Pmbok 5, All Definitions

Front 1

Acceptance Criteria

Back 1

A set of conditions that is required to be met before deliverables are accepted.

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Accepted Deliverables

Back 2

Products, results, or capabilities produced by a project and validated by the project customer or sponsors as meeting their specified acceptance criteria.

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Accuracy

Back 3

Within the quality management system, this is an assessment of correctness.

Front 4

Acquire Project Team

Back 4

The process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project activities.

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Acquisition

Back 5

Obtaining human and material resources necessary to perform project activities. This term implies a cost of resources, and is not necessarily financial.

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Activity

Back 6

A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the course of a project.

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Activity Attributes

Back 7

Multiple attributes associated with each schedule activity that can be included within the activity list. They include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.

Front 8

Activity Code

Back 8

One or more numerical or text values that identify characteristics of the work or in some way categorize the schedule activity that allows filtering and ordering of activities within reports.

Front 9

Activity Cost Estimates

Back 9

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.

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Activity Duration

Back 10

The time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity.

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Activity Duration Estimate

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A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome for the duration of an activity.

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Activity Identifier

Back 12

A short, unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to differentiate that project activity from other activities. Typically unique within any one project schedule network diagram.

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Activity List

Back 13

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.

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Activity Network Diagrams

Back 14

Preferred term: Project Schedule Network Diagram.

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities.

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Activity Resource Requirements

Back 15

The types and quantities of resources required for each activity in a work package.

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Activity-on-Node (AON)

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Preferred term: Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM).

A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed.

Front 17

Actual Cost (AC)

Back 17

The realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period.

Front 18

Actual Duration

Back 18

The time in calendar units between the actual start date of the schedule activity and either the data date of the project schedule if the schedule activity is in progress or the actual finish date if the schedule activity is complete.

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Adaptive Life Cycle

Back 19

A project life cycle, also known as change-driven or agile methods, that is intended to facilitate change and require a high degree of ongoing stakeholder involvement. These 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.

Front 20

Additional Quality Planning Tools

Back 20

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.

Front 21

Adjusting leads and lags

Back 21

A technique used to find ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment with plan during project execution.

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Advertising

Back 22

The process of calling public attention to a project or effort.

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Affinity Diagram

Back 23

A group creativity technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis.

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Agent

Back 24

One who acts for, or in the place of, another, by authority from him; one entrusted with the business of another.

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Agreements

Back 25

Any document or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project. This can take the form of a contract, memorandum of understanding (MOU), letters of agreement, verbal agreements, email, etc.

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Alternative Analysis

Back 26

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.

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Alternatives Generation

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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.

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Analogous Estimating

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A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project.

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Analytical Techniques

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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.

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Application Area

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A category of projects that have common components significant in such projects, but are not needed or present in all projects. These 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 versus external, government versus commercial) or industry sector (i.e., utilities, automotive, aerospace, information technologies, etc.) and can overlap.

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Applying leads and lags

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A technique that is used to adjust the amount of time between predecessor and successor activities.

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Apportioned Effort

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An activity where effort is allotted proportionately across certain discrete efforts and not divisible into discrete efforts. [Note: This is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance.]

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Approved Change Request

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A change request that has been processed through the integrated change control process and approved.

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Approved Change Requests Review

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A review of the change requests to verify that these were implemented as approved.

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Assignment

Back 35

A legal term in the law of contracts that encompasses the transfer of rights held by one party—the assignor—to another party—the assignee.

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Assumption

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A factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or demonstration.

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Assumptions Analysis

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A technique that explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project from inaccuracy, inconsistency, or incompleteness of assumptions.

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Attribute Sampling

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Method of measuring quality that consists of noting the presence (or absence) of some characteristic (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 unit.

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Authority

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The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals.

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Backlog

Back 40

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.

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Backward Pass

Back 41

A critical path method technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates by working backward through the schedule model from the project end date.

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Balanced Matrix Organization

Back 42

A type of matrix organization where the project manager has low to moderate authority and in most cases is in a full-time role. The project manager has as much control over the budget and resources compared to a functional manager and PMO is generally staffed part-time.

Front 43

Bar Chart

Back 43

A graphic display of schedule-related information. Typically, schedule activities or work breakdown structure 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. Related term: Gantt Chart

Front 44

Baseline

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The approved version of a work product that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison.

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Basis of Estimates

Back 45

Supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels.

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Benchmarking

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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.

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Beta Distribution

Back 47

Another name for a PERT estimate.

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Bidder Conference

Back 48

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.

Front 49

Bottom-Up Estimating

Back 49

A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS).

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Brainstorming

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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.

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Budget

Back 51

The approved estimate for the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity.

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Budget at Completion (BAC)

Back 52

The sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed.

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Buffer

Preferred term: Reserve

Back 53

A provision in the project management plan to mitigate cost and/or schedule risk. Often used with a modifier (e.g., management reserve, contingency reserve) to provide further detail on what types of risk are meant to be mitigated.

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Business Case

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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.

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Business Value

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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.

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Buyer

Back 56

The acquirer of products, services, or results for an organization.

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Cancellation For Cause (in Contracts)

Back 57

A contract provision that permits a party completely or partially to terminate performance of the contract for material breach or other stated causes.

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Cancellation For Convenience (in Contracts)

Back 58

A contract clause which gives the buyer the right to unilaterally terminate the contract at any time with or without giving any reason.

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Cause and Effect Diagram

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A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.

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Central Tendency

Back 60

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 are the mean, median, and mode.

Front 61

Change Control

Back 61

A process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected.

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Change Control Board (CCB)

Back 62

A formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions.

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Change Control System

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A set of procedures that describes how modifications to the project deliverables and documentation are managed and controlled.

Front 64

Change Control Tools

Back 64

Manual or automated tools to assist with change and/or configuration management. At a minimum, these tools should support the activities of the CCB.

Front 65

Change Log

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A comprehensive list of changes made during the project. This typically includes dates of the change and impacts in terms of time, cost, and risk.

Front 66

Change Request

Back 66

A formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline.

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Charter

Preferred term: Project Charter

Back 67

A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

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Checklist Analysis

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A technique for systematically reviewing materials using a list for accuracy and completeness.

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Checksheets

Back 69

A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data.

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Claim

Back 70

A request, demand, or assertion of rights by a seller against a buyer, or vice versa, for consideration, compensation, or payment under the terms of a legally binding contract, such as for a disputed change.

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Claims Administration

Back 71

The process of processing, adjudicating, and communicating contract claims.

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Close Procurements

Back 72

The process of completing each project procurement.

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Close Project or Phase

Back 73

The process of finalizing all activities across all of the Project Management Process Groups to formally complete a project or phase.

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Closed Procurements

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Project contracts or other procurement agreements that have been formally acknowledged by the proper authorizing agent as being finalized and signed off.

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Closing Process Group

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Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close a project or phase.

Front 76

Code of Accounts

Back 76

A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure (WBS).

Front 77

Collect Requirements

Back 77

The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives.

Front 78

Colocation

Back 78

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.

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Communication Constraints

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Restrictions on the content, timing, audience, or individual who will deliver a communication usually stemming from specific legislation or regulation, technology, or organizational policies.

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Communication Methods

Back 80

A systematic procedure, technique, or process used to transfer information among project stakeholders.

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Communication Models

Back 81

A description, analogy or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project.

Front 82

Communication Requirements Analysis

Back 82

An analytical technique to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders through interviews, workshops, study of lessons learned from previous projects, etc.

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Communication Technology

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Specific tools, systems, computer programs, etc., used to transfer information among project stakeholders.

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Communications Management Plan

Back 84

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.

Front 85

Compliance

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A general concept of conforming to a rule, standard, law, or requirement such that the assessment of compliance results in a binomial result stated as "compliant" or "noncompliant."

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Composite Organization

Back 86

A form of organizational structure that combines any or all of the characteristics of functional, weak matrix, balanced, strong matrix, or projectized organizations.

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Conduct Procurements

Back 87

The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract.

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Confidentiality Agreement

Back 88

A legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It's a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement

Front 89

Configuration Identification

Back 89

Identification and selection of a configuration item to provide the basis for which the product configuration is defined and verified, products and documents are labeled, changes are managed, and accountability is maintained.

Front 90

Configuration Management System

Back 90

A subsystem of the overall project management system. It is a collection of formal documented procedures used to apply technical and administrative direction and surveillance to: identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a product, result, service, or component; control any changes to such characteristics; record and report each change and its implementation status; and support the audit of the products, results, or components to verify conformance to requirements. It includes the documentation, tracking systems, and defined approval levels necessary for authorizing and controlling changes.

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Configuration Verification and Audit

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The activity for auditing the composition of a project's configuration items is correct and that corresponding changes are registered, assessed, approved, tracked, and correctly implemented.

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Conflict Management

Back 92

Handling, controlling, and guiding a conflictual situation to achieve a resolution.

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Conflict Resolution:
Collaboration or Problem Solving

Back 93

Conflict resolution technique: Incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights from differing perspectives; requires a cooperative attitude and open dialogue that typically leads to consensus and commitment.

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Conflict Resolution:
Compromise / Reconcile

Back 94

Conflict resolution technique: Searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all parties in order to temporarily or partially resolve the conflict.

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Conflict Resolution:
Force / Direct

Back 95

Conflict resolution technique: Pushing one's viewpoint at the expense of others; offering only win-lose solutions, usually enforced through a power position to resolve an emergency.

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Conflict Resolution:
Smooth / Accommodate

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Conflict resolution technique: Emphasizing areas of agreement rather than areas of difference; conceding one's position to the needs of others to maintain harmony and relationships.

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Conflict Resolution:
Withdrawing / Avoiding

Back 97

Conflict resolution technique: Retreating from an actual or potential conflict situation; postponing the issue to be better prepared or to be resolved by others.

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Conformance

Back 98

Within the quality management system, this is a general concept of delivering results that fall within the limits that define acceptable variation for a quality requirement.

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Conformance Work

Back 99

In the cost of quality framework, this is done to compensate for imperfections that prevent organizations from completing planned activities correctly as essential first-time work. It consists of actions that are related to prevention and inspection.

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Constraint

Back 100

A limiting factor that affects the execution of a project, program, portfolio, or process.

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Context Diagrams

Back 101

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.

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Contingency

Back 102

An event or occurrence that could affect the execution of the project that may be accounted for with a reserve.

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Contingency Allowance

Preferred term: Reserve

Back 103

A provision in the project management plan to mitigate cost and/or schedule risk. Often used with a modifier (e.g., management reserve, contingency reserve) to provide further detail on what types of risk are meant to be mitigated.

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Contingency Reserve

Back 104

Budget within the cost baseline or performance measurement baseline that is allocated for identified risks that are accepted and for which contingent or mitigating responses are developed.

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Contingent Response Strategies

Back 105

Responses provided which may be used in the event that a specific trigger occurs.

Front 106

Contract

Back 106

A mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified product or service or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it.

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Contract Change Control System

Back 107

The system used to collect, track, adjudicate, and communicate changes to a contract.

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Control

Back 108

Comparing actual performance with planned performance, analyzing variances, assessing trends to effect process improvements, evaluating possible alternatives, and recommending appropriate corrective action as needed.

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Control Account

Back 109

A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement.

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Control Chart

Back 110

A graphic display of process data over time and against established control limits, which has a centerline that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward either control limit.

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Control Communications

Back 111

The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met.

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Control Costs

Back 112

The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline.

Front 113

Control Costs

Back 113

The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline.

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Control limits

Back 114

The area composed of three standard deviations on either side of the centerline or mean of a normal distribution of data plotted on a control chart, which reflects the expected variation in the data. Related term: Specification Limits.

Front 115

Control limits

Back 115

The area composed of three standard deviations on either side of the centerline or mean of a normal distribution of data plotted on a control chart, which reflects the expected variation in the data. Related term: Specification Limits.

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Control Procurements

Back 116

The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes and corrections as appropriate.

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Control Procurements

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The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes and corrections as appropriate.

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Control Quality

Back 118

The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess· performance and recommend necessary changes.

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Control Quality

Back 119

The process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes.

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Control Risks

Back 120

The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project.

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Control Risks

Back 121

The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project.

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Control Schedule

Back 122

The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan.

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Control Schedule

Back 123

The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan.

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Control Scope

Back 124

The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline.

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Control Scope

Back 125

The process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline.

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Control Stakeholder Engagement

Back 126

The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.

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Control Stakeholder Engagement

Back 127

The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.

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Control Threshold

Back 128

Agreed-upon amount of allowable variation in the schedule before some action needs to be taken.

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Corrective Action

Back 129

An intentional activity that realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan.

Front 130

Corrective Action

Back 130

An intentional activity that realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan.

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Cost Aggregation

Back 131

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.

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Cost Aggregation

Back 132

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.

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Cost Baseline

Back 133

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.

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Cost Baseline

Back 134

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.

Front 135

Cost Management Plan

Back 135

A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.

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Cost Management Plan

Back 136

A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled.

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Cost of Quality

Back 137

A method of determining the costs incurred to ensure quality. Prevention and appraisal costs (cost of conformance) include costs for quality planning, quality control (QC), and quality assurance to ensure compliance to requirements (i.e., training, QC systems, etc.). Failure costs (cost of nonconformance) include costs to rework products, components, or processes that are non-compliant, costs of warranty work and waste, and loss of reputation.

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Cost of Quality

Back 138

A method of determining the costs incurred to ensure quality. Prevention and appraisal costs (cost of conformance) include costs for quality planning, quality control (QC), and quality assurance to ensure compliance to requirements (i.e., training, QC systems, etc.). Failure costs (cost of nonconformance) include costs to rework products, components, or processes that are non-compliant, costs of warranty work and waste, and loss of reputation.

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Cost Performance Index (CPI)

Back 139

A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost (EV/AC)

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Cost Performance Index (CPI)

Back 140

A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost.

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Cost Plus Award Fee Contracts (CPAF)

Back 141

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.

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Cost Plus Award Fee Contracts (CPAF)

Back 142

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.

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Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract (CPFF)

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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).

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Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract (CPFF)

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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).

Front 145

Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contract (CPIF)

Back 145

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.

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Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contract (CPIF)

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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.

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Cost Variance (CV)

Back 147

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.

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Cost Variance (CV)

Back 148

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.

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Cost-Benefit Analysis

Back 149

A financial analysis tool used to determine the benefits provided by a project against its costs (a Plan Quality Management tool)

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Cost-Benefit Analysis

Back 150

A financial analysis tool used to determine the benefits provided by a project against its costs.

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Cost-Reimbursable Contract

Back 151

A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller's actual costs, plus a fee typically representing seller's profit. These contracts often include incentive clauses where, if the seller meets or exceeds selected project objectives, such as schedule targets or total cost, then the seller receives from the buyer an incentive or bonus payment.

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Cost-Reimbursable Contract

Back 152

A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller's actual costs, plus a fee typically representing seller's profit. These contracts often include incentive clauses where, if the seller meets or exceeds selected project objectives, such as schedule targets or total cost, then the seller receives from the buyer an incentive or bonus payment.

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Crashing

Back 153

A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources.

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Crashing

Back 154

A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources.

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Create WBS

Back 155

The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.

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Create WBS

Back 156

The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.

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Criteria

Back 157

Standards, rules, or tests on which a judgment or decision can be based or by which a product, service, result, or process can be evaluated.

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Critical Chain Method

Back 158

A schedule method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties.

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Critical Path

Back 159

The sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration.

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Critical Path Activity

Back 160

Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule.

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Critical Path Method

Back 161

A method used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model.

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Customer

Back 162

The person(s) or organization(s) that will pay for the project's product, service, or result. Customers can be internal or external to the performing organization.

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Customer Satisfaction

Back 163

Within the quality management system, a state of fulfillment in which the needs of a customer are met or exceeded for the customer's expected experiences as assessed by the customer at the moment of evaluation.

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Data Date

Back 164

A point in time when the status of the project is recorded.

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Data Gathering and Representation Techniques

Back 165

Techniques used to collect, organize, and present data and information.

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Decision Tree Analysis

Back 166

A diagramming and calculation technique for evaluating the implications of a chain of multiple options in the presence of uncertainty.

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Decomposition

Back 167

A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.

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Defect

Back 168

An imperfection or deficiency in a project component where that component does not meet its requirements or specifications and needs to be either repaired or replaced.

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Defect Repair

Back 169

An intentional activity to modify a nonconforming product or product component.

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Define Activities

Back 170

The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.

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Define Scope

Back 171

The process of developing a detailed description of the project and product.

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Deliverable

Back 172

Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase, or project.

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Delphi Technique

Back 173

An information gathering technique used as a way to reach a consensus of experts on a subject. Experts on the subject participate in this technique anonymously. A facilitator uses a questionnaire to solicit ideas about the important project points related to the subject. The responses are summarized and are then recirculated to the experts for further comment. Consensus may be reached in a few rounds of this process. This technique helps reduce bias in the data and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome.

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Dependency Determination

Back 174

A technique used to identify the type of dependency that is used to create the logical relationships between predecessor and successor activities.

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Dependency

Preferred term: Logical Relationship

Back 175

A dependency between two activities, or between an activity and a milestone.

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Design of Experiments

Back 176

A statistical method for identifying which factors may influence specific variables of a product or process under development or in production.

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Determine Budget

Back 177

The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.

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Develop Project Charter

Back 178

The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

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Develop Project Management Plan

Back 179

The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all subsidiary plans and integrating them into a comprehensive project management plan.

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Develop Project Team

Back 180

The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance.

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Develop Schedule

Back 181

The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model.

Front 182

Diagramming Techniques

Back 182

Approaches to presenting information with logical linkages that aid in understanding.

Front 183

Dictatorship

Back 183

A group decision-making technique in which one individual makes the decision for the group.

Front 184

Direct and Manage Project Work

Back 184

The process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project's objectives.

Front 185

Discrete Effort

Back 185

An activity that can be planned and measured and that yields a specific output. [Note: This is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance.]

Front 186

Discretionary Dependency

Back 186

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.

Front 187

Document Analysis

Back 187

An elicitation technique that analyzes existing documentation and identifies information relevant to the requirements.

Front 188

Documentation Reviews

Back 188

The process of gathering a corpus of information and reviewing it to determine accuracy and completeness.

Front 189

Duration (DU or DUR)

Back 189

The total number of work periods (not including holidays or other nonworking periods) required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Usually expressed as workdays or workweeks. Sometimes incorrectly equated with elapsed time.

Contrast with: Effort.

Front 190

Early Finish Date (EF)

Back 190

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints.

Front 191

Early Start Date (ES)

Back 191

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can start based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints.

Front 192

Earned Value (EV)

Back 192

The measure of work performed expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work.

Front 193

Earned Value Management

Back 193

A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress.

Front 194

Effort

Back 194

The number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component often expressed in hours, days, or weeks.

Front 195

Emotional Intelligence

Back 195

The capability to identify, assess, and manage the personal emotions of oneself and other people, as well as the collective emotions of groups of people.

Front 196

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Back 196

Conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project, program, or portfolio.

Front 197

Escrow

Back 197

An arrangement made under contractual provisions between transacting parties, whereby an independent trusted third party receives and disburses money or documents for the transacting parties, with the timing of such disbursement by the third party dependent on the fulfillment of contractually agreed conditions by the transacting parties,

Front 198

Estimate

Back 198

A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome. Usually applied to project costs, resources, effort, and durations and is usually preceded by a modifier (i.e., preliminary, conceptual, feasibility, order-of-magnitude, definitive). It should always include some indication of accuracy (e.g., ± x percent). Related term: Budget and Cost.

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Estimate Activity Durations

Back 199

The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources.

Front 200

Estimate Activity Resources

Back 200

The process of estimating the type and quantities of material, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity.

Front 201

Estimate at Completion (EAC)

Back 201

The expected total cost of completing all work expressed as the sum of the actual cost to date and the estimate to complete.

Front 202

Estimate Costs

Back 202

The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources needed to complete project activities.

Front 203

Estimate to Complete (ETC)

Back 203

The expected cost to finish all the remaining project work.

Front 204

Execute

Back 204

Directing, managing, performing, and accomplishing the project work; providing the deliverables; and providing work performance information.

Front 205

Executing Process Group

Back 205

Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project specifications.

Front 206

Expectancy Theory

Back 206

A theory proposes that an individual will decide to behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a specific behavior over other behaviors due to what they expect the result of that selected behavior will be. It defines motivation as a process governing choices among alternative forms of voluntary activities, a process controlled by the individual. The individual makes choices based on estimates of how well the expected results of a given behavior are going to match up with or eventually lead to the desired results. Motivation is a product of the individual’s expectancy that a certain effort will lead to the intended performance, the instrumentality of this performance to achieving a certain result, and the desirability of this result for the individual, known as valence.

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Expected Monetary Value (EMV) Analysis

Back 207

A statistical technique that calculates the average outcome when the future includes scenarios that may or may not happen. A common use of this technique is within decision tree analysis.

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Expert Judgment

Back 208

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.

Front 209

External Dependency

Back 209

A relationship between project activities and non-project activities.

Front 210

Facilitated Workshops

Back 210

An elicitation technique using focused sessions that bring key cross-functional stakeholders together to define product requirements.

Front 211

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

Back 211

An analytical procedure in which each potential failure mode in every component of a product is analyzed to determine its effect on the reliability of that component and, by itself or in combination with other possible failure modes, on the reliability of the product or system and on the required function of the component; or the examination of a product (at the system and/or lower levels) for all ways that a failure may occur. For each potential failure, an estimate is made of its effect on the total system and of its impact. In addition, a review is undertaken of the action planned to minimize the probability of failure and to minimize its effects.

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Fallback Plan

Back 212

A type of plan that includes an alternative set of actions and tasks available in the event that the primary plan needs to be abandoned because of issues, risks, or other causes.

Front 213

Fast Tracking

Back 213

A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration.

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Fee

Back 214

Represents profit as a component of compensation to a seller.

Front 215

Finish Date

Back 215

A point in time associated with a schedule activity's completion. Usually qualified by one of the following: actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current.

Front 216

Finish-to-Finish (FF)

Back 216

A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.

Front 217

Finish-to-Start (FS)

Back 217

A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.

Front 218

Firm-Fixed-Price Contract (FFP)

Back 218

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.

Front 219

Fishbone diagram

Preferred term: Cause and Effect Diagram

Back 219

A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.

Front 220

Fixed Formula Method

Back 220

An earned value method for assigning a specified percentage of budget value for a work package to the start milestone of the work package with the remaining budget value percentage assigned when the work package is complete.

Front 221

Fixed Price Incentive Fee Contract (FPIF)

Back 221

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.

Front 222

Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment Contracts (FP-EPA)

Back 222

A fixed-price contract, but with a special provision allowing for predefined final adjustments to the contract price due to changed conditions, such as inflation changes, or cost increases (or decreases) for specific commodities.

Front 223

Fixed-Price Contracts

Back 223

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.

Front 224

Float

Preferred terms: Total Float and Free Float

Back 224

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date or violating a schedule constraint. Also called Slack.

Front 225

Flowchart

Back 225

The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a system.

Front 226

Focus Groups

Back 226

An elicitation technique that brings together prequalified stakeholders and subject matter experts to learn about their expectations and attitudes about a proposed product, service, or result.

Front 227

Force majeure

Back 227

A common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, or an event described by the legal term act of God (such as hurricane, flooding, earthquake, volcanic eruption, etc.), prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract.

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Forecast

Back 228

An estimate or prediction of conditions and events in the project's future based on information and knowledge available at the time of the forecast. The information is based on the project's past performance and expected future performance, and includes information that could impact the project in the future, such as estimate at completion and estimate to complete.

Front 229

Forward Pass

Back 229

A critical path method technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates by working forward through the schedule model from the project start date or a given point in time.

Front 230

Free Float

Back 230

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.

Front 231

Free on Board (FOB) (in Contracts)

Back 231

A term commonly used when shipping goods to indicate who pays loading and transportation costs, and/or the point at which the responsibility of the goods transfers from shipper to buyer; whether it be the origin or destination. Typically, title passes with the risk of loss.

Front 232

Functional Manager

Back 232

Someone with management authority over an organizational unit within a functional organization. The manager of any group that actually makes a product or performs a service. Sometimes called a line manager.

Front 233

Functional Organization

Back 233

A hierarchical organization where each employee has one clear superior, and staff are grouped by areas of specialization and managed by a person with expertise in that area.

Front 234

Funding Limit Reconciliation

Back 234

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.

Front 235

Gantt Chart

Back 235

A bar chart of schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis, dates are shown on the horizontal axis, and activity durations are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates.

Front 236

Grade

Back 236

A category or rank used to distinguish items that have the same functional use (e.g., "hammer") but do not share the same requirements for quality (e.g., different hammers may need to withstand different amounts of force).

Front 237

Ground Rules

Back 237

Expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.

Front 238

Group Creativity Techniques

Back 238

Techniques that are used to generate ideas within a group of stakeholders.

Front 239

Group Decision-Making Techniques

Back 239

Techniques to assess multiple alternatives that will be used to generate, classify, and prioritize product requirements.

Front 240

Guideline

Back 240

An official recommendation or advice that indicates policies, standards, or procedures for how something should be accomplished.

Front 241

Hammock Activity

Preferred term: Summary Activity

Back 241

A group of related schedule activities aggregated and displayed as a single activity.

Front 242

Hard Logic

Preferred term: Mandatory Dependency

Back 242

A relationship that is contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.

Front 243

Histogram

Back 243

A special form of bar chart used to describe the central tendency, dispersion, and shape of a statistical distribution.

Front 244

Historical Information

Back 244

Documents and data on prior projects including project files, records, correspondence, closed contracts, and closed projects.

Front 245

Human Resource Management Plan

Back 245

A component of the project management plan that describes how the roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staff management will be addressed and structured.

Front 246

Idea/Mind Mapping

Back 246

Technique used to consolidate ideas created through individual brainstorming sessions into a single map to reflect commonality and differences in understanding and to generate new ideas.

Front 247

Identify Risks

Back 247

The process of determining which risks may affect the project and documenting their characteristics.

Front 248

Identify Stakeholders

Back 248

The process of identifying the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by a decision, activity, or outcome of the project; and analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success.

Front 249

Imposed Date

Back 249

A fixed date imposed on a schedule activity or schedule milestone, usually in the form of a "start no earlier than" and "finish no later than" date.

Front 250

Incentive Fee

Back 250

A set of financial incentives related to cost, schedule, or technical performance of the seller.

Front 251

Incremental life Cycle

Back 251

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.

Front 252

Independent Estimates

Back 252

A process of using a third party to obtain and analyze information to support prediction of cost, schedule, or other items.

Front 253

Influence Diagram

Back 253

A graphical representation of situations showing causal influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among variables and outcomes.

Front 254

Information Gathering Techniques

Back 254

Repeatable processes used to assemble and organize data across a spectrum of sources.

Front 255

Information Management Systems

Back 255

Facilities, processes, and procedures used to collect, store, and distribute information between producers and consumers of information in physical or electronic format.

Front 256

Initiating Process Group

Back 256

Those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

Front 257

Input

Back 257

Any item, whether internal or external to the project that is required by a process before that process proceeds. May be an output from a predecessor process.

Front 258

Inspection

Back 258

Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity, component, product, result, or service conforms to specified requirements.

Front 259

Inspections and Audits

Back 259

A process to observe performance of contracted work or a promised product against agreed-upon requirements.

Front 260

Intellectual Property

Back 260

A legal concept which refers to creations of the mind for which exclusive rights are recognized. These rights may refer to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types include copyright, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights, trade dress, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets.

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Interpersonal Skills

Back 261

Ability to establish and maintain relationships with other people.

Front 262

Interrelationship Digraphs

Back 262

A quality management planning tool, the interrelationship digraphs provide a process for creative problem-solving in moderately complex scenarios that possess intertwined logical relationships.

Front 263

Interviews

Back 263

A formal or informal approach to elicit information from stakeholders by talking to them directly.

Front 264

Invitation for Bid (IFB)

Back 264

Generally, this term is equivalent to request for proposal (RFP). However, in some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.

Front 265

Issue

Back 265

A point or matter in question or in dispute, or a point or matter that is not settled and is under discussion or over which there are opposing views or disagreements.

Front 266

Issue Log

Back 266

A project document used to document and monitor elements under discussion or in dispute between project stakeholders.

Front 267

Iterative (or Incremental) Life Cycle

Back 267

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.

Front 268

Joint Venture

Back 268

A legal organization that takes the form of a short term partnership in which the persons jointly undertake a transaction for mutual profit. Generally each person contributes assets and share risks. Like a partnership, this arrangement can involve any type of business transaction and the "persons" involved can be individuals, groups of individuals, companies, or corporations.

Front 269

Lag

Back 269

The amount of time whereby a successor activity is required to be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.

Front 270

Late Finish Date (LF)

Back 270

In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can finish based on the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any schedule constraints.

Front 271

Late Start Date (LS)

Back 271

In the critical path method, the latest possible point in time when the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity can start based on the schedule network logic, the project completion date, and any schedule constraints.

Front 272

Lead

Back 272

The amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity.

Front 273

Lessons Learned

Back 273

The knowledge gained during a project which shows how project events were addressed or should be addressed in the future with the purpose of improving future performance.

Front 274

Lessons Learned Knowledge Base

Back 274

A store of historical information and lessons learned about both the outcomes of previous project selection decisions and previous project performance.

Front 275

Letter of Intent

Back 275

A non-binding statement that a buyer intends to hire a seller.

Front 276

Level of Effort (LOE)

Back 276

An activity that does not produce definitive end products and is measured by the passage of time. [Note: This is one of three earned valued management (EVM) types of activities used to measure work performance.]

Front 277

Leveling

Preferred term: Resource Leveling

Back 277

A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply.

Front 278

Life Cycle

Preferred term: Project Life Cycle

Back 278

The series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

Front 279

Log

Back 279

A document used to record and describe or denote selected items identified during execution of a process or activity. Usually used with a modifier, such as issue, quality control, action, or defect.

Front 280

Logical Relationship

Back 280

A dependency between two activities, or between an activity and a milestone.

Front 281

Majority

Back 281

Support from more than 50 percent of the members of the group.

Front 282

Make-or-Buy Analysis

Back 282

The process of gathering and organizing data about product requirements and analyzing them against available alternatives including the purchase or internal manufacture of the product.

Front 283

Make-or-Buy Decisions

Back 283

Decisions made regarding the external purchase or internal manufacture of a product.

Front 284

Manage Communications

Back 284

The process of creating, collecting, distributing, storing, retrieving, and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the communications management plan.

Front 285

Manage Project Team

Back 285

The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance.

Front 286

Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Back 286

The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle.

Front 287

Management Reserve

Back 287

An amount of the project budget withheld for management control purposes. These are budgets reserved for unforeseen work that is within scope of the project. They are not included in the performance measurement baseline (PMB).

Front 288

Management Skills

Back 288

The ability to plan, organize, direct, and control individuals or groups of people to achieve specific goals.

Front 289

Mandatory Dependency

Back 289

A relationship that is contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.

Front 290

Market Research

Back 290

The process of gathering information at conferences, online reviews, and a variety of sources to identify market capabilities.

Front 291

Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs

Back 291

A motivational theory in psychology which states that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. Levels of needs identified in this theory include: Physiological needs (breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion), Safety needs (security of: body, employment, resources, morality, family, health, property), Love/belonging (friendship, family, sexual intimacy), Esteem (self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others), and Self-Actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts).

Front 292

Master Schedule

Back 292

A summary-level project schedule that identifies the major deliverables and work breakdown structure components and key schedule milestones. Related term: Milestone Schedule.

Front 293

Material

Back 293

The aggregate of things used by an organization in any undertaking, such as equipment, apparatus, tools, machinery, gear, material, and supplies.

Front 294

Matrix Diagrams

Back 294

A quality management and control tool used to perform data analysis within the organizational structure created in the matrix. This diagram seeks to show the strength of relationships between factors, causes, and objectives that exist between the rows and columns that form the matrix.

Front 295

Matrix Organization

Back 295

Any organizational structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the functional managers for assigning priorities and for directing the work of persons assigned to the project.

Front 296

Methodology

Back 296

A system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline.

Front 297

Milestone

Back 297

A significant point or event in a project, program, or portfolio.

Front 298

Milestone List

Back 298

A list identifying all project milestones and normally indicates whether the milestone is mandatory or optional.

Front 299

Milestone Schedule

Back 299

A summary-level schedule that identifies the major schedule milestones. Related term: Master Schedule.

Front 300

Monitor

Back 300

Collect project performance data with respect to a plan, produce performance measures, and report and disseminate performance information.

Front 301

Monitor and Control Project Work

Back 301

The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.

Front 302

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Back 302

Those processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.

Front 303

Monte Carlo Simulation

Back 303

A process which generates hundreds or thousands of probable performance outcomes based on probability distributions for cost and schedule on individual tasks. The outcomes are then used to generate a probability distribution for the project as a whole.

Front 304

Most likely Duration

Back 304

An estimate of the most probable activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance.

Front 305

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Back 305

This technique utilizes a decision matrix to provide a systematic analytical approach for establishing criteria, such as risk levels, uncertainty, and valuation, to evaluate and rank many ideas.

Front 306

Near-Critical Activity

Back 306

A schedule activity that has low total float. The concept is equally applicable to a schedule activity or schedule network path. The limit below which total float is considered near critical is subject to expert judgment and varies from project to project.

Front 307

Negative Risk

Back 307

A risk that may have a negative effect of uncertainty on objectives.

Front 308

Negotiated Settlements

Back 308

The process of reaching final equitable settlement of all outstanding issues, claims, and disputes through negotiation.

Front 309

Negotiation

Back 309

The process and activities to resolving disputes through consultations between involved parties.

Front 310

Network Analysis

Preferred term: Schedule Network Analysis

Back 310

The technique of identifying early and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the uncompleted portions of project schedule activities. Related terms: Backward Pass, Critical Path Method, Critical Chain Method, and Resource Leveling.

Front 311

Network Logic

Back 311

The collection of schedule activity dependencies that makes up a project schedule network diagram.

Front 312

Network Path

Back 312

Any continuous series of schedule activities connected with logical relationships in a project schedule network diagram.

Front 313

Network

Preferred term: Project Schedule Network Diagram

Back 313

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities.

Front 314

Networking

Back 314

Establishing connections and relationships with other people from the same or other organizations.

Front 315

Node

Back 315

One of the defining points of a schedule network; a junction point joined to some or all of the other dependency lines.

Front 316

Nominal Group Technique

Back 316

A technique that enhances brainstorming with a voting process used to rank the most useful ideas for further brainstorming or for prioritization.

Front 317

Nonconformance Work

Back 317

In the cost of quality framework, nonconformance work is done to deal with the consequences of errors and failures in doing activities correctly on the first attempt. In efficient quality management systems, the amount of nonconformance work will approach zero.

Front 318

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Back 318

A legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It's a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement.

Front 319

Objective

Back 319

Something toward which work is to be directed, a strategic position to be attained, a purpose to be achieved, a result to be obtained, a product to be produced, or a service to be performed.

Front 320

Observations

Back 320

A technique that provides a direct way of viewing individuals in their environment performing their jobs or tasks and carrying out processes.

Front 321

Operational Stakeholders

Back 321

Stakeholders who perform and conduct business operations in projects that will affect their future work and endevours.

Front 322

Opportunity

Back 322

A risk that would have a positive effect on one or more project objectives.

Front 323

Optimistic Duration

Back 323

An estimate of the shortest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance.

Front 324

Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)

Back 324

A hierarchical representation of the project organization that illustrates the relationship between project activities and the organizational units that will perform those activities.

Front 325

Organizational Chart

Back 325

A graphic portrayal of an organizations formal hierarchical system of authority and supervision. It provides a clear picture of responsibilities and reporting relationships

Front 326

Organizational Process Assets

Back 326

Plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases that are specific to and used by the performing organization.

Front 327

Organizational Project Management Maturity

Back 327

The level of an organization's ability to deliver the desired strategic outcomes in a predictable, controllable, and reliable manner.

Front 328

Output

Back 328

A product, result, or service generated by a process. May be an input to a successor process.

Front 329

Parametric Estimating

Back 329

An estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters.

Front 330

Pareto Diagram

Back 330

A histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence, that shows how many results were generated by each identified cause.

Front 331

Path Convergence

Back 331

A relationship in which a schedule activity has more than one predecessor.

Front 332

Path Divergence

Back 332

A relationship in which a schedule activity has more than one successor.

Front 333

Payment Systems

Back 333

The system used to provide and track supplier's invoices and payments for services and products.

Front 334

Percent Complete

Back 334

An estimate expressed as a percent of the amount of work that has been completed on an activity or a work breakdown structure component.

Front 335

Perform Integrated Change Control

Back 335

The process of reviewing all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and communicating their disposition.

Front 336

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis

Back 336

The process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and impact.

Front 337

Perform Quality Assurance

Back 337

The process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used.

Front 338

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

Back 338

The process of numerically analyzing the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives.

Front 339

Performance Appraisal

Back 339

A collection of tools or techniques used during the course of a project that can include clarification of roles and responsibilities, constructive feedback to team members, discovery of unknown or unresolved issues, development of indiviual training plans, and the establishment of specific goals for future time periods.

Front 340

Performance Measurement Baseline

Back 340

An approved plan for the project work to which the project execution is compared, and deviations are measured for management control. It typically integrates scope, schedule, and cost parameters of a project, but may also include technical and qualty parameters. It includes contingency reserve, but excludes management reserve.

Front 341

Performance Reporting

Preferred term: Work Performance Reports

Back 341

The physical or electronic representation of work performance information compiled in project documents, intended to generate decisions, actions, or awareness.

Front 342

Performance Reports

Preferred term: Work Performance Reports

Back 342

The physical or electronic representation of work performance information compiled in project documents, intended to generate decisions, actions, or awareness.

Front 343

Performance Reviews

Back 343

A technique that is used to measure, compare, and analyze actual performance of work in progress on the project against the baseline.

Front 344

Performing Organization

Back 344

An enterprise whose personnel are most directly involved in doing the work of the project or program. Also referred to as Sellers.

Front 345

Pessimistic Duration

Back 345

Estimate of the longest activity duration that takes into account all of the known variables that could affect performance.

Front 346

Phase Gate

Back 346

A review at the end of a phase in which a decision is made to continue to the next phase, to continue with modification, or to end a project or program.

Front 347

Phase

Preferred term: Project Phase

Back 347

A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables.

Front 348

Plan Communications Management

Back 348

The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder's information needs and requirements and available organizational assets.

Front 349

Plan Cost Management

Back 349

The process that establishes the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, expending, and controlling project costs.

Front 350

Plan Human Resource Management

Back 350

The process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, required skills, reporting relationships, and creating a staffing management plan.

Front 351

Plan Procurement Management

Back 351

The process of documenting project procurement decisions, specifying the approach, and identifying potential sellers.

Front 352

Plan Quality Management

Back 352

The process of identifying quality requirements and/or standards for the project and its deliverables, and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance with quality requirements.

Front 353

Plan Risk Management

Back 353

The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project.

Front 354

Plan Risk Responses

Back 354

The process of developing options and actions to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives.

Front 355

Plan Schedule Management

Back 355

The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule.

Front 356

Plan Scope Management

Back 356

The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled.

Front 357

Plan Stakeholder Management

Back 357

The process of developing appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, based on the analysis of their needs, interests, and potential impact on project success.

Front 358

Planned Value (PV)

Back 358

The authorized budget assigned to scheduled work.

Front 359

Planning Package

Back 359

A work breakdown structure component below the control account with known work content but without detailed schedule activities. Related term: Control Account.

Front 360

Planning Process Group

Back 360

Those processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.

Front 361

Plurality

Back 361

Decisions made by the largest block in a group, even if a majority is not achieved.

Front 362

Policy

Back 362

A structured pattern of actions adopted by an organization such that the organization's policy can be explained as a set of basic principles that govern the organization's conduct.

Front 363

Portfolio

Back 363

Projects, programs, subportfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.

Front 364

Portfolio Management

Back 364

The centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve strategic objectives.

Front 365

Practice

Back 365

A specific type of professional or management activity that contributes to the execution of a process and that may employ one or more techniques and tools.

Front 366

Precedence Diagramming Method (POM)

Back 366

A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed.

Front 367

Precedence Relationship

Back 367

The term used in the precedence diagramming method for a logical relationship. In current usage, however, precedence relationship, logical relationship, and dependency are widely used interchangeably, regardless of the diagramming method used. Related term: Logical Relationship.

Front 368

Precision

Back 368

Within the quality management system, precision is a measure of exactness.

Front 369

Predecessor Activity

Back 369

An activity that logically comes before a dependent activity in a schedule.

Front 370

Predictive Life Cycle

Back 370

A form of project life cycle in which the project scope, and the time and cost required to deliver that scope, are determined as early in the life cycle as possible.

Front 371

Preferential Logic

Preferred Term: Discretionary Dependency

Back 371

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.

Front 372

Preferred Logic

Preferred Term: Discretionary Dependency

Back 372

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.

Front 373

Preventive Action

Back 373

An intentional activity that ensures the future performance of the project work is aligned with the project management plan.

Front 374

Prioritization Matrices

Back 374

A quality management planning tool used to identify key issues and evaluate suitable alternatives to define a set of implementation priorities.

Front 375

Privity

Back 375

A doctrine in the common law of contract that provides that a contract cannot confer rights or impose obligations arising under it on any person or agent except the parties to it.

Front 376

Probability and Impact Matrix

Back 376

A grid for mapping the probability of each risk occurrence and its impact on project objectives if that risk occurs.

Front 377

Procedure

Back 377

An established method of accomplishing a consistent performance or result, a procedure typically can be described as the sequence of steps that will be used to execute a process.

Front 378

Process

Back 378

A systematic series of activities directed towards causing an end result such that one or more inputs will be acted upon to create one or more outputs.

Front 379

Process Analysis

Back 379

A process analysis follows the steps outlined in the process improvement plan to identify needed improvements.

Front 380

Process Decision Program Charts (PDPC)

Back 380

A charting tool used to understand a goal in relation to the steps for getting to the goal.

Front 381

Process Improvement Plan

Back 381

A subsidiary plan of the project management plan. It details the steps for analyzing processes to identify activities that enhance their value.

Front 382

Procurement Audits

Back 382

The review of contracts and contracting processes for completeness, accuracy, and effectiveness.

Front 383

Procurement Documents

Back 383

The documents utilized in bid and proposal activities, which include the buyer's invitation for Bid, Invitation for Negotiations, Request for Information, Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, and seller's responses.

Front 384

Procurement Management Plan

Back 384

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how a project team will acquire goods and services from outside the performing organization.

Front 385

Procurement Performance Reviews

Back 385

A structured review of the seller's progress to deliver project scope and quality, within cost and on schedule, as compared to the contract.

Front 386

Procurement Statement of Work

Back 386

Describes the procurement item in sufficient detail to allow prospective sellers to determine if they are capable of providing the products, services, or results.

Front 387

Product

Back 387

An artifact that is produced, is quantifiable, and can be either an end item in itself or a component item. It might also be referred to as materials, goods, or deliverable. Related term: Deliverable.

Front 388

Product Analysis

Back 388

For projects that have a product as a deliverable, it is a tool to define scope that generally means asking questions about a product and forming answers to describe the use, characteristics, and other the relevant aspects of what is going to be manufactured.

Front 389

Product life Cycle

Back 389

The series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery, growth, maturity, and to retirement.

Front 390

Product Scope

Back 390

The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result.

Front 391

Product Scope Description

Back 391

The documented narrative description of the product scope.

Front 392

Program

Back 392

A group of related projects, subprograms, and program activities managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

Front 393

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Back 393

A technique for estimating that applies a weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates.

Front 394

Program Management

Back 394

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a program to meet the program requirements and to obtain benefits and control not available by managing projects individually.

Front 395

Progressive Elaboration

Back 395

The iterative process of increasing the level of detail in a project management plan as greater amounts of information and more accurate estimates become available.

Front 396

Project

Back 396

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Front 397

Project Calendar

Back 397

A calendar that identifies working days and shifts that are available for scheduled activities.

Front 398

Project Charter

Back 398

A document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

Front 399

Project Communications Management

Back 399

Project Communications Management includes the processes that are required to ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, monitoring, and the ultimate disposition of project information.

Front 400

Project Cost Management

Back 400

Project Cost Management includes the processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget.

Front 401

Project Funding Requirements

Back 401

Forecast project costs to be paid that are derived from the cost baseline for total or periodic requirements, including projected expenditures plus anticipated liabilities.

Front 402

Project Governance

Back 402

The alignment of project objectives with the strategy of the larger organization by the project sponsor and project team. A project's governance is defined by and is required to fit within the larger context of the program or organization sponsoring it, but is separate from organizational governance.

Front 403

Project Human Resource Management

Back 403

Project Human Resource Management includes the processes that organize, manage, and lead the project team.

Front 404

Project Initiation

Back 404

Launching a process that can result in the authorization of a new project.

Front 405

Project Integration Management

Back 405

Project Integration Management includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups.

Front 406

Project Life Cycle

Back 406

The series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

Front 407

Project Management

Back 407

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

Front 408

Project Management Body of Knowledge

Back 408

An inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management. As with other professions, such as law, medicine, and accounting, the body of knowledge rests with the practitioners and academics that apply and advance it. The complete project management body of knowledge includes proven traditional practices that are widely applied and innovative practices that are emerging in the profession. The body of knowledge includes both published and unpublished materials. This body of knowledge is constantly evolving. PMI's PMBOK® Guide identifies a subset of the project management body of knowledge that is generally recognized as good practice.

Front 409

Project Management Information System

Back 409

An information system consisting of the tools and techniques used to gather, integrate, and disseminate the outputs of project management processes. It is used to support all aspects of the project from initiating through closing, and can include both manual and automated systems.

Front 410

Project Management Knowledge Area

Back 410

An identified area of project management defined by its knowledge requirements and described in terms of its component processes, practices, inputs, outputs, tools, and techniques.

Front 411

Project Management Office (PMO)

Back 411

An organizational structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques.

Front 412

Project Management Plan

Back 412

The document that describes how the project will be executed monitored, and controlled.

Front 413

Project Management Process Group

Back 413

A logical grouping of project management inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The Project Management Process Groups include initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, monitoring and controlling processes, and closing processes. Project Management Process Groups are not project phases.

Front 414

Project Management Staff

Back 414

The members of the project team who perform project management activities such as schedule, communications, risk management, etc.

Front 415

Project Management System

Back 415

The aggregation of the processes, tools, techniques, methodologies, resources, and procedures to manage a project.

Front 416

Project Management Team

Back 416

The members of the project team who are directly involved in project management activities. On some smaller projects, the project management team may include virtually all of the project team members.

Front 417

Project Manager (PM)

Back 417

The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives.

Front 418

Project Organization Chart

Back 418

A document that graphically depicts the project team members and their interrelationships for a specific project.

Front 419

Project Phase

Back 419

A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables.

Front 420

Project Procurement Management

Back 420

Project Procurement Management includes the processes necessary to purchase or acquire products, services, or results needed from outside the project team.

Front 421

Project Quality Management

Back 421

Project Quality Management includes the processes and activities of the performing organization that determine quality policies, objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.

Front 422

Project Risk Management

Back 422

Project Risk Management includes the processes of conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, response planning, and controlling risk on a project.

Front 423

Project Schedule

Back 423

An output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources.

Front 424

Project Schedule Model Maintenance

Back 424

The process used to update the status and record progress of the project in the schedule model during the execution of the project.

Front 425

Project Schedule Network Diagram

Back 425

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities.

Front 426

Project Scope

Back 426

The work performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.

Front 427

Project Scope Management

Back 427

Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.

Front 428

Project Scope Statement

Back 428

The description of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints.

Front 429

Project Stakeholder

Back 429

All members of the project team as well as all interested entities that are internal or external to the organization.

Front 430

Project Stakeholder Management

Back 430

Project Stakeholder Management includes the processes required to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the project, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution.

Front 431

Project Statement of Work

Preferred term: Statement of Work

Back 431

A narrative description of products, services, or results to be delivered by the project.

Front 432

Project Team

Back 432

A set of individuals who support the project manager in performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.

Front 433

Project Team Directory

Back 433

A documented list of project team members, their project roles, and communication information.

Front 434

Project Time Management

Back 434

Project Time Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.

Front 435

Project-Based Organizations (PBOs)

Back 435

A variety of organizational forms that involve the creation of temporary systems for the performance of projects. PBOs conduct the majority of their activities as projects and/or provide project over functional approaches.

Front 436

Projectized Organization

Back 436

A project focused organizational structure where the project manager has final authority over the project to make project decisions, priorities, acquire and assign resources.

Front 437

Proposal Evaluation Techniques

Back 437

The process of reviewing proposals provided by suppliers to support contract award decisions.

Front 438

Prototypes

Back 438

A method of obtaining early feedback on requirements by providing a working model of the expected product before actually building it.

Front 439

Quality

Back 439

The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements.

Front 440

Quality Audits

Back 440

A quality audit is a structured, independent process to determine if project activities comply with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.

Front 441

Quality Checklists

Back 441

A structured tool used to verify that a set of required steps has been performed.

Front 442

Quality Control Measurements

Back 442

The documented results of control quality activities.

Front 443

Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Back 443

A facilitated workshop technique that helps to determine critical characteristics for new product development.

Front 444

Quality Management and Control Tools

Back 444

They are a type of quality planning tools used to link and sequence the activities identified.

Front 445

Quality Management Plan

Back 445

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how an organization's quality policies will be implemented.

Front 446

Quality Management System

Back 446

The organizational framework whose structure provides the policies, processes, procedures, and resources required to implement the quality management plan. The typical project quality management plan should be compatible to the organization's quality management system.

Front 447

Quality Metrics

Back 447

A description of a project or product attribute and how to measure it.

Front 448

Quality Policy

Back 448

A policy specific to the Project Quality Management Knowledge Area, it establishes the basic principles that should govern the organization's actions as it implements its system for quality management.

Front 449

Quality Requirement

Back 449

A condition or capability that will be used to assess conformance by validating the acceptability of an attribute for the quality of a result.

Front 450

Quantitative Risk Analysis and Modeling Techniques

Back 450

Commonly used techniques for both event-oriented and project-oriented analysis approaches.

Front 451

Questionnaires and Surveys

Back 451

Written sets of questions designed to quickly accumulate information from a large number of respondents.

Front 452

RACI

Back 452

A common type of responsibility assignment matrix that uses responsible, accountable, consult, and inform statuses to define the involvement of stakeholders in project activities.

Front 453

Records Management System

Back 453

A specific set of processes, related control functions, and tools that are consolidated and combined to record and retain information about the project.

Front 454

Regression Analysis

Back 454

An analytic technique where a series of input variables are examined in relation to their corresponding output results in order to develop a mathematical or statistical relationship.

Front 455

Regulation

Back 455

Requirements imposed by a governmental body. These requirements can establish product, process, or service characteristics, including applicable administrative provisions that have government-mandated compliance.

Front 456

Reporting Systems

Back 456

Facilities, processes, and procedures used to generate or consolidate reports from one or more information management systems and facilitate report distribution to the project stakeholders.

Front 457

Request for Information (RFI)

Back 457

A type of procurement document whereby the buyer requests a potential seller to provide various pieces of information related to a product or service or seller capability.

Front 458

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Back 458

A type of procurement document used to request proposals from prospective sellers of products or services. In some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.

Front 459

Request for Quotation (RFQ)

Back 459

A type of procurement document used to request price quotations from prospective sellers of common or standard products or services. Sometimes used in place of request for proposal and, in some application areas, it may have a narrower or more specific meaning.

Front 460

Requested Change

Back 460

A formally documented change request that is submitted for approval to the integrated change control process.

Front 461

Requirement

Back 461

A condition or capability that is required to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a contract or other formally imposed specification.

Front 462

Requirements Documentation

Back 462

A description of how individual requirements meet the business need for the project.

Front 463

Requirements Management Plan

Back 463

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed.

Front 464

Requirements Traceability Matrix

Back 464

A grid that links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them.

Front 465

Reserve

Back 465

A provision in the project management plan to mitigate cost and/or schedule risk. Often used with a modifier (e.g., management reserve, contingency reserve) to provide further detail on what types of risk are meant to be mitigated.

Front 466

Reserve Analysis

Back 466

An analytical technique to determine the essential features and relationships of components in the project management plan to establish a reserve for the schedule duration, budget, estimated cost, or funds for a project.

Front 467

Residual Risk

Back 467

A risk that remains after risk responses have been implemented.

Front 468

Resource

Back 468

Skilled human resources (specific disciplines either individually or in crews or teams), equipment, services, supplies, commodities, material, budgets, or funds.

Front 469

Resource Breakdown Structure

Back 469

A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type.

Front 470

Resource Calendar

Back 470

A calendar that identifies the working days and shifts on which each specific resource is available.

Front 471

Resource Histogram

Back 471

A bar chart showing the amount of time that a resource is scheduled to work over a series of time periods. Resource availability may be depicted as a line for comparison purposes. Contrasting bars may show actual amounts of resources used as the project progresses.

Front 472

Resource Leveling

Back 472

A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply.

Front 473

Resource Optimization Techniques

Back 473

A technique that is used to adjust the start and finish dates of activities that adjust planned resource use to be equal to or less than resource availability.

Front 474

Resource Smoothing

Back 474

A technique which adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirement for resources on the project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits.

Front 475

Responsibility

Back 475

An assignment that can be delegated within a project management plan such that the assigned resource incurs a duty to perform the requirements of the assignment.

Front 476

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Back 476

A grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package.

Front 477

Result

Back 477

An output from performing project management processes and activities. Results include outcomes (e.g., integrated systems, revised process, restructured organization, tests, trained personnel, etc.) and documents (e.g., policies, plans, studies, procedures, specifications, reports, etc.). Related term: Deliverable.

Front 478

Retainage

Back 478

A portion of the agreed upon contract price deliberately withheld until the work is substantially complete to assure that contractor or subcontractor will satisfy its obligations and complete a construction project.[

Front 479

Rework

Back 479

Action taken to bring a defective or nonconforming component into compliance with requirements or specifications.

Front 480

Risk

Back 480

An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives.

Front 481

Risk Acceptance

Back 481

A risk response strategy whereby the project team decides to acknowledge the risk and not take any action unless the risk occurs.

Front 482

Risk Appetite

Back 482

The degree of uncertainty an entity is willing to take on, in anticipation of a reward.

Front 483

Risk Audits

Back 483

Examination and documentation of the effectiveness of risk responses in dealing with identified risks and their root causes, as well as the effectiveness of the risk management process.

Front 484

Risk Avoidance

Back 484

A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to eliminate the threat or protect the project from its impact.

Front 485

Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Back 485

A hierarchical representation of risks according to their risk categories.

Front 486

Risk Categorization

Back 486

Organization by sources of risk (e.g., using the RBS), the area of the project affected (e.g., using the WBS), or other useful category (e.g., project phase) to determine the areas of the project most exposed to the effects of uncertainty.

Front 487

Risk Category

Back 487

A group of potential causes of risk.

Front 488

Risk Data Quality Assessment

Back 488

Technique to evaluate the degree to which the data about risks is useful for risk management.

Front 489

Risk Management Plan

Back 489

A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how risk management activities will be structured and performed.

Front 490

Risk Mitigation

Back 490

A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to reduce the probability of occurrence or impact of a risk.

Front 491

Risk of Loss (in Contracts)

Back 491

A term used in the law of contracts to determine which party should bear the burden of risk for damage occurring to goods after the sale has been completed, but before delivery has occurred.

Front 492

Risk Reassessment

Back 492

The identification of new risks, reassessment of current risks, and the dosing of risks that are outdated.

Front 493

Risk Register

Back 493

A document in which the results of risk analysis and risk response planning are recorded.

Front 494

Risk Threshold

Back 494

Measure of the level of uncertainty or the level of impact at which a stakeholder may have a specific interest. Below that risk threshold, the organization will accept the risk. Above that risk threshold, the organization will not tolerate the risk.

Front 495

Risk Tolerance

Back 495

The degree, amount, or volume of risk that an organization or individual will withstand.

Front 496

Risk Transference

Back 496

A risk response strategy whereby the project team shifts the impact of a threat to a third party, together with ownership of the response.

Front 497

Risk Urgency Assessment

Back 497

Review and determination of the timing of actions that may need to occur sooner than other risk items.

Front 498

Role

Back 498

A defined function to be performed by a project team member, such as testing, filing, inspecting, or coding.

Front 499

Rolling Wave Planning

Back 499

An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level.

Front 500

Root Cause Analysis

Back 500

An analytical technique used to determine the basic underlying reason that causes a variance or a defect or a risk. A root cause may underlie more than one variance or defect or risk.

Front 501

Scatter Diagram

Back 501

A correlation chart that uses a regression line to explain or to predict how the change in an independent variable will change a dependent variable.

Front 502

Schedule Baseline

Back 502

The approved version of a schedule model that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results.

Front 503

Schedule Compression

Back 503

Techniques used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope.

Front 504

Schedule Data

Back 504

The collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule. Schedule Forecasts. Estimates or predictions of conditions and events in the project's future based on information and knowledge available at the time the schedule is calculated.

Front 505

Schedule Management Plan

Back 505

A component of the project management plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule.

Front 506

Schedule Model

Back 506

A representation of the plan for executing the project's activities including durations, dependencies, and other planning information, used to produce a project schedule along with other scheduling artifacts.

Front 507

Schedule Network Analysis

Back 507

The technique of identifying early and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the uncompleted portions of project schedule activities. Related term: Backward Pass, Critical Path Method, Critical Chain Method, and Resource Leveling.

Front 508

Schedule Network Templates

Back 508

A set of activities and relationships that have been established that can be used repeatedly for a particular application area or an aspect of the project where a prescribed sequence is desired.

Front 509

Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

Back 509

A measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value.

Front 510

Schedule Variance (SV)

Back 510

A measure of schedule performance expressed as the difference between the earned value and the planned value.

Front 511

Schedule

Preferred term: Project Schedule

Back 511

An output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources. Related term: Schedule Model.

Front 512

Scheduling Tool

Back 512

A tool that provides schedule component names, definitions, structural relationships, and formats that support the application of a scheduling method.

Front 513

Scope

Back 513

The sum of the products, services, and results to be provided as a project. Related term: Project Scope and Product Scope.

Front 514

Scope Baseline

Back 514

The approved version of a scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), and its associated WBS dictionary, that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison.

Front 515

Scope Change

Back 515

Any change to the project scope. A scope change almost always requires an adjustment to the project cost or schedule.

Front 516

Scope Creep

Back 516

The uncontrolled expansion to product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources.

Front 517

Scope Management Plan

Back 517

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and verified.

Front 518

Secondary Risk

Back 518

A risk that arises as a direct result of implementing a risk response.

Front 519

Selected Sellers

Back 519

The sellers which have been selected to provide a contracted set of services or products.

Front 520

Seller

Back 520

A provider or supplier of products, services, or results to an organization.

Front 521

Seller Proposals

Back 521

Formal responses from sellers to a request for proposal or other procurement document specifying the price, commercial terms of sale, and technical specifications or capabilities the seller will do for the requesting organization that, if accepted, would bind the seller to perform the resulting agreement.

Front 522

Sensitivity Analysis

Back 522

A quantitative risk analysis and modeling technique used to help determine which risks have the most potential impact on the project. It examines the extent to which the uncertainty of each project element affects the objective being examined when all other uncertain elements are held at their baseline values. The typical display of results is in the form of a tornado diagram.

Front 523

Sequence Activities

Back 523

The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities.

Front 524

Seven Basic Quality Tools

Back 524

A standard toolkit used by quality management professionals who are responsible for planning, monitoring, and controlling the issues related to quality in an organization.

Front 525

Simulation

Back 525

A simulation uses a project model that translates the uncertainties specified at a detailed level into their potential impact on objectives that are expressed at the level of the total project. Project simulations use computer models and estimates of risk, usually expressed as a probability distribution of possible costs or durations at a detailed work level, and are typically performed using Monte Carlo analysis.

Front 526

Single Source Procurement

Back 526

A non-competitive form of procurement used when an organization chooses to use one source for the purchase of goods and services, in light of there being other qualified sellers.

Front 527

Soft logic

Preferred term: Discretionary Dependency

Back 527

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.

Front 528

Sole Source

Back 528

A contract for the purchase of supplies or services that is entered into or proposed to be entered into after soliciting and negotiating with only one source. Typically used in government contracting where there is an ususual and compelling urgency, industrial mobilization, international agreement, requirement or authorization by statute, national security, or compelling public interest.

Front 529

Source Selection Criteria

Back 529

A set of attributes desired by the buyer which a seller is required to meet or exceed to be selected for a contract.

Front 530

Specification

Back 530

A document that specifies, in a complete, precise, verifiable manner, the requirements, design, behavior, or other characteristics of a system, component, product, result, or service and the procedures for determining whether these provisions have been satisfied. Examples are: requirement specification, design specification, product specification, and test specification.

Front 531

Specification limits

Back 531

The area, on either side of the centerline, or mean, of data plotted on a control chart that meets the customer's requirements for a product or service. This area may be greater than or less than the area defined by the control limits. Related term: Control Limits.

Front 532

Sponsor

Back 532

A person or group who provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio and is accountable for enabling success.

Front 533

Sponsoring Organization

Back 533

The entity responsible for providing the project's sponsor and a conduit for project funding or other project resources.

Front 534

Staffing Management Plan

Back 534

A component of the human resource plan that describes when and how project team members will be acquired and how long they will be needed.

Front 535

Stakeholder

Back 535

An individual, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.

Front 536

Stakeholder Analysis

Back 536

A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project.

Front 537

Stakeholder Management Plan

Back 537

The stakeholder management plan is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan that defines the processes, procedures, tools, and techniques to effectively engage stakeholders in project decisions and execution based on the analysis of their needs, interests, and potential impact.

Front 538

Stakeholder Register

Back 538

A project document including the identification, assessment, and classification of project stakeholders.

Front 539

Standard

Back 539

A document that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

Front 540

Start Date

Back 540

A point in time associated with a schedule activity's start, usually qualified by one of the following: actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, target, baseline, or current.

Front 541

Start-to-Finish (SF)

Back 541

A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started.

Front 542

Start-to-Start (SS)

Back 542

A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.

Front 543

Statement of Work (SOW)

Back 543

A narrative description of products, services, or results to be delivered by the project.

Front 544

Statistical Sampling

Back 544

Choosing part of a population of interest for inspection.

Front 545

Strong Matrix Organization

Back 545

A type of matrix organization where the project manager has moderate to high authority and in most cases is in a full-time role. The project manager has more control over the budget and resources compared to a functional manager and PMO is generally staffed full-time.

Front 546

Subnetwork

Back 546

A subdivision (fragment) of a project schedule network diagram, usually representing a subproject or a work package. Often used to illustrate or study some potential or proposed schedule condition, such as changes in preferential schedule logic or project scope.

Front 547

Subproject

Back 547

A smaller portion of the overall project created when a project is subdivided into more manageable components or pieces.

Front 548

Successor Activity

Back 548

A dependent activity that logically comes after another activity in a schedule.

Front 549

Summary Activity

Back 549

A group of related schedule activities aggregated and displayed as a single activity.

Front 550

SWOT Analysis

Back 550

Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization, project, or option.

Front 551

Tailor (Tailoring)

Back 551

The act of carefully selecting process and related inputs and outputs contained within the PMBOK Guide® to determine a subset of specific processes that will be included within a project's overall management approach.

Front 552

Team Members

Preferred term: Project Team Members

Back 552

A set of individuals who support the project manager in performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.

Front 553

Technique

Back 553

A defined systematic procedure employed by a human resource to perform an activity to produce a product or result or deliver a service, and that may employ one or more tools.

Front 554

Templates

Back 554

A partially complete document in a predefined format that provides a defined structure for collecting, organizing, and presenting information and data.

Front 555

Threat

Back 555

A risk that would have a negative effect on one or more project objectives.

Front 556

Three-Point Estimate

Back 556

A technique used to estimate cost or duration by applying an average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates.

Front 557

Threshold

Back 557

A cost, time, quality, technical, or resource value used as a parameter, and which may be included in product specifications. Crossing the threshold should trigger some action, such as generating an exception report.

Front 558

Time and Material Contract (T&M)

Back 558

A type of contract that is a hybrid contractual arrangement containing aspects of both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts. Time and material contracts resemble cost-reimbursable type arrangements in that they have no definitive end, because the full value of the arrangement is not defined at the time of the award. Thus, time and material contracts can grow in contract value as if they were cost-reimbursable type arrangements. Conversely, time and material arrangements can also resemble fixed-price arrangements. For example, the unit rates are preset by the buyer and seller, when both parties agree on the rates for the category of senior engineers.

Front 559

Time-Scaled Schedule Network Diagram

Back 559

Any project schedule network diagram drawn in such a way that the positioning and length of the schedule activity represents its duration. Essentially, it is a bar chart that includes schedule network logic.

Front 560

To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI)

Back 560

A measure of the cost performance that is required to be achieved with the remaining resources in order to meet a specified management goal, expressed as the ratio of the cost to finish the outstanding work to the remaining budget.

Front 561

Tolerance

Back 561

The quantified description of acceptable variation for a quality requirement.

Front 562

Tool

Back 562

Something tangible, such as a template or software program, used in performing an activity to produce a product or result.

Front 563

Tornado Diagram

Back 563

A special type of bar chart used in sensitivity analysis for comparing the relative importance of the variables.

Front 564

Total Float

Back 564

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed or extended from its early start date without delaying the project finish date or violating a schedule constraint.

Front 565

Tree Diagram

Back 565

A systematic diagram of a decomposition hierarchy used to visualize as parent-to-child relationships a systematic set of rules.

Front 566

Trend Analysis

Back 566

An analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes based on historical results. It is a method of determining the variance from a baseline of a budget, cost, schedule, or scope parameter by using prior progress reporting periods' data and projecting how much that parameter's variance from baseline might be at some future point in the project if no changes are made in executing the project.

Front 567

Trigger Condition

Back 567

An event or situation that indicates that a risk is about to occur.

Front 568

Tuckman's Group Development Model

Back 568

A model for group development that identifies the following group development phases: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Front 569

Unanimity

Back 569

Agreement by everyone in the group on a single course of action.

Front 570

Validate Scope

Back 570

The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.

Front 571

Validation

Back 571

The assurance that a product, service, or system meets the needs of the customer and other identified stakeholders. It often involves acceptance and suitability with external customers.

Front 572

Value Engineering

Back 572

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 effectively.

Front 573

Variance

Back 573

A quantifiable deviation, departure, or divergence away from a known baseline or expected value.

Front 574

Variance Analysis

Back 574

A technique for determining the cause and degree of difference between the baseline and actual performance.

Front 575

Variance at Completion (VAC)

Back 575

A projection of the amount of budget deficit or surplus, expressed as the difference between the budget at completion and the estimate at completion.

Front 576

Variation

Back 576

An actual condition that is different from the expected condition that is contained in the baseline plan.

Front 577

Velocity

Back 577

A measure of a team's productivity rate at which the deliverables are produced, validated, and accepted within a predefined interval. This is a capacity planning approach frequently used to forecast future project work.

Front 578

Verification

Back 578

The evaluation of whether or not a product, service, or system complies with a regulation, requirement, specification, or imposed condition. It is often an internal process. Contrast with: Validation.

Front 579

Verified Deliverables

Back 579

Completed project deliverables that have been checked and confirmed for correctness through the Control Quality process.

Front 580

Voice of the Customer

Back 580

A planning technique used to provide products, services, and results that truly reflect customer requirements by translating those customer requirements into the appropriate technical requirements for each phase of project product development.

Front 581

WBS Dictionary

Back 581

A document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure.

Front 582

Weak Matrix Organization

Back 582

A type of matrix organization where the project manager has limited authority and in most cases is in a part-time role. The functional manager has more control over the budget and resources and PMO is generally absent.

Front 583

Weighted Milestone Method

Back 583

An earned value method that divides a work package into measurable segments, each ending with an observable milestone, and then assigns a weighted value to the achievement of each milestone.

Front 584

What-If Scenario Analysis

Back 584

The process of evaluating scenarios in order to predict their effect on project objectives.

Front 585

Work Authorization

Back 585

A permission and direction, typically written, to begin work on a specific schedule activity or work package or control account. It is a method for sanctioning project work to ensure that the work is done by the identified organization, at the right time, and in the proper sequence.

Front 586

Work Authorization System

Back 586

A subsystem of the overall project management system. It is a collection of formal documented procedures that defines how project work will be authorized (committed) to ensure that the work is done by the identified organization, at the right time, and in the proper sequence. It includes the steps, documents, tracking system, and defined approval levels needed to issue work authorizations.

Front 587

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Back 587

A hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.

Front 588

Work Breakdown Structure Component

Back 588

An entry in the work breakdown structure that can be at any level.

Front 589

Work Package

Back 589

The work defined at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure for which cost and duration can be estimated and managed.

Front 590

Work Performance Data

Back 590

The raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to carry out the project work.

Front 591

Work Performance Information

Back 591

The performance data collected from various controlling processes, analyzed in context and integrated based on relationships across areas.

Front 592

Work Performance Reports

Back 592

The physical or electronic representation of work performance information compiled in project documents, intended to generate decisions, actions, or awareness.

Front 593

Workaround

Back 593

A response to a threat that has occurred, for which a prior response had not been planned or was not effective.

Front 594

Back 594

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