Governance domain
What you'll be able to do
Governance is the system of who-decides-what. Make it appropriate for the project's risk and size.
- Three layers: portfolio / program / project governance.
- Right-sized governance: enough rigour, no bureaucracy.
- CCB / steering committee handles change requests above PM threshold.
The Governance Performance Domain covers the framework, functions, and processes that direct the project. PMBOK 8e splits governance into three layers: portfolio governance (which projects to fund), program governance (how to coordinate related projects), and project governance (how to make decisions inside this project).
Project governance produces decision rights, escalation paths, change-control authority, and metrics for steering. The classic governance artefact is a steering committee or Change Control Board (CCB). The PM's job is to ensure governance is *right-sized*: enough to keep stakeholders aligned and unblock decisions, not so heavy it becomes bureaucracy that prevents value delivery.
On the exam, governance questions test (a) who can authorise what (sponsor vs PM vs CCB), (b) which artefacts govern which decisions (charter vs PM plan vs change log), and (c) when escalation is appropriate (threshold exceeded, authority insufficient, cross-program conflict).
Key points
- Three layers: portfolio / program / project governance.
- Right-sized governance: enough rigour, no bureaucracy.
- CCB / steering committee handles change requests above PM threshold.
- PM escalates when decision exceeds their authority or cross-program impact.
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