Definitions Flashcards
a Set of conditions that are met before deliverables are accepted by the customers
Acceptance Criteria
A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the project. Usually stored on the activity list
Activity
The actual cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period
Actual Cost (AC)
A technique for estimating the duration or cost of activity or a project using using historical data from a similar activity or project. Also know as top-down estimating.
Analogous Estimating
A factor in the planning processes considered to be true or real without proof or demonstration
Assumption
A critical path method technique for computing the late start and late finish dates by working backwards through the schedule model from the project end date
Backward Pass
The accepted version of a work product that can be changed using formal change control processes and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results
Baseline
A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS)
Bottom-Up Estimate
The amount of all budgets established for the work to be performed
Budget at Completion (BAC)
A process whereby changes to documents , deliverables, or baselines related with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected
Change Control
A formally commissioned group responsible for reviewing, assessing, approving, deferring, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions
Change Control Board
A set of procedures that defines how modifications to the project deliverables and documentation are managed and controlled
Change Control System
A formal proposal to change any document, deliverable, or baseline in the project management plan
Change Request
A component of the project management plan that describes how, when, and by whom information will be administered and distributed
Communications Management Plan
A collection of procedures used to track project artifacts and monitor and control changes to these artifacts
Configuration Management System
A restrictive feature that affects the execution of a project
Constraint
Time or money assigned in the schedule or cost baseline for known risks with response strategies
Contingency Reserves
A planned activity that restores the performance of the project work with the project management plan
Corrective Action
The approved version of work package cost estimates and contingency reserve that can be changed using formal change control procedures
Cost Baseline
A Component of a project management plan that defines how costs will be planned and controlled
Cost Management Plan
A Measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
The Amount of budget shortfall or surplus at a given point in time, expressed as the difference between earned value and the actual cost
Cost Variance
A schedule compression technique used to shorten the schedule duration by adding resources. This will greatly increase project Cost
Crashing
A schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on a project schedule path to account for limited resources
Critical Chain Method
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration . Activities on this path of ZERO float
Critical Path
Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule
Critical PAth Activity
A method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule
Critical Path Method
A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts. Also used to subdivide the project activities.
Decmoposition
An intentional activity to modify a nonconforming product or product component
Defect Repair
Part of the product that is presented to the customer or stakeholders for acceptance
Deliverable
The total number of work periods required to complete an activity or work breakdown structure component, expressed in hours, days or weeks
Duration
The earliest an activity can finish without delaying the project end date
Early Finish Date
The earliest an activity can start without delaying the project end date
Early Start Date
The amount of money worth of work actually accomplished on the project
Earned Value (EV)
A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance
Earned Value Management
Conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project
Enterprise Environmental Factors
The forecast of the total cost of the project at the end based on the current spending rate of the project
Estimate at Completion (EAC)
The amount of money that will be needed to complete the current project based on the current performance
Estimate to Complete (ETC)
A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases are done in parallel for at least a portion or the entire duration. This can increase the risk on the project
Fast Tracking
A relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished
Finish-to-Finish
A relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished
Finish-to-Start
A critical path method technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates by working forward through the schedule
Forward Pass
An organizational structure in which staff is grouped by areas of specialization and the project manager has limited authority
Functional Organization
A bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed. Generally part of the project schedule
Gantt Chart
The amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed to a predecessor activity
Lag
The latest an activity can finish without delaying the project end date
Late Finish Date
The Latest an activity can start without delaying the project end date
Late Start Date
The amount of time where a successor activity can be started before the predecessor activity finishes
Lead
The data gained during a project which shows how project events were addressed or should be addressed in the future for the purpose of improving future performance
Lessons Learned
A dependency between two activities
Logical Relationship
Time or money that management puts aside in addition to schedule or cost baseline and issues for unforeseen work that is within the scope of the project. This is not under the control of the project manager and will need an approved change request to access it.
Management Reserve
An organizational structure in which the project manager shares authority with the functional manager
Matrix Organization
A significant point or event in a project
Milestone
a type of schedule that presents milestones with planned dates
Milestone Schedule
An estimate of the most probable activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables
Most Likely Duration
A sequence of activities linked by logical relationships in a project schedule network diagram
Network Path
A risk that would have a positive effect on one or more project objectives
Opportunity
An estimate of the shortest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables
Optimistic Duration
Plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases specific to and used by the performing organization
Organizational Process Assets
An estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters
Parametric Estimating
A relationship in which a schedule activity has more than one predecessor
Path convergence
An estimate expressed as a percent of hte amount of work that has been completed on an activity
Percent Complete
An enterprise whose personnel are the most directly involved in doing the work of the project or program
Performing Organization
An estimate of the longest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance
Pessimistic Duration
The authorized budget assigned to the scheduled work
Planned Value (PV)
Projects and programs, that are grouped together to achieve a strategic business goal
Portfolio
The person or group assigned by the performing organization to establish, balance, monitor, and control portfolio components in order to achieve strategic business goals.
Portfolio Manager
A technique used for building a schedule in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to display the sequence in which the activities are to be performed
Precedence Diagramming Method
An activity that comes before the dependent activity in a schedule
Predecessor Activity
An intentional activity that ensures the future performance of the project work is aligned with the project management plan
Preventive Action
A table for diagramming the probability of occurrence of each of the risk and its impact on project objectives if that risk occurs
Probability and Impact Matrix
A component of the project Management plan that describes how a team will acquire goods and services from an outside of the performing organization
Procurement Management Plan
The series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery to retirement
Product Life Cycle
A group of related projects that are managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually
Program
A technique used to estimate project duration through a weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely activity duration
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a program to meet the program requirements and to obtain benefits and control not available by managing projects individually
Program Management
The Person authorized by the performing organization to lead the team or teams responsible for achieving program objectives
Program Manager
The iterative process of increasing the level of detail in a project management plan as greater amounts of information and more accurate estimates become available
Progressive Elaboration
A temporary effort undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result
Project
A calendar that identifies working days and shifts that are available for scheduled activities
Project calendar
A document issued by the project sponsor that formally authorizes the project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities
Project charter
The series of phases that a project goes through from its initiation to its closure
Project Life Cycle
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements
Project Management
A management structure that regulates the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools and techniques
Project Management Office
The document that defines how the project will be executed, monitored and controlled and cloaed
Project Management Plan
The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project goals
Project Manager
A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables
Project Phase
A graphical representation of the logical relationships around the schedule activities
Project Schedule Network Diagram
The work achieved to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions
Project Scope
The explanation of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints
Project Scope Statement
An organizational structure in which the project manager has a full authority to assign work and resources
Projectized Organization
A component of the project management plan that describes how an organizations quality policies will be implemented
Quality Management Plan
A component of the project management plan that describes how requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed
Requirements Management Plan
A table that links requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them
Requirements Traceability Matrix
The risk that is leftover after risk responses have been implemented
Residual Risk
A ranked representation of resources by category type.
Resource Breakdown Structure
A calendar that identifies the working days and shifts upon which each specific resource is available
Resource Calendar
A component of the project management plan that describes the roles and responsibilities of the project team and management of the physical resources on the project.
Resource Management Plan
a reource optimization technique in which changes are made to the project schedule to optimize the allocation of resources and which may affect critical path
Resource Leveling
A technique in which activity start and finish dates are adjusted to balance demand for resources
Resource Optimization Technique
A resource optimization technique in which total float are used without affecting the critical path
Resource Smoothing
A grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
An uncertain event that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives
Risk
A risk response strategy where the project team decides to acknowledge the risk and not take any action unless the risk occurs
Risk Acceptance
The degree of uncertainty an organization or individual is willing to accept in hope of reward
Risk Appetite
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to eradicate the threat or protect the project from its impact
Risk Avoidance
A ranked representation of the risks that organized according to risk categories
Risk Breakdown Structure
A group of potential causes risk
Risk Category
A Risk response strategy where the project team acts to increase the probability of occurrence or impact of an opportunity
Risk Enhancement
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to ensure that an opportunity occurs
Risk Exploitation
A measure of the potential impact of all risks at any given point in time in a project
Risk Exposure
A component of the project management plan that describes how risk management activities will be planned and performed
Risk Management Plan
A Risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to reduce the probability of occurrence or impact of a threat
Risk Mitigation
A register in which outputs of risk management processes are recorded
Risk Register
A risk responses strategy where the project team allocates ownership of an opportunity to at third party who is best able to capture the benefit for the project
Risk Sharing
The level of risk exposure above which risks are addressed and under which risks may be accepted
Risk Threshhold
The degree of uncertainty that an organization or individual is willing to endure
Risk Tollerance
An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level
Rolling Wave Planning
The approved version of a schedule that can be changed using formal change control procedures and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results. It is part of the Project Management Plan
Schedule Baseline
A method used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing project scope
Schedule Compression
A component of the project management plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing , monitoring, and controlling the schedule
Schedule Management Plan
A technique to identify early and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the unfinished portions of project activities
Schedule Network Analysis
A measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the difference between the earned value and the planned value
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
The approved version of a scope statement, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and its associated WBS dictionary that can be changed using formal change control procedures and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results. It is part of the project Management Plan
Scope Baseline
a degree of schedule performance expressed as the difference between the earned value to planned value
Schedule Variance (SV)
The uncontrolled growth to project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources
Scope Creep
A component of the project management plan that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and validated
Scope Management Plan
A technique used to indicate performance trends by using a graph that displays cumulative costs over a specific time period
S-Curve Analysis
An individual or a group that provides resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling success
Sponsor
An individual, group, or organization that may effect, be effected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project
Stakeholder
A component of the project management plan that defines how stakeholders will be engaged in a project decision making and execution
Stakeholder Management Plan
A relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started
Start-to-Finish
A relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started
Start-to-Start
A dependent activity that logically comes after another activity in a schedule
Successor Activity
A risk that would have a negative effect on one or more project objectives
Threat
A technique used to estimate cost or duration by applying an average or weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates
Three-Point Estimating
A measure of the cost performance that is achieved with the remaining resources in order to meet a specified management goal, expressed as the ratio of the cost to finish outstanding work to the remaining budget
To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI)
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be late or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date or violating a schedule constraint
Total Float
An event or situation that indicates that a risk is about to occur
Trigger Condition
A technique for determining the cause and degree of difference between the baseline and actual performance
Variance Analysis
A document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling data about each component in the work breakdown schedule
WBS Dictionary
The process of evaluating scenarios in order to predict their effect on project objectives
What-If Scenarios Analysis
A hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the deliverables
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The work defined at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure for which cost and duration can be estimated and managed
Work Package
An immediate and temporary response to an issue, for which a prior response had not been planned or was not effective
Workaround
An effective tool for root cause analysis in which the question “Why?” is asked of a problem in succession until the root cause is found. Developed by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese inventor and industrialist, the 5 Whys method is an integral part of the Lean philosophy.
5 Whys Method
A general guideline with many applications; in terms of controlling processes, it contends that a relatively large number of problems or defects, typically 80%, are commonly due to a relatively small number of causes, typically 20%
80/20 Rule
A marketing approach used to determine user preferences by showing different sets of users’ similar services—an ‘Alpha’ and a ‘Beta’ version—with one independent variable.
A/B Testing
A communication technique that involves acknowledging the speaker’s message and the recipient clarifying the message to confirm that what was heard matches the message that the sender intended
Active Listening
A distinct portion of work, scheduled with a beginning and an end, that must be performed to complete work on the project.
Activity
Multiple attributes associated with each activity that can be included within the activity list
Activity Attributes
Each task is assigned a budget, and the aggregate of these estimates results in the project budget. Activity cost estimates include labor, materials, equipment, and fixed cost items like contractors, services, facilities, financing costs, etc. This information can be presented in a detailed or summarized form.
Activity Cost Estimates
A logical relationship that exists between two project activities. The relationship indicates whether the start of an activity is contingent upon an event or input from outside the activity.
Activity Dependency
The quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity.
Activity Duration Estimates
A documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows the activity description, activity identifier, and a sufficiently detailed scope-of-work description so project team members understand what work is to be performed.
Activity List
A graphical diagram on which schedule activities are represented by nodes (rectangle boxes) and their dependencies are depicted by arrows.
Activity on Arrow or Activity on Node
Material and human resources that are needed to complete an activity; often expressed by a probability or range.
Activity Resource Estimates
The resources (physical, human, and organizational) required to complete the activities in the activity list.
Activity Resource Requirements
A type of project life cycle or methodology that values responding to change over following a set plan. Adaptive methodologies seek solutions that deliver maximum value to the customer
Adaptive
Involves verifying and documenting project results to formalize project or phase completion.
Administrative Closure
A technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis.
Affinity Diagram
Technique designed to rapidly estimate large stories (epics or features) in the backlog. For example: T-Shirt sizing, coffee cup sizes, or Fibonacci sequence.
Affinity Estimating
A term used to describe a mindset of values and principles as set forth in the Agile Manifesto.
Agile
A process role on a project team that helps organizations achieve true agility by coaching teams across the enterprise on how to apply agile practices and choose their best way of working. See also “scrum master.”
Agile Coach
An approach that assists with planning a project appropriately from the beginning to ensure the team can focus on the quality of each deliverable.
Agile Estimating
An approach that is both iterative and incremental to refine work items and deliver frequently.
Agile Life Cycle
A representation of the workflow of a process or system that the team can review before it is implemented in code.
Agile Modeling
A person embracing the agile mindset who collaborates with like-minded colleagues in cross- functional teams. Also referred to as an agilist.
Agile Practitioner
A process in which a team determines the number of iterations or Sprints that are needed to complete each release, the features that each iteration will contain, and the target dates of each release
Agile Release Planning
Team space that encourages colocation, collaboration, communication, transparency, and visibility
Agile Space
Any documents or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project. Examples include contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), service-level agreements (SLAs), letters of agreement, letters of intent, verbal agreements, email, or other written agreements.
Agreements
Costs that are allowed under the terms of the contract. Typically, allowable costs become relevant under certain types of cost-reimbursable contracts in which the buyer reimburses the seller’s allowable costs
Allowable Costs
Logical approach that looks at the relationship between outcomes and the factors that can influence them.
Analytical Techniques
Change requests that have been reviewed and approved by the change control board (CCB) and are ready to be scheduled for implementation.
Approved Change Requests
Any project management processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, EEFs, and OPAs that the project management team uses on their specific project. They are subject to configuration management and are maintained and archived by the team.
Artifact
A process that explores the validity of the project assumptions within the constraints and identifies risks from any incompleteness or inaccuracy of these project assumptions.
Assumption and Constraint Analysis
A list of all uncertainties that are treated as true for the purpose of planning.
Assumption Log
Data that is counted such as the number of product defects or customer complaints
Attribute Sampling Data
An examination of a project’s goals and achievements, including adequacy, accuracy, efficiency, effectiveness, and the project’s compliance with applicable methodologies and regulations. It tends to be a formal, one-sided process that can be extremely demoralizing to team members.
Audit
A group decision-making method in which one member of the group makes the decision. In most cases, this person will consider the larger group’s ideas and decisions and will then make a decision based on that input.
Autocratic
A strategy for managing negative risks or threats that involves changing the project management plan to remove the risk entirely by extending the schedule, changing the strategy, increasing the funding, or reducing the scope.
Avoid
The prioritized list of all the work, presented in story form, for a project team
Backlog
The progressive elaboration of project requirements and/or the ongoing activity in which the team collaboratively reviews, updates, and writes requirements to satisfy the need of the customer request.
Backlog Refinement
A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, schedule activities or WBS components are listed down the left side of the chart, dates are shown across the top, and activity duration’s are shown as date-placed horizontal bars.
Bar Chart
The comparison of actual or planned products, processes, and practices to those of comparable organizations to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance.
Benchmarking
The ratio of the expected benefits and the anticipated costs.
Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)
The documented explanation defining the processes for creating, maximizing, and sustaining the benefits provided by a project or program. It also describes how and when the benefits of a project will be derived and measured.
Benefits Management Plan
The meetings with prospective sellers prior to the preparation of a bid or proposal to ensure all prospective vendors have a clear and common understanding of the procurement
Bidder Conferences
A simple technique used to generate a list of ideas. It should be led by a facilitator with a group consisting of stakeholders, team members, and subject matter experts.
Brainstorming
The failure to meet some or all the obligations of a contract.
Breach of Contract
A time-phased plan for when funds will be disbursed on a project. It helps the organization anticipate when money will be coming in and/or going out, for the duration of the project.
Budget
A planning term related to contingency.
Buffer
A tool that is used to track the progress of the project by plotting the number of days of sprint against the number of hours of work remaining. It is used to communicate progress during and at the end of an iteration/sprint/ increment, showing the number of stores that have been completed and the ones that remain
Burn Chart
The rate at which the project consumes financial resources, representing negative cash
flow.
Burn Rate
A graphical representation of the work remaining versus the time left in a timebox.
Burndown Chart
A graphical representation of the work completed toward the release of a product.
Burnup Chart
A documented economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.
Business Case
An artifact developed prior to the project, used as part of the business case, and which is reviewed periodically by a project professional to verify benefit delivery.
Business Document
Listing of all requirements for a specific project.
Business Requirement Documents (BRD)
The inherent risk in any business endeavor that carries the potential for either profit or loss. Types of business risks are competitive, legislative, monetary, and operational.
Business Risk
The net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor. The benefit may be tangible, intangible, or both.
Business Value
The CMMI provides a framework for the integration of process improvement for multiple process areas. Associated with quality management
Capability Maturity Model Information (CMMI)
This diagram shows the relationship between causes and effects. Primarily used in root cause analysis (risk and quality) to uncover the causes of risks, problems, or issues
Cause and Effect Diagram
A legal document sent to an individual or a business with the direct intention of stopping specific activities and preventing their occurrence or recurrence.
Cease and Desist Letter
A document used to request a project change. They can also be recommendations for taking corrective or preventive actions
Change Control Form
A living list of all project change requests (CR). This log is used to track and provide accurate status of each CR (requester, owner, details, impact analysis, decision, etc.)
Change Log
A comprehensive, cyclic, and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups, and organizations from a current state to a future state in which they realize desired benefits
Change Management
A component of the project management plan that establishes the Change Control Board, documents the extent of its authority, and describes how the change control system will be implemented.
Change Management Plan
A shortened name for the project charter. A formal document that starts the project. Typically used by the project sponsor and the project manager, this document provides the reason for the project (based on business case) and may include high-level requirements, assumptions, constraints, milestone(s), and preliminary budget.
Charter
A set of procedural instructions used to ensure that a product or component quality is achieved.
Checklist
A technique for systematically reviewing materials using a list for accuracy and completeness.
Checklist Analysis
An issue with the contract brought by one party against another. Claims must be resolved before the contract can be properly closed out.
Claim
The process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract.
Close Project or Phase Process
Sessions held at the end of a project or phase during which teams discuss work and capture lessons learned
Close-Out Meetings
One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It consists of those processes performed to formally complete or close the project, phase, or contract.
Closing Process Group
An agile servant leader role that exists to help the team and identify and remove any impediments (obstacles).
Coach
The act of giving guidance and direction to another person to facilitate personal and/or professional growth and development.
Coaching
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the WBS.
Code of Accounts
The act of working together and sharing information to create deliverables, work products or results.
Collaboration
The process in which requirements documentation is developed. Precedes the Define Scope process.
Collect Requirements Process
An organizational placement strategy in which the project team members are physically located close to one another to improve communication, working relationships, and productivity
Colocation
A reason contributing to a quality problem that is usually considered acceptable. Common causes are considered unpreventable or if they are preventable, the cost of prevention would not justify the benefit.
Common Cause
Act of accurately encoding, sending, receiving, decoding, and verifying messages. Communication between sender and receiver may be oral or written, formal or informal.
Communication
The number of possible communication paths on a project. The formula for calculating communication channels is: [n(n-1)]/2; n=number of people on the project.
Communication Channels
A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to transfer information among project stakeholders
Communication Method
A description, analogy, or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project.
Communication Models
An analytical technique to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders through interviews, workshops, or study of lessons learned from previous projects, etc.
Communication Requirements Analysis
A technique to identify the preferred communication method, format, and content for stakeholders for planned communication activities.
Communication Styles Assessment
Specific tools, automated systems, computer programs, etc., used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
Communication Technology
A type of contract that is completed when the vendor delivers the product to the buyer and the buyer accepts the product.
Completion Contract
A characteristic of a program, project, or its environment, which is difficult to manage due to human behavior, system behavior, or ambiguity.
Complexity
The state of meeting—or being in accord with—organizational, legal, certification or other relevant regulations.
Compliance
An option in conflict management in which both parties give up something to reach an agreement.
Compromise
The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.
Conduct Procurement Process
Agile term describing the difficulty of estimating early due to unknowns and how that should improve over time.
Cone of Uncertainty
Any component or project element that needs to be managed to ensure the successful delivery of the project, services, or result.
Configuration Item
A tool used to manage changes to a product or service being produced as well as changes to any of the project documents—for example, schedule updates
Configuration Management
A collection of procedures used to track project artifacts and monitor and control changes to these artifacts
Configuration Management System
Difference of opinion or agenda on a project amongst team members, stakeholders, or customers.
Conflict
The application of one or more strategies for dealing with disagreements that may be detrimental to team performance.
Conflict Management
The process of working to reach an agreement after a conflict situation arises.
Conflict Resolution
Group decision technique in which the group agrees to support an outcome even if the individuals do not agree with the decision.
Consensus
A visual depiction of the product scope showing a business system (process, equipment, computer system, etc.), and how people and other systems (actors) interact with it.
Context Diagram
A risk response strategy developed in advance, before risks occur; it is meant to be used if and when identified risks become reality
Contingency Plan
A theory credited to Fred. E. Fielder which states that the set of skills and attributes that helped a project manager in one environment may work against them in another environment.
Contingency Theory
The ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.
Continuous Improvement (CI)
The practice of regularly merging all software code into a shared environment, several times a day, to check code quality and functionality.
Continuous Integration
The systematic, ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes in an organization.
Continuous Process Improvement
A mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified project or service or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it
Contract
The system used to collect, track, adjudicate, and communicate changes to a contract.
Contract Change Control System
A management control point at which scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement.
Control Account
A graphic display of process data over time and against established control limits, which has a center-line that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward either control limit.
Control Charts
Monitor and control project costs to ensure they align with the cost baseline/budget.
Control Costs Process
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, making changes and corrections as appropriate, and closing out contracts
Control Procurements Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process is performed by the buyer to ensure compliance by the seller and the other party; it compares the terms in the agreement/contract.
Control Procurement’s Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process focuses on the quality of deliverables
Control Quality Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process ensures that the flow and usage of physical resources line up with the plan.
Control Resources Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process compares the planned work to the actual work.
Control Schedule Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process ensures that changes to scope are properly controlled
Control Scope Process
A type of PMO that provides support and requires compliance through various means
Controlling PMO
Steps (action) to bring future results in line with the plan; this can change the plan or the way the plan is being executed
Corrective Action
Summing the lower-level cost estimates associated with the various work packages for a given level within the project’s WBS or for a given cost control account.
Cost Aggregation
The approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding any management reserves, which can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results.
Cost Baseline
A financial analysis method used to determine the benefits provided by a project against its costs.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Cost estimates adjusted based on performance—i.e., Estimate at complete, budget at completion, estimate to complete, etc
Cost Forecast
A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.
Cost Management Plan
The money spent during a project to avoid failures. This includes prevention costs that build a quality product and appraisal costs that assess the quality
Cost of Conformance
The money spent after a project is complete because of failures. This includes internal and external failure costs
Cost of Non-Conformance
All costs incurred over the life of the product by investment in preventing non-conformance to requirements, appraisal of the product or service for conformance to requirements, and failure to meet requirements
Cost of Quality (CoQ)
A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
A category of contract that involves payments to the seller for all legitimate actual costs incurred for completed work, plus an award fee representing seller profit.
Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) contract
A type of cost-reimbursable contract in which the buyer reimburses the seller for the seller’s allowable costs (allowable costs are defined by the contract) plus a fixed amount of profit (fee).
Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract
A type of cost-reimbursable contract in which the buyer reimburses the seller for the seller’s allowable costs (allowable costs are defined by the contract), and the seller earns its profit if it meets defined performance criteria.
Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) contract
The amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time, expressed as the difference between the earned value and the actual cost
Cost Variance (CV)
A cost-benefit analysis allows project managers to compare if the benefits of an action outweigh the costs or, conversely, if the costs outweigh the benefits.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller’s actual costs, plus a fee typically representing the seller’s profit.
Cost-Reimbursable Contract
Applying additional resources to one or more tasks/activities to complete the work more quickly. Crashing usually increases costs more than risks.
Crashing
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration
Critical Path
Teams that have all the capabilities to deliver the work they’ve been assigned. Team members can specialize in certain skills, but the team can deliver what they’ve been called on to build.
Cross-Functional Team
Understanding the cultural differences of the individuals, groups, and organizations in the project stakeholder community to adapt communication strategies to avoid or reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings.
Cultural Awareness
The individual or organization that will accept the deliverable(s) or product.
Customer
Refers to the period from the time a team starts a task until the time it is completed.
Cycle Time
A short, 15-minute meeting in which the complete team gets together for a quick status update while standing in a circle.
Daily Standup
Refers to gathered empirical information, especially facts and numbers.
Data
The act of scrutinizing facts and numbers for typical purposes of decision-making, verification, validation, or assessment.
Data Analysis
Techniques used to solicit and document ideas—i.e., brainstorming, interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, surveys, and so on.
Data Gathering
A way of depicting data visually to aid in its communication/comprehension to various audiences
Data Representation
Regulations that are widely accepted and adopted through use.
De Facto Regulations
Regulations that are mandated by law or have been approved by a recognized body of experts
De Jure Regulations
An informal, collaborative means of discussing the positives and the negatives of a project, what worked, and what will be done differently next time.
Debriefing
The process of selecting a course of action from among multiple options.
Decision Making
A diagramming and calculation technique for evaluating the implications of a chain of multiple options in the presence of uncertainty.
Decision Tree Analysis
A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
Decomposition
Part of the Planning Process Group, this process defines the activities (tasks) necessary to complete work packages/stories.
Define Activities Process
Part of the Planning Process Group, this process produces the scope statement that depicts a detailed and complete understanding of the project’s vision.
Define Scope Process
A team’s checklist of all the criteria required to be met so that a deliverable can be considered ready for customer use.
Definition of Done (DoD)
A team’s checklist for a user-centric requirement that has all the information the team needs to be able to begin working on it.
Definition of Ready (DoR)
Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability used to perform a service and that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase, or projects.
Deliverable
A form of gathering expert opinions in which members of a group are asked or polled anonymously.
Delphi Technique
A review at the end of each iteration with the product owner and other customer stakeholders to review the progress of the product, get early feedback, and review an acceptance from the product owner of the stories delivered in the iteration
Demo
A relationship between one or more tasks/activities. A dependency may be mandatory or discretionary, internal or external.
Dependency
A set of technical guidelines that may be applied during the design of a product for the optimization of a specific aspect of the design.
Design for X (DfX)
A data analysis technique to determine the optimal condition; typically used with multiple variables.
Design of Experiments (DoE)
Part of the Planning Process Group, this process produces the cost baseline/project budget.
Determine Budget Process
A collection of practices for creating a smooth flow of delivery by improving collaboration between development and operations staff.
DevOps
Part of the Initiating Process Group, this process produces the project charter, which officially starts the project.
Develop Project Charter
A planning process which is a guide on how the project will be managed. It is composed of 19 components
Develop Project Management Plan Process
Part of the Planning Process Group, this process arranges activities to create the schedule baseline.
Develop Schedule Process
Part of the Executing Process Group, this process enhances and empowers the team to improve teamwork and individual skills.
Develop Team Process
Various means of depicting a system or virtual concept such as a business or process flow that indicate entities, relationships, and interactions
Diagramming Techniques
A group decision technique in which one person makes the decision for the entire group.
Dictatorship
Costs that are reported against the project, which may include salaries for resources, materials, and other expenses. It does not include shared expenses or overhead expenses.
Direct Cost
A classification model that groups stakeholders based on how they influence the project and/or the project team: upwards (senior management); downwards (team or specialists); outwards (external); sidewards (project manager’s peers)
Directions of Influence
A type of PMO that takes control of projects by directly managing the projects.
Directive PMO
Breaking down epics or large stories into smaller stories. This is similar to decomposition on predictive projects.
Disaggregation
A relationship that is established based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area or an aspect of the project in which a specific sequence is desired.
Discretionary Dependency
A technique used to gain project requirements from current document valuation.
Document Analysis
Amount of time needed to complete an activity/task or work package.
Duration
Used in a networking diagram, this represents the earliest date that the activity can finish
Early Finish
Used in a networking diagram, this represents the earliest date that the activity can start.
Early Start
A measure of work performed expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work.
Earned Value (EV)
A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress
Earned Value Management (EVM)
Any or all environmental factors either internal or external to the project that can influence the project’s success to include culture, weather conditions, government regulations, political situation, market conditions, and so on.
EEF
A way of analyzing the major risks inherent to a project that could have an impact on its success. These major risks include time, cost, quality, and scope.
Effect-Based Risk Classification
The number of labor units required to complete a scheduled activity or WBS component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks.
Effort
The actual calendar time required for an activity from start to finish.
Elapsed Time
The ability to identify, assess, and manage the personal emotions of oneself and other people, as well as the collective emotions of groups of people.
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
Part of emotional intelligence (EQ or EI). The ability to understand others’ viewpoints and be a team player
Empathy
An essential attribute of agile teams to enable localized decision-making capabilities. The quality of granting or being granted, nurturing, or motivating a team member or team to exercise one’s own knowledge, skill, and ability—or that of a team.
Empowerment
Another name for “stakeholder engagement roadmap” - a guideline based on the stakeholder analysis that sets forth processes for engaging with stakeholders at current and all future states of the project.
Engagement Roadmap
A strategy for managing positive risks or opportunities that involves increasing the probability that the opportunity will happen, or the impact it will have by identifying and maximizing enablers of these opportunities.
Enhance
A block of work with one common objective, such as a feature, customer request or business requirement. A helpful way to organize work and create a hierarchy, epic helps teams break their work down, while continuing to work towards a bigger goal.
Epic
The act of seeking helpful intervention in response to a threat that is outside the scope of the project or beyond the project manager’s authority.
Escalate
A number, figure, or representation that denotes cost or time.
Estimate
The expected total cost of completing all work expressed as the sum of the actual cost to date and the estimate to complete
Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Part of the Planning Process Group, this process determines the financial estimate for each work package and/or activity.
Estimate Costs Process
The expected cost of finishing all the remaining project work.
Estimate to Complete (ETC)
Motivational theory which proposes that the team makes choices based on the expected outcome
Expectancy Theory
Judgment provided based upon expertise in an application area, knowledge area, discipline, industry, etc., as appropriate for the activity being performed.
Expert Judgment
Knowledge that can be codified using symbols such as words, numbers, and pictures. This type of knowledge can be easily documented and shared with others.
Explicit Knowledge
A strategy for managing positive risks or opportunities that involves attempting to make sure that the opportunity happens.
Exploit
Types of activity dependencies that exist between project activities and non-project activities and can be out of the project’s control
External Dependency
Agile methodology in which iterations last for one week and programmers work in pairs.
Extreme Programming (XP)
Organized working sessions held by project managers to determine a project’s requirements and to get all stakeholders together to agree on the project’s outcomes.
Facilitated Workshops
A skill used to lead or guide an assembled group toward a successful conclusion such as making a decision or finding a solution.
Facilitation
A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration.
Fast Tracking
A group of stories that delivers value to the customer
Feature
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.
Finish-to-Finish (FF)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.
Finish-to-Start (FS)
A type of fixed price contract in which the buyer pays the seller a set amount (as defined by the contract), regardless of the seller’s costs.
Firm Fixed Price Contract (FFP)
An agreement that sets the fee that will be paid for a defined scope of work regardless of the cost or effort to deliver it.
Fixed Price Contract
A type of contract in which the buyer pays the seller a set amount (as defined by the contract), and the seller can earn an additional amount if the seller meets defined performance criteria
Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF) contract
A fixed-price contract, but with a special provision allowing for pre-defined final adjustments to the contract price due to changed conditions, such as inflation changes, or cost increases (or decreases) for specific commodities
Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment (FPEPA) contract
An elicitation technique that brings together pre-qualified stakeholders and subject matter experts to learn about their expectations and attitudes about a proposed product, service, or result.
Focus Groups
Technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates of the schedule activities. This is part of the critical path method and is paired with backward pass to determine activity and schedule float along with the critical path.
Forward Pass
Supervisory organizational role in a specialized area or department.
Functional Manager
An organizational structure in which staff is grouped by areas of specialization and the project manager has limited authority to assign work and apply resources.
Functional Organization
In an agile context, an action that the system performs that adds value to the customer/user
Functionality
Adding more scope than the customer requested and/or that the team planned for.
Gold Plating
Expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.
Ground Rules
A bar or column chart that graphically represents numerical data—for example, the number of defects per deliverable, a ranking of the cause of defects, the number of times each process is noncompliant, or other representations of project or product defects
Histogram
Archived information from previous projects that can be used for a multitude of reasons, including estimating cost, schedule, resources, and lessons learned.
Historical Information
An estimation technique that refers to the time it would take to complete a given task assuming neither interruptions nor unplanned problems arise
Ideal Time
An obstacle that prevents the team from achieving its objectives
Impediment
A functional, tested, and accepted deliverable that is a subset of the overall project utcome.
Increment
Agile concept that the functionality should be delivered in small pieces or stages rather than as a complete solution
Incremental Delivery
An adaptive project life cycle in which the deliverable is produced through a series of iterations that successively add functionality within a predetermined time frame.
Incremental Life Cycle
A cost usually tracked as part of a contract, that is not expended directly for the project’s benefit.
Indirect Costs
Used in quality management decisions. A graphical representation of situations showing causal influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among variables and outcomes.
Influence Diagram
Used in stakeholder management. A classification model that groups stakeholders on the basis of their involvement in and impact on the project.
Influence/Impact Grid
The act of presenting a good case to explain why an idea, decision, or problem should be handled a certain way, without resistance from other individuals
Influencing
Data that has been analyzed, organized, and processed to make it more meaningful.
Information
A system to allow the team to collaborate, share, and capture project work.
Information Management
A way to collect, manage, and distribute project information
Information Management System
A risk that has only the potential for loss and no potential for profit or gain
Insurable Risk
In an agile context, this generally refers to face-to-face conversations between members, customers and stakeholders
Interactions
An exchange of information between two or more individuals that ensures common understanding for everyone participating in that exchange
Interactive Communication
A type of activity dependency that exists between project activities and is usually under the project’s control
Internal Dependency
The interest rate that makes the net present value of all cash flow equal to zero. This rate is a function of the cost of capital for project implementation
Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Skills used to establish and maintain relationships with other people or stakeholders.
Interpersonal Skills
A type of procurement document most commonly used when deliverables are commodities for which there are clear specifications and when quantities are very large. The invitation is usually advertised, and any seller may submit a bid.
Invitation for Bid (IFB)
A current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project objectives.
Issue
An issue is a current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project objectives. An issue log is used to record and monitor information on active issues. Issues are assigned to a responsible party for follow up and resolution.
Issue Log
A timeboxed cycle of development on a product or deliverable in which all the work needed to deliver value is performed.
Iteration
The work that is committed to be performed during a given iteration and is expected to burn down the duration. The work does not carry over to the next iteration.
Iteration Backlog
A project life cycle in which the project scope is generally determined early in the project life cycle, but time and cost estimates are routinely modified as the project team’s understanding of the product/service increases. . Iterations progressively develop the product/service through a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add
to the functionality of the product/service
Iterative Life Cycle
