CompTia Project Glossary - Part 02

Question 1

A standard of measurement that specifically defines how something will be measured.

Answer 1

metric

Question 2

A major deliverable or key event in the project used to measure project progress.

Answer 2

milestone

Question 3

This project process group is where activities are performed to monitor the progress of the project and determine whether there are variances from the project plan. Corrective actions are taken during this process to get the project back on course.

Answer 3

monitoring and controlling

Question 4

A project that is initiated by multiple business units.

Answer 4

multiple business unit project

Question 5

Negotiating is a leadership technique and a conflict - resolution technique. Negotiating is the act of two or more parties explaining their needs and coming to a mutual agreement on a resolution.

Answer 5

negotiating

Question 6

Evaluation of the cash inflows using the discounted cash flow technique, which is applied to each period the inflows are expected. The total present value of the cash flows is deducted from the initial investment; this assumes that cash inflows are reinvested at the cost of capital. It is similar to discounted cash flows.

Answer 6

net present value (NPV)

Question 7

A depiction of project activities and the interrelationships between these activities.

Answer 7

network diagram

Question 8

Operations typically involve ongoing functions that support the production of goods or services. They don ? t have a beginning or an end.

Answer 8

operations

Question 9

A high - level estimate of the time and cost of a project based on the actual cost and duration of a similar project.

Answer 9

order of magnitude

Question 10

The process of addressing factors that may impact how to manage a project team, defining roles and responsibilities for project team members, identifying how the project team will be organized, and documenting a staffing management plan.

Answer 10

organization planning

Question 11

A quantitatively based estimating technique that is typically calculated by multiplying rate times quantity.

Answer 11

parametric estimating

Question 12

A Quality Control technique used to rank importance of a problem based on its frequency of occurrence over time. This diagram is based on the Pareto principle, more commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule , which says that the majority of defects are caused by a small set of problems

Answer 12

pareto diagram

Question 13

The length of time it takes a company to recover the initial cost of producing the product or service of the project.

Answer 13

payback period

Question 14

Collecting information regarding project progress and project accomplishments and reporting it to the stakeholders, project team members, management team, and other interested parties. It also makes predictions regarding future project performance.

Answer 14

performance reporting

Question 15

cost of work that ? s been budgeted for an activity during a certain time period.

Answer 15

planned value (PV)

Question 16

The process group where the project plans are developed that will be used throughout the project to direct, monitor, and control work results. The primary result of this process is the project plan.

Answer 16

planning

Question 17

Performed when a project is canceled or ends prematurely. It describes the reasons for cancellation or failure and documents the deliverables that were completed.

Answer 17

post-mortem analysis

Question 18

Conducted at the end of the project to document lessons learned.

Answer 18

post-project review

Question 19

A network diagramming method that places activities on nodes, which connect to dependent activities using arrows. Also known as activity on node .

Answer 19

precedence diagramming method (PDM)

Question 20

A task on the network diagram that occurs before another task.

Answer 20

predecessor

Question 21

An investigation at project request time to determine the costs and benefits of the project, as well as examine alternatives to the proposed solution in order to determine the feasibility of carrying out the project

Answer 21

preliminary investigation

Question 22

A type of change request that usually occur during the Monitoring and Controlling process group. Preventive actions are implemented to help reduce the probability of a negative risk event.

Answer 22

preventative action

Question 23

A Quality Control tool and technique that keeps errors from reaching the customer. Prevention is less expensive than having to fix problems after they ? ve occurred.

Answer 23

prevention

Question 24

The cost of activities performed to avoid quality problems, including quality planning, training, and any product or process testing.

Answer 24

prevention costs

Question 25

The likelihood a risk event will occur. Probability is expressed as a number between 0.0 and 1.0.

Answer 25

probability

Question 26

The process of identifying what goods or services will be purchased from outside the organization. It uses make - or - buy analysis to determine whether goods or services should be purchased outside the organization or produced internally.

Answer 26

procurement planning

Question 27

Explains the major characteristics of the product and describes the relationship between the business need and the product. This is also referred to as high - level requirements .

Answer 27

product description

Question 28

Occurs in the Close Procurements process and determines whether the work of the contract is acceptable and satisfactory.

Answer 28

product verification

Question 29

A grouping of related projects that are managed together to capitalize on benefits that couldn ? t be achieved if the projects were managed separately.

Answer 29

program

Question 30

Calculates the expected value, or weighted average, of critical path tasks to determine project duration by using three estimates: most likely, pessimistic, and optimistic. The PERT calculation is (optimistic + pessimistic + (4 ? most likely)) / 6.

Answer 30

program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

Question 31

Reports from project team members listing the tasks each team member is working on, the current progress of each task, and the work remaining.

Answer 31

progress reports

Question 32

Temporary in nature, with a definite start and end date; creates a unique product, service, or result. It is completed when the goals and objectives of the project have been met and signed off on by the stakeholders.

Answer 32

project

Question 33

An organizational structure focused on projects. Project managers generally have ultimate authority over the project, and sometimes supporting departments such as human resources and accounting might report to the project manager. Project managers are responsible for making project decisions and acquiring and assigning resources.

Answer 33

project-based organization

Question 34

The person who fully understands, believes in, and espouses the benefits of the project to the organization. This is the cheerleader for the project.

Answer 34

project champion

Question 35

An official, written acknowledgment and recognition that a project exists. It ? s signed by the project sponsor and gives the project manager authority to assign organizational resources to the work of the project.

Answer 35

project charter

Question 36

The formal acceptance of a project and the activities required to formally end the project work.

Answer 36

project closure

Question 37

Documents the key characteristics of the product or service that will be created by the project.

Answer 37

project description

Question 38

Carrying out the project plan. Activities are clarified, the work is authorized to begin, resources are committed and assigned to activities, and the product or service of the project is created. The largest portion of the project budget will be spent during this process.

Answer 38

project execution

Question 39

Documentation in the project charter that includes the reason the project is being undertaken and the business need the project will address.

Answer 39

project justification

Question 40

The grouping of project phases in a sequential order from the beginning of the project to the close.

Answer 40

project life cycle

Question 41

Applying skills, knowledge, and project management tools and techniques to fulfill the project requirements.

Answer 41

project management

Question 42

The world ? s leading professional project management association.

Answer 42

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Question 43

The nine project management groupings, or Knowledge Areas, that bring together common or related processes. They are Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resource, Communications, Risk, and Procurement

Answer 43

project management knowledge areas

Question 44

Established by organizations to create and maintain procedures and standards for project management methodologies to be used throughout the organization.

Answer 44

project management office (PMO)

Question 45

The person responsible for applying the skills, knowledge, and project management tools and techniques to the project activities to successfully complete the project objectives.

Answer 45

project manager

Question 46

Measures that the project manager uses to determine whether the project is on track, such as any deviation from the baseline schedule or the baseline budget.

Answer 46

project performance indicators

Question 47

A document, or assortment of documents, that constitutes what the project is, what the project will deliver, and how all the processes will be managed. Used as the guideline throughout the project Executing and Controlling phases to track and measure project performance and to make future project decisions. Also used as a communication and information tool for stakeholders, team members, and management.

Answer 47

project plan

Question 48

A formal presentation by the project manager or project team members to the sponsor, the client, and the other executive stakeholders.

Answer 48

project review

Question 49

Determines the start and finish dates for project activities and assigns resources to the activities.

Answer 49

project schedule

Question 50

Used to determine which proposed projects are approved to move forward.

Answer 50

project selection

Question 51

A project that undertakes to prove that a specific activity can be done or an idea can be accomplished.

Answer 51

proof of concept

Question 52

Determining the impact of identified risks on the project and the probability they?ll occur. Aligns risks in a priority order according to their effect on the project objectives.

Answer 52

qualitative risk analysis

Question 53

Monitoring work results to see whether they fulfill the quality standards et out in the quality management plan; determines whether the end product conforms to the requirements and product description defined during the planning processes.

Answer 53

quality control

Question 54

Describes how the project management team will enact the quality policy and documents the resources needed to carry out the quality plan. It describes the responsibilities of the project team in implementing quality and outlines all the processes and procedures the project team and organization will use to satisfy quality requirements.

Answer 54

quality management plan

Question 55

Identifying the quality standards applicable for the project and how they ? ll be fulfilled.

Answer 55

quality planning

Question 56

A complex analysis technique that uses a mathematical approach to numerically analyze the probability and impact of risk events.

Answer 56

quantitative risk analysis

Question 57

A duration estimate obtained by applying a productivity rate of the resource performing the task.

Answer 57

quantitatively based durations

Question 58

A type of responsibility assignment matrix that describes the resources needed for the task and their role for that task using the following descriptors: responsible, accountable, consult, or inform.

Answer 58

RACI chart

Question 59

Setting a new project baseline because of substantial changes to the schedule or the budget.

Answer 59

rebaselining

Question 60

This process is where the project manager gathers and documents the collection of baseline data for the project. Baseline data includes cost, schedule, scope, and quality data. Performance report information is delivered to the stakeholders at project status meetings and steering committee meetings

Answer 60

Report Performance

Question 61

A document that is sent out to potential vendors requesting them to provide a proposal on a product or service.

Answer 61

request for proposal (RFP)

Question 62

The specifications and characteristics of the goal or deliverable.

Answer 62

requirement

Question 63

A process that defines and documents all the resources needed and the quantity of resources needed to perform project activities, including human, material, and equipment resources.

Answer 63

resource planning

Question 64

A listing of all the job titles within a company or department with a brief description of the job. It may also identify the number of people currently employed in each job title.

Answer 64

resource pool description

Question 65

A document containing a description of the resources needed from all three resource types for work package items from the WBS.

Answer 65

resource requirements

Question 66

A resource chart that defines the WBS identifier, the resource type needed for the WBS element, and the quantity of resources needed for the task. A WBS is displayed in chart form.

Answer 66

responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)

Question 67

An update to the approved start or end date of the schedule baseline, typically a result of approved scope changes.

Answer 67

revision

Question 68

An action that is taken as a result of quality activities to correct a defect.

Answer 68

rework

Question 69

A potential future event that can have either negative or positive consequences.

Answer 69

risk

Question 70

The process used to identify and focus on those risks that are the most critical to the success of your project.

Answer 70

risk analysis

Question 71

Identifying the potential project risks and documenting their characteristics.

Answer 71

risk identification

Question 72

A numbered list of risks that are produced during the risk identification process and that are documented within a risk register.

Answer 72

risk list

Question 73

Details how risk management processes will be implemented, monitored, and controlled throughout the life of the project. It does not define responses to individual risks.

Answer 73

risk management plan

Question 74

The process that involves implementing the risk response plan, tracking and monitoring identified risks, and identifying and responding to new risks as they occur.

Answer 74

risk monitoring and control

Question 75

Identifying, analyzing, and determining how risk events will be managed for a project.

Answer 75

risk planning

Question 76

A process that describes how to reduce threats and take advantage of opportunities, documents the plan for negative and positive risk events, and assigns owners to each risk.

Answer 76

risk response planning

Question 77

An event that warns a risk is imminent and a response plan should be implemented.

Answer 77

risk trigger

Question 78

A Quality Control tool and technique that shows variation in the process over time or shows trends such as improvements or the lack of improvements in the process.

Answer 78

run chart

Question 79

The final, approved project schedule that is used during project execution to monitor project progress.

Answer 79

schedule baseline

Question 80

The process of documenting and managing changes to the project schedule.

Answer 80

schedule control

Question 81

Calculating and preparing the schedule of project activities, which becomes the schedule baseline. It determines activity start and finish dates, finalizes activity sequences and durations, and determines activity duration estimates

Answer 81

schedule development

Question 82

Measures the progress to date against the progress that was planned. The SPI indicator acts as an efficiency rating. If the result is greater than one, performance is better than expected, and you ? re ahead of schedule. If it ? s less than one, performance is less than expected, and you ? re behind schedule. The formula is SPI = EV / PV.

Answer 82

schedule performance index (SPI)

Question 83

Any change that is made to the project schedule as part of the ongoing work involved with managing the project.

Answer 83

schedule update

Question 84

The difference between a task ? s progress as compared to its estimated progress represented in terms of cost. The formula is SV = EV ? PV.

Answer 84

schedule variance (SV)

Question 85

The description of the work involved to complete the project. It defines both what is included in the project and what is excluded from the project.

Answer 85

scope

Question 86

The process of documenting and managing changes to project scope. Any modification to the agreed - upon WBS is considered a scope change. Changes in product scope will require changes to project scope, and scope changes always require schedule changes.

Answer 86

scope control

Question 87

The minor changes or small additions that are made to the project outside of a formal scope change process that cause project scope to grow and change.

Answer 87

scope creep

Question 88

Per the PMBOK Guide , the process of breaking down the major deliverables from the scope statement to create the WBS. For purposes of the CompTIA objectives and exam, scope definition is used in a much broader sense to cover several scope planning elements, including the scope statement and the scope management plan.

Answer 88

scope definition

Question 89

Defines the process for preparing the scope statement and the WBS. This also documents the process that manages project scope and changes to project scope.

Answer 89

scope management plan

Question 90

The process of defining the scope management plan, the scope statement, and the WBS and WBS dictionary.

Answer 90

scope planning

Question 91

Documents the product description, key deliverables, success and acceptance criteria, key performance indicators, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints. The scope statement is used as a baseline for future project decisions.

Answer 91

scope statement

Question 92

A process that concerns formally accepting the deliverables of the project and obtaining sign - off that they?re complete.

Answer 92

scope verification

Question 93

One of the benefit measurement methods used for project selection. It contains a predefined list of criteria against which each project is ranked. Each criterion has a scoring range and a weighting factor. A scoring model can also be used as a tool to select from among competing vendors.

Answer 93

scoring model

Question 94

Putting the project activities in the order in which they will take place.

Answer 94

sequencing

Question 95

The amount of time allowed to delay the early start of a task without delaying the finish date of the project. This is also known as float time .

Answer 95

slack time

Question 96

A requirement that a product or service must be obtained from a single vendor in government work; also includes justification.

Answer 96

sole source

Question 97

Obtaining bids and proposals from vendors in response to RFPs and similar procurement documents prepared during the solicitation planning process.

Answer 97

solicitation

Question 98

An executive in the organization with authority to allocate funds, assign resources, and enforce decisions regarding the project.

Answer 98

sponsor

Question 99

Obtaining human resources and assigning them to the project. Human resources may come from inside or outside the organization.

Answer 99

staff acquisition

Question 100

Documents when and how human resources will be added to and released from the project team and what they will be working on while they are part of the team.

Answer 100

staffing management plan

Question 101

A person or an organization that has something to gain or lose as a result of the project. Most stakeholders have a vested interest in the outcomes of the project.

Answer 101

stakeholder

Question 102

A task relationship where the finish of the successor task is dependent on the start of its predecessor.

Answer 102

start - to - finish

Question 103

A project task relationship where the start of the successor task depends on the start of the predecessor task.

Answer 103

start - to - start

Question 104

A type of project ending where resources are cut off from the project.

Answer 104

starvation

Question 105

Contains the details of a procurement item in clear, concise terms and includes the project objectives, a description of the work of the project, and concise specifications of the product or services required.

Answer 105

statement of work (SOW)

Question 106

The date when the project manager measures how much has been spent on a specific task.

Answer 106

status date

Question 107

See acceptance criteria

Answer 107

success criteria

Question 108

A task on the network diagram that occurs after another task.

Answer 108

successor

Question 109

A way to get diverse groups of people to work together efficiently and effectively. This is the responsibility of the project manager. It can involve activities performed together as a group or individually designed to improve team performance.

Answer 109

team building

Question 110

Creating an open, encouraging environment for stakeholders to contribute, as well as developing the project team into an effective, functioning, coordinated group.

Answer 110

team development

Question 111

Also known as nonfunctional requirements , the product characteristics needed for the product to perform the functional requirements. Technical requirements typically refer to information technology ? related projects. They are typically the elements and functions that happen behind the scenes of a program to meet the client ?s request.

Answer 111

technical requirements

Question 112

A type of contract where the buyer and the seller agree on a unit rate, such as the hourly rate for a programmer. The total cost is unknown and will depend on the amount of time spent to produce the product.

Answer 112

time and materials contract

Question 113

The projected performance level that must be achieved in the remaining work of the project in order to satisfy financial or schedule goals. The formula is TCPI = (BAC ? EV) / (BAC ? AC).

Answer 113

to - complete performance index (TCPI)

Question 114

An estimating technique that uses actual durations from similar activities on a previous project. This is also referred to as analogous estimating .

Answer 114

top - down estimating

Question 115

A mathematical technique that can be used to predict future defects based on historical results.

Answer 115

trend analysis

Question 116

According to CompTIA, time, cost, and quality. Other sources site scope rather than quality in their definitions of the triple constraints.

Answer 116

triple constraint

Question 117

The comparison of planned project results with actual project results. The formula is VAC = BAC ? EAC.

Answer 117

variance analysis

Question 118

A deliverables - oriented hierarchy that defines the total work of the project. Each level has more detailed information than the previous level.

Answer 118

work breakdown structure (WBS)

Question 119

A document that describes the deliverables and their components, the code of accounts identifier, estimates, resources, criteria for acceptance, and any other information that helps clarify the deliverables.

Answer 119

work breakdown structure (WBS) dictionary

Question 120

The total time it takes for a person to complete a task if they did nothing else from the time they started until the task was complete.

Answer 120

work effort

Question 121

The lowest level in a WBS. Team assignments, time estimates, and cost estimates can be made at this level. On very large projects, this level is handed off to subproject managers who develop their own WBS to fulfill the requirements of the work package deliverable.

Answer 121

work package