3) Briefly describe what happens in each of the five project management process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing). What types of activities are done before initiating the project?

     Project management inolves five main process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing processes. These processes take place at the every stage of the project life cycle.
    Before starting an initiating process it is very helpfull to perform some pre-initiation tasks such as:

• Determine the scope, time, and cost constraints
• Identify the project sponsor
• Select the project manager
• Develop a business case
• Discuss with project  manager the process and expectations for managing the project
• If necessary, divide the project into smaller projects

    During the initiating process a project or project phase is defined and authorized. An output from initiating process is a project charter.
    Planning process involves devising and maintaining a project management plan that coordinates information from all other plans (scope management plan, procurement management plan, and etc.) Output from the planning process includes a project scope statement, a project schedule, a work breakdown structure, and etc.
     Executing process involves coordinating people and resources in order to achieve planned results. The main outcome of this process group is the actual performed work .  
      During the monitoring and controlling process project's progress is monitored and measured to ensure that projects meets its deadlines and objectives. The main outcome from this process is performance report.
      The closing process represents a process group with processes that are performed to formally terminate and conclude all tasks and activities of a project. Deliverables from this process mainly include formal acceptance of the work and closing documentation (project report, lessons-learned report).