PMBOK Glossary Flashcards
Acceptance Criteria
A set of conditions that is required to be 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 Project Team
The process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project activities.
Activity
A distinct, schedule portion of work performed during the course of a project.
Activity Attributes
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 relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
Activity Code
One or more numerical or text values that identify characteristics of the work or in some way categorize the schedule activity that allows filtering and ordering of activities within reports.
Activity Cost Estimates
The projected cost of the schedule activity that includes the cost for all resources required to perform and complete the activity, including all cost types and cost components.
Activity Duration
The time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity.
Activity Duration Estimates
The quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity.
Activity Identifier
A short, unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to differentiate that project activity from other activities. Typically unique within any one project schedule network diagram.
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 Resource Requirements
The types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package.
AC
ACWP
Actual Cost
Actual Cost of Work Performed
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, also known as change-driven or agile methods, that is intended to facilitate change and require a high degree of ongoing stakeholder involvement. Adaptive life cycles are also iterative and incremental, but differ in that iterations are very rapid (usually 2-4 weeks in length) and are fixed in time and resources.
Additional Quality Planning Tools
A set of tools used to define the quality requirements and to plan effective quality management activities. They include, but are not limited to: brainstorming, force field analysis, nominal group techniques and quality management and control tools.
Adjusting Leads and Lags
A technique used to find ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with plan during project execution.
Advertising
The process of calling public attention to a project or effort.
Affinity Diagram
A group creativity 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, email, etc.
Alternative Analysis
A technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select which options or approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project.
Alternatives Generation
A technique used to develop as many potential options as possible in order to identify different approaches to execute and perform the work of the project.
Analogous Estimating
A technique used 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 variables and their relationships with other variables.
Application Area
A category of projects that have common components significant in such projects, but are not needed or present in all projects. Application areas are usually defined in terms of either the product (i.e., by similar technologies or production methods) or the type of customer (i.e., internal versus external, government versus commercial) or industry sector (i.e., utilities, automotive, aerospace, information technologies, etc.). Application areas can overlap.
Applying Leads & Lags
A technique that is used to adjust the amount of time between predecessor and successor activities.
Apportioned Effort
An activity where effort is allotted proportionately across certain discrete efforts and not divisible into discrete efforts. [Note: Apportioned effort is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance.]
Approved Change Request
A change request that has been processed through the integrated change control process and approved.
Approved Change Requests Review
A review of the change requests to verify that these were implemented as approved.
Assumption
A factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or demonstration.
Assumptions Analysis
A technique that explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project from inaccuracy, inconsistency, or incompleteness of assumptions.
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. After each unit is inspected, the decision is made to accept a lot, reject it, or inspect another unit.
Authority
The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals.
Backlog
A listing of product requirements and deliverables to be completed, written as stories, and prioritized by the business to manage and organize the project’s work.
Backward Pass
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.
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.
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.
Basis of Estimates
Supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the comparison of actual or planned practices, such as processes and operations, to those of comparable organizations to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance.
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.
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).
Brainstorming
A general data gathering and creativity technique that can be used to identify risks, ideas, or solutions to issues by using a group of team members or subject matter experts.
Budget
The approved estimate for the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity.
BAC
Budget at Completion
The sum 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 selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.
Business Value
A concept that is unique to each organization and includes tangible and intangible elements. Through the effective use of project, program, and portfolio management disciplines, organizations will possess the ability to employ reliable, established processes to meet enterprise objectives and obtain greater business value from their investments.
Buyer
The acquirer of products, services, or results for an organization.
Cause and Effect Diagram
A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.
Central Tendency
A property of the central limit theorem predicting that the data observations in a distribution will tend to group around a central location. The three typical measures of central tendency are the mean, median, and mode.
Change Control
A process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected.
CCB
Change Control Board
A formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions.
Change Control System
A set of procedures that describes how modifications to the project deliverables and documentation are managed and controlled.
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.
Change Log
A comprehensive list of changes made during the project. This typically includes dates of the change and impacts in terms of time, cost, and risk.
Change Request
A formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline.
Checklist Analysis
A technique for systematically reviewing materials using a list for accuracy and completeness.
Checksheets
A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data.
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 legally binding contract, such as for a disputed change.
Claims Administration
The process of processing, adjudicating, and communicating contract claims.
Close Procurements
The process of completing each project procurement.
Close Project or Phase
The process of finalizing all activities across all of the Project Management Process Groups to formally complete a project or phase.
Closed Procurements
Project contracts or other procurement agreements that have been formally acknowledged by the proper authorizing agent as being finalized and signed off.
Closing Process Group
Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close a project or phase.
Code of Accounts
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure (WBS).
Collect Requirements.
The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives.
Colocation
An organizational placement strategy where the project team members are physical located close to one another in order to improve communication, working relationships, and productivity.
Communication Constraints
Restrictions on the content, timing, audience, or individual who will deliver a communication usually stemming from specific legislation or regulation, technology, or organizational policies.
Communication Methods
A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
Communication Models
A description, analogy or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project.
Communication Requirement Analysis
An analytical technique to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders through interviews, workshops, study of lessons learned from previous projects, etc.
Communication Technology
Specific tools, systems, computer programs, etc., used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
Communications Management Plan
A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, when, and by whom info ration about the project will be administered and disseminated.
Compliance
A general concept of conforming to a rule, standard, law, or requirement such that the assessment of compliance results in a binomial result stated as “complaint” or “noncompliant.”
Conduct Procurements
The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.
Configuration Management System
A subsystem of the overall project management system. It is a collection of formal documented procedures used to apply technical and administrative direction and surveillance to: identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a product, result, service, or component; control any changes to such characteristics; record and report each change and its implementation status; and support the audit of the products, results, or components to verify conformance to requirements. It includes the documentation, tracking systems, and defined approval levels necessary for authorizing and controlling changes.
Conflict Management
Handling, controlling, and guiding a conflictual situation to achieve a resolution.
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 requirements.
Conformance Work
In the cost of quality framework, conformance work is done to compensate for imperfections that percent organizations from completing planned activities correctly as essential first-time work. Conformance work consists of actions that are related to prevention and inspection.
Constraint
A limiting factor that affects the execution of a project, program, portfolio, or process.
Context Diagrams
A visual depiction of the product scope showing a business system (process, equipment, computer system, etc.), and how people and other systems (factors) interact with it.
Contingency
An event or occurrence that could affect the execution of the project that may be accounted for with a reserve.
Contingency Reserve
aka Contingency Allowance
Budget within the cost baseline or performance measurement baseline that is allocated for identified risks that are accepted and for which contingent or mitigating responses are developed.
Contingent Response Strategies
Responses provided which may be used in the event that a specific trigger occurs.
Contract
A contract is a mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified product or service or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it.
Contract Change Control System
The system used to collect, track, adjudicate, and communicate changes to a contract.
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.
Control Account
A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement.
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 either control limit.
Control Communications
The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the info ration needs of the project stakeholders are met.
Control Costs
The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline.
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.
Control Procurements
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes and corrections as appropriate.
Control Quality
The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.
Control Risks
The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project.
Control Schedule
The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan.
Control Scope
The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline.
Control Stakeholder Engagement
The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.
Corrective Action
An intentional activity that realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan.
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.
Cost Baseline
The approved version of the time-phased 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.
Cost Management Plan
A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.
COQ
Cost of Quality
A method of determining the cost incurred to ensure quality. Prevention and appraisal costs (cost of conformance) include costs for quality planning, quality control (QC), and quality assurance to ensure compliance to requirements (i.e., training, QC systems, etc.). Failure costs (cost of nonconformance) include costs to rework products, components, or processes that are non-compliant, costs or warranty work and waste, and loss of reputation.
CPI
Cost Performance Index
A measure of the cost of efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost.
CPAF
Cost Plus Award Fee Contract
A category of contract that involves payments to the seller for all legitimate actual costs incurred for completed work, plus an ward fee representing seller profit.
CPFF
Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract
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).
CPIF
Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contract
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.
CV
Cost Variance
The amount of budget deficit or surplus at a gien point in time, expressed as the difference between the earned value and the actual cost.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A financial analysis tool used to determine the benefits provided by a project against its costs.
Cost-Rembursable Contract
A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller’s actual costs, plus a fee typically representing seller’s profit. Cost-reimbursable contracts often include incentive clauses where, if the seller meets or exceeds selected project objects, such as schedule targets or total cost, then the seller receives from the buyer an incentive or bonus payment.
Crashing
A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources.
Create WBS
The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.
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.
Critical Chain Method.
A schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties.
Critical Path
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.
Critical Path Activity
Any activity on the critical path in project schedule.
CPM
Critical Path Method
A method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model.
Customer
Customer is the person(s) or organization(s) that will pay for the project’s product, service, or result. Customers can be internal or external to the performing organization.
Customer Satisfaction
Within the quality management system, a state of fulfillment in which the needs of a customer are met or exceeded for the customer’s expected experiences as assessed by the customer at the moment of evaluation.
Data Date
A point in time when the status of the project is recorded.
Data Gathering & Representation Techniques
Techniques used to collect, organize, and present data and information.
Decision Tree Analysis
A diagramming and calculation technique for evaluating the implications of a chain of multiple options in the presence of uncertainty.
Decomposition
A technique used to dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
Defect
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.
Defect Repair
An intentional activity to modify a nonconforming product or product component.
Define Activities
The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
Define Scope
The process of developing a detailed decsription of the project and product.
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.
Delphi Technique
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 any one person from haven undue influence on the outcome.
Dependency
(see) Logical relationship
Dependency Determination
A technique used to identify the type of dependency that is used to create the logical relationships between predecessor and successor activities.
Design of Experiments
A statistical method for identifying which factors may influence specific variables of a product or process under development or in production.
Determine Budget
The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.
Develop Project Charter
The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and projects the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
Develop Project Management Plan
The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all subsidiary plans and integrating them into a comprehensive project management plan.
Develop Project Team
The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance.
Develop Schdule
The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model.
Diagramming Techniques
Approaches to presenting information with logical linkages that aid in understanding.
Dictatorship
A group decision-making technique in which one individual makes the decision for the group.
Direct and Manage Project Work
The process of leading and performing the work defined int he project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project’s objectives.
Discrete Effort
An activity that can be planned an measured and that yields a specific output. [Note: Discrete effort is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance.]
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.
Document Analysis
An elicitation technique that analyzes existing documentation and identifies information relevant to the requirements.
Documentation Reviews
The process of gathering a corpus of information and reviewing it to determine accuracy and completeness.
DU or DUR
Duration
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.
EF
Early Finish Date
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.
ES
Early Start Date
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.
EV
Earned Value
The measure of work performed expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work.
EVM
Earned Value Management
A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress.
Effort
The number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks.
Emotional Intelligence
The capability to identify, assess, and manage the personal emotions of oneself and other people, as well as the collective emotions of groups of people.
EEF
Enterprise Environmental Factors
Conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project, program, or portfolio.
Estimate
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.
Estimate Activity Durations
The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources.
Estimate Activity Resources
The process of estimating the type and quantities of material human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity.
EAC
Estimate at Completion
The expected total cost of completing all work expressed as the sum of the actual cost to date and the estimate to complete.
Estimate Costs
The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources need to complete project activities.
ETC
Estimate to Completion
The expected cost to finish all the remaining project work.
Execute
Directing, managing, performing, and accomplishing the project work; providing the deliverables; and providing work performance information.
Executing Process Group
Those processes performed to complete the work defined int he project management plan to satisfy the project specifications.
EMV
Expected Monetary Value Analysis
A statistical technique that calculates the average outcome when the future includes scenarios that may or may not happen. A common use of this technique is within decision tree analysis.
EMV = Probability X Impact
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.
External Dependency
A relationship between project activities and non-project activities.
Facilitated Workshops
An elicitation technique using focused sessions that bring key cross-functional stakeholders together to define product requirements.
FMEA
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
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 the 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.
Fallback Plan
Fallback plans include an alternative set of actions and tasks available in the even that the primary plan needs to be abandoned because of issues, risks, or other causes.
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.
Fee
Represents profit as a component of compensation to a seller.
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.
FF
Finish-to-Finish
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.
FS
Finish-to-Start
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.
FFP
Firm-Fixed-Price Contract
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.
Fishbone Diagram
A type of Cause and Effect Diagram
Fixed Formula Method
An earned value method for assigning a specified percentage of budget value for a work package to the stat milestone of the work package with the remaining budget value percentage assigned when the work package is complete.
FPIF
Fixed Price Incentive Fee Contract
A type of contract where they 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.
FP-EPA
Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment Contract
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.
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.
Float
Also called slack. See total flood and free float.
Flowchart
The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a system.
Focus Groups
An elicitation technique that brings together pre qualified stakeholders and subject matter experts to learn about their expectations and attitudes about a proposed product, service, or result.
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. The information is based on the project’s past performance and expected future performance, and includes information that could impact the project in the future, such as estimate at completion and estimate to complete.
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.
Free Float
The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor or violating a schedule constraint.
Functional Manager
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.
Functional Organization
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.
Funding Limit Reconciliation
The process of comparing the planned expenditure of project funds against any omits on the commitment of funds for the project to identify any variances between the funding limits and the planned expenditures.
Gantt Chart
A bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis, dates are down on the horizontal axis, and activity durations are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates.
Grade
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).
Ground Rules
Expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.
Group Creativity Techniques
Techniques that are used to generate ideas within a group of stakeholders.
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Techniques to assess multiple alternatives that will be used to generate, classify, and prioritize product requirements.
Guideline
An official recommendation or advice that indicates policies, standards, or procedures for how something should be accomplished.
Hammock Activity
See summary activity.
Hard Logic
See mandatory dependency.
Histogram
A special form of bar chart used to describe the central tendency, dispersion, and shape of a statistical distribution.
Historical Information
Documents and data on prior projects including project files, records, correspondence, closed contracts, and closed projects.
Human Resource Management Plan
A component of the project management plan that describes how the roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staff management will be addressed and structured.
Idea/Mind Mapping
Technique used to consolidate ideas created through individual brainstorming sessions into a single map to reflect commonality and differences in understanding and to generate new ideas.
Identify Risks
The process of determining which risks may affect the project and documenting their characteristics.
Identify Stakeholders
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.
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.
Incentive Fee
A set of financial incentives related to cost, schedule, or technical performance of the seller.
Incremental 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, when increments successively add to the functionality of the product.
Independent Estimates
A process of using a third party to obtain and analyze information to support prediction of cost, schedule, or other items.
Influence Diagram
A graphical representation of situations showing casual influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among variables and outcomes.
Information Management System
Facilities, processes, and procedures used to collect, store, and distribute information between producers and consumers of information in physical or electronic format.
Information Gathering Techniques
Repeatable processes used to assemble and organize data across a spectrum of sources.
Initiating Process Group
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.
Input
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.
