PMP General Terms Flashcards
Section 1-3 of Joes Vocabulary List
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)
The PMI publication that defines widely accepted project management practices. The CAPM and the PMP exam are based on this book.
Application areas
The areas of expertise, industry, or function where a project is centered. Examples of application areas include architecture, IT, health care, and manufacturing.
Business value
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 brand recognition, trademarks, and reputation.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
A person who has slightly less project management experience than a PMP, but who has qualified for and then passed the CAPM examination.
Cultural and social environment
Defines how a project affects people and how those people may affect the project. Cultural and social environments include the economic, educational, ethical, religious, demographic, and ethnic composition of the people affected by the project.
Deliverable
A product, service, or result created by a project. Projects can have multiple deliverables.
General management skills
These include the application of accounting, procurement, sales and marketing, contracting, manufacturing, logistics, strategic planning, human resource management, standards and regulations, and information technology.
International and political environment
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.
Interpersonal skills
The ability to interact, lead, motivate, and manage people.
Iron Triangle of Project Management
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.
Physical environment
The physical structure and surroundings that affect a project’s work.
Process groups
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.
Program
A collection of related projects working in unison toward a common deliverable.
Progressive elaboration
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.
Project
A temporary endeavor to create a unique product, service, or result. The end result of a project is also called a deliverable.
Project benefits management plan
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.
Project business case
Created and maintained by the project sponsor and shows the financial validity of why a project is chartered 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.
Project environment
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.
Project Management Institute (PMI)
An organization of project management professionals from around the world, supporting and promoting the careers, values, and concerns of project managers.
Project life cycle
The phases that make up the project. Project life cycles are unique to the type of work being performed and are not universal to all projects.
Project management office (PMO)
A central office that oversees all projects 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.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
A person who has proven project management experience and has qualified for and then passed the PMP examination.
Project portfolio management
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.
Subprojects
A smaller project managed within a larger, parent project. Subprojects are often contracted work whose deliverable allows the larger project to progress.
Triple Constraints of Project Management
Also known as the Iron Triangle. This theory posits that time, cost, and scope are three constraints that every project has.
Work performance data
Raw data, observations, and measurements about project components. Work performance data is gathered and stored in the project management information system.
Work performance information
Work performance information is the processed and analyzed data that will help the project manager make project decisions.
Work performance reports
Work performance reports is the formatted communication of work performance information. Work performance reports communicate what’s happening in the project through status reports, memos, dashboards, or other modalities.
Balanced matrix structure
An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers and the project managers share the project power.
Cultural norms
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.
Enterprise environmental factors
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.
Functional structure
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 no power and may be called a project coordinator.
Governance framework
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, risk management, performance factors, and communication.
Hybrid structure
An organization that creates a blend of the functional, matrix, and project- oriented structures.
Multidivisional structure
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.
Organic or simple
Describes a loosely organized business or organization. There 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.
Organizational process assets
Organizational process assets include organizational processes, policies, 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.
Organizational Knowledge Repositories
Organizational knowledge repositories are the 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 operations and other projects.
Organizational System
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.
Project management office (PMO)
A business unit that centralizes the operations and procedures of all projects within the organization. The PMO can be supportive, controlling, or directive.
Project-oriented structure
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.
Strong matrix structure
An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have less project power than the project manager.
Virtual organization
Uses a network structure to communicate and interact with other groups and departments. A point of contact exists for each department and these department point of contact receive and send all messages for the department.
Weak matrix structure
An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have more project power than the project manager.
active listening
The message receiver restates what’s been said to fully understand and confirm the message and it provides an opportunity for the sender to clarify the message if needed.
active problem solving
Active problem solving begins with problem definition. Problem definition is the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms—which then affords opportunities for solutions.
avoiding power
The project manager refuses to act, get involved, or make decisions.
charismatic leadership
The leader is motivating, has high- energy, and inspires the team through strong convictions about what’s possible and what the team can achieve. Positive thinking and a can-do mentality are characteristics of a charismatic leader.
expert power
The project manager has deep skills and experience in a discipline (for example, years of working in IT helps an IT project manager better manage IT projects).
ingratiating power
The project manager aims to gain favor with the project team and stakeholders through flattery.
informational power
The individual has power and control of the data gathering and distribution of information.
interactional leadership
The leader is a hybrid of transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders. The interactional leader wants the team to act, is excited and inspired about the project work, yet still holds the team accountable for their results.
guilt-based power
The project manager can make the team and stakeholders feel guilty to gain compliance in the project.
leadership
Leadership is about aligning, motivating, and inspiring the project team members to do the right thing, build trust, think creatively, and to challenge the status quo.
laissez-faire leadership
The leader takes a “hands-off” approach to the project. This means the project team makes decisions, takes initiative in the actions, and creates goals. While this approach can provide autonomy, it can make the leader appear absent when it comes to project decisions.
management
Management utilizes positional power to maintain, administrate, control, and focus on getting things done without challenging the status quo of the project and organization.
media selection
Based on the audience and the message being sent, the media should be in alignment with the message.
meeting management
Meetings are forms of communication. How the meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered. Agendas, minutes, and order are mandatory for effective communications within a meeting.
personal or charismatic power
The project manager has a warm personality that others like.
