Definitions Flashcards
0
Q
Accepted Deliverables
A
Products, results, or capabilities produced by a project and validated by the project customer or sponsors as meeting their specified acceptance criteria.
1
Q
Acceptance Criiteria
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A set of conditions that is required to be met before deliverables are accepted.
2
Q
Accuracy
A
Within the quality management system, accuracy is an assessment of correctness.
3
Q
Acquire Project Team
A
The process of confirming human resources availability and obtaining the team necessary.
4
Q
Acquistion
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Obtaining human and material resources necessary to perform project activities. Acquisition implies a cost of resources, and is not necessarily financial.
5
Q
Activity
A
A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the course of a project.
6
Q
Activity Attributes
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Multiple attributes associated with each schedule activity that can be included within the activity list. Activity attributes include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
7
Q
Activity Code
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One or more numerical or text values that identify characteristics of the work or in some way categorize the schedule activity that allows filtering and ordering of activities of activities within reports.
8
Q
Activity Cost Estimates
A
The projected cost of the schedule activity that includes the cost for all resources required to perform and complete the activity, including all cost types and cost components.
9
Q
Activity Duration
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The time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity. See also duration
10
Q
Business Value
A
The sum of all of the things your company is made o, from desks and chairs to people and the intellectual property they produce.
11
Q
Activity Duration Estimate
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The quantitive assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity.
12
Q
Activity Identifier
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A short, unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to differentiate that project activity form other activities. Typically unique within any one project schedule network.
13
Q
Activity List
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A documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows the activity description, activity identifier, and a sufficiently so detailed scope of work description so project team members understand wat work is to be performed.
14
Q
Activity Network Diagram/Project Schedule Network Diagram
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A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities.
15
Q
Activity-on-Node/Precedence diagraming method (PDM)
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A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logic relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed.
16
Q
Activity Resource Requirements
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The types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package.
17
Q
Actual Cost (AC)
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The realized cost incurred for the work on an activity during a specific time period.
18
Q
Actual Duration
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The time in calendar units between the actual start date of the schedule activity and either the data date of the project schedule if the schedule activity is in progress or the actual finish date if the schedule activity is complete.
19
Q
Adaptive Life Cycle
A
A project life cycle, also known as change-driven or agile methods, that is intended to facilitate change and require a high degree of ongoing stakeholder involvment. Adaptive life cycles are also iterative and incremental, but differ in that the iterations are very rapid (usually 2-4 weeks in length) and are fixed in time and resources.
20
Q
Additional Quality Planning Tools
A
A set of tools used to define the quality requirements and to plan effective quality management activites. They include, but not limited to: brainstorming, force field analysis, nominal group techniques and quality management and control tools.
21
Q
Adjusting Leads and Lags
A
At technique used to find ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with plan during project execution.
22
Q
Advertising
A
The process of calling public attention to a project or effort.
23
Q
Affinity Diagram
A
A group creativity technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis.
24
Agreements
Any document or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project. This can take the form of a contract, memorandum of understanding (MOU), letters of agreement, verbal agreements, emails, etc.
25
Alternative Analysis
A technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select which options or approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project.
26
Alternative Generation
A technique used to develop as many potential options as possible in order to identify different approaches to execute and perform the work of the project.
27
Analogous Estimating
A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project.
28
Analytical Technique
Various techniques used to evaluate, analyze, or forecast potential outcomes based on possible variations of project or environment variables and their relationships with other variables.
29
Application Area
A category of projects that have common components significant in such projects, but not needed for present in all projects. Application areas are usually defined in terms of either the product (ie. by similar technologies or production methods) or the type of customer (i.e. internal versus external, government versus commercial) or industry sector (i.e. utilities, automotive, aerospace, information technologies, etv.) Application areas can overlap.
30
Applying Leads and Lags
A technique that is used to adjust the amount of time between predecessor and successor activitities.
31
Apportioned Effort
An activity where effort is allotted proportionately across certain discrete efforts and not divisible into discrete efforts. [Note: Apportioned effort is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance].
32
Approved Change Request
A change request that has been processed through the integrated change control process and approved.
33
Approved Change Requests Review
A review of the change requests to verify that these were implemented as approved.
34
Assumption
A factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or demonstration.
35
Assumptions Analysis
A technique that explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project from inaccuracy, inconsistency, or incompleteness of assumptions.
36
Attribute Sampling
Method of measuring quality that consists of noting the presence (or absence) of some characteristics (attribute) in each of the unites under consideration. After each unit is inspected, the decision is made to accept a lot, reject it, or inspect another unit.
37
Authority
The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals.
38
Backlog
A listing of product requirements and deliverables to be completed, written as stories, and prioritized by the business to manage and organize the project's work.
39
Backward Pass
A critical path method technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates by working backward through the schedule model from the project end date. (Backward design)
40
Bar Chart/Gantt Chart
A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, schedule activities or work breakdown structure components are listed down the left side of the chart, dates are shown across the top, and activity durations are shown as date-placed horizontal bars. Gantt Chart a bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis, dates are shown on the horizontal axis, and activity duration are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates.
41
Baseline
The approved version of a work product that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison.
42
Basis Estimates
Supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges and confidence levels.
43
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the comparison of actual planned practices such as processes and operations, to those of comparable organizations to identify best practices, generates ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance.
44
Bidder conference
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. Also known as conferences, vendor conferences, or pre-paid conferences.
45
botton-Up Estimating
A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS).
46
Brainstorming
A general data gathering and creativity technique that can be used to identify risks, ideas, or solutions to issues by a group team members of subject experts.
47
Budget
The approved estimate to the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity.
48
Budget at Completion (BAC)
The sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed.
49
Buffer/RESERVE
A provision in the project management plan to mitigate cost and/or schedule risk. Often used with a modifier (e.g. management reserve, contingency reserve) to provide further detail on what type of risk are meant to be mitigated.
50
Business Case
A documented economic feasibility study used to establish validity to the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.
51
Business Value
A concept that is unique to each organization and includes tangible and intangible elements. Through the effective use of project, program, portfolio management disciplines, organizations will possess the ability to employ reliable, established processes to meet enterprise objectives and obtain greater business value from their investments.
52
Buyer
The acquirer of products, services, or results for an organization.
53
Cause and Effect Diagram
A decomposition (break down) technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.
54
Central Tendency
A property of the central limit theorem predicting that the data observations is a distribution will tend to group around a central location. The three typical measures of central tendency are the mean, median and mode.
55
Change Control
A process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baseline associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected.
56
Change Control Board (CCB)
A formally charted group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions.
57
Change Control System
A set of procedures that describes how modifications to the project deliverable and documentation are managed and controlled.
58
Change Control Tools
Manual or automated tools to assist with change and/or configuration management. At a minimum, the tools should support the activities of the CCB.
59
Change Log
A comprehensive list of changes made during the project. This typically includes dates of the change and impacts in terms of time, cost, and risk.
60
Change Request
A formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline.
61
Charter/Project Charter
A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides that project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
62
Checklist Analysis
A technique for systematically reviewing materials using a list for accuracy and completeness.
63
Checksheets
A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data.
64
Claim
A request, demand, or assertions of rights by a seller against a buyer, or vice versa, for consideration, compensation, or payment under the terms of a legally binding contract, such as for a disputed change.
65
Claims Administration
The process of processing, adjudicating, and communicating contract claims.
66
Close Procurements
The process of completing each project procurement.
67
Close Project or Phase
The process of finalizing all activities across all the Project Management Process Groups to formally complete a project phase.
68
Closed Procurments
Project contracts or other procurement agreements that have been formally acknowledged by the proper authorizing agent as being finalized and signed off.
69
Closing Process Group
Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close project or phase.
70
Code of Accounts
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure (WBS)
71
Collect Requirements
The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements go meet project objectives.
72
Colocation
An organizational placement strategy where the project team members are physically located close to one another in order to improve communication, working relationships and productivity.
73
Communication Constraints
Restrictions on the content, timing, audience, or individual who will deliver a communication usually stemming from specific legislation, technology, or organizational policies.
74
Communication Methods
A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
75
Communication Models
A description, analogy or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project.
76
Commmunication Requirements Analysis
An analytical technique to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders through interviews, workshops, study of lessons, learned from previous projects, etc.
77
Communication Technology
Specific tools systems, computer programs, etc., used to transfer information.
78
Communication Management Plan
A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, whne, and whom information about the project will be administered and disseminated.
79
Compliance
A general concept of conforming to a rule, standard, law, or requirement such that the assessment of compliance results in a binomial result stated as "compliant" or "noncompliant."
80
Conduct Procurements
The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.
81
Configuration Management System
A subsystem of the overall project management system. It is a collection of formal documented procedures used to apply technical and administrative direction and surveillance to: identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a product, result, services, or component; control any changes to such characteristics; record and report each change an its implementation status; and support the audit of the products, results, or components to verify conformance to requirements. It includes the documentation, tracking systems, and defined approval levels necessary for authorizing an controlling changes.
82
Conflict management
HAndling, controlling, and guiding a conflictual situation to acheive a resolution.
83
Conformance
Within the quality management system, conformance is a general concept do delivering results that fall within the limits that define acceptable variation for a quality requirement.
84
Conformance Work
In the cost of quality framework, conformance work is done to compensate for imperfections that prevent organizations from completing planned activities correctly as essential first-time work. Conformance work consists of actions that are related to prevention and inspection.
85
Constraint
A limiting factor that affects the execution of a project, program, portfolio, or process.
86
Context Diagrams
A visual depiction of the product scope showing a business system (process, equipment, compute system, etc.), and how people and other systems (actors) interact with it.
87
Contingency
An event or occurrence that could affect the execution of the project that may be accounted for with a reserve.
88
Contingency Allowance/Contingency Reserve
Budget within the cost baseline or performance measurement baseline that is allocated for identified risks that are accepted and for which contingent or mitigating responses are developed.
89
Contingent Response Strategies
Responses provided which may be used in the event that a specific trigger occurs.
90
Contract
A contract is a mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified product or services or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it.
91
Contract Change Control System
The system used to collect, track, adjuducated, and communicate changes to a contract.
92
Control
Comparing actual performance with planned performance, analyzing variances assessing trends to effect process improvements, evaluating possible alternatives, and recommending appropriate corrective action as needed.
93
Control Account
A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for perforance measurement.
94
Control Chart
A graphic display of process data over time and against established control limits, which has a centerline that assists in detecting a plotted values toward either control limit.
95
Control Communications
The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met.
96
Control Costs
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project cost and managing changes to the cost baseline.
97
Control Limits/Specification Limits
The area composed of three standard deviations on either side of the centerline or mean of a normal distribution of data plotted on a control chart, which reflects the expected variation in the data.
The area, on either side of the centerline, or mean, of data plotted on a control chart that meets the customer's requirements for a product or service. This area may be greater than or less than the area defined by the control limits.
98
Control Procuments
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contact performance, and making changes and corrections as appropriate.
99
Control Quality
The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.
100
Control Schedule
The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage change to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan.
101
Control Scope
The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline.
102
Control Stakeholder Engagement
The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.
103
Corrective Plan
An intentional activity that realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan.
104
Cost Aggregation
Summing the lower-level costs estimates associated with various work packages for a given level within the projects's WBS or or for a given cost control account.
105
Cost Baseline
The approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding any management reserves, which can be charged only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results.
106
Cost Management Plan
A component of a project or program plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.
107
Cost of Quality (COQ)
A method of determining the costs incurred to ensure quality. Prevention and appraisal costs(cost of conformance) include costs for quality planning, quality control (QC), and quality assurance to ensure compliance to requirements (i.e., training, QC systems,etc.). Failure costs (cost of nonconformance) include costs to rework products, components, or processes that are non-complaint, cost of warranty work and wastw, and loss of reputation.
108
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as a ration of earned value to actual cost.
109
Cost Plus Award Fee Contract (CPAF)
A category of contract that involves payments to the seller for all legitimate actual costs incurred for completion of work, plus an awrd fee representing seller profit.
110
Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract (CPFF)
A type of cost-reimbursable contract where 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.
111
Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contract (CPIF)
A type of cost-reimbursement contract where the buyer reimburses the seller for the seller's allowable costs (allowable costs are defined by the contract), and the seller earns its profit as it meets defined performance criteria.
112
Cost Variance (CV)
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.
113
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A financial analysis tool used to determine the benefits provided by project against its costs.
114
Cost Reimbursement Contract
A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller's actual costs, plus a fee typically representing seller's profit. Cost-reimbursement contracts often include incentive clauses where , if the seller meets or exceeds selected project objectives such as schedule targets or total cost, then the seller receives from the buyer an incentive or bonus payment.
115
Crashing
A technique used to shorten the schedule duratin for the least incremental cost by adding resources.
116
Create WBS
The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.
117
Criteria
Standards, rules, or tests on which a judgement or decision can be based or by which a product, service, result, or process can be evaluated.
118
Critical Chain Method
A schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties.
119
Critical Path
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.
120
Critical Path Activity
Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule.
121
Critical Path Method (CPM)
A method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model.
122
Customer
Customer is the person(s) or organization(s) that will pa for the project's product, srevic, or result. Customers can be internal or external to the performing organization.
123
Data Date
A point in time when the status of the project is recorded.
124
Data Gathering and Representation Technique
Techniques used to collect, organize, and present data and information.
125
Decision Tree Analysis
A diagraming and calculation technique for evaluating the implications of a chain of multiple options in the presence of uncertainty.
126
Decomposition
A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
127
Defect
An imperfection or deficiency in a project component where that component does not meet its requirements or specifications and needs to be either repaired or replaced.
128
Defect Repair
An international activity to modify a nonconforming product or product component.
129
Define Activities
The process of identifying and documenting the specific action to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
130
Define Scope
The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product.
131
Deliverable
Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase,or project.
132
Delphi Technique
An information gathering technique used as a way to reach a consensus of experts on a subject. Experts on the subject participate in this technique anoymously. A facilitator uses a questionnaire to solicit ideas about important project points related to the subject. The responses are summarized and are then recirculated to the experts for further comment. Consensus may be reached in a few rounds of this process. The Delphi technique helps reduce bias in the dat and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome.
133
Dependency/Logical Relationship
A dependency between two activities, or between an activity and a milestone.
134
Dependency Determination
A technique used to identify the type of dependency tht is used to create the logical relationships between predecessor and successor activities.
135
Design of Experiments
A statistical method for identifying which factors may influence specific specifics variables of a product or process under development or in production.
136
Determine Budget
The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.
137
Develop Project Charter
The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to projects activities.
138
Develop Project Team
The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project schedule model.
139
Develop Schedule
The process of analyzing activity sequences, duration, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model.
140
Diagramming Techniques
Approaches to presenting information with logical linkages that aid in understanding.
141
Dictatorship
A group decision-making technique in which one individual makes the decision for the group.
