Glossary A-C Flashcards
Acceptance Criteria
a set of conditions that is required to me met before deliverables are accepted
Accepted Deliverables
products, results, or capabilities produced by a project and validated by the project customer or sponsors as meeting their specified acceptance criteria
Accuracy
within the quality management system, accuracy is an assessment of correctness
Acquire Resources
the process of obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and other resources necessary to complete project work
Acquisition
obtaining human and material resources necessary to perform project activities; acquisition implies a cost of resources, and is not necessarily financial
Activity
a distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the course of a project
Activity Attributes
multiple attributes associated with each schedule activity that can be included with the activity list; activity attributes include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions
Activity Duration
the time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity (see also duration)
Activity Duration Estimates
the quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity
Activity List
a documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows the activity description, activity identifier, and a sufficiently detailed scope of work description so project team members understand what work is to be performed
Activity-on-Node (AON)
(see precedence diagramming method (PDM))
Actual Cost (AC)
the realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period
Actual Duration
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
Adaptive Life Cycle
a project life cycle that is iterative or incremental
Affinity Diagrams
a technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis
Agreements
any document or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project; this can take the form of a contract, memorandum of understanding (MOU), letters of agreement, verbal agreements, emails, etc.
Alternative Analysis
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
Analogous Estimating
a technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project
Analytical Techniques
various techniques used to evaluate, analyze, or forecast potential outcomes based on possible variations of project or environmental variable and their relationships with other variables
Assumption
a factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or demonstration
Assumption Log
a project document used to record all assumptions and constraints throughout the project life cycle
Attribute Sampling
method of measuring quality that consists of noting the presence (or absence) of some characteristic (attribute) in each of the units under consideration
Authority
the right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals
Backward Pass
a critical path method technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates by working backward through the schedule model for the project end date
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 Gantt chart)
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
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
Benefits Management Plan
the documented explanation defining the processes for creating, maximizing, and sustaining the benefits provided by a project or program
Bid Documents
all documents used to solicit information, quotations, or proposals from prospective sellers
Bidder Conference
the meetings with prospective sellers prior to the preparation of a bid or proposal to ensure all perspective vendors have a clear and common understanding of the procurement; also known as contractor conferences, vendor conference, or pre-bid conferences
Bottom-Up Estimating
a method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components o the work breakdown structure (WBS)
Budget
the approved estimate for the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity
Budget at Completion (BAC)
the same of all budgets established for the work to be performed
Buffer
(see reserve)
Business Case
a documented economic feasibility study used to establish validity of the benefits of a selection component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities
Business Value
the net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor; the benefit may be tangible, intangible, or both
Baseline of Estimates
supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels
Cause and Effect Diagram
a decompositions technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause
Change
a modification to any formally controlled deliverable, project management plan component, or project document
Change Control
a process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected