HKSM
Expert Judgment
Informed opinions and advice from people or groups with specialized knowledge, skills, training, or experience in a relevant domain, applied to guide a specific project activity or decision.
Key Points
- Draws on specialized expertise from individuals, teams, consultants, PMO, or external SMEs.
- Used across many processes, such as chartering, estimating, risk analysis, quality, and procurement.
- Best gathered and documented through structured techniques (interviews, workshops, Delphi) to improve reliability.
- Assess credibility and potential bias, and combine with data or historical records when available.
Example
A project manager planning a pharmaceutical validation effort convenes senior quality engineers and a regulatory affairs specialist to define acceptance criteria and identify major compliance risks. Their recommendations shape the scope and approach.
PMP Example Question
While developing the project charter for a cloud migration, the project manager consults enterprise architects and the cybersecurity officer to assess feasibility and outline high-level risks. Which tool or technique is being used?
- Expert judgment
- Parametric estimating
- Checklists
- Control charts
Correct Answer: A — Expert judgment
Explanation: The PM is seeking guidance from specialists with relevant knowledge and experience; this is expert judgment, not a quantitative estimating or control tool.
