Glossary Flashcards
To gain entry into, or to instruct or communicate with, the logical, arithmetical, or memory function resources of a computer, computer system, or computer network
Access
The process of acquiring personnel/goods/services for new or existing work within the general definitions of contracts requiring an offer and acceptance, consideration, lawful subject matter and competent parties
Acquisition Process
A cryptic name for a project, program or sponsor based on the first letters of the words in a project name
Acronym
a list of action items, including a description, point of contact, and dates of action and resolution
Action Item Status
A project that is in progress
Active Project
A name that easily identifies an activity or task
Activity Description
A task or series of tasks performed over a defined period of time
Activity(ies)
The direct costs actually incurred and teh indirect costs applied in accomplish the work performed within a given time period
Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)
The calendar date work actually ended on an activity. It must be equal to or after the start date
Actual Finish Date
The calendar date work actually began on an activity. It must be prior to or equal to the finish date
Actual Start Date
Used to define a general status organizational level consisting of the Agency and Departments interchangeably. Referenced to Agency (with a capital A) is used for the reference to a specific agency or to that specific organizational level.
Agency
A general term used to refer to a mathematical formula or processing routine that, based on parameters, performs a set calculation(s) or performs a specific et of tasks.
Algorithm
Breaking down a complex scope situation for the purpose of generating and evaluating different solutions and approaches
Alternative Analysis
Identification of other approaches or solutions an the impact of tradeoffs to attain the objectives
Alternatives
The study and examination of something complex and the separation into its simpler components. Analysis typically includes discovering no only what are the parts of the being studied, but also how they fit together. An example is the study of schedule variances of cause, impact, corrective action, and results.
Analysis
To accept as satisfactory. Approval implies that the item approved has the endorsement of the approving entity. The approval may still require confirmation by somebody else, as in levels of approval. In management use, the important distinction is between approve and authorize. See authorizatino.
Approve
Used to define the person or organization entity responsible for specific policy areas, processes, and procedures as identified. The current levels of responsibility are Legislature, ITEC, ITA, CITO, state organizations and IT user.
Areas of Responsibility
A statement that someone has deemed to be possibly true, on which the project’s business case has been developed.
Assumptions
A planned and documented activity performed by qualified personnel to determine by investigation, examination, or evaluation of objective evidence, the adequacy and compliance with established procedures, or the applicable documents, and the effectiveness of a project.
Audits
The power granted by management to specified individuals allowing them to approve transactions, procedures, or total systems such as the Steering Committee delegating approval of deliverables to certain users or user groups.
Authorization
An effort that has been approved by higher authority and may or may not be defined
Authorized Work
Management plan and/or scope document fixed at a specific point in time in the project life cycle. Each project is baselined at lease once at the beginning. As a project evolves, it may be re-baselined.
Baseline
Identification of the smallest activities or tasks in a job according to a defined procedure
Breakdown
When unqualified, refers to an estimate of funds planned to cover a project or specified period of future time.
Budget
The sum of budgets for completed activities and completed portions of open activities, plus the appropriate portion of budgets for level of effort and apportioned effort. Also known as Earned Value.
Budgeted Cost for Work Performed (BCWP)
The sums of the budget for all activities, planning activities, etc, scheduled to be accomplished (including in-process activities), plus the amount of level of effort and apportioned effort scheduled to be accomplished within a given task period. Also known as the plan
Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS)
Part of the planning function and control mechanism for a project
Budgeting
The number which represents the average cost of the project by hour, day or week
Burn Rate
Model used by a manager for planning and scheduling project work.
Business Plan
The calendar used in developing a project plan. This calendar identifies project work days and can be altered to define the work week.
Calendar
The smallest unit of the calendar produced. This unit is generally in hours, days or weeks; it can also be grouped in shifts
Calendar Unit
Change Control Board is to approve changes at a level established by the Steering Committee. The Board should consist of the Change Manager, key technical and management staff from the project team, representation from executive management, stakeholders, and user communities.
CCB
An increase or decrease in any of the project characteristics, usually referring to specifications.
Change
The process of controlling, documenting, and storing the changes to control items. This includes proposing the change, evaluating it, approving or rejecting it, scheduling it and tracking it.
Change Control
A change in objectives, specifications, work plan, cost or schedule that results in a material difference from the terms of previously granted approval to proceed.
Change in Scope
A set of tasks or procedures established to ensure that project performance is measured to the baseline and changes are reviewed, approved or rejected, and the baseline updated.
Change Management Process
Chief Information Technology Architect (for state)
CITA
Chief Information Technology Officer (for each branch of government)
CITO
The stage the project enters when all activities are complete and the product finished. It is the last phase of the project management life cycle.
Close-Out Stage
An activity with an actual finish date and no remaining work to be done.
Completed Activity
Any system that provides communication among one or more computer systems and input/output devices including, but not limited to, display terminals and printers connected by telecommunication facilities.
Computer Network
An imaginative arrangement of a set of ideas
Concept
A generic term used to define both the first stage in a project management process and in a generic project life cycle. The first of the sequential phases in the generic project life cycle.
Concept Phase
A process of choosing/documenting the best approach to achieve project objectives.
Conceptual Design
The process of developing broad-scope project documentation from which the technical requirements, estimates, schedules, control procedures, and effective project management will all flow.
Conceptual Project Planning
Information maintained by state organizations that is exempt from disclosure under provisions of State or federal laws.
Confidential Information
Processes including procedures and tools to control project deliverable(s) in terms of release and revision. A system of procedures that monitors emerging project scope against the scope baseline. Requires documentation and management approval on any change to the baseline.
Configuration Management
The process the project manager uses to deal with the inevitable disagreements, both technical and personal in nature.
Conflict Management
The process of seeking a solution to a problem. Five methods in particular, that have been proven successful are confrontation, compromise, smoothing, forcing, and withdrawal.
Conflict Resolution
Specific provisions for unforeseeable elements of cost and schedule within the defined project.
Contingencies
A plan that identifies key assumptions, beyond the project manager’s control, and their probability of occurrence. The plan identifies alternative strategies for achieving project success. It is considered part of risk management.
Contingency Plan
The establishment of management plans to be invoked in the event of specified risk events. Examples include the provision and prudent management of sequences or “work-arounds,” emergency responses to reduce, and the evaluation of liabilities in the event of complete project shut down.
Contingency Planning (Mitigation)
A binding agreement to acquire goods and/or services in support of a project.
Contract
A project element that is considered a unit for the purpose of configuration management. This includes such items as software modules, versions of software systems, the project design document and the project plans.
Control Item
A mechanism that reacts to the current project status in order to ensure accomplishment of project objectives.
Control System
Action necessary to correct variance from the project plan. This directive is the result of the tracking and review process.
Corrective Action Plan
Expenditures required to accomplish a project activity.
Cost
The process of establishing budgets, standards, and a monitoring system by which the investment costs of the project can be measured and managed.
Cost Budgeting
The project’s economic budget for labor, hours, equipment, risks, et
Cost Estimate
Components of the economic influences on a project.
Cost Factors
A tool prepared for cost estimation of the project
Cost Model
The value earned for every measurable unit of actual cost expended. BCWP/ACWP
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
The numerical difference between earned value (BCWP) and actual costs (ACWP)
Cost Variance(CV)
The process followed to determine the cost and/or schedule impact of a specific change with a project.
Cost/Schedule Impact Analysis (CSIA)
Implementing an alternative series of tasks to accomplish a specific objective. Often done to get a project back on schedule. Generally, raises the overall cost of the project.
Crashing
Any activity on a critical path.
Critical Activity
A sequential path of activities in a network schedule that represents the longest duration of a project. Any slippage of the tasks in the critical path increases the duration of the project unless corrective actions are implemented.
Critical Path
A scheduling technique that uses precedence diagrams for graphic display of the work plan. The charts are referred to as network diagrams.
Critical Path Method (CPM)
A plan for the execution of a project that consists of activities and their logical relationships to one another.
Critical Path Network (CPN)
A description of factors necessary to ensure the success factors of the project’s design, development, and implementation. They are based on the user’s, stakeholder’s and project sponsor’s view of the project.
Critical Success Factors
Forecast of start and finish dates, hours of effort, and cost, which is made at any point in time after the baseline start date has passed.
Current Estimate
The gathering and recording of facts, changes, and forecasts for reporting and future planning.
Data Collection
The process of breaking down activities and the work package to a manageable level, usually to a timeframe of 8 to 80 hours.
Decomposing (Decomposition)
The act of transferring all or part of a risk to another party, usually by some form of contract.
Deflection
A report or tangible product of one or more tasks that satisfy one or more objectives of the project.
Deliverables
The creation of final approach for executing the project’s work.
Design
A system for monitoring project scope, schedule, and cost during the project’s design stage
Design Control
A schedule used to communicate the day-to-day activities to working levels on the project. A schedule must incorporate planned start dates and planned finish dates.
Details Schedule
A description of the project’s technical strategy, i.e. architecture, technical approach, etc.
Development Strategy
Division of Information Services and Communications within the Department of Administration.
DISC
A task that has a deliverable, is measurable, and has a definite start and finish. A low-level task on the Work Breakdown Structure would be an example of a discrete activity.
Discrete Activity
A pictorial, verbal, written, tabulated, or graphical means of transmitting findings, results, and conclusions.
Display
This is a mathematical calculation used to estimate what you got for what you spent. Also referred to a budgeted cost of work performed.
Earned Value
The process of establishing the value of a project in relation to other state standards/benchmarks.
Economic Evaluation
An evaluation of all the costs of the elements of a project or effort as defined by an agreed-upon scope.
Estimate
The value (expressed in dollars and/or hours) developed to represent a realistic appraisal of the cost of the project once it is completed. It takes into consideration actual cost, plus projected cost, and is an assessment of the total project effort.
Estimated Cost at Completion (EAC)
The remaining costs to be incurred to satisfy the complete scope of a project at a specific date. The difference between the cost to date and the forecast final cost.
Estimated to Complete (ETC)
In the conduct of their operations, state organizations and their employees will employ information technology in a legal and ethical manner consistent with government statutes, rules and regulations. Information technology will not be used for purposes that are unrelated to the state organization’s mission or that violate State or Federal law. Contract provisions, including software licensing agreements, will be strictly enforced.
Ethics
An identifiable single point in time on a project
Event
The process of documenting those situations where there are significant deviations from the specifications of a project. The assumption is made that the project will be developed within established boundaries. When the process falls outside of those boundaries, a report is made on why this deviation occurred.
Exception Reporting
It is used in this Framework to define a general stage of a project after startup and before closeout. It is the phase of work where the development team produces the primary project deliverables.
Execution Phase
Any public or private communications network external to the organization. Examples include Bulletin Board Services, subscription services such as CompuServe, America Online, Prodigy, Genie, Logitech, Lexis/Nexis, and Barclay’s, public access network such as the Internet World Wide Web Gopher, etc.
External Network
