PMBOK Definitions Flashcards
Learn definitions for the PMP Exam
The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities
4.1 Develop Project Charter
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all subsidiary plans and integrating them into a comprehensive project management plan
4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project’s objectives
4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan
4.5 Monitor and Control Project Work
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
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 their disposition
4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of finalizing all activities across all of the project Management Process Groups to formally complete the project or phase
4.7 Close Project or Phase
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled
5.1 Plan Scope Management
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives
5.2 Collect Requirements
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product
5.3 Define Scope
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components
5.4 Create WBS (work breakdown structure)
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables
5.5 Validate Scope
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline
5.6 Control Scope
Knowledge Area: Project Scope Management
The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule
6.1 Plan Schedule Management
Knowledge Area: Project Time Management
The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables
6.2 Define Activities
Knowledge Area: Project Time Management
The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities
6.3 Sequence Activities
Knowledge Area: Project Time Management
The process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve the project’s objectives and contribute to organizational learning
4.4 Manage Project Knowledge
Knowledge Area: Project Integration Management
The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources
6.5 Estimate Activity Durations
Knowledge Area: Project Time Managment
The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model
6.6 Develop Schedule
Knowledge Area: Project Time Management
The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan
6.7 Control Schedule
Knowledge Area: Project Time Management
The process that establishes the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, expending, and controlling project costs
7.1 Plan Cost Management
Knowledge Area: Project Cost Management
The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed to complete project activities
7.2 Estimate Costs
Knowledge Area: Project Cost Management
The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline
7.3 Determine Budget
Knowledge Area: Project Cost Management
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline
7.4 Control Costs
Knowledge Area; Project Cost 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
8.1 Plan Quality Management
Knowledge Area: Project Quality Management
The process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used
8.2 Manage Quality
Knowledge Area: Project Quality Management
The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes
8.3 Control Quality
Knowledge Area: Project Quality Management
The process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, required skills, reporting relationships, and creating a staffing management plan
9.1 Plan Resource Management
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The process of securing team members, equipment, materials or other resources required to deliver the project
9.3 Acquire Resources
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance
9.4 Develop Team
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing changes to optimize project performance
9.5 Manage Team
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder’s information needs and requirements, and available organizational assets
10.1 Plan Communications Management
Knowledge Area: Project Communications Management
The process of creating, collecting, distributing, storing, retrieving and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the communications management plan
10.2 Manage Communications
Knowledge Area: Project Communications Management
The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met
10.3 Monitor Communications
Knowledge Area: Project Communications Management
The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project
11.1 Plan Risk Management
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of determining which risks may affect the project and documenting their characteristics
11.2 Identify Risks
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and impact
11.3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of numerically analyzing the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives
11.4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of developing options and actions to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives
11.5 Plan Risk Responses
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project
11.7 Monitor Risks
Knowledge Area: Project Risk Management
The process of documenting project procurement decisions, specifying the approach, and identifying potential sellers
12.1 Plan Procurement Management
Knowledge Area: Project Procurement Management
The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract
12.2 Conduct Procurements
Knowledge Area: Project Procurement Management
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes and corrections as appropriate
12.3 Control Procurements
Knowledge Area: Project Procurement Management
The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources
6.4 Estimate Activity Durations
Knowledge Area: Project Schedule Management
The process of identifying the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by a decision, activity, or outcome of the project; and analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success
13.1 Identify Stakeholders
Knowledge Area: Project Stakeholder Management
The process of developing appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, based on the analysis of their needs, interests, and potential impact on project success
13.2 Plan Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Project Stakeholder Management
The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle
13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Project Stakeholder Management
The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders
13.4 Monitor Stakeholder Engagement
Knowledge Area: Project Stakeholder Management
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result
A Project
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements
Project Management
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
Initiating Process Group
Knowledge Area: 5 Process Groups
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
Planning Process Group
Knowledge Area: 5 Process Groups
Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project specifications
Executing Process Group
Knowledge Area: 5 Process Groups
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
Monitoring and controlling Process Group
Knowledge Area: 5 Process Groups
Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close the project or phase
Closing Process Group
Knowledge Area: 5 Process Groups
This details the feasibility of the project. It outlines financials, goals, and benefits of the project
Needs Assessment followed by a Business Case
Knowledge Area: Pre-Project Documents
This plan explains the processes to be used to create, maximize, and sustain the project’s benefits to the organization
Project Benefits Management Plan
Knowledge Area: Pre-Project Documents
Also known as waterfall; the project scope, time and cost is determined early in the life cycle
Predictive Life Cycle (Plan-based)
Ex. Building a House
Knowledge Area: 4 Project Life Cycles
A project life cycle where the scope is identified early and evolves through a series of cycles often using prototypes
Iterative Life Cycle
Ex. Creating a new tool
Knowledge Area: 4 Project Life Cycles
A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables
Project Phase
A project life cycle characterized by multiple iterations and the final deliverable complete at the end of the project
Incremental Life Cycle
Ex. Creating additions to a website
Knowledge Area: 4 Project Life Cycles
The series of phases that a project passes through from start to finish
Project Life Cycle
A review at the end of a phase and a decision is made as to whether to continue or not to next phase
Phase Gate
A project life cycle that is iterative or incremental
Adaptive Life Cycle (Agile or Change-Driven)
Ex. Developing a software
Knowledge Area; 4 Project Life Cycles
Individual or group of people who have a vested interest in the project or its outcome
Stakeholder
A group of projects, programs and operations put together to achieve strategic objectives
Portfolio
Related projects groups together so that their interdependencies can be managed in a coordinated manner
Program
Management type responsible for overseeing, directing, and controlling business operations
Operations Management
What’s the difference between an Enterprise Environmental Factor (EFF) and an Organizational Process Asset (OPA)?
EEFs may be internal or external intangible influences whereas OPAs are internal to the organization and usually tangible policies, procedures, processes or knowledge bases
Knowledge Area: Organizational Structures
What are the 4 project management coordinating principles?
Power, Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability
Knowledge Area: Organizational Structures
What are the 3 types of organizational structures?
Functional, Matrixes (weak, balanced, and strong), & Projectized
Knowledge Area: Organizational Structures
What are the responsibilities of the Project Management Office (PMO)?
Supporting- there for consulting and supporting PMs
Controlling- ensure compliance with corporate governance
Directing- manage projects and assign PMs
Knowledge Area: Organizational Structures
What are the 6 management element categories?
Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Leading, Coordinating, and Controlling
Knowledge Area: Organizational Structures
A set of interrelated actions and activities performed to create a pre-specified product, service, or result
Definition of a Process
These processes ensure the effective flow of the project throughout its life cycle
Project Management Processes
These processes specify and create the project’s product
Product-oriented Processes
What’s the difference between a change and a clarification in a project?
If it’s in scope, it’s included and not considered a change. If it’s not included, then it is an out-of-scope change.
Ex. Specification for big blue ball- bigger bluer ball would be clarification and red cube would be change
Where does the value of the project manager come from?
Integration & communications; direction and focus, quality and risk control
The iterative process of adding more detail as more information becomes available
Progressive elaboration
The process of estimating the type and quantities of material, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity
9.2 Estimate Activity Resources
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The process of ensuring and monitoring the assigned and allocated physical resources are performing as planned and dispatched when no longer needed
9.6 Control Resources
Knowledge Area: Project Resource Management
The sequence of scheduled activities that determines the duration of the project
The Critical Path Method
What’s the difference between a verified deliverable and a validated deliverable?
Verified deliverable concerns quality and means it has passes quality control testing. Validated deliverable concerns acceptance and means it has been accepted by the client, sponsor, or stakeholders completing the validate scope process.
What’s the difference between project and product scope?
Project scope is the work that delivers the product while the product scope is the sum of all features, functions, and characteristics of the product.
What’s the difference between decomposition as it relates to project schedule management and project scope management?
Decomposition of project schedule management breaks down activities whereas decomposition of project scope management breaks down deliverables.
What are the 3 parts of the scope baseline?
Scope Statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.
What is the difference between analogous estimating, parametric estimating, 3-point estimating, bottom-up estimating?
Analogous uses past projects that are similar to make estimates, parametric uses historical data and trends to make estimates ($15/hr/worker), 3-point estimating or PERT (O+4ML+P)/6 takes an average of the most likely, optimistic and pessimistic estimate, bottom-up estimating takes the smallest activity or work packages and adds them together to come up with a full estimate.
What are the 4 types of dependencies in project schedule management?
Mandatory, discretionary, internal, and external.
What’s the difference between preliminary, budgetary, and definitive estimating?
Preliminary estimating is developed early, quickly, and not very accurate (Analogous and Parametric), Budgetary estimating (3-Point and Delphi- getting ML estimate from multiple people to build a consensus) is developed during planning and more accurate, Definitive estimating is the most accurate and looks at weeks ahead.
What is the PERT estimating formula?
PERT Est = (O+4ML+P)/6
What’s the difference between total float and free float?
Total float is the total amount of time you can delay an activity or chain of activities between convergence and divergence without impacting the project completion time. Free float is the amount of time you can delay a predecessor activity’s early start before it impacts a successor activity’ early start.
What are the 3 Life Cycle Cost Components?
Planning and Designing Costs, Execution Costs, Operating and Disposal Costs.
