Project Management Methodology as a Tool and Technique

Lets get the discussion started with a PMP exam Sample Question:

You are managing a project to develop a preliminary risk plan for another project. You are using a project management methodology and a project management information system to create an implemented change request. What process are you performing?

A) Scope definition
B) Initial risk scope evaluation
C) Expert judgement
D) Direct and Manage Project Execution

OK So that is pretty easy (the answer is at the end of the entry) but what I really noticing when I made this question was the following:

The PMI considers a project management methodology as a tool and technique and Software development frameworks as inputs as part of the organizational process assets.

You need both but since we are working with a project management standard (the PMBok is a standard) the project management methodology is a tool and technique but the software development process framework is an organizational process asset because it is selected specifically for the the organization and industry The link is weaker. Tools and techniques are related to project management not a specific industry.

But how do all these things fit together. Above I have included an image which fits the pieces together. For software the product lifecycle includes operations processes and even teh project lifecycle overlaps with some operations processes as part of the deployment.

The answer to the sample question is D, you are in Direct and Manage Project Execution since that is the only place where you implement changes.

A more complex question is: If I have a project management plan why do I need a project management methodology as a tool and technique? The reasonable answer is probably that not everything will be detailed in the project management plan and hence one will sometimes have to refer to the methodology. I´m not sure that is too convincing though.