The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (from English A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBOK for its acronym) is a book that presents standards, guidelines and norms for project management. The latest version is the 7th, published in 2021.[1]​.

The PMBOK Guide was initially published by the American National Standards Institute in 1987.[2] That document was based on a work published in 1983 under the title "Final Report of the Committee on Ethics, Standards and Accreditation." The second edition of the PMBOK was published in 2000.[2]​ In 2004, the "PMBOK Guide - 3rd Edition" was published with notable changes from previous editions. (pdf). The 4th edition was published in 2009. In 2013, the 5th edition of the guide was published. On September 6, 2017, version 6 of the PMBOK guide was published. The latest version is the 7th, published in 2021.[1]​.

The PMBOK Guide identifies the subset of project management fundamentals that is “generally recognized” as “good practice.” "Generally recognized" means knowledge and practices applicable to most projects, most of the time; in which there is a consensus on its usefulness and importance; while "good practice" implies that there is general agreement for the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques that can increase the chances of success across many projects.

However, this does not mean that project management trends are specified or included in the guide. (For example, the critical path drag parameter, an applicable methodology for managing a project, is not itself defined in the PMBOK guide.)

The PMBOK Guide is also used for the preparation of certifications offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The PMBOK Guide is process-based, meaning that it describes the work applied in the processes themselves. This approach is coherent, and very similar, to the same one used in other management standards, for example ISO 9000 and CMMI.[3]​ The processes overlap and interact throughout the implementation of the project phases. The processes are described in terms of:.

Version 6.0 The PMBOK guide describes 49 project management processes that are classified into 10 knowledge areas (Integration, Scope, Time, Costs, Quality, Resources, Communication, Risks, Procurement and Stakeholders) and 5 process groups (Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring and Control and Closing) according to the following classification:

Although the PMBOK Guide offers general guidelines for managing most projects most of the time, there are 3 documents that serve as extensions to it: