PMP 2021 Glossary Flashcards
80/20 rule
A general guideline with many applications; in terms of
controlling processes, it contends that a relatively
large number of problems or defects, typically 80%,
are commonly due to a relatively small number of
causes, typically 20%.
AB testing
A marketing approach used to determine user preferences
by showing different sets of users similar services
with one independent variable.
AC (Actual Cost)
The realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time.
accept
A strategy for managing negative risks or opportunities
that involves acknowledging a risk and not taking any
action until the risk occurs.
acceptance criteria
A set of conditions that is required to be met before
deliverables are accepted.
active listening
A communication technique that involves acknowledging what you hear and clarifying the message to confirm that what you heard matches the message that the sender intended.
activity attributes
Multiple attributes associated with each schedule
activity that can be included within the activity
list.
activity dependency
A logical relationship that exists between two project
activities. The relationship indicates whether the
start of an activity is contingent upon an event or
input from outside the activity.
activity duration estimates
The quantitative assessments of the likely number of
time periods that are required to complete an activity.
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
A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during
the course of a project.
administrative closure
Involves verifying and documenting project results to
formalize project or phase completion.
Affinity diagram
A technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be
classified into groups for review and analysis.
agile life cycles
A project life cycle that is iterative or incremental.
Also referred to as change- driven or adaptive, they
work well in environments with high levels of change
and ongoing stakeholder involvement in a project.
Agile project management
A project management methodology that uses an iterative and incremental approach that focuses on customer value and team empowerment. In agile project management, the product is developed in iterations by small and integrated teams.
Agile release planning
A process in which you determine the number of
iterations or Sprints that are needed to complete each
release, the features that each iteration will
contain, and the target dates of each release.
agreements
Any documents or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project. Examples include contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), service level agreements (SLAs), letters of agreement, letters of intent, verbal agreements, email, or other written agreements.
analogous estimating
A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an
activity on a project using historical data from a
similar activity or project.
approved change requests
Change requests that have been reviewed and approved by the change control board (CCB) and are ready to be scheduled for implementation.
assumption and constraint analysis
A process that explores the validity of the project
assumptions within the constraints and identifies risks from any incompleteness or inaccuracy of these project
assumptions.
attribute sampling data
Data that is counted such as the number of product
defects or customer complaints.
auditing
An examination of a project’s goals and achievements, including adequacy, accuracy, efficiency,
effectiveness, and the project’s compliance with
applicable methodologies and regulations. It tends to
be a formal, one-sided process that can be extremely
demoralizing to team members.
autocratic
Using this group decision-making method,
one member of the group makes the decision. In most
cases, this person will consider the larger group’s
ideas and decisions and will then make a decision
based on that input.
avoid
A strategy for managing negative risks or threats that
involves changing the project management plan to
remove the risk entirely by extending the schedule,
changing the strategy, increasing the funding, or
reducing the scope.
BAC
(Budget at Completion) The sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed.
bar chart
A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, schedule activities or WBS 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”.
benchmarking
The comparison of actual or planned products,
processes, and practices to those of comparable
organizations to identify best practices, generate
ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for
measuring performance.
benefit cost analysis
A financial analysis tool used to determine the
benefits provided by a project against its costs.
benefits management plan
The documented explanation defining the processes for creating, maximizing, and sustaining the benefits
provided by a project or program.
bidder conferences
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 called vendor
conferences, pre-bid conferences, or contractor
conferences.
bottom-up estimating
A method of estimating project duration or cost by
aggregating the estimates of the lower- level
components of the WBS.
brainstorming
A technique that involves a facilitator to help a group
identify project risks in a free-form session where
ideas are generated, built on, and recorded.
breach of contract
The failure to meet some or all the obligations of a
contract.
burndown chart
A tool that is used to track the progress of the
project by plotting the number of days of Sprint
against the number of hours of work remaining.
business case
A documented economic feasibility study used to
establish the 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 risk
The inherent risk in any business endeavor that carries
the potential for either profit or loss. Types of
business risks are competitive, legislative, monetary,
and operational.
business value
The net quantifiable benefit derived from a business
endeavor. The benefit may be tangible, intangible, or
both.
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.
cease and desist letter
A document sent to an individual or a business to stop
(cease) allegedly illegal activities and to not
undertake them again (desist).
change control form
A document used to request a project change. They can also be recommendations for taking corrective or
preventive actions. See also “change request”.
change control system
A set of procedures that describes how modifications
to the project deliverables and documentation are
managed and controlled.
change management
The process of managing project changes in a structured and standardized manner.
change management plan
A component of the project management plan that
establishes the Change Control Board, documents that
extent of its authority, and describes how the change
control system will be implemented.
change request
Request for change sent to the upper management or the Change Control Board (CCB) for its evaluation and
approval. See also “change control form”
checklist analysis
A technique for systematically reviewing materials
using a list for accuracy and completeness.
CI
(Continuous Improvement) The ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.
Close Project or Phase process
The process of finalizing all activities for the
project, phase, or contract.
close-out meetings
Sessions held at the end of a project or phase; they
involve discussing the work and capturing lessons
learned.
co-location
An organizational placement strategy where the project
team members are physically located close to one
another in order to improve communication, working
relationships, and productivity.
coaching
The act of giving guidance and direction to another
person so that they can make better decisions.
code of accounts
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each
component of the WBS.
Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
A PMI® publication that describes the ethical and
professional behavior expectations of an individual
working as a project management professional.
communication methods
A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to
transfer information among project stakeholders.
communication requirements 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 styles assessment
A technique to identify the preferred communication
method, format, and content for stakeholders for planned communication activities.
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 information about the project will be administered and disseminated.
completion contract
A type of contract that is completed when the vendor
delivers the product to the buyer and the buyer
accepts the product.
configuration management
A tool used to manage changes to a product or service
being produced as well as changes to any of the
project documents such as schedule updates.
configuration management plan
A component of the project management plan that
describes how to identify and account for project
artifacts under configuration control and how to record
and report changes to them.
configuration management system
A collection of procedures used to track project
artifacts and monitor and control changes to these
artifacts.
conflict management
The application of one or more strategies for dealing
with disagreements that may be detrimental to team
performance.
context diagram
A visual depiction of the product scope showing a business system (process, equipment, computer system, etc.), and how people and other systems (actors) interact with it.
contingency plan
A risk response strategy developed in advance, before
risks occur; it is meant to be used if and when
identified risks become reality.
Project Resource Management
includes the processes to identify, acquire, and manage the human resources needed to successfully complete a project.
contingency reserves
Time or money allocated in the schedule or cost baseline for known risks with active response strategies.
contract change control system
The system used to collect, track, adjudicate, and communicate changes to a contract.
contract
A mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified project or service or result
and obligates the buyer to pay for it.
control account
A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement.
Control Procurements process
The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, making changes and
corrections as appropriate, and closing out contracts.
controlling PMO
A type of PMO that provides support and requires compliance through various means. Compliance may involve adopting project management frameworks or
methodologies; using specific templates, forms, and tools; or conformance to governance.
CoQ
(Cost of Quality) All costs incurred over the life of the product by investment in preventing nonconformance to requirements, appraisal of the product or service for conformance to requirements, and failure to meet requirements.
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.
cost of conformance
The money spent during a project to avoid failures. This includes prevention costs that build a quality product and appraisal costs that assess the quality.
cost of non-conformance
The money spent after a project is complete because of failures. This includes internal and external failure
costs.
cost-reimbursable contract
A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller’s actual costs, plus a fee typically representing the seller’s profit.
CPAF contract
(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 award fee representing seller profit.
CPFF contract
(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).
CPI
(Cost Performance Index) A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost.
CPIF contract
(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.
critical path activity
Any activity on the critical path in a project
schedule.
critical path
The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.
cultural awareness
Understanding the cultural differences of the individuals, groups, and organizations in the project stakeholder community so you can adapt communication strategies to avoid or reduce miscommunication and
misunderstandings.
CV
(Cost Variance) The amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time, expressed as the difference between the earned value and the actual cost.
daily standup
A short, 15-minute meeting in which the complete team gets together for a quick status update while standing in a circle. Also referred to as a daily scrum.
de facto regulations
Regulations that are widely accepted and adopted through use.
de jure regulations
Regulations that are mandated by law or have been approved by a recognized body of experts.
debriefing
A less formal, more cooperative means of discussing the positives and the negatives of the project, what worked, and what will be done differently next time.
This discussion includes technology issues, people issues, vendor relationships, and organizational
culture.
decision making
The process of selecting a course of action from among multiple options.
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 for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.
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 projects.
directions of influence
A classification model that groups stakeholders based on how they influence the project: upwards (senior
management), downwards (team or specialists), outwards (external), sidewards (project manager’s peers), and
prioritization.
directive PMO
A type of PMO that takes control of projects by directly managing the projects.
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
A technique used to gain project requirements from current documentation evaluation.
DoD
(Definition of Done) A team’s checklist of all the criteria required to be met so that a deliverable can be considered ready for customer use.
DoR
(Definition of Ready) A team’s checklist for a user-centric requirement that has all the information the team needs to be able to begin working on it.
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.
EEF
(Enterprise Environmental Factors) Conditions that are not under the immediate control of the team, and that
influence, constrain, or direct the project, program, or portfolio.
effect-based risk classification
A way of analyzing the major risks inherent to a project that could have an impact on its success. These major risks include time, cost, quality, and
scope.
effort
The number of labor units required to complete a scheduled activity or WBS component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks. Contrast with duration.
EI
(emotional intelligence) The ability to identify, assess, and manage the personal emotions of oneself and other people, as well as the collective emotions of groups of people. EQ is also a commonly used
abbreviation.
elapsed time
The actual calendar time required for an activity from start to finish.
EMV
(Expected Monetary Value) A method of calculating the average outcome when the future is uncertain.
enhance
A strategy for managing positive risks or
opportunities that involves increasing the probability that the opportunity will happen, or the impact it will have by identifying and maximizing enablers of
these opportunities.
escalate
The strategy in which you determine that a threat is outside the scope of the project or beyond the project manager’s authority. You then forward the threat to a person or part of the organization at a higher level.
ETC
(Estimate to Complete) The expected cost of finishing all the remaining project work.
EV
(Earned Value) A 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.
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.
explicit knowledge
Knowledge that can be codified using symbols such as words, numbers, and pictures. This type of knowledge can be documented and shared with others.
exploit
A strategy for managing positive risks or
opportunities that involves attempting to make sure that the opportunity happens.
external dependency
Types of activity dependencies that exist between project activities and non-project activities and can be out of the project’s control.
facilitated workshops
Organized working sessions held by project managers to determine a project’s requirements and to get all stakeholders together to agree on the project’s
outcomes.
facilitation
A skill used to lead or guide an assembled group toward a successful conclusion such as making a decision or finding a solution.
FF
(Finish-to-Finish) A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.
FFP contract
(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.
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 also “total float” and “free float”.
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.
FPEPA contract
(Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment contract) A fixed-price contract, but with a special provision
allowing for pre-defined final adjustments to the contract price due to changed conditions, such as inflation changes, or cost increases (or decreases) for specific commodities.
FPIF contract
(Fixed Price Incentive Fee contract) 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.
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.
FS
(Finish-to-Start) A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.
functional organization
An organizational structure in which staff is grouped by areas of specialization and the project manager has limited authority to assign work and apply resources.
funding limit reconciliation
The process of comparing the planned expenditure of project funds against any limits 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 shown on the horizontal axis, and the activity durations are shown
as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates.
IFB
(Invitation for Bid) Generally, this term is equivalent to request for proposal. However, in some application areas,
it may be a narrower or more specific meaning. A type of procurement document that is most commonly used when
deliverables are commodities for which there are clear specifications and when the quantities are very large. The
invitation is usually advertised, and any seller may submit a bid. Negotiation is typically not anticipated. These are sometimes used interchangeably with RFPs.
impediment
An obstacle that prevents the team from achieving its objectives.
increment
A functional, tested, and accepted deliverable that is a subset of the overall project outcome.
incremental life cycle
An adaptive project life cycle in which the deliverable is produced through a series of iterations that successively add functionality within a predetermined
time frame. The deliverable contains the necessary and sufficient capability to be considered complete only after the final iteration.
Influence/impact grid
A classification model that groups stakeholders on the basis of their involvement in and impact on the project.
influencing
The act of presenting a good case to explain why an idea, decision, or problem should be handled a certain way, without resistance from other individuals.
information radiator
The generic term for visual displays placed in a visible location so everyone can quickly see the latest information. In agile practice, also known as “Big Visible Chart”.
insurable risk
A risk that has only the potential for loss and no potential for profit or gain. An insurable risk is one for which insurance may be purchased to reduce or offset the possible loss. Types of insurable risks are
direct property, indirect property, liability, and personnel- related.
interactive communication
An exchange of information between two or more people that ensures common understanding for everyone participating in that exchange.
internal dependency
A type of activity dependency that exists between project activities and is usually under the project’s control.
interpersonal skills
Skills used to establish and maintain relationships with other people.
interview
A formal or informal approach to elicit information from stakeholders by talking with them directly.
IRR
(Internal Rate of Return) The interest rate that makes the net present value of all cash flow equal to zero.
issue
A current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project objectives.
issue log
A document where information about issues is recorded and monitored.
iteration
A timeboxed cycle of development on a product or deliverable in which all of the work that is needed to deliver value is performed.
iterative 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, while increments successively add to the functionality of the product.
JAD
(Joint Application Design) Specialized workshops that include both SMEs and the development team together to discuss and improve on the software development
process.