PMP Definitions Flashcards
Project
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
Program
A group of related projects that are coordinated allowing for more control.
Portfolio
A collection of projects and programs that are aligned to achieve strategic business objectives.
Phases
A group of related project activities that allows for more control and often completes a major deliverable.
Project Life Cycle
A group of project phases defined by an organization into a framework allowing for more control.
Baseline
The original approved plan plus/minus all approved changes; the current approved version of the plan.
System
A set of formal policies, procedures, rules, or processes that defines how things are done.
Progressive Elaboration
An iterative approach to planning; plans are created in multiple passes rather than all at once.
Historical Information
Documents or data from previous projects which are used to assist in future project decisions.
Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF)
The environment you work in that can impact your project; corporate culture, industry standards, infrastructure, political climate, market conditions, etc.
Organizational Process Assets (OPA)
Any documented processes and procedures; corporate knowledge base (e.g. project archives).
Functional Organization Structure
A departmentalized structure where employees work for only one manager; the project manager has little to no power.
Matrix Organization Structure
Employees report to both a functional manager and a project manager (power is shared). Weak Matrix: The PM has little power Balance Matrix: The PM has moderate power Strong Matrix: The PM has nearly full power and authority
Projectized Organization Structure
Employees work directly for and report only to the project manager; The project manager. has full power and authority
Stakeholder
A person or organization who is actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively impacted by the project, or who might exert influence over the project.
A stakeholder grid show interest level versus power level.
Business Case (reason s to do a project)
market demand, business need or strategic opportunity, customer request, technological advance, legal requirement, ecological impact, social need.
Project Expeditor
Staff assistant to the executive who has responsibility for the project. - can make few if any decisions - primary responsibility lies in assuring the timely arrival of resources
Project Coordinator
Reports to a higher level in the hierarchy. - has authority to assign work to individuals - lacks full authority of a project manager
Project Manager
Tasked with achieving the project objectives. - lead person responsible for communicating with all stakeholders including sponsor - may report to a functional manager or program or portfolio manager
Project Charter
Formally authorized the project to exist, establishes the project manager’s authority, and documents high-level requirements, milestones, budge, risks, and success criteria.
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how the project is executed, monitored & controlled. Project Management Plan Components: - Change Management Plan - Configuration Management Plan - Scope Management Plan - Schedule Management Plan - Cost Management Plan, - Quality Management Plan - Process Improvement Plan - Human Resources Plan - Communications Management Plan, - Risk Management Plan - Stakeholder Manan Plan - Procurement Management Plan - Requirements Management Plan - Scope Baseline - Schedule Baseline - Cost Performance Baseline
Lessons Learned
Things learned on the current or previous project that can be used to improve current or future project performance.
Work Authorization Systems
Defines how project work will be authorized to ensure that work is done by the right organization, at the right time, and in the right order.
Change Request
A formal request for a change to the project; can be a change to scope, cost/budget, schedule, policies, procedures, processes, or to any of the project plans.
Issue
A point to matter in question, in dispute, or over which there are disagreements.
Preventive Actions
Take actions to reduce the probability of negative impacts associated with project risks (prevent/minimize impact of potential problems).
Correctie Actions
Take actions to align expected future project outcomes to the project management plan (correct the problem).
Value Engineering
An approach used to optimize project life cycle costs, save time, increase profits, improve quality, expand market share, solve problems, and/or use resources more efficiently; see Product Analysis Tool & Technique.
Group Creativity Techniques
- Brainstorming - Nominal Group Technique (voting and ranking ideas) - Delphi Technique (Blind/anonymous) - Idea and MinMapping - Affinity Diagrams (grouping into categories)
Group Decision Making Techniques
- Unanimity (all agree) - Majority (over 50% agree) - Plurality (Larges block agrees) - Dictatorship (one person decides) - Consensus (all agree to go along, even if it’s not their first choice)
Project Scope Statement
Describes in detail the project’s deliverables and the work required to create those deliverables; it contains explicit project inclusions and exclusions, acceptance criteria, assumptions, and constraints
Project vs. Product Scope
Project scope is measured against the project management plan. Product scope is measured against product requirements.
Decomposition
The process of continually breaking down project deliverables into all parts to the loin where activity cots and drains ca b reliably estimate and managed.
WBS Work Breakdown Structure
A deliverable-oriented hierarchy decomposition of the work to be completed on a project. Each lower level representats an i increasingly detailed definition of the work; lowest level is the work package; each node has a unique identifier; WBS Dictionary - provides a detailed descriptions of each WBS component.
Scope Baseline
Includes the WBS, WBS Dictionary, and Project Statement.
Project Schedule Network Diagram
A graphical depiction of dependencies among project activities. A visual representation of the project schedule.
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
A network diagramming method that uses rectangles (notes) to represent activities and arrows to show logical relationships between the activities; also known as Activity-On-Node (AON).
Types of Dependencies
Mandatory (hard logic) Discretionary (preferred, arbitrary, soft logic) External Internal
Logical Relationships
Dependencies between two activities where one activity must be started or finished before the other can be started or finished. Four Types: Finish-to-Start (FS) Finish-to-Finish (FF) Start-to-Start (SS) Start-to-Finish (SF)
Lead
Starting an activity prior to the completion of the preceding activity, getting a head-start on an activity.
Lag
Delaying the start of an activity after the completion of a preceding activity, delaying an activity.
Bottom-Up Estimating
Breaking a project or activity down into smaller components that are easier to estimate, then aggregating (rolling-up) those costs or durations. This is the most accurate and expensive estimating technique.
Analogous Estimating
Using a previous project (historical information) as a starting point to estimate activity costs or activity durations; also known as top-down estimating. This is the least accurate, but quickest method.
Parametric Estimating
Using a statistical relationship to calculate cost or duration; typically involves multiplying the number of units by a cost or duration per unit. Time example: 4 hours per server x 20 server = duration of 80 hours Cost example: $100 cost per square foot x 2,000 square feet = $200,000 construction cost.
Three-Point Estimating
A weighted average method used to increase estimation accuracy; uses Optimistic, Pessimistic, and Most Likely estimates to calculate the estimated activity cost or duration. Triangle Distribution Formula: (O + M + P)/3 Beta Distribution Formula (PERT): (O + 4xM + P)/6
Reserve Analysis
Contingency reserves buffers) used to account for schedule or cost uncertainty (risks).
Critical Path
The path of activities alone which any delays will cause the project to be delayed; the longest duration path through the schedule network diagram; the chain of tasks which all have 0 float.
Total Float (Slack)
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion date.
Free Float
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the following (successor) activity.
Critical Path Method
A schedule analysis method that calculates the critical path for the project, float for each activity, and possible start and finish dates for each activity.
Critical Chain Method
Takes the Critical Path Method and factors in resource constraints and schedule buffers.
Schedule Compression
Used to shorten the project schedule. Two Methods: Crashing - Adds extra resources, results in higher costs. Fast-Tracking - Doing activities in parallel, which increases risk.
Resource Leveling
Used to adjust the resource schedule when resources have been over-allocated; ;often lets the schedule slip in order to smooth out resource utilization. A histogram (bar chart) is the tool used to do this.
What-if Analysis
A statistical analysis method used to predict the schedule based on various possible scenarios. Examples include: Monte Carlo Analysis which is a computer software that attempts thousands of random scenarios to predict likely possible outcomes.
Milestone Schedule
A summary schedule which only shows key points in the project.
Grantt Chart
A type of bar chart used to display the project schedule with bar lengths representing activity durations.
Schedule Baseline
The accepted and approved version of the project schedule.
Funding Limit Reconciliation
Adjustments made to project expenditures to account for funding limits (e.g. quarterly budgets).
Cost Baseline
Authorized, time-phased, total project Budget used to measure, monitor and control cost performance of the project; appears as an S-curve on a graph.
Variance Analysis
Measuring the difference between planned and actual (used for both costs and durations).