Glossary - D-I

Question 1

Gantt Chart

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Grade

Answer 2

A category or rank used to distinguish items that have the same functional use (e.g., “hammer”), but do not share the same requirements for quality (e.g., different hammers may need to withstand different amounts of force).

Question 3

Hammock Activity

Answer 3

See summary activity.

Question 4

Historical Information

Answer 4

Documents and data on prior projects including project files, records, correspondence, closed contracts, and closed projects.

Question 5

Human Resource Plan

Answer 5

A document describing how roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staffing management will be addressed and structured for the project. It is contained in or is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan.

Question 6

Identify Risks

Answer 6

The process of determining which risks may affect the project and documenting their characteristics.

Question 7

Identify Stakeholders

Answer 7

The process of identifying all people or organizations impacted by the project, and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, and impact on project success.

Question 8

Imposed Date

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Influence Diagram

Answer 9

A graphical representation of situations showing causal influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among variables and outcomes.

Question 10

Initiating Processes

Answer 10

Those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

Question 11

Input

Answer 11

Any item, whether internal or external to the project that is required by a process before that process proceeds. May be an output from a predecessor process.

Question 12

Inspection

Answer 12

Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity, component, product, result, or service conforms to specified requirements.

Question 13

Invitation for Bid (IFB)

Answer 13

Generally, this term is equivalent to request for proposal. However, in some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.

Question 14

Issue

Answer 14

A point or matter in question or in dispute, or a point or matter that is not settled and is under discussion or over which there are opposing views or disagreements.

Question 15

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

Answer 15

An analytical procedure in which each potential failure mode in every component of a product is analyzed to determine its effect on the reliability of that component and, by itself or in combination with other possible failure modes, on the reliability of the product or system and on the required function of the component; or the examination of a product (at the system and/or lower levels) for all ways that a failure may occur. For each potential failure, an estimate is made of its effect on the total system and of its impact. In addition, a review is undertaken of the action planned to minimize the probability of failure and to minimize its effects.

Question 16

Fast Tracking

Answer 16

A specific project schedule compression technique that changes network logic to overlap phases that would normally be done in sequence, such as the design phase and construction phase, or to perform schedule activities in parallel. See also crashing and schedule compression.

Question 17

Finish Date

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Finish-to-Finish (FF)

Answer 18

The logical relationship where completion of work of the successor activity cannot finish until the completion of work of the predecessor activity. See also logical relationship.

Question 19

Finish-to-Start (FS)

Answer 19

The logical relationship where initiation of work of the successor activity depends upon the completion of work of the predecessor activity. See also logical relationship.

Question 20

Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Contract

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Fixed-Price-Incentive-Fee (FPIF) Contract

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Float

Answer 22

Also called slack. See total float and free float.

Question 23

Flowcharting

Answer 23

The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a system.

Question 24

Forecast

Answer 24

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. The information is based on the project’s past performance and expected future performance, and includes information that could impact the project inthe future, such as estimate at completion and estimate to complete.

Question 25

Forward Pass

Answer 25

The calculation of the early start and early finish dates for the uncompleted portions of all network activities. See also schedule network analysis and backward pass.

Question 26

Free Float

Answer 26

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any immediately fallowing schedule activities. See also total float.

Question 27

Functional Manager

Answer 27

Someone with management authority over an organizational unit within a functional organization. The manager of any group that actually makes a product or performs a service. Sometimes called a line manager.

Question 28

Functional Organization

Answer 28

A hierarchical organization where each employee has one clear superior, and staff are grouped by areas of specialization and managed by a person with expertise in that area.

Question 29

Early Finish Date (EF)

Answer 29

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time on which the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity (or the project) can finish, based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints. Early finish dates can change as the project progresses and as changes are made to the project management plan.

Question 30

Early Start Date (ES)

Answer 30

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time on which the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity (or the project) can start, based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints. Early start dates can change as the project progresses and as changes are made to the project management plan.

Question 31

Earned Value (EV)

Answer 31

The value of work performed expressed in terms of the approved budget assigned to that work for a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Also referred to as the budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP).

Question 32

Earned Value Management (EVM)

Answer 32

A management methodology for integrating scope, schedule, and resources, and for objectively measuring project performance and progress. Performance is measured by determining the budgeted cost of work performed (i.e., earned value) and comparing it to the actual cost of work performed (i.e., actual cost).

Question 33

Earned Value Technique (EVT)

Answer 33

A specific technique for measuring the performance of work and used to establish the performance measurement baseline (PM B).

Question 34

Effort

Answer 34

The number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Usually expressed as staff hours, staff days, or staff weeks. Contrast with duration.

Question 35

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Answer 35

Any or all external environmental factors and internal organizational environmental factors that surround or influence the project’s success. These factors are from any or all of the enterprises involved in the project, and include organizational culture and structure, infrastructure, existing resources, commercial databases, market conditions, and project management software.

Question 36

Estimate

Answer 36

A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome. Usually applied to project costs, resources, effort, and durations and is usually preceded by a modifier (i.e., preliminary, conceptual, feasibility, order-of-magnitude, definitive). It should always include some indication of accuracy (e.g., ± x percent). See also budget and cost.

Question 37

Estimate Activity Durations

Answer 37

The process of approximating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources.

Question 38

Estimate Activity Resources

Answer 38

The process of estimating the type and quantities of material, people, equipment or supplies required to perform each activity.

Question 39

Estimate at Completion (EAC)

Answer 39

The expected total cost of a schedule activity, a work breakdown structure component, orthe project when the defined scope of work will be completed. The EAC may be calculated based on performance to date or estimated by the project team based on other factors, in which case it is often referred to as the latest revised estimate. See also earned value teChnique and estimate to complete.

Question 40

Estimate Costs

Answer 40

The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed to complete project activities.

Question 41

Estimate to Complete (ETC)

Answer 41

The expected cost needed to complete all the remaining work for a schedule activity, work breakdown structure component, or the project. See also earned value technique and estimate at completion.

Question 42

Execute

Answer 42

Directing, managing, performing, and accomplishing the project work, providing the deliverables, and providing work performance information.

Question 43

Executing Processes

Answer 43

Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project objectives.

Question 44

Expected Monetary Value (EMV) Analysis

Answer 44

A statistical technique that calculates the average outcome when the future includes scenarios that mayor may not happen. A common use of this technique is within decision tree analysis.

Question 45

Expert Judgment

Answer 45

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.

Question 46

Data Date

Answer 46

The date up to or through which the project’s reporting system has provided actual status and accomplishments. Also called as-of date and time-now date.

Question 47

Decision Tree Analysis

Answer 47

. The decision tree is a diagram that describes a decision under consideration and the implications of choosing one or another of the available alternatives. It is used when some future scenarios or outcomes of actions are uncertain. It incorporates probabilities and the costs or rewards of each logical path of events and future decisions, and uses expected monetary value analysis to help the organization identify the relative values of alternate actions. See also expected monetary value analysis.

Question 48

Decomposition

Answer 48

Technique>. A planning technique that subdivides the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components, until the project work associated with accomplishing the project scope and providing the deliverables is defined in sufficient detail to support executing, monitoring, and controlling the work.

Question 49

Defect

Answer 49

An imperfection or deficiency in a project component where that component does not meet its requirements or specifications and needs to be either repaired or replaced.

Question 50

Defect Repair

Answer 50

The formally documented identification of a defect in a project com ponent with a recommendation to either repair the defect or completely replace the component.

Question 51

Define Activities

Answer 51

. The process of identifying the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.

Question 52

Define Scope

Answer 52

. The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product.

Question 53

Deliverable

Answer 53

. Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that must be produced to complete a process, phase, or project. Often used more narrowly in reference to an external deliverable, which is a deliverable that is subject to approval by the project sponsor or customer. See also product and result.

Question 54

Delphi Technique

Answer 54

. An information gathering technique used as a way to reach a consensus of experts on a subject. Experts on the subject participate in this technique anonymously. A facilitator uses a questionnaire to solicit ideas about the important project points related to the subject. The responses are summarized and are then recirculated to the experts for further comment. Consensus may be reached in a few rounds of this process. The Delphi technique helps reduce bias in the data and keeps anyone person from having undue influence on the outcome.

Question 55

Dependency

Answer 55

See logical relationship.

Question 56

Determine Budget

Answer 56

. The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.

Question 57

Develop Human Resource Plan

Answer 57

. The process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, and required skills, reporting relationships, and creating a staffing management plan.

Question 58

Develop Project Charter

Answer 58

. The process of developing a document that formally authorizes a project or a phase and documenting initial requirements that satisfy the stakeholder’s needs and expectations.

Question 59

Develop Project Management Plan

Answer 59

. The process of documenting the actions necessary to define, prepare, integrate, and coordinate all subsidiary plans.

Question 60

Develop Project Team

Answer 60

. The process of improving the competencies, team interaction, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance.

Question 61

Develop Schedule

Answer 61

. The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule.

Question 62

Direct and Manage Project Execution

Answer 62

. The process of performing the work defined in the project management plan to achieve the project’s objectives.

Question 63

Distribute Information

Answer 63

. The process of making relevant information available to project stakeholders as planned.

Question 64

Duration (DU or DUR)

Answer 64

The total number of work periods (not including holidays or other nonworking periods) required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Usually expressed as workdays or workweeks. Sometimes incorrectly equated with elapsed time. Contrast with effort.