Foundations Flash Cards
Progressive Elaboration
The process of the PM constantly working, checking and refining their plans.
What is a Project
Temporary endeavor regardless of size or scope with a specific start and end point that produces a deliverables and is planned iteratively
Project management Team
the group of individuals who manage a project, typically one or more project managers plus executives and professionals
Project Manager
it is the project managers and the project management teams responsibility to integrate all of these roles and ensure that they mesh, allowing successful completion of the project. The project manager’s role calls on a wide range of skills, including interpersonal, leadership and general management skills in addition to knowing project management techniques.
Project Sponsors
the one who initiates, defines, secures organizational approval and commits funds and resources to the projects. Provides funding, issues project charter may also create SOW on smaller projects. May write business case to secure organizational approval.
Project Team Members
The professionals who do the work of the project. May also be part of the project management team
Project Stakeholders
Anyone affected positively or negatively by the project including; executives, managers, employees, vendors and even customers.
triple Constraint
It’s really six today but PMI has not changed the label. The triple constraints are the six dimensions of the project that are always in tension with each other. If one dimension is changed, at least one or even more of the other five are impacted. The six dimensions are cost, scope, quality, time, resoure & risk
Example Stakeholders
Performing Organization, sponsor, senior management, functional management, Project Team members, Project management team members, project manager, PMO, customers, users, vendors, suppliers, consultants and employee’s
Expert Judgment
the PM’s professional opinion based on experience, knowledge and current situation
Qualitative
Risk management analysis technique that’s simple and fast
Quantitative
Risk management analysis technique to assess probabilities and the impact of a risk event.
Trade-Offs
A description of the impact of the triple constraints due to the balance/tension between the constraints when one of the dimensions is changed.
Portfolios
A bundle of dissimilar projects/programs.
Programs
a bundle of related projects that have a common purpose
Sub-Projects
A specific component of the larger effort that the organization contracts out to other organizations
Phases or Sub-Phases
Dividing up a project into smaller phases where each phase produces a deliverable that management examines and formally accepts before the next phase begins. This is done to generate greater control over a project
organizational content
The range or organizational structures, processes and cultures that affect projects and their teams.
Functional Organizations
Organized around technical specialties like marketing, sales, manufacturing, facilities, customer service, engineering and accounting. The barriers between the functional “silos” make it tough on PM’s. Cross functional projects require exceptional negotiating skills from the PM to acquire resources. PM’s have little or now authority and “borrow” people and resources. Strong chain of command with a top down management structure. Communication lines follow the chain of command simple but rigid. Project Expediter and Project Coordinators
Project Expediter
Assist functional manager sin coordinating projects, no decision-making authority and focus mainly on communication, following up on tasks and deliveries of equipment.
Project Coordinators
Staff role reporting to senior managers tracking multiple projects at the same time. They often have some decision-making authority but do not have the responsibilities of project managers in the areas of making assignments, analyzing change requests and reporting status
Matrix Organizations
Three varieties (week, balanced, strong). Functional departments with some shared resources. The difference between the types is from the PM’s view. How much power the PM’s have vs. functional managers. All three types have more complex communication processes and more conflict than functional
Weak Matrix Organization
Similar to functional org with the PM having a bit more power and influence but still weaker than the functional manager. Borrowing resources is a bit easier.
Balanced Matrix Organization
PM and Functional Managers have relatively equal power and authority and the negotiation for resources is on even terms. Conflict is at a peak and communications are at their most difficult.
Strong matrix
Pm has more power than the functional managers and has a much easier time acquiring resource and manage the project budget.
Projectized Organizations
Projects are treated like it were a department with the PM managing a dedicated staff and budget. PM’s have the same status as functional managers. The PM is the organizational superior of the people working the on the project team and does completes typical HR management tasks like performance reviews, employee development and daily assignments.
Composite Organizations
A mix of all three types:
PMO
Project Management Office. A PMO serves to facilitate the projects that are taking place. There are various types of PMO’s. Some who just track and report status, while others may provide standardized tools, processes and reporting and enforcement of those standards.
Project Lifecycle vs. Product Lifecycles
Product life cycle’s define the different stages a product moves through during it’s life. Each phase may be managed by a specific project using a project framework. For example, the R&D of a cell phone is a phase in the product lifecycle while a full project lifecycle is used to complete that single step in the product life cycle
The Process Groups of Project management
The five project lifecycle process groups of PMI: Initiating, Planning , executing, Monitoring and controlling, Closing
The Knowledge Areas of Project Management
International Space Station Queue Has caused rationing peas & salad
The 10 areas of concentration that organize the 47 processes. Integration Management, Scope management, Schedule Management, Cost Management, Quality Management Knowledge Area, Human Resources management, Communications Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, Stakeholder management
Initiating
Gets a project started and has 2 processes and is executed by the sponsor securing project authorization from the organization
Planning
24 processes and is the busiest process group because we make all the decisions about how we are going to do things on the project
Executing
8 processes and it is here that we do the work of the project, consume most of the resource and produce the deliverables.
Monitoring and Controlling
It has 11 processes and here we ensure that execution is going according to plan and correct things if it is not
Schedule Management
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7 Processes and the purpose is defining and then tracking the schedule for delivering the projects scope; Plan Schedule management (Planning Process Group); Define Activities (Planning Process Group); Sequence Activities (planning Process Group); Estimate Activity Resources (Planning Process Group); Estimate Activity durations (Planning Process Group); develop Schedule (Planning Process Group); Control Schedule (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group)
Quality Management Knowledge Area
Three processes that share the purpose of establishing the criteria and specifications that the projects deliverables must meet and then tracking actual performance and improving the process of producing those deliverables. Plan Quality Management (Planning process group); Perform Quality Assurance (Executing Process Group); Control Quality (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group)
Cost management
Private expectations drive costs
Four Processes with the purpose of establishing a budget for delivering the project’s scope and then tracking actual costs and comparing them to the budget. Plan cost management (Planning Process Group); Estimate Costs (Planning Process Group); Determine Budget (Planning Process Group); Control Cost (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group)
Closing
2 processes and is started once all the deliverables have been produced. It is where we put the data away for future projects and assess how we did in lessons learned.
Professionalism & Social Responsibility
the ethical standards expected of PM’s by the PMBOK (14% of the exam)
Integration Management
6 Processes to tie together everything else that happens. Develop Project Charter (Initiating Process Group), Develop Project Management Plan (Planning Process Group), direct and manage Project Work (Executing Process Group), Monitoring and control project work (Monitoring and controlling process group), Perform Integrated change control (Monitoring and controlling process Group), Close project or Phase (Closing Process Group)
Scope management
6 Processes with the purpose of defining what result the project should produce and then watch to ensure it does produce that result. Plan Scope Management (Planning Process Group); Collect Requirements (Planning Process Group); Define Scope (Planning process Group); Create WBS (Planning Process Group); Validate Scope (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group); Control Scope (monitoring and Controlling Process Group
EEF
Enterprise Environmental Factors: An input to many PMI tasks. EEF includes the org's personnel system for compensations, assignments ands such. Accounting systems and other enterprise IT tools. PMs draw on this factors and operate within the limitations they impose. Marketplace Organization Culture & Structure Regulation & Standards Infrastructure & Human Resources Work Authorization System Stakeholder Risk Tolerances Estimating & Risk Data Data Bases Project Management Information System
OPA
Organizational Process Assets: A wide range of things that help a PM to avoid "reinventing the wheel". Organizational Standards Performance Criteria Templates Communication Requirements Financial Controls Issue And Defect Management Change Control & Configuration Mgt Risk Management Work Authorization Project Files Performance And Defect Data
Human Resources management
Four processes for identifying, managing and developing the members of the project team. Plan Human Resource management (Planning Process Group); Acquire Project Team (executing process group); Develop Project team (Executing Process Group); Manage Project Team (Executing Process Group)
Communications Management
Three processes for the planning of the project related communications, managing the communications and monitoring communications to make sure they are sufficient. Plan Communications management (Planning Process Group); Manage Communications (Executing Process Group); Control Communications (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group)
Risk Management
6 Processes with the purpose of identifying the uncertainties or risks the project faces (things that could hurt and, as importantly, things that might help) and managing these risks to the project’s betterment. Plan Risk Management (Planning Process Group); Identify risks (Planning Process Group); Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis (Planning Process Group); Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis (Planning Process Group); Plan Risk Responses (planning Process Group); Control Risks (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group)
Procurement Management
Four Processes with the purpose of securing the items the project needs to buy and making sure they are delivered as promised in the contracts/agreements. Plan Procurement Management (Planning Process Group); Conduct Procurements ( Executing Process Group); Control Procurements (Monitoring and Controlling Process Group); Close Procurements (Closing Process Group)
Stakeholder Management
Four Processes with the purpose of identifying the stakeholders, their expectations for the project as well as managing those expectations through the life of the project. Identify Stakeholders (Initiating Process Group); Plan Stakeholder Management (Planning Process Group); Manage Stakeholder Engagement (executing Process Group); control stakeholder Engagement ( monitoring and Controlling process Group)
