PMBOK Glossary v2 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
TPO-confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project activities
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 tha 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 charachteristics 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. See also “duration”
Activity Duration Estimates
The quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to complete an activity.
Activity Identifier
A shore, unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to differentiate the 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 Network Diagrams
See “project schedule network diagram”
Activity-on-Node (AON)
See “precedence diagramming method” (PDM)
Activity Resource Requirements
The types and quantitites of resources required for each activity in a work package
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 the actual start date of the schedule activity and either the data date of the project schdule 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, aka 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
TPO-calling attention to a project or effort.
Affintiy 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. The can take the form of a contract, 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 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 vs. external, government vs. commerical) or industry sector (i.e. utilities, automotive, aerospace, information technologies, etc) Application areas can overlap
Applying Leads and 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 proportionally 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 of 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 nothing the presence (or absence) of some charachteristic (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 unity.
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 modeul 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 show 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 comparision.
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.
Budget at Completion (BAC)
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.
Change Control Board (CCB)
A formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions.
