Glossary - L-P

Question 1

Project

Answer 1

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Question 2

Project Calendar

Answer 2

A calendar of working days or shifts that establishes those dates on which schedule activities are worked and nonworking days that determine those dates on which schedule activities are idle. Typically defines holidays, weekends, and shift hours. See also resource calendar.

Question 3

Project Charter

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

Project Communications Management

Answer 4

Project Communications Management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of project information.

Question 5

Project Cost Management

Answer 5

Project Cost Management includes the processes involved in estimating, budgeting, and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget.

Question 6

Project Human Resource Management

Answer 6

Project Human Resource Management includes the processes that organize and manage the project team.

Question 7

Project Initiation

Answer 7

Launching a process that can result in the authorization of a new project.

Question 8

Project Integration Management

Answer 8

Project Integration Management includes the processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.

Question 9

Project Life Cycle

Answer 9

A collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the control needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project. A life cycle can be documented with a methodology.

Question 10

Project Management

Answer 10

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

Question 11

Project Management Body of Knowledge

Answer 11

An inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management. As with other professions, such as law, medicine, and accounting, the body of knowledge rests with the practitioners and academics that apply and advance it. The complete project management body of knowledge includes proven traditional practices that are widely applied and innovative practices that are emerging in the profession. The body of knowledge includes both published and unpublished materials. This body of knowledge is constantly evolving. PMI’s PMBOJ<® Guide identifies that subset of the project management body of knowledge that is generally recognized as good practice.

Question 12

Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Answer 12

An information system consisting of the tools and techniques used to gather, integrate, and disseminate the outputs of project management processes. It is used to support all aspects of the project from initiating through closing, and can include both manual and automated systems.

Question 13

Project Management Knowledge Area

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Project Management Office (PMO)

Answer 14

An organizational body or entity assigned various responsibilities related to the centralized and coordinated management of those projects under its domain. The responsibilities of a PMO can range from providing project management support functions to actually being responsible for the direct management of a project.

Question 15

Project Management Plan

Answer 15

A formal, approved document that defines how the project is executed, monitored, and controlled. It may be a summary or detailed and may be composed of one or more subsidiary management plans and other planning documents.

Question 16

Project Management Process Group

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Project Management System

Answer 17

The aggregation of the processes, tools, techniques, methodologies, resources, and procedures to manage a project.

Question 18

Project Management Team

Answer 18

The members of the projectteam who are directly involved in project management activities. On some smaller projects, the project management team may include virtually all of the project team members.

Question 19

Project Manager (PM)

Answer 19

The person assigned by the performing organization to achieve the project objectives.

Question 20

Project Organization Chart

Answer 20

A document that graphically depicts the project team members and their interrelationships for a specific project.

Question 21

Project Phase

Answer 21

A collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of a major deliverable. Project phases are mainly completed sequentially, but can overlap in some project situations. A project phase is a component of a project life cycle. A project phase is not a Project Management Process Group.

Question 22

Project Procurement Management

Answer 22

Project Procurement Management includes the processes to purchase or acquire the products, services, or results needed from outside the project team to perform the work.

Question 23

Project Quality Management

Answer 23

Project Quality Management includes the processes and activities of the performing organization that determine quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.

Question 24

Project Risk Management

Answer 24

Project Risk Management includes the processes concerned with conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, responses, and monitoring and control on a project.

Question 25

Project Schedule

Answer 25

The planned dates for performing schedule activities and the planned dates for meeting schedule milestones.

Question 26

Project Schedule Network Diagram

Answer 26

Any schematic display of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities. Always drawn from left to right to reflect project work chronology.

Question 27

Project Scope

Answer 27

The work that must be performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.

Question 28

Project Scope Management

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Project Scope Statement

Answer 29

The narrative description of the project scope, including major deliverables, project assumptions, project constraints, and a description of work, that provides a documented basis for making future project decisions and for confirming or developing a common understanding of project scope among the stakeholders.

Question 30

Project Team Directory

Answer 30

A documented list of project team members, their project roles, and communication information.

Question 31

Project Time Management

Answer 31

Project Time Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of a project.

Question 32

Projectized Organization

Answer 32

Any organizational structure in which the project manager has full authority to assign priorities, apply resources, and direct the work of persons assigned to the project.

Question 33

Parametric Estimating

Answer 33

An estimating technique that uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables (e.g., square footage in construction, lines of code in software development) to calculate an estimate for activity parameters, such as scope, cost, budget, and duration. An example for the cost parameter is multiplying the planned quantity of work to be performed by the historical cost per unit to obtain the estimated cost.

Question 34

Pareto Chart

Answer 34

A histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence, that shows how many results were generated by each identified cause.

Question 35

Path Convergence

Answer 35

The merging or joining of parallel schedule network paths into the same node in a project schedule network diagram. Path convergence is characterized by a schedule activity with more than one predecessor activity.

Question 36

Path Divergence

Answer 36

Extending or generating parallel schedule network paths from the same node in a project schedule network diagram. Path divergence is characterized by a schedule activity with more than one successor activity.

Question 37

Percent Complete

Answer 37

An estimate, expressed as a percent, of the amount of work that has been completed on an activity or a work breakdown structure component.

Question 38

Perform Integrated Change Control

Answer 38

The process of reviewing all change requests, approving changes, and managing changes to the deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents, and project management plan.

Question 39

Performance Measurement Baseline

Answer 39

An approved integrated scope-schedule-cost plan for the project work against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance. Technical and quality parameters may also be included.

Question 40

Performance Reports

Answer 40

Documents and presentations that provide organized and summarized work performance information, earned value management parameters and calculations, and analyses of project work progress and status.

Question 41

Performing Organization

Answer 41

The enterprise whose personnel are most directly involved in doing the work of the project.

Question 42

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis

Answer 42

The process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and impact.

Question 43

Perform Quality Assurance

Answer 43

The process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used.

Question 44

Perform Quality Control

Answer 44

The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.

Question 45

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

Answer 45

The process of numerically analyzing the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives.

Question 46

Phase

Answer 46

See project phase.

Question 47

Plan Communications

Answer 47

The process of determining project stakeholder information needs and defining a communication approach.

Question 48

Plan Procurements

Answer 48

The process of documenting project purchasing decisions, specifying the approach, and identifying potential sellers.

Question 49

Plan Quality

Answer 49

The process of identifying quality requirements and/or standards for the project and product, and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance.

Question 50

Plan Risk Management

Answer 50

The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project.

Question 51

Plan Risk Responses

Answer 51

The process of developing options and actions to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives.

Question 52

Planned Value (PV)

Answer 52

The authorized budget assigned to the scheduled work to be accomplished for a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Also referred to as the budgeted cost of work scheduled (BeWS).

Question 53

Planning Package

Answer 53

A work breakdown structure component below the control account with known work content but without detailed schedule activities. See also control account.

Question 54

Planning Processes

Answer 54

Those processes performed to establish the total scope of the effort, define and refine the objectives, and develop the course of action required to attain those objectives.

Question 55

Near-Critical Activity

Answer 55

A schedule activity that has low total float. The concept of near-critical is equally applicable to a schedule activity or schedule network path. The limit below which total float is considered near critical is subject to expert judgment and varies from project to project.

Question 56

Network

Answer 56

See project schedule network diagram.

Question 57

Network Analysis

Answer 57

See schedule network analysis.

Question 58

Network Logic

Answer 58

The collection of schedule activity dependencies that makes up a project schedule network diagram.

Question 59

Network Path

Answer 59

Any continuous series of schedule activities connected with logical relationships in a project schedule network diagram.

Question 60

Node

Answer 60

One of the defining points of a schedule network; a junction point joined to some or all of the other dependency lines.

Question 61

Objective

Answer 61

Something toward which work is to be directed, a strategic position to be attained, or a purpose to be achieved, a result to be obtained, a product to be produced, or a service to be performed.

Question 62

Opportunity

Answer 62

A condition or situation favorable to the project, a positive set of circumstances, a positive set of events, a risk that will have a positive impact on project objectives, or a possibility for positive changes. Contrast with threat.

Question 63

Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)

Answer 63

A hierarchically organized depiction of the project organization arranged so as to relate the work packages to the performing organizational units.

Question 64

Organizational Process Assets

Answer 64

Any or all process related assets, from any or all of the organizations involved in the project that are or can be used to influence the project's success. These process assets include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, and guidelines. The process assets also include the organizations' knowledge bases such as lessons learned and historical information.

Question 65

Output

Answer 65

A product, result, or service generated by a process. May be an input to a successor process.

Question 66

Lag

Answer 66

A modification of a logical relationship that directs a delay in the successor activity. For example, in a finish-to-start dependency with a ten-day lag, the successor activity cannot start until ten days after the predecessor activity has finished. See also lead.

Question 67

Late Finish Date (LF)

Answer 67

In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time that a schedule activity may be completed based upon the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any constraints assigned to the schedule activities without violating a schedule constraint or delaying the project completion date. The late finish dates are determined during the backward pass calculation of the project schedule network.

Question 68

Late Start Date (LS)

Answer 68

In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time that a schedule activity may begin based upon the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any constraints assigned to the schedule activities without violating a schedule constraint or delaying the project completion date. The late start dates are determined during the backward pass calculation of the project schedule network.

Question 69

Lead

Answer 69

A modification of a logical relationship that allows an acceleration of the successor activity. For example, in a finish-to-start dependency with a ten-day lead, the successor activity can start ten days before the predecessor activity has finished. A negative lead is equivalent to a positive lag. See also lag.

Question 70

Lessons Learned

Answer 70

The learning gained from the process of performing the project. Lessons learned may be identified at any point. Also considered a project record, to be included in the lessons learned knowledge base.

Question 71

Lessons Learned Knowledge Base

Answer 71

A store of historical information and lessons learned about both the outcomes of previous project selection decisions and previous project performance.

Question 72

Leveling

Answer 72

See resource leveling.

Question 73

Life Cycle

Answer 73

See project life cycle.

Question 74

Log

Answer 74

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, quality control, action, or defect.

Question 75

Logical Relationship

Answer 75

A dependency between two project schedule activities, or between a project schedule activity and a schedule milestone. The four possible types of logical relationships are: Finish-to-Start; Finish-toFinish; Start-to-Start; and Start-to-Finish. See also precedence relationship.

Question 76

Manage Project Team

Answer 76

The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing changes to optimize project performance.

Question 77

Manage Stakeholder Expectations

Answer 77

The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and addressing issues as they occur.

Question 78

Master Schedule

Answer 78

A summary-level project schedule that identifies the major deliverables and work breakdown structure components and key schedule milestones. See also milestone schedule.

Question 79

Material

Answer 79

The aggregate of things used by an organization in any undertaking, such as equipment, apparatus, tools, machinery, gear, material, and supplies.

Question 80

Matrix Organization

Answer 80

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.

Question 81

Methodology

Answer 81

A system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline.

Question 82

Milestone

Answer 82

A significant point or event in the project.

Question 83

Milestone Schedule

Answer 83

A summary-level schedule that identifies the major schedule milestones. See also master schedule.

Question 84

Monitor

Answer 84

Collect project performance data with respect to a plan, produce performance measures, and report and disseminate performance information.

Question 85

Monitor and Control Project Work

Answer 85

The process of tracking, reviewing, and regulating the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.

Question 86

Monitor and Control Risks

Answer 86

The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process throughout the project.

Question 87

Monitoring and Controlling Processes

Answer 87

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.

Question 88

Monte Carlo Analysis

Answer 88

A technique that computes or iterates, the project cost or project schedule many times using input values selected at random from probability distributions of possible costs or durations, to calculate a distribution of possible total project cost or completion dates.

Question 89

Monte Carlo Simulation

Answer 89

A process which generates hundreds or thousands of probable performance outcomes based on probability distributions for cost and schedule on individual tasks. The outcomes are then used to generate a probability distribution for the project as a whole.