What Are Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)?
Organizational Process Assets are internal company resources and knowledge used to influence project success. As defined in PMI’s PMBOK® Guide and detailed in Rita Mulcahy’s 11th Edition, OPAs help project managers by providing guidelines, templates, and historical information.
Types of OPAs
Processes and Procedures
These include standard operating procedures, guidelines, project closure procedures, and organizational policies. These assets guide how projects should be planned, executed, and closed.
Corporate Knowledge Base
Includes historical information, lessons learned repositories, risk registers, and project files. These help with decision-making and avoid reinventing the wheel on every new project.
Why OPAs Matter in PMP
Rita Mulcahy emphasizes the importance of OPAs as tools that streamline project planning and execution. They reduce uncertainty and increase consistency across projects within an organization.
Example from PMP Practice
Imagine a project manager starting a new project. Instead of starting from scratch, they refer to past project files, risk checklists, and stakeholder analysis templates — all part of OPAs.