PMP Fundamental Terms

Question 1

PMBOK Guide

Answer 1

A guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge. The PMI publication that defines widely accepted project management practices. The CAPM and The PMP are based on this book

Question 2

Application Areas

Answer 2

The areas of expertise, industry or, function where a project is centered. Examples of application areas include architecture, IT, health care, and manufacturing.

Question 3

Business Value

Answer 3

A quantifiable return on investment. The return can be tangible, such as equipment, money, or market share. the return can also be intangible, such as in brand recognition, trademarks, and reputation.

Question 4

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Answer 4

A person who has slightly less project management experience than a PMP, but who has qualified for and then passed the CAPM examination.

Question 5

Cultural and Social Environment

Answer 5

Defines how a project affects people and how those people may affect the project. Cultural and social environments include economic, educational, ethical, religious, demographic, and ethnic composition of the people affected by the project.

Question 6

Deliverable

Answer 6

A product, service, or result created by a project. Projects can have multiple deliverable.

Question 7

Balanced matrix structure

Answer 7

an organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers and the project managers share the project power.

Question 8

Cultural norms

Answer 8

cultural norms describe the culture and the styles of an organization. Cultural norms, such as work ethics, hours, view of authority, and shared values, can affect how the project is managed.

Question 9

Enterprise environmental factors

Answer 9

Conditions that affect how the project manager may manage the project. Enterprise environmental factors come from within the project, such as policy , or they be external to the organization, such as law or regulation.

Question 10

Functional Structure

Answer 10

An organization that is divided into functions, and each employee has one clear functional manager. Each department acts independently of the other departments. A project manager in this structure has little to now power and may be called a project coordinator.

Question 11

Governance framework

Answer 11

governance framework describes the rules, policies, and procedures that people within an organization abide by. Governance framework addresses the organization, but also address portfolios, programs, and projects, regarding portfolios, programs, and projects the governance framework addresses alignment with organizational vision, risks management, performance factors, and communication.

Question 12

General management skills

Answer 12

these include the application of accounting, procurement, sales and marketing, contracting, manufacturing, logistics, strategic planning, human resource management, standards and regulations, and information technology.

Question 13

international and political environment.

Answer 13

The consideration of the local and international laws, languages, communication challenges, time zone differences, and other non-collocated issues that affect a project’s ability to progress.

Question 14

Interpersonal Skills

Answer 14

The ability to interact, lead, motivate, and manage people.

Question 15

Iron Triangle of Project management

Answer 15

A triangle with the characteristics of time, cost, and scope.

Time, cost, and scope each constitute one side of the triangle; if any side of the Iron Triangle is not in balance with the other sides, the project will suffer. The iron Triangle of Project Management is also known as the Triple Constraints of Project Management, as all projects are constrained by time, cost and scope

Question 16

Physical Enviroment

Answer 16

The physical structure and surroundings that affect a project’s work

Question 17

Process groups

Answer 17

a collection of related processes in project management. There are five process groups and 49 project management processes. The five process groups are initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.

Question 18

Program

Answer 18

A collection of related projects working in unison toward a common deliverable.

Question 19

Progressive Elaboration

Answer 19

The process of gathering project details. This process uses deductive reasoning, logic, and a series of information-gathering techniques to identify details about a project, product, or solution.

Question 20

Project

Answer 20

a temporary endeavor to create a unique product, service, or result. The end result of a project is also called a deliverable.

Question 21

Project benefits management plan

Answer 21

A documented created and maintained by the project sponsor and the project manager. The project benefits management plan defines what benefits the project will create, when the benefits will be realized, and how the benefits will be measured.

Question 22

Project business case

Answer 22

Created and maintained by the project sponsor ans shows the financial validity of why a project is charted and launched within the organization. Typically, the project business case is created before the launch of the project and may be used as a go/no-go decision point.

Question 23

Project enviroment

Answer 23

The location and culture of the environment where the project work will reside. The project environment includes the social, economic, and environmental variables the project must work with or around.

Question 24

Project management Institute (PMI)

Answer 24

An organization of project management professionals from around the world, supporting and promoting the careers, values, and concerns of project managers.

Question 25

Project life cycle

Answer 25

The phase that make up the project.

Project life cycles are unique to the type of work being performed and are not universal to all projects.

Question 26

Project management office (PMO)

Answer 26

A central office that oversees all project within an organization or within a functional department. A PMO supports the project manager through software, training, templates, policies, communication, dispute resolution, and other services.

Question 27

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Answer 27

A person who has proven project management experience and has qualified for and then passed the PMP examination.

Question 28

project portfolio management

Answer 28

The management and selection of projects that support an organization’s vision and mission. it is the balance of project priority, risk , reward, and return on investment. This is a senior management process.

Question 29

Subprojects

Answer 29

A smaller project managed within a larger, parent project. Sub projects are often contracted work whose deliverable allows the larger project to progress.

Question 30

Triple Constraints of Project management.

Answer 30

Also known as the IRON triangle. This theory posits that time, cost, and scope are the three constraints that every project has.

Question 31

Work performance data

Answer 31

Raw data, observations, and measurements about project components. Work performance data is gathered and stored in the project management information system.

Question 32

Work performance information

Answer 32

work performance information is the processed and analyzed data that will help the project manager make project decisions.

Question 33

Work performance reports

Answer 33

Work performance reports is the formatted communication of work performance information. Work performance reports communicate whats happening in the project though statues reports, memos, dashboards, or other modalities.

Question 34

Hybrid structure

Answer 34

An organization that creates a blend of the functional, matrix, and project oriented structures.

Question 35

Multidivisional Structure

Answer 35

Describe organizations that have duplication of efforts within the organization, but not within each department or division of the organization. Project manager has little authority in this structure and the functional manager controls the project budget.

Question 36

Organic or simple

Answer 36

Describes a loosely organized business or organization. Ther likely aren’t big formal departments and people work alongside one another regardless of roles and titles. The project manager likely has little control over the project resources and may not be called a project manager.

Question 37

Organizational Process assets

Answer 37

Organizational process assets include:
organizational processes, plicicies, procedures, and items from a corporate knowledge base.

Organizational process assets are grouped into two categories to consider: processes, policies and procedures, and organizational knowledge bases.

Question 38

Organizational Knowledge Repositories

Answer 38

Are databases, files, and historical information that you can use to help better plan and manage your projects.
This is an organizational process asset that is created internally to your organization through the ongoing work of operational and other projects.

Question 39

Organizational System

Answer 39

A system can create things by working with multiple components that the individual components could not create if they worked alone. The structure of the organization and the governance framework creates constraints that affect how the project manager makes decisions within the project. The organizational system directly affects how the project manager utilizes their power, influence , leadership and even political capital to get things done in the environment.

Question 40

Project-oriented structure

Answer 40

an organization that assigns a project team to one project for the duration of the project life cycle. The project manager has high to almost complete project power.

Question 41

Strong Matrix Structure

Answer 41

An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional mangers have less project power than the project manager.

Question 42

Virtual Organization

Answer 42

Uses a network structure to communicate and interact with other groups and departments. A point of contact exist for each department and these department point of contact receive and send all messages for the department.

Question 43

Weak matrix structure

Answer 43

An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have more project power than the project manager.