Glossary Flashcards
PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Glossary, pp. 698-726
1
Q
Acceptance Criteria
A
A set of conditions that is required to be met before deliverables are accepted.
2
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.
3
Q
Accuracy
A
Within the quality management system, accuracy is an assessment of correctness.
4
Q
Acquire Resources
A
The process of obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and other resources necessary to complete project work.
5
Q
Acquisition
A
Obtaining human and material resources necessary to perform project activities. Acquisition implies a cost of resources, and is not necessarily financial.
6
Q
Activity
A
A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the course of a project.
7
Q
Activity Attributes
A
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 relationship, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
8
Q
Activity Duration
A
The time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity. See also duration.
9
Q
Activity Duration Estimates
A
The quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity.
10
Q
Activity List
A
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.
11
Q
Activity-on-Node (AON)
A
See precedence diagramming method (PDM).
12
Q
Actual Cost (AC)
A
The realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period.
13
Q
Actual Duration
A
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.
14
Q
Adaptive Life Cycle
A
A project life cycle that is iterative or incremental.
15
Q
Affinity Diagrams
A
A technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis.
16
Q
Agreements
A
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 agreements, verbal agreements, email, etc.
17
Q
Alternative Analysis
A
A technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select the options or approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project.
18
Q
Analogous Estimating
A
A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project.
19
Q
Analytical Techniques
A
Various techniques used to evaluate, analyze, or forecast potential outcomes based on possible variations of project or environmental variables and their relationships with other variables.
20
Q
Assumption
A
A factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or demonstration.
21
Q
Assumption Log
A
A project document used to record all assumptions and constraints throughout the project life cycle.
22
Q
Attribute Sampling
A
Method of measuring quality that consists of noting the presence (or absence) of some characteristic (attribute) in each of the units under consideration.
23
Q
Authority
A
The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals.
24
Q
Backward Pass
A
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.
25
Bar 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. See also Gantt chart.
26
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 to actual results.
27
Basis of Estimates
Supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels.
28
Benchmarking
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.
29
Benefits Management Plan
The documented explanation defining the processes for creating, maximizing, and sustaining the benefits provided by a project or program.
30
Bid Documents
All documents used to solicit information, quotations, or proposals from prospective sellers.
31
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 contractor conferences, vendor conferences, or pre-bid conferences.
32
Bottom-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).
33
Budget
The approved estimate for the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity.
34
Budget at Completion (BAC)
The sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed.
35
Buffer
See reserve.
36
Business Case
A documented economic feasibility study used to establish 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.
37
Business Value
The net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor. The benefit may be tangible, intangible, or both.
38
Cause and Effect Diagram
A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.
39
Change
A modification to any formally controlled deliverable, project management plan component, or project document.
40
Change Control
A process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected.
41
Change Control Board (CCB)
A formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions.
42
Change Control System
A set of procedures that describes how modifications to the project deliverables and documentation are managed and controlled.
43
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.
44
Change Log
A comprehensive list of changes submitted during the project and their current status.
45
Change Management Plan
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.
46
Change Request
See project charter.
47
Checklist Analysis
A technique for systematically reviewing materials using a list for accuracy and completeness.
48
Checksheets
A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data.
49
Claim
A request, demand, or assertion of rights by a seller against a buyer, or vice versa, for consideration, compensation, or payment under the terms of a leally binding contract, such as for a disputed change.
50
Claims Administration
The process of processing, adjudicating, and communicating contract claims.
51
Close Project or Phase
The process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract.
52
Closing Process Group
The process(es) performed to formally complete or close a project, phase, or contract.
53
Code of Accounts
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure (WBS).
54
Collect Requirements
The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives.
55
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.
56
Communication Methods
A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
57
Communication Models
A description, analogy, or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project.
58
Communication 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.
59
Communications Management Plan
A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, when, and by whom information about the project will be administered and disseminated.
60
Communication Styles Assessment
A technique to identify the preferred communication method, format, and content for stakeholders for planned communications activities.
61
Communication Technology
Specific tools, systems, computer programs, etc., used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
62
Conduct Procurements
The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.
63
Configuration Management Plan
A component of the project management plan that describes how to identify and account for project artifacts under configuration control, and how to record and report changes to them.
64
Configuration Management System
A collection of procedures used to track project artifacts and monitor and control changes to these artifacts.
65
Conformance
Within the quality management system, conformance is a general concept of delivering results that fall within the limits that define acceptable variation for a quality requirement.
66
Constraint
A limiting factor that affects the execution of a project, program, portfolio, or process.
67
Context Diagrams
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.
68
Contingency
An event or occurrence that could affect the execution of the project that may be accounted for with a reserve.
69
Contingency Reserve
Time or money allocated in the schedule or cost baseline for known risks with active response strategies.
70
Contingent Response Strategies
Responses provided which may be used in the event that a specific trigger occurs.
71
Contract
A mutually binding agreement that obligated the seller to provide the specified product or service or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it.
72
Contract Change Control System
The system used to collect, track, adjudicate, and communicate changes to a contract.
73
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.
74
Control Account
A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance management.
75
Control Chart
A graphic display of process data over time and against established control limits, which has a centerline that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward wither control limit.
76
Control Costs
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and mange changes to the cost baseline.
77
Control 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. See also specification limits.
78
Control Procurements
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, making changes and corrections as appropriate, and closing out contracts.
79
Control Quality
The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality management activities to assess performance and ensure the project outputs are complete, correct, and meet customer expectations.
80
Control Resources
The process of ensuring that the physical resources assigned and allocated to the project are available as planned, as well as monitoring the planned versus actual utilization of resources and performing corrective action as necessary.
81
Control Schedule
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project schedule and manage changes to the schedule baseline.
82
Control Scope
The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline.
83
Corrective Action
An intentional activity that realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan.
84
Cost Aggregation
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.
85
Cost Baseline
The approved version of the time-phase 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.
86
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A financial analysis tool used to determine the benefits provided by a project against its costs.
87
Cost Management Plan
A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.
88
Cost of Quality (COQ)
All costs incurred over the life of the product by investment in preventing nonconformance to requirements, appraisal of the product or service for conformance to requirements, and failure to meet requirements.
89
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
A measure of cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost.
90
Cost Plus Award Fee Contract (CPAF)
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.
91
Cost Plus Fixed Free 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) plus a fixed amount of profit (fee).
92
Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF)
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.
93
Cost-Reimbursable Contract
A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller's actual costs, plus a fee typically representing the seller's profit.
94
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.
95
Crashing
A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources.
96
Create WBS
The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.
97
Criteria
Standards, rules, or tests on which a judgment or decision can be based or by which a product, service, result, or process can be evaluated.
98
Critical Path
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.
99
Critical Path Activity
Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule.
100
Critical Path Method (CPM)
A method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of schedule flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model.
101
Data
Discrete, unorganized, unprocessed measurements or raw observations.
102
Data Analysis Techniques
Techniques used to organize, assess, and evaluate data and information.
103
Data Date
A point in time when the status of the project is recorded.
104
Data Gathering Techniques
Techniques used to collect data and information from a variety of sources.
105
Data Representation Techniques
Graphic representations or other methods used to convey data and information.
106
Decision-Making Techniques
Techniques used to select a course of action from different alternatives.
107
Decision Tree Analysis
A diagramming and calculation technique for evaluating the implications of a chain of multiple options in the presence of uncertainty.
108
Decomposition
A technique used to dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
109
Defect
An imperfect or deficiency in a project component where that component does not meet its requirements or specifications and needs to be either repaired or replaced.
110
Defect Repair
An intentional activity to modify a nonconforming product or product component.
111
Define Activities
The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
112
Define Scope
The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product.
113
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.
114
Dependency
See logical relationship.
115
Determine Budget
The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.
116
Development Approach
The method used to create and evolve the product, service, or result during the project life cycle, such as predictive, iterative, incremental, agile, or hybrid method.
117
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 project activities.
118
Develop Project Management Plan
The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an integrated project management plan.
119
Develop Schedule
The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model for project execution and monitoring and controlling.
120
Develop Team
The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance.
121
Diagramming Techniques
Approaches to presenting information with logical linkages that aid in understanding.
122
Direct and Manage Project Work
The process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project's objectives.
123
Discrete Effort
An activity that can be planned and measured and that yields a specific output. [Note: discrete effort is one of three earned value management (EV
124
Discretionary Dependency
A relationship that is established based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area or an aspect of the project where a specific sequence is desired.
125
Documentation Reviews
The process of gathering a corpus of information and reviewing it to determine accuracy and completion.
126
Duration
The total number of work periods required to complete an activity or work breakdown structure component, expressed in hours, days, or weeks. Contrast with effort.
127
Early Finish Date (EF)
In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints.
128
Early Start Date (ES)
In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can start based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints.
129
Earned Value (EV)
The measure of work performed expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work.
130
Earned Value Management
A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress.
131
Effort
The number of labor unites required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Often expressed in hours, days, or weeks. Contrast with duration.
132
Emotional Intelligence
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.
133
Enterprise Environmental Factors
Conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project, program, or portfolio.
134
Estimate
A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome of a variable, such as project costs, resources, effort, or durations.
135
Estimate Activity Durations
The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with the estimated resources.
136
Estimate Activity Resources
The process of estimating team resources and the type and quantities of material, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform project work.
137
Estimate at Completion (EAC)
The expected total cost of completing all work expressed as the sum of the actual cost to date and the estimate to complete.
138
Estimate Costs
The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed to complete project work.
139
Estimate to Complete (ETC)
The expected cost to finish all the remaining project work.
140
Execute
Directing, managing, performing, and accomplishing the project work; providing the deliverables; and providing work performance information.
141
Executing Process Group
Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project requirements.
142
Expert Judgment
Judgment provided based upon expertise in an application area, knowledge area, discipline, industry, etc., as appropriate for the activity being performed. Such expertise may be provided by any group or person with specialized education, knowledge, skill, experience, or training.
143
External Dependency
A relationship between project activities and non-project activities.
144
Fallback Plan
An alternative set of actions and tasks available in the event that the primary plan needs to be abandoned because of issues, risks, or other causes.
145
Fast Tracking
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.
146
Fee
Represents profit as a component of compensation to a seller.
147
Finish Date
A point in time associated with a schedule activity's completion. Usually qualified by one of the following: actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current.
148
Finish-to-Finish (FF)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.
149
Finish-to-Start (FS)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.
150
Firm Fixed Price Contract (FFP)
A type of fixed price contract where the buyer pays the seller a set amount (as defined by the contract), regardless of the seller's costs.
151
Fishbone Diagram
See cause and effect diagram.
152
Fixed-Price Contract
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.
153
Fixed Price Incentive Fee Contract (FPIF)
A type of contract where 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.
154
Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment Contract (FPRPA)
A fixed-price contract, but with a special provision allowing for predefined final adjustments to the contract price due to changed conditions, such as inflation changes, or cost increases (or decreases) for specific commodities.
155
Float
Also called slack. See total float and free float.
156
Flowchart
The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a system.
157
Focus Groups
An elicitation technique that brings together prequalified stakeholders and subject matter experts to learn about their expectations and attitudes about a proposed product, service, or result.
158
Forecast
An estimate or prediction of conditions and events in the project's future based on information and knowledge available at the time of the forecast.
159
Forward Pass
A critical path method technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates by working forward through the schedule model from the project start date or a given point in time.
160
Free Float
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any successor or violating a schedule constraint.
161
Functional Organization
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.
162
Funding Limit Reconciliation
The process of comparing the planned expenditure of project funds against any limits on the commitment of funds for the project to identify any variances between the funding limits and the planned expenditures.
163
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 durations are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates.
164
Grade
A category or rank used to distinguish items that have the same functional use by do not share the same requirements for quality.
165
Ground Rules
Expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.
166
Histogram
A bar chart that shows the graphical representation of numerical data.
167
Historical Information
Documents and data on prior projects including project files, records, correspondence, closed contracts, and closed projects.
168
Identify Risks
The process of identifying individual risks as well as sources of overall risk and documenting their characteristics.
169
Identify Stakeholders
The process of identifying project stakeholders regularly and analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success.
170
Implement Risk Responses
The process of implementing agreed-upon risk response plans.
171
Imposed Date
A fixed date imposed on a schedule activity or schedule milestone, usually in the form of a "start no earlier than" and "finish no later than" date.
172
Incentive Fee
A set of financial incentives related to cost, schedule, or technical performance of the seller.
173
Incremental Life Cycle
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. The deliverable contains the necessary and sufficient capability to be considered complete only after the final iteration.
174
Independent Estimates
A process of using a third party to obtain and analyze information to support prediction of cost, schedule, or other items.
175
Influence Diagram
A graphical representation of situations showing causal influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among variables and outcomes.
176
Information
Organized or structured data, processed for a specific purpose to make it meaningful, valuable, and useful in specific contexts.
177
Information Management Systems
Facilities, processes, and procedures used to collect, store, and distribute information between producers and consumers of information in physical or electronic format.
178
Initiating Process Group
Those processes performed to define a new project or phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.
179
Input
Any item, whether internal or external to the project, which is required by a process before that process proceeds. May be an output from a predecessor process.
180
Inspection
Examination of a work product to determine whether it conforms to documented standards.
181
Interpersonal and Team Skills
Skills used to effectively lead and interact with team members and other stakeholders.
182
Interpersonal Skills
Skills used to establish and maintain relationships with other people.
183
Interviews
A formal or informal approach to elicit information from stakeholders by talking to them directly.
184
Invitation for Bid (IFB)
Generally, this term is equivalent to request for proposal. However, in some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.
185
Issue
A current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project objectives.
186
Issue Log
A project document where information about issues is recorded and monitored.
187
Iterative Life Cycle
A project life cycle where 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 increases. Iterations develop the product through a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add to the functionality of the product.
188
Knowledge
A mixture of experience, values and beliefs, contextual information, intuition, and insight that people use to make sense of new experiences and information.
189
Lag
The amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.
190
Late Finish Date (LF)
In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can finish based on the schedule network, the project completion date, and any schedule constraints.
191
Late Start Date (LS)
In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can start based on the schedule network, the project completion date, and any schedule constraints.
192
Lead
The amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity.
193
Lessons Learned
The knowledge 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.
194
Lessons Learned Register
A project document used to record knowledge gained during a project so that it can be used in the current project and entered into the lessons learned repository.
195
Lessons Learned Repository
A store of historical information about lessons learned in projects.
196
Level of Effort (LOE)
An activity that does not produce definitive end products and is measured by the passage of time.
197
Life Cycle
See project life cycle.
198
Log
A document used to record and describe or denote selected items identified during execution of a process or activity. Usually used with a modifier, such as issue, change, or assumption.
199
Logical Relationship
A dependency between two activities, or between an activity and a milestone.
200
Make-or-Buy Analysis
The process of gathering and organizing data about product requirements and analyzing them against available alternatives including the purchase or internal manufacture of the product.
201
Manage Communications
The process of ensuring timely and appropriate collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, monitoring, and the ultimate disposition of project information.
202
Management Reserve
An amount of the project budget or project schedule held outside of the performance measurement baseline (PMB) for management control purposes, that is reserved for unforeseen work that is within scope of the project.
203
Management Skills
The ability to plan, organize, direct, and control individuals or groups of people to achieve specific goals.
204
Manage Project Knowledge
The process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve the project's objectives and contribute to organizational learning.
205
Manage Quality
The process of translating the quality management plan into executable quality activities that incorporate the organization's quality policies into the project.
206
Manage Stakeholder Engagement
The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations, address issues, and foster appropriate stakeholder involvement.
207
Manage Team
The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance.
208
Mandatory Dependency
A relationship that is contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.
209
Master Schedule
A summary-level project schedule that identifies the major deliverables and work breakdown structure components and key schedule milestones. See also milestone schedule.
210
Matrix Diagrams
A quality management and control tool used to perform data analysis within the organizational structure created in the matrix. The matrix diagram seeks to show the strength of relationships between factors, causes, and objectives that exist between the rows and columns that form the matrix.
211
Matrix Organization
Any organizational structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the functional managers for assigning priorities and for directing the work of persons assigned to the project.
212
Methodology
A system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline.
213
Milestone
A significant point or event in a project, program, or portfolio.
214
Milestone Schedule
A type of schedule that presents milestones with planned dates. See also master schedule.
215
Mind-Mapping
A technique used to consolidate ideas created through individual brainstorming session into a single map to reflect commonality and differences in understanding and to generate new ideas.
216
Monitor
Collect project performance data, produce performance measures, and report and disseminate performance information.
217
Monitor and Control Project Work
The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.
218
Monitor Communications
The process of ensuring that the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met.
219
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
Those processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.
220
Monitor Risks
The process of monitoring the implementation of agreed-upon risk response plans, tracking identified risks, identifying and analyzing new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project.
221
Monitor Stakeholder Engagement
The process of monitoring project stakeholder relationships, and tailoring strategies for engaging stakeholders through the modification of engagement strategies and plans.
222
Monte Carlo Simulation
An analysis technique where a computer model is iterated many times, with the input values chosen at random for each iteration driven by the input data, including probability distributions and probabilistic branches. Outputs are generated to represent the range of possible outcomes for the project.
223
Multicriteria Decision Analysis
A technique utilizing a decision matrix to provide a systematic analytical approach for establishing criteria, such as risk levels, uncertainty, and valuation, to evaluate and rank many ideas.
224
Network
See project schedule network diagram.
225
Network Logic
All activity dependencies in a project schedule network diagram.
226
Networking
Establishing connections and relationships with other people from the same or other organizations.
227
Node
A point at which dependency lines connect on a schedule network diagram.
228
Nominal Group Technique
A technique that enhances brainstorming with a voting process used to rank the most useful ideas for further brainstorming or for prioritization.
229
Objective
Something toward which work is to be directed, a strategic position to be obtained, a purpose to be achieved, a result to be obtained, a product to be produced, or a service to be performed.
230
Opportunity
A risk that would have a positive effect on one or more project objectives.
231
Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
A hierarchical representation of the project organization, which illustrates the relationship between project activities and the organizational units that will perform those activities.
232
Organizational Learning
A discipline concerned with the way individuals, groups, and organizations develop knowledge.
233
Organizational Process Assets
Plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases that are specific to and used by the performing organization.
234
Output
A product, result, or service generated by a process. May be an input to a successor process.
235
Overall Project Risk
The effect of uncertainty on the project as a whole, arising from all sources of uncertainty including individual risks, representing the exposure of stakeholders to the implications of variations in project outcome, both positive and negative.
236
Parametric Estimating
An estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters.
237
Path Convergence
A relationship in which a schedule activity has more than one predecessor.
238
Path Divergence
A relationship in which a schedule activity has more than one successor.
239
Percent Complete
An estimate expressed as a percent of the amount of work that has been completed on an activity or a work breakdown structure component.
240
Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB)
Integrated scope, schedule, and cost baselines used for comparison to manage, measure, and control project execution.
241
Performance Reviews
A technique that is used to measure, compare, and analyze actual performance of work in progress on the project against the baseline.
242
Perform Integrated Change Control
The process of reviewing all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and communicating the decisions.
243
Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
The process of prioritizing individual project risks for further analysis or action by assessing their probability of occurrence and impact as well as other characteristics.
244
Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
The process of numerically analyzing the combine effect of identified individual project risks and other sources of uncertainty on overall project objectives.
245
Phase
See project phase.
246
Phase Gate
A review at the end of a phase in which a decision is made to continue to the next phase, to continue with modification, or to end a project or program.
247
Plan Communications Management
The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communication activities based on the information needs of each stakeholder or group, available organizational assets, and the needs of the project.
248
Plan Cost Management
The process of defining how the project costs will be estimated, budgeted, managed, monitored, and controlled.
249
Planned Value (PV)
The authorized budget assigned to scheduled work.
250
Planning Package
A work breakdown structure component below the control account with known work content by without detailed schedule activities. See also control account.
251
Planning Process Group
Those processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.
252
Plan Procurement Management
The process of documenting project procurement decisions, specifying the approach, and identifying potential sellers.
253
Plan Quality Management
The process of identifying quality requirements and/or standards for the project and its deliverables, and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance with quality requirements and/or standards.
254
Plan Resource Management
The process of defining how to estimate, acquire, manage, and utilize physical and team resources.
255
Plan Risk Management
The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project.
256
Plan Risk Responses
The process of developing options, selecting strategies, and agreeing on actions to address overall project risk exposure, as well as to treat individual project risks.
257
Plan Schedule Management
The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule.
258
Plan Scope Management
The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project and product scope will be defined, validated, and controlled.
259
Plan Stakeholder Engagement
The process of developing approaches to involve project stakeholders, based on their needs, expectations, interests, and potential impact on the project.
260
Plurality
Decisions made by the largest block in a group, even if a majority is not achieved.
261
Policy
A structured pattern of actions adopted by an organization such that the organization's policy can be explained as a set of basic principles that govern the organization's conduct.
262
Portfolio
Projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.
263
Portfolio Management
The centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve
264
Practice
A specific type of professional or management activity that contributes to the execution of a process and that may employ one or more techniques or tools.
265
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed.
266
Precedence Relationship
A logical dependency used in the precedence diagramming method.
267
Predecessor Activity
An activity that logically comes before a dependent activity in a schedule.
268
Predictive Life Cycle
A form of project life cycle in which the project scope, time, and cost are determined in the early phases of the life cycle.
269
Preventative Action
An intentional activity that ensures the future performance of the project work is aligned with the project management plan.
270
Probability and Impact Matrix
A grid for mapping the probability of occurrence of each risk and its impact on project objectives if that risk occurs.
271
Procedure
An established method of accomplishing a consistent performance or result, a procedure typically can be described as the sequence of steps that will be used to execute a process.
272
Process
A systematic series of activities directed towards causing an end result such that one or more inputs will be acted upon to create one or more outputs.
273
Procurement Audits
The review of contracts and contracting processes for completeness, accuracy, and effectiveness.
274
Procurement Documents
The documents utilized in bid and proposal activities, which include the buyer's invitation for bid, invitation for negotiations, request for information, request for quotation, request for proposal, and seller's responses.
275
Procurement Documentation
All documents used in signing, executing, and closing an agreement. Procurement documentation may include documents predating the project.
276
Procurement Management Plan
A component of the project or program management plan that describes how a project team will acquire goods and services from outside the performing organization.
277
Procurement Statement of Work
Describes the procurement item in sufficient detail to allow prospective sellers to determine if they are capable of providing the products, services, or results.
278
Procurement Strategy
The approach by the buyer to determine the project delivery method and the type of legally binding agreement(s) that should be used to deliver the desired results.
279
Product
An artifact that is produced, is quantifiable, and can be either an end item in itself or a component item. Additional words for products are material and goods. See also deliverable.
280
Product Analysis
For projects that have a product as a deliverable, it is a tool to define scope that generally means asking questions about a product and forming answers to describe the use, characteristics, and other relevant aspects of what is going to be manufactured.
281
Product Life Cycle
The series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery, growth, maturity, and to retirement.
282
Product Scope
The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result.
283
Product Scope Description
The documented narrative description of the product scope.
284
Program
Related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities that are managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.
285
Program Management
The application of knowledge, skills, and principles to a program to achieve the program objectives and obtain benefits and control not available by managing program components individually.
286
Progressive Elaboration
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.
287
Project
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
288
Project Calendar
A calendar that identifies working days and shifts that are available for scheduled activities.
289
Project Charter
A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
290
Project Communications Management
Includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, monitoring, and ultimate disposition of project information.
291
Project Cost Management
Includes the processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so the project can be completed within the approved budget.
292
Project Funding Requirements
Forecast project costs to be paid that are derived from the cost baseline for total or periodic requirements, including projected expenditures plus anticipated liabilities.
293
Project Governance
The framework, functions, and processes that guide project management activities in order to create a unique product, service, or result to meet organizational, strategic, and operational goals.
294
Project Initiation
Launching a process that can result in the authorization of a new project.
295
Project Integration Management
Includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.
296
Project Life Cycle
The series of phases that a project passes through from its start to its completion.
297
Project Management
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.
298
Project Management Body of Knowledge
A term that describes the knowledge within the profession of project management. The project management body of knowledge includes proven traditional practices that are widely applied as well as innovative practices that are emerging in the profession.
299
Project Management Information System
An information system consisting of the tools and techniques used to gather, integrate, and disseminate the outputs of project management processes.
300
Project Management Knowledge Area
An identified area of project management defined by its knowledge requirements and described in terms of its component processes, practices, inputs, outputs, tools, and techniques.
301
Project Management Office (PMO)
A management structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques.
302
Project Management Plan
The document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored and controlled, and closed.
303
Project Management Process Group
A logical grouping of project management inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The Project Management Process Groups include initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes, and closing processes. Project Management Process Groups are not project phases.
304
Project Management System
The aggregation of the processes, tools, techniques, methodologies, resources, and procedures to manage a project.
305
Project Management Team
The members of the project team who are directly involved in project management activities. See also Project Team.
306
Project Manager (PM)
The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives.
307
Project Organization Chart
A document that graphically depicts the project team members and their interrelationships for a specific project.
308
Project Phase
A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables.
309
Project Procurement Management
Includes the processes necessary to purchase or acquire products, services, or results needed from outside the project team.
310
Project Quality Management
Includes the processes for incorporating the organization's quality policy regarding planning, managing, and controlling project and product quality requirements, in order to meet stakeholders' expectations.
311
Project Resource Management
Includes the processes to identify, acquire, and manage the resources needed for the successful completion of the project.
312
Project Risk Management
Includes the processes of conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, response planning, response implementation, and monitoring risk on a project.
313
Project Schedule
An output of the schedule model that presents linked activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources.
314
Project Schedule Management
Includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.
315
Project Schedule Network Diagram
A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities.
316
Project Scope
The work performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.
317
Project Scope Management
Includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.
318
Project Scope Statement
The description of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints.
319
Project Stakeholder Management
Includes the processes required to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the project, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution.
320
Project Team
A set of individuals who support the project manager in performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives. See also Project Management Team.
321
Project Team Directory
A documented list of project team members, their project roles, and communication information.
322
Proposal Evaluation Techniques
The process of reviewing proposals provided by suppliers to support contract award decisions.
323
Prototypes
A method of obtaining early feedback on requirements by providing a working model of the expected product before actually building it.
324
Quality
The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements.
325
Quality Audit
A structured, independent process to determine if project activities comply with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.
326
Quality Checklists
A structured tool used to verify that a set of required steps has been performed.
327
Quality Control Measurements
The documented results of control quality activities.
328
Quality Management System
The organizational framework whose structure provides the policies, processes, procedures, and resources required to implement the quality management plan. The typical project quality management plan should be compatible to the organization's quality management system.
329
Quality Metrics
A description of a project or product attribute and how to measure it.
330
Quality Policy
A policy specific to the Project Quality Management Knowledge Area, it establishes the basic principles that should govern the organization's actions as it implements its system for quality management.
331
Quality Report
A project document that includes quality management issues, recommendations for corrective actions, and a summary of findings from quality control activities and may include recommendations for process, project, and product improvements.
332
Quality Requirement
A condition or capability that will be used to assess conformance by validating the acceptability of an attribute for the quality of a result.
333
Questionnaires
Written sets of questions designed to quickly accumulate information from a large number of respondents.
334
RACI Chart
A common type of responsibility assignment matrix that uses responsible, accountable, consult, and inform statuses to define the involvement of stakeholders in project activities.
335
Regression Analysis
An analytical technique where a series of input variables are examined in relation to their corresponding output results in order to develop a mathematical or statistical relationship.
336
Regulations
Requirements imposed by a governmental body. These requirements can establish product, process, or service characteristics, including applicable administrative provisions that have government-mandated compliance.
337
Request for Information (RFI)
A type of procurement document whereby the buyer requests a potential seller to provide various pieces of information related to a product or service or seller capability.
338
Request for Proposal (RFP)
A type of procurement document used to request proposals from prospective sellers of products or services. In some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.
339
Request for Quotation (RFQ)
A type of procurement document used to request price quotations from prospective sellers of common or standard products or services. Sometimes used in place of request for proposal and, in some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.
340
Requirement
A condition or capability that is necessary to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a business need.
341
Requirements Documentation
A description of how individual requirements meet the business need for the project.
342
Requirements Management Plan
A component of the project or program management plan that describes how requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed.
343
Requirements Traceability Matrix
A grid that links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them.
344
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 types of risk are meant to be mitigated.
345
Reserve Analysis
An analytical technique to determine the essential features and relationships of components in the project management plan to establish a reserve for the schedule duration, budget, estimated cost, or funds for a project.
346
Residual Risk
The risk that remains after risk responses have been implemented.
347
Resource
A team member or any physical item needed to complete the project.
348
Resource Breakdown Structure
A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type.
349
Resource Calendar
A calendar that identifies the working days and shifts upon which each specific resource is available.
350
Resource Histogram
A bar chart showing the amount of time that a resource is schedule to work over a series of time periods.
351
Resource Leveling
A resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project schedule to optimize the allocation of resources and which may affect critical path. See also resource optimization technique and resource smoothing.
352
Resource Management Plan
A component of the project management plan that describes how project resources are acquired, allocated, monitored, and controlled.
353
Resource Manager
An individual with management authority over one or more resources.
354
Resource Optimization Technique
A technique in which an activity start and finish dates are adjusted to balance demand for resources with the available supply. See also resource leveling and resource smoothing.
355
Resource Requirements
The types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package.
356
Resource Smoothing
A resource optimization technique in which free and total float are used without affecting the critical path. See also resource leveling and resource optimization technique.
357
Responsibility
An assignment that can be delegated within a project management plan such that the assigned resource incurs a duty to perform the requirements of the assignment.
358
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
A grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package.
359
Result
An output from performing project management processes and activities. Results include outcomes (e.g. integrated systems, revised processes, restructured organization, tests, trained personnel, etc.) and documents (e.g. policies, plans, studies, procedures, specifications, reports, etc.). See also deliverable.
360
Rework
Action taken to bring a defective or nonconforming component into compliance with requirements or specifications.
361
Risk
An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives.
362
Risk Acceptance
A risk response strategy whereby the project team decides to acknowledge the risk and not take any action unless the risk occurs.
363
Risk Appetite
The degree of uncertainty an organization or individual is willing to accept in anticipation of a reward.
364
Risk Audit
A type of audit used to consider the effectiveness of the risk management process.
365
Risk Avoidance
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to eliminate the threat or protect the project from its impact.
366
Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)
A hierarchical representation of potential sources of risks.
367
Risk Categorization
Organization by sources of risk (e.g. using the RBS), the area of the project affected (e.g. using the WBS), or other useful category (e.g. project phase) to determine the areas of the project most exposed to the effects of uncertainty.
368
Risk Category
A group of potential causes of risk.
369
Risk Data Quality Assessment
Technique to evaluate the degree to which the data about risks is useful for risk management.
370
Risk Enhancement
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to increase the probability of occurrence or impact of an opportunity.
371
Risk Escalation
A risk response strategy whereby the team acknowledges that a risk is outside of its sphere of influence and shifts the ownership of the risk to a higher level of the organization where it is more effectively managed.
372
Risk Exploiting
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to ensure that an opportunity occurs.
373
Risk Exposure
An aggregate measure of the potential impact of all risks at any given point in time in a project, program, or portfolio.
374
Risk Management Plan
A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how risk management activities will be structured and performed.
375
Risk Mitigation
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to decreased the probability of occurrence or impact of a threat.
376
Risk Owner
The person responsible for monitoring the risks and for selecting and implementing an appropriate risk response strategy.
377
Risk Register
A repository in which outputs of risk management processes are recorded.
378
Risk Report
A project document developed progressively throughout the Project Risk Management processes, which summarizes information on individual project risks and the level of overall project risk.
379
Risk Review
A meeting to examine and document the effectiveness of risk responses in dealing with overall project risk and with identified individual project risks.
380
Risk Sharing
A risk response strategy whereby the project team allocated ownership of an opportunity to a third party who is best able to capture the benefit of that opportunity.
381
Risk Threshold
The level of risk exposure above which risks are addressed and below which risks may be accepted.
382
Risk Transference
A risk response strategy whereby the project team shifts the impact of a threat to a third party, together with ownership of the response.
383
Role
A defined function to be performed by a project team member, such as testing, filing, inspecting, or coding.
384
Rolling Wave Planning
An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planning in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level.
385
Root Cause Analysis
An analytical technique used to determine the basic underlying reason that causes a variance or a defect or a risk. A root cause may underlie more than one variance or defect or risk.
386
Schedule
See project schedule and schedule model.
387
Schedule Baseline
The approved version of a schedule model that can be changed using formal change control procedures and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results.
388
Schedule Compression
A technique used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope.
389
Schedule Data
The collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule.
390
Schedule Forecasts
Estimates or predictions of conditions and events in the project's future based on information and knowledge available at the time the schedule is calculated.
391
Schedule Management Plan
A component of the project or program management plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule.
392
Schedule Model
A representation of the plan for executing the project's activities including durations, dependencies, and other planning information, used to produce a project schedule along with other scheduling artifacts.
393
Schedule Network Analysis
A technique to identify early start and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the uncompleted portions of project activities.
394
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
A measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value.
395
Schedule Variance (SV)
A measure of schedule performance expressed as the difference between the earned value and the planned value.
396
Scheduling Tool
A tool that provides schedule component names, definitions, structural relationships, and formats that support the application of a scheduling method.
397
Scope
The sum of the products, services, and results to be provided as a project. See also project scope and product scope.
398
Scope Baseline
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 a basis for comparison to actual results.
399
Scope Creep
The uncontrolled expansion to product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources.
400
Scope Management Plan
A component of the project or program management plan that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and validated.
401
Secondary Risk
A risk that arises as a direct result of implementing a risk response.
402
Self-Organizing Teams
A team formation where the team functions with an absence of centralized control.
403
Seller
A provider or supplier of products, services, or results to an organization.
404
Seller Proposals
Formal responses from sellers to a request for proposal or other procurement document specifying the price, commercial terms of sale, and technical specifications or capabilities the seller will do for the requesting organization that, if accepted, would bind the seller to perform the resulting agreement.
405
Sensitivity Analysis
An analysis technique to determine which individual project risks or other sources of uncertainty have the most potential impact on project outcomes, by correlating variations in project outcomes with variations in elements of a quantitative risk analysis model.
406
Sequence Activities
The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities.
407
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A contract between a service provider (either internal or external) and the end user that defines the level of service expected from the service provider.
408
Simulation
An analytical technique that models the combined effect of uncertainties to evaluate their potential impact on objectives.
409
Source Selection Criteria
A set of attributes desired by the buyer which a seller is required to meet or exceed to be selected for a contract.
410
Specification
A precise statement of the needs to be satisfied and the essential characteristics that are required.
411
Specification Limits
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. See also control limits.
412
Sponsor
A person or group who provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio and is accountable for enabling success.
413
Sponsoring Organization
The entity responsible for providing the project's sponsor and a conduit for project funding or other project resources.
414
Stakeholder
An individual, group, or organization that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project, program, or portfolio.
415
Stakeholder Analysis
A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project.
416
Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix
A matrix that compares current and desired stakeholder engagement levels.
417
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
A component of the project management plan that identifies the strategies and actions required to promote productive involvement of stakeholders in project or program decision making and execution.
418
Stakeholder Register
A project document including the identification, assessment, and classification of project stakeholders.
419
Standard
A document established by an authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example.
420
Start Date
A point in time associated with a schedule activity's start, usually qualified by one of the following: actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current.
421
Start-to-Finish (SF)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started.
422
Start-to-Start (SS)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.
423
Statement of Work (SOW)
A narrative description of products, services, or results to be delivered by the project.
424
Statistical Sampling
Choosing part of a population of interest for inspection.
425
Successor Activity
A dependent activity that logically comes after another activity in a schedule.
426
Summary Activity
A group of related schedule activities aggregated and displayed as a single activity.
427
SWOT Analysis
Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization, project, or option.
428
Tacit Knowledge
Personal knowledge that can be difficult to articulate and share such as beliefs, experience, and insights.
429
Tailoring
Determining the appropriate combination of processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, and life cycle phases to manage a project.
430
Team Charter
A document that records the team values, agreements, and operating guidelines, as well as establishing clear expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.
431
Team Management Plan
A component of the resource management plan that describes when and how team members will be acquired and how long they will be needed.
432
Technique
A defined systematic procedure employed by a human resource to perform an activity to produce a product or result or deliver a service, and that may employ one or more tools.
433
Template
A partially complete document in a predefined format that provides a defined structure for collecting, organizing, and presenting information and data.
434
Test and Evaluation Documents
Project documents that describe the activities used to determine if the product meets the quality objectives stated in the quality management plan.
435
Threat
A risk that would have a negative effect on one or more project objectives.
436
Three-Point Estimating
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.
437
Threshold
A predetermined value of a measureable project variable that represents a limit that requires action to be taken if it is reached.
438
Time and Material Contract (T&M)
A type of contract that is a hybrid contractual arrangement containing aspects of both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts.
439
To-Complete Performance index (TCPI)
A measure of the cost performance that is required to be achieved with the remaining resources in order to meet a specified management goal, expressed as the ratio of the cost to finish the outstanding work to the remaining budget.
440
Tolerance
The quantified description of acceptable variation for a quality requirement.
441
Tool
Something tangible, such as a template or software program, used in performing an activity to produce a product or result.
442
Tornado Diagram
A special type of bar chart used in sensitivity analysis for comparing the relative importance of the variables.
443
Total Float
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date or violating a schedule constraint.
444
Trend Analysis
An analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes based on historical results.
445
Trigger Condition
An event or situation that indicates that a risk is about to occur.
446
Unanimity
Agreement by everyone in the group on a single course of action.
447
Update
A modification to any deliverable, project management plan component, or project document that is not under formal change control.
448
Validate Scope
The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.
449
Validation
The assurance that a product, service, or result meets the needs of the customer and other identified stakeholders. Contrast with verification.
450
Variance
A quantifiable deviation, departure, or divergence away from a known baseline or expected value.
451
Variance Analysis
A technique for determining the cause and degree of difference between the baseline and actual performance.
452
Variance at Completion (VAC)
A projection of the amount of budget deficit or surplus, expressed as the difference between the budget at completion and the estimate at completion.
453
Variation
An actual condition that is different from the expected condition that is contained in the baseline plan.
454
Verification
The evaluation of whether or not a product, service, or result complies with a regulation, requirement, specification, or imposed condition. Contrast with validation.
455
Verified Deliverables
Completed project deliverables that have been checked and confirmed for correctness through the Control Quality process.
456
Virtual Teams
Groups of people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face.
457
Voice of the Customer
A planning technique used to provide products, services, and results that truly reflect customer requirements by translating those customer requirements into the appropriate technical requirements for each phase of project product development.
458
WBS Dictionary
A document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure.
459
What-If Scenario Analysis
The process of evaluating scenarios in order to predict their effect on project objectives.
460
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
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 required deliverables.
461
Work Breakdown Structure Component
An entry in the work breakdown structure that can be at any level.
462
Work Package
The work defined at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure for which cost and duration are estimated and managed.
463
Work Performance Data
The raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to carry out the project work.
464
Work Performance Information
The performance data collected from controlling processes, analyzed in comparison with project management plan components, project documents, and other work performance information.
465
Work Performance Reports
The physical or electronic representation of work performance information complied in project documents, intended to generate decision, actions, or awareness.
