress email to the sponsor and a daily stand-up for the core team. This will keep everyone aligned.
Next the Stakeholder Engagement Plan – This defines strategies for engaging stakeholders during execution. Helps the team proactively involve critical stakeholders and avoid conflicts, resistance, or missed expectations.
Example – The plan calls for a monthly demo with key business users. During execution, these demos reveal usability issues early, while changes are still cheap.
In addition to deliverables, we also produce Work Performance Data.
This is the raw performance information generated while executing the work. For example, when a deliverable is produced, we capture details such as who performed the work, how much time was taken, how much cost was incurred, and how many defects were identified.
Work Performance Data serves as a key input for evaluating project performance and is used by monitoring and controlling processes.
The next primary input to this process is Approved Change Requests.
During project execution, any additional work—such as new work packages, defect fixes, or corrective actions—must first be submitted as a change request and approved by the appropriate stakeholders. Once approved, it becomes an approved change request.
These approved changes are then implemented as part of the Manage Project Work process. In simple terms, all work—whether originally planned or introduced through approved changes—is executed within this process.
Now let’s quickly go through the where is project documents that are helpful to perform this process.
Change Log
The change log records all change requests (status, decisions, and basic details). During execution, the team must know which changes are approved, rejected, deferred, or in progress so they execute only what has been authorized and implement approved changes correctly.
It gives the project manager and team a single source of truth about changes, preventing unauthorized work, rework, and confusion.
Lessons Learned Register
The lessons learned register captures insights from earlier work or phases (what worked well, problems, good practices). During ongoing execution, you use it to avoid repeating past mistakes and to apply proven approaches to current activities.
Milestone List
The milestone list identifies key points or events in the project (e.g., “Design complete,” “Go-live,” “Regulatory approval received”). During execution, milestones guide sequencing, coordination, and decisions about what work needs to be completed and by when.
Project Communications
Project communications (reports, emails, meeting minutes, logs) contain the information that has already been shared with stakeholders and the team. During execution, the project manager must know what has been communicated, promised, or agreed, to manage expectations and actions consistently.
Project Schedule
The project schedule shows the planned start/finish dates, dependencies, and sequencing of activities. During execution, it is the primary reference for what work should be happening now, what comes next, and how delays or changes affect other tasks.
Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
The RTM links requirements to their origins and to deliverables, tests, and other work products. During execution, it is used to ensure that the work being performed and the deliverables being produced actually satisfy the approved requirements.
It prevents requirement gaps and gold plating. It helps the project manager confirm that each requirement is being implemented and tested and that no extra, unauthorized requirements are being built, which protects scope and quality.
Risk Register
The Risk Register lists identified risks along with their analysis (probability and impact), planned responses, and assigned owners. During execution, the team monitors risk triggers, implements response plans, and addresses any new or escalating risks.
Remember, risk responses are also a type of work. The assigned risk owners—whether team members, suppliers, or vendors—are responsible for implementing these responses. So, in addition to the planned work (deliverables), risk response actions are also executed as part of the Manage Project Work process.
Risk Report
The risk report provides a higher-level, aggregated view of overall project risk exposure, major risks, and trends. During execution, it helps the project manager and sponsor understand how risky the current situation is and where to focus attention.
It supports informed decision-making at management level during execution (e.g., whether to allocate more contingency, adjust scope, or change strategy).
Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs) – Provide constraints and opportunities from the internal and external environment (laws, standards, culture, tools).
Organizational Process Assets (OPAs) – Offer standard procedures, templates, and historical data. Avoids reinventing the wheel and improves consistency and efficiency during execution.
Now let’s see Tools and Techniques of this process.
Expert Judgment
To make informed decisions about technical approaches, trade-offs, and problem-solving that are not fully specified in the plan. Improves decision quality and reduces risk when dealing with complexity and uncertainty.
Project Management Information System (PMIS)
To plan, assign, track, and communicate execution work. PMIS is needed to Centralizes information, supports real-time status, and improves coordination.
The PM uses MS Project or Jira to track progress, update task status, see dependencies, and generate dashboards.
Meetings (including daily coordination meetings)
To align the team, resolve issues, and make timely decisions. Meetings Reduce misalignment, surfaces impediments early, and enables quick course corrections. Example – Daily stand-ups where team members share what they did, what they will do, and what blocks them; issues are then taken to quick problem-solving huddles.
Now, let’s talk about the outputs.
We have already covered Deliverables and Work Performance Data.
The next output is the Issue Log (Create & Update). During execution, problems are inevitable, and it is important to track and resolve them in a timely manner. The Issue Log is used to record new issues and update or close resolved ones, ensuring an accurate view of all outstanding problems.
Change Requests
Formal proposals for changes discovered during execution. For Example – The team discovers that to meet performance requirements, a higher-grade server is needed. A change request is raised to increase infrastructure cost.
Project management plan updates
Any component can be updated; here are common ones in this process.
Schedule Baseline / Schedule Management Plan, Cost Baseline / Cost Management Plan, Resource Management Plan, Quality Management Plan, Risk Management Plan, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
Project Document Updates
Activity list
During execution, you may discover new work, remove work, or change the sequence of work (for example, due to approved changes, risk responses, or lessons learned). The activity list must be updated so it accurately reflects the work that is really required to deliver the current approved scope.
Assumption log
Assumptions made during initiation and planning are tested during execution. Some turn out to be true, some false, and new assumptions are discovered. The assumption log is updated to reflect the current status, validity, and impact of each assumption and constraint.
Lessons learned register
As work is executed, the team continually discovers what works well and what causes problems. These insights are captured as lessons learned in real time, not only at the end of the project. The register is updated with both positive and negative lessons.
Requirements documentation
During execution, requirements may be clarified, elaborated, or changed through approved change requests. Some requirements may be dropped, merged, or made more detailed as the team learns more. Requirements documentation is updated to reflect the current approved requirements.
Risk register
Execution reveals new risks, changes the probability or impact of existing risks, and shows whether responses are effective. The risk register is updated with newly identified risks, changed assessments, status of responses, and any risks that are now closed.
Stakeholder register
In execution, new stakeholders appear, some stakeholders’ influence or interest changes, and some leave the project. The stakeholder register is updated with new stakeholders, revised power/interest levels, communication needs, and engagement strategies.
Organizational process asset updates
During execution, the team generates a lot of new information: actual performance data, defects found, solutions that worked well, issues encountered, and practical tailoring of templates and procedures. Some of this information is valuable beyond this one project. Direct and Manage Project Work captures and passes such information into OPAs so that future projects can benefit, and organizational practices can be improved.
With that we are done with this blog.
I hope you enjoyed this blog.
