PMP Def 5th Edition

Quality Requirement

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

Contract (Valid Contract Elements; Typical Clauses)

A contract is 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. *5 Contract Elements:* Offer (communicate intent to sell); Acceptance (must be unqualified); Consideration (an exchange of value); Capacity (able to form intent to agree); Legality (does not violate law). *Typical Contract Clauses* (not in particular order): (1) Assignment (transfer rights or benefits to a third party assignee; may be forbidden or have both consent; cannot assign right to receive personal services or to purchase goods on credit); (2) Authority (establish who has legal capacity to act; and who in case of absence?); (3) Change order (process if changing requirements); (4) Confidentiality (add termination & damage clauses; optional non-compete); (5) Damages (remedy for: liquidated - quantify upfront; unliquidated - 3rd party opinion; consequential - if could have been reasonably foreseen / cause-and-effect; nominal - in name only; punitive -this is not allowed); (6) Disputes (direct negotiation; arbitration - binding & nonbonding by authority, but can be appealed; mediation - like marriage counseling since no authority; lawsuit represents failure of dispute clause); (7) Force Majeure (act of nature); (8) Free Will (legal capacity; not forced; executable agreement); (9) Indemnification (other party will pay if 3rd party presents claim against it); (10) Jurisdiction (which laws govern; which location will be used); (11) Notification (how to communicate - method; who; timing); (12) Payment (method; timing; currency; frequency); (13) Privity (see; must be party to contract to have a legal interest; identifies parties - U.S. Government does not allow subcontractors & subcontractor's only recourse is against primary contractor); (14) Right to Remedy/ Cure (right presumed to exist, but define time, allow value to be determined for consequential damage, & ensure awareness); (15) Subcontractor (establish buyer rights to reject; require certification); (16) Surety/ Guarantor (a guarantor will pay or perform if principal fails to perform); (17) Termination (mechanism to cancel prior to completion of terms; for default, or for convenience - U.S. government requires; consider consequences arising, or duties remaining); (18) Time Is Of The Essence (so courts know lateness has value & is material breach); (19) Warranty (Quality promised or disclaimed; duration; types: (a)Expressed - (i) full, no questions asked, (ii) limited; (b) Implied - (i) merchantability, can be used for purpose made, ii) fitness for particular purpose, relies on seller's skill & judgement); & (20) Whole Agreement (any omissions intentional; cannot add terms without separate agreement attached & referenced). Add Contract supplements & amendments. Avoid ambiguity in contracts. Priority to handwritten, then to type, then to print. (See Procurement Agreement Components)

Forward Pass

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. Note: When multiple paths converge into a successor activity, the value carried forward to the early start of the successor activity is the *largest* early finish of the successors' immediate predecessors.

Role

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

Logical Relationship

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

Standard

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.

Log

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.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

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

Imposed Date

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.

Change Request

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

Requested Change

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

Code of Accounts

A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the work breakdown structure (WBS). Used to track costs. Note: *Each code is a Control Account*, so collectively the control accounts are known as the code of accounts. (*Not same as the "Chart of Accounts"* which serves as the basis to create classified financial statements.)

Templates

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

Voice of the Customer (VOC)

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. Moment of Truth (MOT) compares experience to expectation to form an opinion about satisfaction.

Finish Date

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.

Start Date

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.

Independent Estimates

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

Inspections and Audits

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

Claim

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.

Risk Mitigation

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

Risk Acceptance

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

Risk Transference

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

Secondary Risk

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

Activity Identifier

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.

Checksheets

A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data. Very useful for gathering attribute (pass/fail) data.

Analogous Estimating

A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical data from a similar activity or project. Form of "top-down" estimating. It is a "gross value estimating" technique that can be used to estimate the overall project duration and cost. Typically less time-consuming & less costly than other methods, but less accurate. Input to Estimate Activity Durations.

Context Diagrams

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.

Planning Package

A work breakdown structure component below the control account with known work content but without detailed schedule activities. See also control account.

Document Analysis

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

Focus Groups

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.

Performing Organization

An enterprise whose personnel are most directly involved in doing the work of the project or program.

Trigger Condition

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

Critical Path Activity

Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule.

Control Scope

Process 5.6: The process of monitoring the status of both the project and product scope, monitoring changes to both, and managing changes to the scope baseline. (Actual changes are done through 4.5 the Perform Integrated Change Control process.) *Inputs:* (1) Project management plan; (2) Requirements documentation; (3) Requirements traceability matrix; (4) Work performance data; (5) Organizational process assets. *Tool & Technique:* Variance analysis. *Outputs:* (1) Work performance indications; (2) Change requests; (3) Project management plan updates (Scope baseline and its WBS); (4) Project documentation updates; (5) Organizational process assets updates.

Project Life Cycle

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

Triple Constraints

Time, Cost & Scope (One will be the primary driver, another is the least important-project stakeholder should have identified the primary constraint.)

Continuous Improvement

Watch continuously for ways to improve quality.

Process Improvement Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan, and output of the Plan Quality Management process 8.1. It details the steps for analyzing processes to find and eliminate inefficiencies and to identify activities that enhance their value (project management & product development).

Life Cycle Categories

(1) Predictive (Fully Plan-Driven Approach or Waterfall); (2) Iterative & Incremental; (3) Adaptive (Agile or Change-Driven Methods)

Tools

1. Expert Judgement (knowledge, application-skill, experience, training, industry-discipline); 2. Meetings (objective, time-frame, agenda, minutes); 3. Facilitated workshops (for cross-functional stakeholders, develop charter, define product requirements, brainstorm, conflict resolution)

Seven Needs or Demands Giving Rise to Projects

1. Market demand; 2. Strategic opportunity/business need; 3. Customer requests; 4. Technological advances; 5. Legal requirements; 6. Environmental considerations; 7. Social needs.

Project Management Process Groups

5 logical groupings of project management processes, inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The Project Management Process Groups include (1) initiating processes, (2) planning processes, (3) executing processes, (4) monitoring and controlling processes, and (5) closing processes. Project Management Process Groups are not project phases.

Sponsor

A *person* or *group* who: (1) Provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio and is accountable for enabling success. (2) Has legal capacity/ authority to commit organization's resources to a project or project phase. (3) Appoints the project manager. (4) Provides strategic guidance to project manager. (5) Signs a project charter. (Note: Less involved in Execution and in Monitoring & Controlling Phases. Project Manager should notify of material changes.)

Project Phase

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

RACI (R-A-C-I)

A common type of responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) that identifies who is Responsible (to perform - can delegate), Accountable (responsible to make sure it is done & to approve - will get blame or credit - cannot delegate), Consult (has input to work or decisions), and Inform (of decisions & results) statuses to define the involvement of stakeholders in project activities. Part of HR management tools and templates.

Risk Management Plan

A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how risk management activities will be structured and performed. "Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan. Important since input to every other risk-planning process and enhances probability of risk management success. Should include: Methodology; Roles & responsibilities; Budgeting (costs of risk management and its methods, including contingency reserves); Timing (when & how often risk management performed); Risk categories (list, or create risk breakdown structure - RBS, based on: Technical/Quality/Performance risk; Project management risk (schedule, resource & budget); Organizational risk (resource conflicts); and External risk (legal, labor, weather, ownership, foreign [force majeure out of scope])); Definitions of risk probability & impact; Probability & impact matrix (numeric or only high-med-low); Revised stakeholder tolerances; Reporting formats (risk register); Tracking (documentation).

Scatter Diagram

A correlation chart that uses a regression line to explain or to predict how the change in an independent variable (X = cause) will change a dependent variable (Y = effect). Positive (proportional), Zero, or Negative (inversely proportional).

Threshold

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.

Technique

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.

Communication Models

A description, analogy or schematic used to represent how the communication process will be performed for the project. (Encode, Transmit message, Decode, Acknowledge, Feedback/ Response.)

Decision Tree Analysis

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

Activity

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

Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

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

Assumption

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

Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment Contracts (FP-EPA) AKA: Firm Fixed-Price With Economic Adjustment (FPE)

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. Typically long term contracts and adjustable factors not in control of seller. Adjustment section should be tied to a known financial index. Used when: Prices fluctuate within predictable limits because of supply & demand. Usually sets a ceiling & floor.

Predictive Life Cycle

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.

Brainstorming

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.

Bar Chart

A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, 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. See also Gantt chart.

Summary Activity

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

Functional Organization

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. (AKA: traditional organization) Project coordination (vs. project management) is conducted at the Functional Manager level. *Influence Grid:* Budget managed by: Functional Manager; PM Authority (& Resource Availability): Little or none (no PM title); PM Role: Part-time; PM Admin Staff: Part-time.

Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

A hierarchical representation of risks according to their risk categories.

Constraint

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

Backlog

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.

Finish-to-Finish (FF)

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

Velocity

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

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

A measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources expressed as the ratio of earned value to actual cost. CPI = EV / AC. Cumulative CPI predicts project costs = Cumul. EV / Cumul. AC based on work packages completed to date.

Data Date

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

Output

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

Variance at Completion (VAC)

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

External Dependency

A relationship between project activities and non-project activities or activities external to the project (such as FDA approval).

Path Convergence

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

Path Divergence

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

Workaround

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

Acceptance Criteria

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

Incentive Fee

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

Project Team

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

Subproject

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

Histogram

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

Methodology

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

Tree Diagram

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

Communication Methods

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

Process

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.

Performance Reviews

A technique (used for Control Schedule process 6.7 or Control Costs process 7.4) that is used to measure, compare, and analyze actual performance of work in progress on the project against the baseline. For 6.7 & 7.4 can used Earned-value management or trend analysis. For 6.7 can also use CPM & CC methods. For 7.4 can also uses variance analysis.

Checklist Analysis

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

Dependency Determination

A technique used to identify the type of dependency that is used to create the logical relationships between predecessor and successor activities. 4 Dependency Types: (1) Mandatory External; (2) Mandatory Internal; (3) Discretionary External; (4) Discretionary Internal. A project schedule network diagram shows the dependencies between activities. (Mandatory = "hard logic" where legal or contractual or inherent in the work; often physical limitations.) (Discretionary = "soft logic" reflecting best practices or prior experience; many with arbitrary float values.) (External = relationship between project and non-project activities; usually outside the project team's control.) (Internal = precedence relationship between project activities; usually inside the project team's control.)

Project

A temporary (beginning & end) endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Fixed-Price Incentive Fee Contract (FPIF)

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 such as early completion. Used when (1) flexibility is needed to allow for deviations in performance; (2) Incentive is tied to achieving metrics. May set a price ceiling.

Cost Plus Award Fee Contracts (CPAF)

A type of cost-reimbursable contract that involves payments to the seller for all legitimate actual costs incurred for completed work, plus an award fee representing seller profit. Note: Award is contingent upon buyer's discretion, so riskiest to seller since award criteria can be subjective and are usually not contestable.

Procedure

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.

Percent Complete

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

Most Likely Duration

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

Optimistic Duration

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

Forecast

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.

Parametric Estimating

An estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters. Example: multiply quantity of work by a relevant historical ratio of work to some aspect of that work to get total estimate. A statistical relationship exists between historical data and other variables. Can be highly accurate if data you are using is reliable. Part of Estimate Activity Durations process.

Contingency

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

Project Management Body of Knowledge

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.

Preventive Action

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

Colocation

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.

Result

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.). Contrast with product. See also deliverable.

Scope Change

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

Network Path

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

Input

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.

Time-Scaled Schedule Network Diagram

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.

Deliverable

Any unique and verifiable Product, Result, or Capability to perform a service that is required to be produced to complete a Process, Phase, or Project. Typically a tangible component.

Diagramming Techniques

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

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration)

Assesses and improves performance by measuring the maturity levels of the organization. 5 maturity stages (can be used for organization overall or in the 9 project knowledge areas, including quality): (1) No formal processes are in place; (2) Basic processes exist but are not standardized across the organization; (3) Best practices are in place and are standardized across the organization. (4) Best practices are in place and standardized across the organization, and they are measurable using quantifiable methods. (5) Continuous, sustained improvements are realized.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is 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 (such as quality), and provide a basis for measuring performance.

Contingency Reserve

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. Output of Planning Process Group.

Monitor

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

Kaizen

Continuous improvement; improve quality of people first.

Plurality

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

Make-or-Buy Decisions

Decisions made regarding the external purchase or internal manufacture of a product. In process 12.1 Plan procurement management: "Make" may define processes & agreements internal to the organization; "Buy" may influence how to reach agreement with external suppliers.

Execute

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

Historical Information

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

Multi-Phase Project

Each Phase has a Gate (Phase Gate) where next phase should not start without proper approval. Such as: Initial; Intermediate; Final Phases

Pessimistic Duration

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

Risk Audits

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.

Inspection

Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity, component, product, result, or service conforms to specified requirements or quality standards. Inspections might occur after final product is produced or at intervals during the development of the product. (AKA: Reviews, Peer reviews, Audits, or Walkthroughs.) Note: Inspection is not same as prevention which is a separate tool that keeps the problem from happening.

Ground Rules

Expectations regarding acceptable behavior (code of conduct, communication, etiquette, etc.) by project team members set by project leader. All team members share responsibility for enforcing rules. E.g., One person speaks at a time; Report issues when they arise. Helps team understand expectations and increases productiviy.

Information Management Systems

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

Product Analysis

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. *Tools & Techniques:* Value engineering (see) & value analysis, product breakdown & functional analysis, systems-engineering techniques, systems analysis, or value engineering techniques.

Seller Proposals

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.

Armand V. Feigenbaum

Founder of TQM (Cost of Quality)

Invitation for Bid (IFB)

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

Ethical Servant Leadership

Important Professional Attitude: A "Servant Leader" helps to prepare project resources for success by exercising Due Diligence and a Reasonable Standard of Care.

Conformance Work

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

Late Finish Date (LF)

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.

Late Start Date (LS)

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.

Statement of Work (SOW)

Input to Develop project charter 4.1. A narrative description of products, services, or results to be delivered by the project. Includes: Business Need (gov't reg., tech. adv., mkt. dem., legal req., cuts. req.); Product Scope Description (characteristics; get more detailed as project progresses); and should map to Strategic Plan.

Agreements

Input to Develop project charter 4.1. 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.

Project Initiation

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

Attribute Sampling

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.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Must be managed and must be a continuous process. Feigenbaum is founder, and Deming believes that quality is a management issue (vs. issue of workers). Deming suggested that as much as 85% of the Cost of Quality is management's problem and responsibility. Quality must be managed in and quality improvement should be a continuous way of doing business.

Acquisition

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

Node

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

Activity Code

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

Risk Categorization

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.

Activity Cost Estimates

Output of Estimate Costs 7.2: 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.

Requirements Traceability Matrix

Output of process 5.2 Collect Requirements: A grid that links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them. Tracks requirements through project lifecycle (vis. business needs; objectives; project scope/ WBS; product development; test strategy & scenarios; elaboration of requirements). Each requirement should have its own unique ID; Description; Source (where the requirement originated); Rationale for inclusion; Priority; Test scenario; Owner; Business & project objective (it is tied to); Version; Current status & date; Etc.

Schedule Forecasts

Output of process 6.7 Control Schedule. 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. Updated and reissued based on relevant work performance information.

Walter Shewhart

Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. (Cost of Quality)

Identify Stakeholders

Process 13.1: 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. *Inputs:* Project Charter; Procurement documents; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Stakeholder analysis; Expert judgment; Meetings. *Outputs:* Stakeholder register.

Accepted Deliverables

Products, Results, or Capabilities produced by a project (or process or phase of a project) and validated by the project customer or sponsors as meeting their specified acceptance criteria. Typically a tangible component.

Profitability Index

Profitability Index = Discounted Cash Inflows / Discounted Cash Outflows. If PI > 1.0 project is favorable.

Knowledge Areas (10 KAs)

Project ...+... Management Knowledge Area (KA): [+ = insert word below] Integration; Scope; Time; Cost; Quality; HR; Communication; Risk; Procurement; Stakeholder (Each KA brings similar processes together in a common activity, but the processes in each KA might not be in the same Process Group.)

Closed Procurements

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

W. Edward Deming

Quality is a management problem. (Cost of Quality)

Information Gathering Techniques

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

Fee

Represents profit as a component of compensation to a seller.

Risk Urgency Assessment

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

Risk Reassessment

Risk reassessment is the identification of new risks, reassessment of current risks, and the closing of risks that are outdated.

Fishbone diagram

See Cause and Effect Diagram.

Preferential Logic

See discretionary dependency.

Preferred Logic

See discretionary dependency.

Soft Logic

See discretionary dependency.

Dependency

See logical relationship.

Hard Logic

See mandatory dependency.

Activity-on-Node (AON)

See precedence diagramming method (PDM).

Charter

See project charter.

Life Cycle

See project life cycle.

Phase

See project phase.

Schedule

See project schedule and see also schedule model.

Activity Network Diagrams

See project schedule network diagram.

Network

See project schedule network diagram.

Team Members

See project team members.

Buffer

See reserve.

Contingency Allowance

See reserve.

Leveling

See resource leveling.

Network Analysis

See schedule network analysis.

Project Statement of Work

See statement of work.

Hammock Activity

See summary activity.

Float (also called Slack)

See total float and free float. Latest start date minus earliest start date [same as Latest finish minus earliest finish] (if 0, then on critical path). Amount of time you can delay starting an activity without increasing the amount of time it takes to complete the project.

Performance Reporting

See work performance reports.

Resource

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

Functional Manager

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.

Tool

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

Objective

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.

Communication Technology

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

Criteria

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.

Cost Aggregation

Summing the lower-level cost estimates associated with the various work packages for a given level within the project's WBS or for a given cost control account.

Project Time Management

The Project Time Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 7 processes required to manage the timely completion of the project. (7 Processes: 6.1 Plan Schedule Management; 6.2 Define Activities; 6.3 Sequence Activities; 6.4 Estimate Activity Resources; 6.5 Estimate Activity Durations; 6.6 Develop Schedule; Control Schedule) (6.1-6.6 under Planning Process Grp); 6.7 Control Schedule (under Mon&Contr Process Grp) Most processes are repeated, but the Sequence, Durations and Schedule processes are done as one activity.

Buyer

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

Material

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

Emotional Intelligence

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.

Portfolio Management

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

Network Logic

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

Risk Appetite

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

Risk Tolerance

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

Organizational Project Management Maturity

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

Project Management Staff

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

Negotiation

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

What-If Scenario Analysis

The process of evaluating scenarios in order to predict their effect on project objectives. Used to: assess project's feasibility; consider event impacts; or prepare contingency responses.

Documentation Reviews

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

Make-or-Buy Analysis

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.

Market Research

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

Claims Administration

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

Negotiated Settlements

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

Perform Integrated Change Control

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.

Proposal Evaluation Techniques

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

Tolerance

The quantified description of acceptable variation for a quality requirement.

Actual Cost (AC)

The realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period. Includes direct costs and indirect costs (if budgeted amount included indirect costs). (AKA: Actual Cost of Work Performed, or ACWP.)

Procurement Audits

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

Authority

The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, give approvals, accept deliverables, and influence others to execute project work. Should document authority regarding selecting methods to complete an activity, quality acceptance, & respond to project variances. Different authority levels over different areas of responsibility.

Selected Sellers

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

Critical Path (CP)

The sequence of *activities* that represents the longest full path through a project, which determines the shortest possible duration. To calculate the project's CP duration, add the duration of every activity with zero (or negative) float. (Or, if durations are on the nodes of a critical path diagram, then add all longest durations.)

Product Life Cycle

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

Budget at Completion (BAC)

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

Scope

The sum of the products, services, and results to be provided as a project. (See also Project Scope and Product Scope.)

Contract Change Control System

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

Payment Systems

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

Activity Duration

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

Duration (DU or DUR)

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. Contrast with effort. Sometimes incorrectly equated with elapsed time. MS Project is calendar time = elapsed duration which includes weekends/ non-working time.

Scope Creep

The uncontrolled (unapproved or undocumented) expansion to product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources (maybe quality).

Work Package

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

Quality Management and Control Tools

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

Initiating Process Group

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. (2 Processes: 4.1 Develop Project Charter; 13.1 Identify Stakeholders) (Outputs: Project Charter & Stakeholder Register) (Initiating Process Grp matrix pp. 590)

Interpersonal Skills (Leadership & Management)

Tool & Technique of processes 9.3; 9.4; 13.3. Ability to establish and maintain relationships with other people. Three types: Leadership (see Leadership Styles; see Situational Leadership); Influencing (see); and Effective decision making (timely and reflect and support project goals). *Leadership:* Ability to get things done through others. Lead - "Do right things" vs. Manage - "Do things right".) Establish focus direction towards a common goal; Enable group to perform as a team; Critical at beginning phases of project for communicating vision & motivating participants to achieve high performance. *Team building:* Help people with common purpose work together. Help with tasks (clarify goals, roles, responsibilities & procedures); Help with processes (interpersonal behavior); Enhanced by top management support (key), team member commitment, rewards & recognition, team identity, ethics, & open communication. *Motivation:* Forces that activate & direct behavior. Meet project objectives while providing maximum satisfaction for what people value most (job satisfaction/ self esteem, challenging work/ self actualization), sense of accomplishment, sense of accomplishment/ social needs, achievement & growth, financial compensation, etc.). *Communication:* Exchange of information between people. Awareness of styles, personalities, cultural norms, & environmental context; Identify communication channels, necessary information, interpersonal skills; Listening is very important. *Influencing:* Power-sharing strategy of cooperation on common goal. Rely on interpersonal skills to gain cooperation; Guidelines include leading by example, clarify decision-making process, use flexible interpersonal skills, & adjust to style of audience; Think long term. *Decision-making:* Process of making choices or reaching conclusions. 4 decision styles: command, consult (expert based), consensus (select among alternatives team can live with), coin flip (random). 4 factors influence decision-making style: time constraints, trust, quality, & acceptance. (see six-phase model). *Political & Cultural Awareness:* Background, norms, & expectations. Politics - process for making resource allocation decisions. Culture - Shared values & beliefs of a group; behaviors & expectations. Empathy. *Negotiation:* Strategy of conferring with parties to gain compromise or agreement. Process: Analyze situation, differentiate wants & needs, focus on interests & issues, ask high-offer low-be realistic, if conceding act as if value is being given to the other party, work for win/win, listen, & articulate effectively. *Trust-Building:* Confidence in & reliance on good qualities. Actions: open & direct communication, notify stakeholders promptly, ask non-assumptive questions of project team members, do not withhold information because you might be wrong, be open to innovation, & avoid conflicts of interest. *Conflict Management:* Handling, controlling, guiding a conflict to resolution. Identify causes of conflict using the best style for the situation: collaborative (often is preferred), assertiveness, accommodation, avoidance, & compromise. Act to minimize the consequences of conflict, but consequences are the motivation for change. *Coaching:* Addresses poor performance in "can't do" situations. Team member is not meeting expectations because lacking skill, knowledge, or experience. Helps close gap and make more productive, confident & achieve potential. *Counseling:* Addresses poor performance in "won't do" situations. Team member is not meeting expectations because of improper attitude, failure to accept, or dysfunctional behavior. Counseling should be documented per organizational policy (probably need witness if could result in discipline), linked to performance plan, & monitored for compliance.

Statistical Sampling

Tool & Technique of Control Quality 8.3. Choosing part of a population of interest for inspection based on the quality management plan. Sample size & sample frequency should be determined in process 8.1, Plan Quality Management.

Facilitated Workshops

Tool & Technique: An elicitation technique using focused sessions that bring key cross-functional stakeholders together to define product requirements. Use for Brainstorming, problem solving, conflict resolution, and meeting management. In KA: 4.1; 4.2; 5.2; & 5.3.

Motivational Theories & Leadership Styles

Under Develop Project Team process 9.3. Motivation - Ideas on why people act the way they do and how you can influence them. Leadership - *Leaders vs. Managers:* Leaders motivate, inspire and create buy-ins for the strategic vision and use power and politics to accomplish the vision. Managers are task-oriented and concerned with satisfying stakeholders. Leadership styles: Autocratic; Laissez-faire; Democratic. *Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:* Abraham Maslow's 5 basic needs arranged in hierarchical order from the highest level such that once the lowest need is met it is no longer a motivator: (1) Self-actualization - performing at your peak potential; (2) Ego/ Self-esteem - accomplishment, respect for self, capability; (3) Social - sense of belonging, love, acceptance, friendship; (4) Safety and security - physical welfare & security of your belongings; (5) Basic Physical - Food, clothing, shelter. People are not stuck at a certain level, but go up and down in their lives and careers. (Later Maslow discussed three additional aspects of motivation: Cognitive, Aesthetic, Transcendence.) *Hygiene Theory:* Frederick Herzberg' theory (AKA: "Motivation-Hygiene Theory") Hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction - pay, benefits, working conditions, peer & manager relationships. Motivators lead to satisfaction - challenging work, opportunities to learn, advancement. *Expectancy Theory:* Victor Vroom's expectation of a positive outcome drives motivation; people become what you expect of them. *Achievement Theory:* David McClelland's people are motivated by achievement, power and affiliation. *Theory X:* McGregor - these managers believe most people don't like work; *Theory Y:* McGregor - these managers believe people are motivated to perform their best given proper expectations and motivation. *Theory Z:* Ouchi - implementing steady employment increases worker loyalty and leads to high satisfaction and morale. *Contingency Theory:* people are motivated to achieve levels of competency and will continue to be motivated after competence is reached. *Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum Management Theory:* you use seven levels of delegated freedom ranging from manager to team making all decisions when working with the team (level depends on the maturity and experience of the team and manager). *Situational Leadership Theory:* Hershey and Blanchard - different situations call for different leadership styles. (In the Situational Leadership II Model,Blanchard uses directive, coaching, supportive and delegating.) *The Power of Leaders:* (1) Reward power - reward desirable behavior with incentives or bonuses; (2) Punishment, penalty or coercive power - threaten with consequences if expectations not met; (3) Expert power - influencer has significant knowledge or skills; (4) Legitimate or formal power - power from position held; (5) Referent power - inferred to the influencer by subordinates such as from respect.

Philip B. Crosby

Zero defects and prevention or rework results. (Cost of Quality)

Scope Management Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan or Program Management Plan that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and verified. Output of process 5.1. Input to processes 5.2, 5.3 & 5.4. Contains: (1) Process to prepare detailed project scope statement; (2) Process to create, maintain and approve detailed WBS; (3) Defines how acceptance criteria will be obtained (how deliverables will be verified for accuracy and accepted); (4) Process for controlling scope change requests (linked to process 4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control).

Requirements Management Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan or Program Management Plan. Output of process 5.1 and Input to process 5.2 Collect Requirements. Requirements are specifications of the deliverables. *Describes how requirements will be analyzed/ planned, documented/ tracked, and managed/ reported*. Includes how to plan, track, & report changes; analyze & authorize changes. For example: Sequential (completion before move to next phase) vs. Overlapping (w/ progressive elaboration) processes between phases. Includes processes for *Configuration Management* (see) activities affecting process 4.5: (1) How *changes* to requirements will be initiated and managed (important for managing stakeholder expectations); (2) How their impacts are analyzed; (3) What authorizations are required; (4) How they are prioritized; (5) Product metrics & rationale for using them; (6) Requirements' attributes used in the traceability matrix [can add others].

Procurement Management Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan, and Output of Plan Procurement Management 12.1: 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. Includes: (1) *Types of contracts* to use; (2) *Authority* of the project team in procurement process; (3) How procurement process will be *integrated* with other project processes; (4) Where to find *standard procurement documents*; (5) How vendors/ contractors are involved & how they will be *managed*; (6) How the procurement process will be *coordinated* with other project processes, such as performance reporting & scheduling; (7) How the constraints & assumptions might be *impacted* by purchasing; (8) How *independent estimates & make-or-buy decisions* will be used during these processes & in developing activity resource estimates & the project schedule; (9) Coordinating *scheduled dates in the contract* with the project schedule; (10) How *multiple* vendors or contractors will be managed; (11) Coordination of purchasing *lead times* with development of the project schedule; (12) Each contract's *schedule dates*; (13) Identification of *prequalified sellers*; (14) *Risk management issues*; (15) Procurement *metrics* for managing contracts and for evaluating sellers.

Change Management Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to the Project Management Plan. Describes how you will document and manage: (1) change requests; (2) the process for approving changes; and (3) how to document and manage the final recommendations for the chance requests. Change requests incorporate two types of actions: *Corrective Actions* (alignment of actions to meet objectives) or *Preventative Actions* (reduce potential negative impacts of risk events). May also require *Defect Repairs* (validated or just defect repair). Changes include *Updates* (to project documents).

Configuration Management Plan

"Subsidiary Plan" to the Project Management Plan. Identifies and documents the functional and physical attributes or characteristics of a product, result, service, or component. (See also Configuration Management System which includes broader change control and other documentation processes.)

Resource Leveling (reminder: "L" = Lengthen)

(AKA: Resource-based method.) 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. (*Can change the original critical path and extend the overall project end date.*) Used when resources *(especially key resources) are over allocated, only available at certain times, or when they are assigned to more than one activity at a time*. Typically should allocate resources to critical path tasks first. Method examples: delay start of task to match the availability of a key team member, or adjust the resource assignments so more tasks are given to team members who are under allocated.

Variance (Common cause & Special-cause)

*Common causes* of variances result from circumstances or situations common to the process being used. Three common cause variances: Random; Known or Predictable; & Variances that are always present in the process (human, machine, environment, supplier change, etc.). *Special cause* variances are not common to the process. For example, skip a step, or machine needs calibration. *Note:* (1) When a process falls outside of the acceptable limits, the process should be adjusted. (2) The most frequent mistake of top management is to treat common cause as special cause ("tampering").

Grade vs. Quality

*Note:* Grade & Quality should not be confused. *Grade:* A category or rank used to distinguish items that are of the same type or have the same functional use (e.g., "hammer") but have different technical characteristics (e.g., different hammers may need to withstand different amounts of force). *Quality:* Describes how well the product or service (or their characteristics) fulfill the requirements. You can have a low grade product made at a high quality for that grade.

Subsidiary Management Plans

11 [or 13] Plans associated with the processes used for a project. These are outputs of the Planning Process Group: (1) Scope Management Plan; (2) Requirements Management Plan (output Scope planning process); (3) Schedule Management Plan; (4) Cost Management Plan; (5) Quality Management Plan; (6) Communications Management Plan; (7) Risk Management Plan; (8) Procuremement Plan; (9) Process Improvement Management Plan (output of Quality planning process); (10) Human Resource Management Plan; (11) Stakeholder Management Plan. [PMBOK Table 4-1 adds: (12) Change Management Plan; & (13) Configuration Management Plan. Note: these are not associated clearly with any process outputs.]

Process Groups

5 groups of IPECC done in the following order (more or less, often with stage gates before moving to next group): Initiating; Planning; Executing; Monitoring & Control; Closing (These are the heart of PIMBOK: All of their individual processes, collected in the 10 Knowledge Areas, comprise the project management process.)

Gantt Chart

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.

Resource Histogram

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.

Nominal Group Technique

A brainstorming technique that enhances brainstorming with a voting process used to rank the most useful ideas for further brainstorming or for prioritization. Everyone writes down risks or ideas on a list or sticky notes that is posted on the wall.

Resource Calendar

A calendar that identifies the working days and shifts on which each specific resource is available. Output of the Acquire Project Team and Conduct Procurement processes (performed during the Executing process group). However, some of this information may be available on a preliminary basis during the Estimate Activity Resources process.

Project Calendar

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

Application Area

A category of projects that have common components significant in such projects, but are not needed or present in all projects. Application areas 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.). Application areas can overlap.

Approved Change Request

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

Schedule Management Plan

A component ("Subsidiary Plan") of the Project Management Plan that establishes the criteria and the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the schedule. Most important elements include: (1) Schedule Model Development (methodologies and tools to develop & schedule such as Oracle Primavera or MS Project); (2) Accuracy Levels (time rounding); (3) Units of Measure (for time); (4) Control Thresholds (schedule variance allowed before action taken such as days or, usually, pct of time); (5) Performance Measurement Rules (EVM earned value measurement techniques - baseline, fixed-formula, percent complete, etc.); Process Descriptions.

Staffing Management Plan

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. Updated continually to direct acquisition & development actions for project team members. Varies by application area & may include: Staff acquisition; Resource calendars; Staff release plan; Training needs; Recognition & rewards; Compliance with regulations, contracts, & HR policies; Safety (policies & procedures also in risk register).

Human Resource Management Plan

A component of the project management plan that describes how the roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staff management will be addressed and structured. "Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan.

Quality Management Plan

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how an organization's quality policies will be implemented. "Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan, and output of the Plan Quality Management process 8.1. Documents resources needed, project team responsibilities, and all processes and procedures to use in carrying out quality including QC, QA and Continuous Improvement. Project manager in cooperation with project staff writes the quality management plan. Should be reviewed early in the project to gain benefits such as: Sharper focus on projects's value proposition; and reduce rework causing cost increases & schedule overruns.

Communications Management Plan

A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, when, and by whom information about the project will be administered (planned, structured & controlled) and disseminated. May include guidelines & templates for meetings, website/ Internet & project management software. "Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan. Output of process 10.1 Plan Communications Management. Includes: (1) Stakeholder or stakeholder group communication requirements; (2) Specific Information/ Purpose for communication (based on stakeholder needs, language, content & detail level, reason for distribution, time frame & frequency, receipt of acknowledgement if applicable); (3) General frequency including time frames for distribution; (4) Name of who is responsible to communicate; (5) Format and method/technologies of communication; (6) Method for updating & refining communications management plan; (7) Recipients; (8) Glossary of common terms; (9) Resources allocated for communication (time & budget); (10) Person responsible for communicating & person for authorizing release of confidential information; (11) Flowcharts of information flow in project (workflows & authorization sequence, list of reports, meeting plans); (12) Escalation (time frames & management chain); (13) Communication constraints derived from (regulations, technology, organizational policy, other).

Business Value

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.

Requirements (Collecting Requirements)

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. Conditions that must be met or criteria that the product or service must possess such as functionality. Should be quantified and prioritized. Must be able to measure, trace and test requirements. Requirement types: Business; Stakeholder; Solution; Functional; Nonfunctional; Transition; Project; Quality. Requirements are the basis for developing the WBS, estimating costs, forming the schedule and for quality planning. Tools & Techniques to Collect: Interviews; Focus Groups; Facilitated Workshops; Group Creativity Techniques; Group Decision-Making Techniques; Questionnaires & Surveys; Observations; Prototypes; Benchmarking; Context Diagrams; Document Analysis (business, marketing, strategic plans, etc.).

Critical Chain Method (CC)

A critical chain is the new critical path in a modified schedule (modifies CPM replacing float management [CPM] with buffer management [CC]) that accounts for limited resources and feeding buffers. A schedule network analysis technique - method that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties. (Note: *Start project ALAP* as late as possible; *work back from project end date*; *minimize slack* by *using zero slack* and *putting buffers on tasks for limited resources and uncertainties;* so *use latest start and latest finish dates*; thus *work as fast as possible*. The *resource constrained path is the critical chain; each activity is on the critical path*.) First, construct the project schedule network diagram using the CP method. (Often high-risk tasks are scheduled earlier so problems can be addressed sooner. Can combine several tasks that share one resource.) Apply the duration estimates, dependencies, constraints and resource availability. Buffers, which are non-work activities, are added. "Feeding buffers" are added to noncritical, chain-dependent tasks. "Project buffers" are added at the end of the critical chain. After adding buffers, you should schedule critical path tasks at their Latest Start and Latest Finish dates. *Once completed, the critical path may have been changed.*

Backward Pass

A critical path method technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates by working backward through the schedule model by starting from the project end date. Note: When multiple paths converge into a predecessor activity, the value carried backward to the late finish of the predecessor activity is the *smallest* of the late starts of the predecessors' immediate successors.

Cause and Effect Diagram (Cause & Effect)

A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect (assignable cause of special variation) back to its root cause. Used with 5-Whys. A diagraming technique. Also called a fishbone or Ishikawa diagram. Key causes might include: Environment, Personnel, Measurement, Machine, Material, Method, & Time. Used in Identify Risks process 11.2 and Control Quality process 8.3

Successor Activity

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

Project Charter

A document signed and issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project. Sign-off by project sponsor, sr. mgmt. and key stakeholders provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. (Sign-off can be done at kick-off meeting.) (Author should be executive manager with power and authority to assign resources to the project. If the project manager is required to write it, his name should not appear as the author.) Should be published/ distributed when signed off. Provides high-level project & product requirements. (see Project Charter List & Develop Project Charter)

Project Organization Chart

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

Specification

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.

Project Team Directory

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

Interviews

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

Change Control Board (CCB)

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

Compliance

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."

Control Charts

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. Way to measure variances to determine if process variances are in control or out of control. Zone test rules include: 1/1 beyond control limit; 2/3 >= Zone A; 4/5 >= Zone B; 7/7 on one side of centerline. Note: If control chart data shows last 2 of 3 contiguous points fall beyond 2 standard deviations from the centerline, should investigate to determine what changed in the affected work package.

Influence Diagram

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

Project Schedule Network Diagram

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule activities. Shows logical dependencies among activities. Examples: Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) with Activity on Node (AON) & 1 time estimate; Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM; Old, rarely-used method where label is placed on top of arrow; AKA: Activity on Arrow AOA or Activity on Line AOL, using more than 1 time estimate to determine duration, uses finish-to-start only, sometimes uses dummy actives connected to activities with dots); Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT; Allows for conditions, branches and loops).

Probability and Impact Matrix

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

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

A grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package. This relates the OBS (Organizational Breakdown Structure) to the WBS (Work Breakdown Struture) to *ensure that every component of the work of the project is assigned to an individual*. Part of the HR Management tools and techniques.

Affinity Diagram

A group creativity technique that allows large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis. Group by natural relationships. Useful for creating breakdown structures.

Dictatorship

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

Risk Category

A group of potential causes of risk.

Program

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

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

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. (See process 5.4 Create WBS)

Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)

A hierarchical representation of the project organization that illustrates the relationship between project activities and the organizational units that will perform those activities. Project cost centers exist in the organization's authorized "Chart of Accounts" (serving as the basis to create the classified financial statements) for the OBS. The Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) is under the OBS.

Pareto Diagram

A histogram (special form of vertical bar chart), ordered by frequency (or consequence) of occurrence, that shows how many results (defects) were generated by each identified cause (with a line added to display relative cumulative frequency). Can separate chronic from infrequent problems. Based on 80/20 rule where you get the most benefit by focusing on a few of the most important problems. Must have valid probability distribution.

Start-to-Finish (SF)

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

Finish-to-Start (FS)

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

Start-to-Start (SS)

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

Control Account

A management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value (EV) for performance measurement. A control account is under the WBS. *A work package can only be assigned to one control account, but a control account can cover a number of work packages.* Control accounts include contingency reserves. As much as possible, try to equate Control Accounts with Cost Centers, but note that they are different: Control Accounts are for internal reporting and Cost Centers are for external financial reporting. Control accounts (CA) = (∑WPE) + CR). Contingency Reserve = CR; Work package cost estimates = (WPCE) = (∑ACE) + ACR). Activity contingency reserve = ACR; Activity cost estimates = ACE.

Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

A measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value. SPI = EV / PV. Cumulative SPI predicts schedule performance = Cumul. EV / Cumul. PV based on work packages completed to date.

Schedule Variance (SV)

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

To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI)

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.

Six Sigma

A measurement-based strategy; no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Quality management approach similar to TQM that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction. Aims to eliminate defects, and stipulates that no more than 3.4 defects per million are produced. Two Six Sigma methodologies: DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, inspect, and control); DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, and verify).

Critical Path Method (CPM)

A method (schedule network analysis technique) used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of "float" or scheduling flexibility for each of the logical network paths within the schedule model. (Note: float = slack; *starts ASAP*; this approach *maximizes slack* (localized safety); *supports working as slowly as possible using contingency allowances*; focus on tasks with zero slack. Compare with Critical Chain Method which modifies CPM.) CPM first determines the earliest start date, earliest finish date, and then the latest start date, latest finish date for each *activity*. It *does not consider resource availability* [vs. Critical Chain which considers limited resources]. Relies on sequential networks and a single duration estimate for each activity. Precedence diagramming method (PDM) can be used to perform CPM. Method: (1) Set up chart with activity IDs, activity name, dependencies and durations for each; (2) Calculate Early Start & Early Finish based either on calendar days or on # days using zero as initial start (in case of calendar only -1 day for each finish day), calculate subsequent activities to end (for calendar assume finish at day end so next activity starts next day and -1 for each finish day, for # days each next activity starts same day as precedent); (3) Calculate backwards from finish day beginning from last activity Late Finish (same day as last Early Finish day) & Late Start (working backwards for calendar days each prior activity Late Finish is one day prior to subsequent Late Start, subtract duration & +1 for each); check & if dependencies rely on activity being calculated then apply Late Finish (-1 if calendar) to that date; enter slack using Latest Start - Earliest Start [same as Latest Finish - Earliest Finish]; (4) Any activity with a zero float time or negative float (when Early Start subtracted from Late Start =<0) is considered to be critical path tasks. A "finish no later than" constraint can change the critical path if it is not met. "Float time" or "slack time" has two types: Total float (TF is how much you can delay the start of a task without delaying the ending of the project); Free float (FF is the amount of time you can delay the start of a task without delaying the earliest start of a successor task).

Cost of Quality

A method of determining the costs incurred to ensure quality. Two categories: (1) *Conformance costs* to keep defects out of customers' hands involving *early* Plan Quality Management: (a) *Prevention* costs include training such as on QC systems, equipment, documenting and taking time to do things right. (b) *Appraisal* costs include inspection, testing, & some quality audits. (2) *Nonconformance costs (failure has occurred):* (a) *Internal* while at organization causing corrective action, rework, scrapping & downtime. (b) *External*, when failures have occurred, include inspectors at customer, warranty work, returns, recalls, liabilities, loss of business and reputation.

Bottom-Up Estimating

A method of estimating project duration (process 6.4) or cost (process 7.2) by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS). Advantage: Good technique when you are not confident of type or quantity of resources you will need. Disadvantage: Takes a lot of time. Need to note dependencies.

Prototypes

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

Earned Value Management

A methodology that combines scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress. Compares what has been received or produced to what has been spent on the project. Measures planned value (PV), earned value (EV), and actual costs (AC). Note: Used on both Work Packages and on higher level Control Accounts of the WBS.

Work Authorization

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.

Issue

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. Once a risk occurs, it is no longer a risk but an "issue."

Quality Policy

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.

Monte Carlo Simulation

A process (most common of the "modeling techniques") 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. For example, shows the probability of all the possible project completion dates/ risks or cost risks.

Process Analysis

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

Issue Log

A project document used to document and monitor elements under discussion or in dispute between project stakeholders. Acts like an action item log to record actions needed to resolve stakeholder concerns and project issues they raise and to ensure that the project team has the same understanding as stakeholders on the issue. Rank issues by urgency & potential impact. Assign responsible party. Set a due date. May be useful to maintain stakeholder expectations and also hold them accountable for actions they are required to take to resolve an issue.

Adaptive Life Cycle

A project life cycle (AKA: Agile or Change-Driven Methods) that is intended to facilitate change and require a high degree of ongoing stakeholder involvement. Adaptive 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*.

Incremental Life Cycle

A project life cycle where the project *scope is generally determined early in the project life cycle, but time and cost estimates are routinely modified as the project team's understanding of the product increases*. Iterations develop the product through a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add to the functionality of the product.

Iterative Life Cycle

A project life cycle where the project scope is generally determined early in the project life cycle, but time and cost estimates are routinely modified as the project team's understanding of the product increases. Iterations develop the product through a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add to the functionality of the product.

Central Tendency

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 of central tendency are the mean, median, and mode.

Seller

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

Reserve

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.

Quality Audits

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

Matrix Diagrams

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

Prioritization Matrices

A quality management planning tool used to identify key issues and evaluate suitable alternatives to define a set of implementation priorities. Criteria are weighted & prioritized before being applied to all available alternatives (math score ranks options; can use countermeasures solution matrix which blends tree diagram and matrix).

Interrelationship Digraphs

A quality management planning tool, the interrelationship digraphs provide a process for creative problem-solving in moderately complex scenarios that possess intertwined logical relationships. Can show up to 50 relevant items.

Variance

A quantifiable deviation, departure, or divergence away from a known baseline or expected value. (Also: Square of Standard Deviation.)

Estimate

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). See also budget and cost.

Sensitivity Analysis

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 (shows risks with quantitative representation of occurrence placing highest impact on top to lowest on bottom). Can also be used to determine stakeholder risk tolerance.

Mandatory Dependency

A relationship that is contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work (such as physical requirements or limitations). Nature of the work dictates the order of work such as needing to scrape and prime before painting. (AKA: Hard Logic or Hard Dependency)

Discretionary Dependency

A relationship that is established based on knowledge of "best practices" within a particular application area or an aspect of the project where a specific sequence is desired. Process- or procedure-driven, based on past experience. (AKA: preferred logic; soft logic; preferential logic) Note: These tend to create arbitrary or float values limiting scheduling options, so, when fast-tracking, consider changing or removing these dependencies.

Schedule Model

A representation (or "Presentation") of the plan for executing the project's activities including durations, dependencies, critical path, and other planning information, used to produce a project schedule along with other scheduling artifacts. For example: Project schedule Network Diagrams; Milestone charts (high level view of key deliverables/ events - such as prototype completion, successful system testing or contract approval - in bar chart or table form with expected and actual dates); and Gantt charts (or bar charts with more activities and greater detail such as resources).

Resource Smoothing

A resource optimization 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* (modified within their floats and *does not change the critical path or the project end dates*). Method examples: give more tasks to under allocated members, require needed resources to work overtime, split tasks between skilled and less-skilled workers. [AKA: Resource loading?]

Phase Gate

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.

Approved Change Requests Review

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

Risk Avoidance

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

Residual Risk

A risk that remains after risk responses have been implemented.

Threat

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

Opportunity

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

Near-Critical Activity

A schedule activity that has low total float. The concept of near-critical 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.

Fast Tracking (Fast-Tracking)

A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in sequence are performed in parallel, overlapping at least a portion of their duration. Increases risk (more than Crashing). Example, object-oriented programming allows several modules to be worked on at the same time. Does not attack duration (such as when duration is fixed), attacks dependencies. Alter nodes from finish to start to start to start, or finish to finish. Cannot fast track a mandatory dependency. Only discretionary dependencies. Make successor task start before completion of predecessor task. So risk increases.

Crashing

A schedule compression technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources (internal or external) to the critical path tasks. Will look at cost and schedule trade-offs. For example, could add overtime, add resources, and pay to expedite. Not always viable, and might add risks (not as much as fast tracking) &/or increase costs. Only change items on critical path, so could change critical path. Only crash effort-driven tasks (where duration is based on work). Cannot crash if non effort-driven task (fixed duration).

Schedule Network Templates

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.

Change Control System

A set of procedures that describes how modifications to the project deliverables and documentation are managed and controlled. For example: (1) All change requests should be required to be in writing; (2) Change requests must go through the Change Control Board (CCB).

Resource Optimization Techniques

A set of techniques used to adjust the start and finish dates of activities that adjust the use of planned resources to be equal to or less than resource availability. Assigns resources to specific activities during the Develop Schedule process, and is based on the Estimate Activity Resources process. Includes the following methods to optimize resources and prevent overallocation where possible: *Resource leveling* (can change the original critical path); *Resource smoothing* (modified within their floats and not changing the critical path or project end dates); *Reverse resource allocation scheduling* (when specific resources are needed at certain times so the work sequence needs to be changed and you have to work backwards from end date to do that).

Additional Quality Planning Tools

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 (see separate entry); *Force field analysis* (examines and ranks drivers-enablers and resistors-barriers of a decision with strategies to use high-priority enablers and minimize largest barriers); Nominal group techniques (see separate entry); and *Quality management and control tools* (Affinity diagrams, Process decision program charts, Interrelationship digraphs [see separate entry], Tree diagrams [Risk Breakdown Structure - horizontal tree], Prioritization matrices [see separate entry], Activity network diagrams [includes AOA & AON and used with project scheduling methods], & Matrix diagrams [see separate entry]).

Milestone

A significant point or event in a project, program, or portfolio. Stakeholders, customers or management staff might request that certain deliverables be completed or delivered by specific dates.

Simulation

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. Typically performed using Monte Carlo analysis. Example: calculate multiple project durations using probability distributions constructed from 3-point estimates.

Scheduling Tool

A software tool that provides schedule component names, definitions, structural relationships, and formats that support the application of a scheduling method. Automates mathematical calculations (such as forward and backward pass) and performs resource-leveling functions. Enables collaboration. Project management software tools can complete Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Durations, and Develop Schedule at the same time for most small- to medium-sized projects. They also can generate Gantt charts; produce critical path, resource allocation, activity dependencies; perform what-if analysis; and provide various reports.

Tornado Diagram

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

Records Management System

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

Practice

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.

Design of Experiments (DOE)

A statistical method used during Plan Quality Management process 8.1 for identifying which factors may influence specific variables of a product or process under development or in production. Can be used to see trade-offs. May show which factors or combination of factors have the greatest effect on overall project outcomes instead of changing one variable at a time. Used to: (1) Determine: Number & type of tests and their impact on cost of quality; (2) Reduce sensitivity of product performance to sources of variation caused by environmental or manufacturing differences (natural variation).

Expected Monetary Value (EMV) Analysis

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. Positive results typically indicate that risks pose opportunities, and negative indicate a threat. Example: After start, 2 exclusive choices with a $ value of each; each choice has good or poor outcomes with their own probabilities; multiply the value and probabilities to see the best choice.

Lessons Learned Knowledge Base

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

Policy

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.

Procurement Performance Reviews

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

Subnetwork

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.

Work Authorization System

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.

Master Schedule

A summary-level project schedule that identifies the major deliverables and work breakdown structure components and key schedule milestones. See also milestone schedule.

Milestone Schedule

A summary-level schedule that identifies the major schedule milestones. See also master schedule.

Variance Analysis (CV & SV)

A technique for determining the cause and degree of difference between the baseline cost (CV) or schedule (SV) and actual performance, and/or the variance at completion of the project (see VAC).

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

A technique for estimating that applies a weighted average (expected value) of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates. PERT estimate (E) formula: Most likely (M), optimistic (O) and pessimistic (P) E=(O+P+4M)/6. Expect to finish project work within three standard deviations = 99.73%; two = 95.44%; one = 68.26% of the time. (P-O)/6 is one standard deviation (higher standard deviation or spread, then higher risk). So 68.26% chance complete in E +/- (P-O/6) days. 95.44% chance complete in E +/- (P-O/6*2) days. For PERT table, calculate standard deviation (SD) for each activity, square each SD, sum the SDs and then use this square root of the sum for +/- E.

Stakeholder Analysis

A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project. Who, what, why, when, where and how. Power & influence grid (high/ low matrix). Net perceptual positions (from strongly oppose to strongly support, and whether they can/ should be moved from their perceptual position).

Assumptions Analysis

A technique that explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project from inaccuracy, inconsistency, or incompleteness of assumptions. (Focus on what you take for granted like team member availability, access to information, access to equipment, management support, and vendor reliability.)

Applying Leads and Lags

A technique that is used to adjust the amount of time between predecessor and successor activities. Leads speed up and Lags delay successor activities (paint needs to dry), but should not replace schedule logic. For lead subtract time (12FS - 6d); for lag add time (12FS + 6d).

Observations

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

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

A technique used for constructing a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked (with arrows) by one or more logical relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed. (AKA: AON or Activity on Node) 4 Logical Relationships (MS Project): (1) Finish-to-Start (predecessor must finish - most common); (2) Start-to-Finish (predecessor must start - rarely used); (3) Finish-to-Finish; (4) Start-to-Start. Important: All activities or milestones must be connected to at least one predecessor and successor (except first & last activities). Note: Fast-tracked logical relationships are S-S & F-F. PDM uses only one time estimate to determine duration.

Decomposition

A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables (output of process 5.3) into smaller, more manageable parts. 5-step process: (1) ID the major deliverables & related work; (2) Organize the WBS (structure); (3) Decompose the WBS into lower-level components (defined so completion can be verified); (4) Assign ID codes to each component; (5) Verify the WBS decomposition hierarchy is adequate (are the components clear, complete/ sufficient, necessary). Decomposition also can occur for Activities in process 6.2 and sequenced in a network diagram.

Alternatives Generation

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.

Three-Point Estimate

A technique used to estimate cost or duration by applying an average (M) of optimistic (O), pessimistic (P), and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty with the individual activity estimates. May also use a beta distribution PERT (program evaluation and review technique) E=(O+P+4M)/6.

Alternative Analysis

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. (Example: make-rent-or-buy)

Adjusting Leads and Lags

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

Cost-Reimbursable Contract

A type of contract involving payment to the seller for the seller's actual costs, plus a fee typically representing seller's profit. Cost-reimbursable 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.

Time and Material Contract (T&M)

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. Note: Most often used when need specific HR skills and when the scope of work can be quickly and precisely defined.

Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contract (CPIF)

A type of cost-reimbursable contract where the buyer reimburses the seller for the seller's allowable costs (allowable costs are defined, and incentive is set by formula in the contract), and the seller earns its profit if it meets defined performance criteria. Note: Can be beneficial for both seller and buyer; both share in risks for cost overruns or under-runs so motivates seller to keep costs low.

Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract (CPFF)

A type of cost-reimbursable contract where the buyer reimburses the seller for the seller's allowable costs (allowable costs may vary so should be defined by the contract) plus a fixed amount of profit (fixed management fee for defined scope).

Firm Fixed-Price Contract (FFP)

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. Most common type. Used when: (1) Deliverable is clear (important to define deliverables clearly); (2) Scope is well-defined. Seller builds in the cost of the risk of increasing cost. Can build in incentives or liquidated damages.

Request for Quotation (RFQ)

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.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

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.

Request for Information (RFI)

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.

Project-Based Organizations (PBOs)

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.

Constraints

AKA: Competing demands. Time; Budget; Scope; Quality; Quality; Schedule (when available); Resource (Human: number of people, skills, personality; Material: availability, quality); Technology; Directive (policies). (Triple Constraints: scope, time, & cost.) Note: Understand which are primary: scope, schedule, cost, risk, resources, & quality.

Rework

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

Project Selection

Actual Project Selection is outside the scope of the project manager's role (for exam / according to PMI) and is performed by the project sponsor, customer or subject matter experts. (In reality, project manager often gets involved.)

Unanimity

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

Responsibility

An *assignment/ duty* that *can be delegated* (note: project manager retains "accountability" which cannot be delegated) within a project management plan such that the assigned resource incurs a duty to perform the requirements of the assignment.

Discrete Effort

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

Level of Effort (LOE)

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

Predecessor Activity

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

Apportioned Effort

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

Variation

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

Fixed-Price Contract Types (Fixed Price)

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. Note: Important to have well-defined deliverables. Seller assumes the risk of cost overruns, so minimizes cost exposure of buyer. (Contract types include: Firm fixed-price; Fixed-price incentive fee; Firm fixed-price with economic adjustment contract.)

Management Reserve

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. The management reserve is not included in the performance measurement baseline (PMB), i.e., cost baseline.

Regression Analysis

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.

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

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.

Trend Analysis

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. Used to see if a project performance is improving or worsening over time.

Reserve Analysis

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. Uses *Contingency Reserves* (buffers or time reserves) based on percentages or set number of work periods. May include *Management Reserves* for unknown events/ risks not identified as risks (these do not go into the cost baseline or schedule baseline, so must be added in the schedule baseline if you use them.) Used to monitor reserves and determine if and when they are needed, how they will be applied, and if there is a change in the reserve amounts. Modify these reserves as the project progresses. Possibly add reserves in the case of risk events, risk mitigation, or other unforeseen events. Give them up or use on other projects if no longer needed.

Communication Requirements Analysis

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

Root Cause Analysis

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.

Value Engineering

An approach used to optimize project life cycle costs, save time, increase profits, improve quality, expand market share, solve problems, and/or use resources more effectively. Examines each element of a product or system to determine if there is a better or cheaper way to achieve the same function.

Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB)

An approved, integrated scope-schedule-cost plan for the project work against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance (used for earned value management EVM calculations). Made up of Schedule Baseline, Cost Baseline and Scope Baseline. Determined using EVM. The PMB includes contingency reserve, but excludes management reserve. Graphed as PV when conducting EVM.

Product

An artifact that is produced, is quantifiable, and can be either an end item in itself or a component item. Additional words for products are material and goods. Contrast with result. See also deliverable.

Fixed Formula Method

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.

Weighted Milestone Method

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.

Work Breakdown Structure Component

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

Project Management Knowledge Area

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.

Defect

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.

Stakeholder

An individual, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome (product/ service/ result) of a project. (User/ Customer; Internal/ External) (Examples: Project manager; Project sponsor; Functional managers.)

Delphi Technique

An information gathering technique used as *a way to reach a consensus of experts (anonymously)* on a subject over a few rounds. 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. The Delphi technique helps reduce bias in the data and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome.

Project Management Information System (PMIS)

An information system consisting of the tools & 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. It incorporates the Configuration Management System and the Change Control System, and can be used to control changes. It facilitates automation, collection and disturb. of data, and helps monitor processes such as scheduling, resource leveling, budgeting and web interfaces.

Corrective Action

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

Defect Repair

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

Rolling Wave Planning

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. A form of progressive elaboration.

Guideline

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

Project Management Office (PMO)

An organizational structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques. (Support project managers. Often tasked to create OPM (org. proj. mgmt. framework). Communicate w/i and across projects. May manage multiple projects at same time. Offers centralized project management, coordinated management between projects, standards & best practices, policies & procedures, templates, and coaching, mentoring and training. 3 Types: Supportive, Controlling & Directive.)

Schedule Data

An output of Develop Schedule 6.6: A collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule. Includes milestones, schedule activities and activity attributes, and the assumptions and constraints regarding the schedule. Could also include schedule contingencies, alternative schedules, and resource histograms.

Risk (& Examples/ Types)

An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives. Examples/ Types: Budgets/ funding; Schedules; Scope or requirements changes; Project plan; Project management processes; Technical; Personnel; Hardware; Contracts; Political; Business; Legal; Environmental; Management.

SWOT Analysis

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

Projectized Organization

Any organizational structure in which the project manager has full authority to assign priorities, apply resources, and direct the work of persons assigned to the project. *Influence Grid:* Budget managed by: Project Manager; PM Authority (& Resource Availability): High to almost total; PM Role: Full-time; PM Admin Staff: Full-time.

Matrix Organization

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.*Influence Grid:* *Weak Matrix:* Budget managed by: Functional Manager; PM Authority (& Resource Availability): Little or none; PM Role: Part-time; PM Admin Staff: Part-time. [Project coordination among staff of different functional divisions.] *Balanced Matrix:* Budget managed by: Mixed (FM & PM); PM Authority (& Resource Availability): Low to Moderate; PM Role: Full-time; PM Admin Staff: Part-time. [*Project manager is staff of functional division*. Project coordination among staff of different functional divisions.] *Strong Matrix:* Budget managed by: Project Manager; PM Authority (& Resource Availability): Moderate to High; PM Role: Full-time; PM Admin Staff: Full-time. [Project manager *not* under functional organization. Project coordination among staff of different functional divisions.] *Composite Organization:* Similar to Strong Matrix, but more coordination with one functional division working on a separate related project.

Configuration Management System

Change control for changes to specifications of both *Deliverables* &/or Project management *Processes* is managed through the Configuration Management System. A subsystem of the overall Project Management Information System (PMIS), it is a collection of formal documented procedures used to apply technical and administrative direction and surveillance for the following *Objectives:* (1) Identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a product, result, service, or component; (2) Control any changes to such characteristics; (3) Record and report (communicate to stakeholders) each approved change and its implementation status (or record rejected changes); and (4) Support the audit of the products, results, or components to verify conformance to requirements (and consider impact of each change). It includes the documentation, tracking systems, and defined approval levels necessary for authorizing and controlling changes.

Quantitative Risk Analysis and Modeling Techniques

Commonly used techniques for both event-oriented and project-oriented analysis approaches. Modeling techniques use What-if scenario analysis (different assumptions to produce multiple project durations) and Simulation (use a range of probable activity durations for each activity).

Control

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

Verified Deliverables

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

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Conditions, not under the immediate control of the team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project, program, or portfolio. (Include: Org. culture, structure & governance; Gov. or ind. stds; Infrastructure; HR; Personnel admin. guidelines; Org. work auth. system; Market cond. (supply & demand); Stakeholder risk tolerance; Political climate; Established communic. channels; Commercial/ind. spec. databases; Proj. mgmt. info. systems).

Cost Plus Contract Types

Contract types where buyer assumes more responsibility for the cost. Variations allocate cost exposure among parties. (Cost + types include: Cost plus percentage fee; Cost plus fixed fee; Cost plus incentive fee; Cost plus award fee.)

Customer

Customer is 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.

Internal Dependency

Dependency internal to the project or the organization (such as implementing a new time tracking system). Precedence relationship between project activities. Usually inside the project team's control.

Scope Baseline

Describes in detail all the work of the project. Defined as the approved version of the: (1) Project Scope Statement; (2) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS); (3) WBS dictionary. Used to develop schedules, assign resources, and monitor & control the work of the project. Can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison (if changes inside or outside of scope). Output of Planning Process Group.

Networking

Establishing connections and relationships with other people from the same or other organizations. Constructive way to understand political & interpersonal factors that impact effectiveness of various staffing management options. Includes: Proactive correspondence; Luncheon meetings; Informal conversations at various forums (trade shows, meetings, etc.).

Reporting Systems

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.

Fallback Plan

Fallback plans include 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.

Cost Plus Percentage of Costs (CPPC)

Fee varies with direct costs. Time and material charges apply. Since seller has no motivation to keep cost low, this is not commonly used.

Joseph M. Juran

Fitness for use, conformance. Quality by design. (Cost of Quality)

Project Funding Requirements

Forecast project costs to be paid that are derived from the cost baseline plus contingency reserves for total or periodic requirements, including management reserves, projected expenditures and may include funding sources and anticipated liabilities. Funding often occurs in uneven distributions such as step by step increments. Output of process 7.3 Determine Budget.

Nonconformance Work

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.

Early Finish Date (EF)

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.

Early Start Date (ES)

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.

Business Case

Input to Develop project charter 4.1. Project charter cannot be started until the business case is approved. Purpose is to explain the business need and if the investment is worthwhile. Includes a documented economic feasibility study (which could be its own project or part of a phase) used to establish validity or the benefits of a project. Is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities. *Includes:* Business need; Special requirements; Alternative solutions; Expected results of alternatives; Cost-benefit analysis; Recommended solutions. Done outside of the project and typically project team not involved at this stage.

WBS Dictionary

It is an element of the Scope Baseline. A document that provides detailed: (a) Deliverable; (b) Activity; and (c) Scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure. Should include: (1) Code of accounts identifier (to ID/ track costs); (2) Description of the work of the component; (3) Organization responsible for completing the component; (4) List of schedule milestones; (5) Schedule of activities associated with the milestones; (6) Required resources; (7) Cost estimates; (8) Quality requirements; (9) Criteria for acceptance; (10) Technical references; (11) Contract or agreements information; (12) Constraints & assumptions.

Expert Judgment

Judgment provided based upon expertise in an application area, knowledge area, discipline, industry, etc., as appropriate for the activity being performed. Such expertise may be provided by any group or person with specialized education, knowledge, skill, experience, or training.

Project Documents

Knowledge Area Output: • Activity: Attributes 6.2; Cost estimates 7.2; Duration estimates 6.5; List 6.2; Resource requirements 6.4 • Agreements 12.2 • Basis of estimates 7.2 • Change requests (Many) • Forecasts: Cost 7.4; Schedule 6.7 • Logs: Change 4.5; Issue 13.3 • Milestone list 6.2 • Procurement: Documents 12.1; SOW 12.1 • Project: Charter 4.1; Funding requirements 7.3; Schedule 6.6; Network diagrams 6.3; Staff assignments 9.2; SOW (None) • Quality: Checklists 8.1; QC measurements 8.3; Metrics 8.1 • Requirements: Documentation 5.2; Traceability matrix 5.2 • RBS 6.4 • Resource calendars 9.2 & 12.2 • Registers: Risk 11.2; Stakeholder 13.1 • Schedule data 6.6 • Seller proposals (None) • Source selection criteria 12.1 • Team performance assessments 9.3 • Work performance: Data 4.3; Information (Many); Reports 4.4.

Change Control Tools

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

Risk Threshold

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.

Stakeholder Register

Output of 13.1: A project document including the project stakeholders': (1) Identification (name, organizational position, location, project role, contact information); (2) Assessment (major requirements, main expectations, potential influence in project, phase in project with most interest); and (3) Classification (internal or external; and supporter, neutral, or resistor).

Change Log

Output of 4.5 in form of a project document. A comprehensive list of changes (or rejected change requests) made during the project. This typically includes dates of the change and impacts in terms of time, cost, and risk. Communicated to appropriate stakeholders as input to process 13.3.

Cost Management Plan

Output of 7.1 Plan Cost Management. A component of a project or program management plan that describes how costs will be planned, structured, and controlled. "Subsidiary Plan" to Project Management Plan. May establish: (1) Organizational procedures links (Control Accounts for project cost accounting; Control Account has unique code linked to performing organization's accounting system [but not same as cost centers & chart of accounts]; (2) Performance measurement (Points in WBS for control accounts; Set EVM techniques such as weighted milestones, fixed formula, or % complete; Specify tracking methodologies and EVM computation equations for EAC); (3) Units of measure (units or lump sum for Days, meters, tons, square feet, etc. for quantities, or Lump sum in currency form); (4) Level of precision (Round up or down; # of significant digits); (5) Level of accuracy (Acceptable range; May include amount for contingencies); (5) Control thresholds (% deviations from baseline plan; Trigger for action).

Work Performance Information

Output of 9 of 11 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group processes (Work Performance Data are inputs to the same processes as these outputs): Validate Scope; Control Scope; Control Schedule; Control Costs; Control Quality; Control Communications; Control Risks; Control Procurements; Control Stakeholder Engagement. Input to Monitor and Control Project Work process 4.4. The work performance data collected from various controlling processes are analyzed in context and then integrated based on relationships across areas. Circulated through the communication processes. Examples: Status of deliverables; Status of change requests; Forecasts such as variance analysis, forecasting, and earned value analysis estimates like Estimate to Complete (ETC). Earned Value Analysis *Proportionality Rule:* can apply 0/100, 50/50 (% earned at start/ completion of task).

Requirements Documentation (see Collect Requirements process)

Output of Collect Requirements 5.2 process: Very important document describing how individual requirements meet the business need for the project (based on project sponsor, customer or stakeholder expectations). This should be signed. Can be organized into: (a) Business requirements; (b) Stakeholder requirements; (c) Project requirements (service & performance levels, and safety & compliance levels); (d) Solution requirements; (e) Transition requirements; and (f) Requirements data (assumptions, dependencies, constraints). It should include at least: (1) Business need and why (business rules & guiding principles); (2) Objectives of the project & business objectives; (3) Functional requirements; (4) Nonfunctional requirements; (5) Technology & standards compliance; (6) Quality requirements; (7) Reporting; (8) Acceptance requirements; (9) Transition requirements for operations or customer receiving project end result; (10) Business rules; (11) Organizational areas & outside entities impacted; (12) Support & training requirements; (13) Assumptions & constraints. Note: Input into processes 5.3-5.6; 8.1 & 12.1.

Activity List

Output of Define Activities 6.2: A documented tabulation of all schedule activities that shows the activity description (name), activity identifier (code or number), and a sufficiently detailed scope of work description so project team members understand what work is to be performed.

Milestone List

Output of Define Activities 6.2: A list identifying all project milestones and normally indicates whether the milestone is mandatory or optional. Includes major accomplishments marking completion of major deliverable or other key event such as approval or sign-off, completion of prototype, system testing, contract approval.

Activity Attributes

Output of Define Activities 6.2: Multiple attributes associated with each schedule activity that can be included within the activity list. Activity attributes include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.

Work Performance Data

Output of Direct and Manage Project Work process 4.3. Input to 9 of 11 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group processes: Validate Scope; Control Scope; Control Schedule; Control Costs; Control Quality; Control Communications; Control Risks; Control Procurements; Control Stakeholder Engagement. The raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed during execution to carry out the project work. Examples: Percentage of work completed; KPI; Actual start & finish dates; Status of deliverables; # of Change requests; # of Defects; Actual costs; Actual durations.

Activity Duration Estimate

Output of Estimate Activity Duration 6.5: A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome for the duration of an activity. Should be expressed as x hours, days, weeks, etc. +/- hours, days, weeks, etc.

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Output of Estimate Activity Resources 6.4: A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type. Category would include labor, equipment, material, or other supplies. Type would include skill level or quality grade.

Activity Resource Requirements

Output of Estimate Activity Resources 6.4: The types and quantities of resources required for each activity associated with a work package. Aggregated to determine estimated resources for each work package and each work period. Include basis of estimate/ method used to estimate describing information used & assumptions made (resource types, availability & quantities).

Risk Register

Output of Identify Risk 11.2: A document in which the results of risk analysis and risk response planning are recorded and ranked. Example: Matrix including items such as ID#; Risk (descr.); Trigger (warning sign [*not required to be listed until the Plan Risk Responses process is carried out*]); Event (effect); Cause (reason for trigger); Impact/ rank; Owner; Response plan.

Work Performance Reports

Output of Monitor and Control Project Work process 4.4. Subset of & update to Project Documents. Input to 5 processes: Manage Project Team; Manage Communications; Perform Integrated Change Control; Control Risks; Control Procurements. The physical or electronic representation of work performance information compiled in project documents. Record, store and distribute information. Intended to generate decisions, actions, or awareness. Reports update project documents.

Source Selection Criteria

Output of Plan Procurement Management 12.1: A set of attributes (subjective or objective) desired by the buyer which a seller is required to meet or exceed to be selected for a contract. Could be price only, or more extensive and using scoring models & rating models which may or may not be made public. *Possible criteria:* (1) Comprehension of the project needs (responsiveness); (2) Cost up front as well as over the project or service life (lowest cost of ownership); (3) Technical capability of vendor (production capability & interest); (4) Technical approach; (5) Risk (level of sharing & risk mitigation); (6) Experience with similar work; (7) Project management approach; (8) Management approach; (9) Business type & size; (10) Financial stability & capacity; (11) Production capacity; (12) Warranty or guarantee (expressed or implied); (13) Reputation, references & past performance; (14) Rights assertion of intellectual property & proprietary property. *Vendor selection form example:* Top section uses Criteria & Gating pass/ fail with reason (if do not pass, do not consider lower section); Lower section uses Weight, Criteria & Grade (score = weight X grade) with reason (highest total score wins).

Procurement Statement of Work (SOW)

Output of Plan Procurement Management 12.1: Each procurement item requires a SOW (can group multiple products/ services into 1 procurement item). Should be clear, complete and concise with collateral services like performance reporting & post-operational support. Describes the procurement item in sufficient detail to allow prospective *sellers to determine if they are capable* of providing the products, services, or results. Could be prepared by buyer or seller. Uses the project scope statement, WBS and WBS dictionary. Includes: (1) Project objectives; (2) Description of the project work & any post-project operational support needed; (3) Concise specifications of the products or services required; (4) Project schedule, time period of services, & work location; (5) Quantity & quality levels; (6) Performance data.

Procurement Documents

Output of Plan Procurement Management 12.1: The documents utilized in bids, tenders and quotations (for price) and in proposals (for criterial other than price) activities. Structured to facilitate: Accuracy & complete responses; Easy evaluation; Consistent & appropriate response; Seller suggestions for better ways to satisfy requirements. Include buyer's: Invitation for seller's initial response; Invitation for Bid (IFB); Tender Notice; Invitation for Negotiations - "an invitation is possibly coming"; Request for Information (RFI) - "send me your brochure"; Request for Quotation (RFQ) - "price only"; Request for Proposal (RFP) - "price and other details"; and seller's responses. Include contract SOW, how sellers should format their responses, any special provisions or contractual needs, and confidentiality requirements. Note: *Bids, tenders or quotations* are used when price is the only deciding factor; *Proposals* are used when there are other considerations than price such as technology or specific approaches.

Quality Metrics

Output of Plan Quality Management 8.1: A description of a project or product attribute (*what* is being measured) and *how* to measure it. (AKA: Operational definition.) Examples: On-time performance; Cost control; Defect frequency; Failure rate; Availability; Reliability; Test coverage.

Quality Checklists

Output of Plan Quality Management 8.1: A structured tool used to verify that a set of required steps has been performed. Should include *acceptance criteria* in the scope baseline. Note: Output of Plan Quality Management; Input to Control Quality process; Tool & Technique of Identify Risks process.

Project Schedule

Output of process 6.6 Develop Schedule. An output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned start and finish dates for each of the project activities, duration of activities, dependencies among activities, milestones, and resources. Considered preliminary until the resources are assigned to the activities (so would have to wait until the 9.2 Acquire Project Team process is completed). May be presented as "master schedule" or "milestone schedule" in tabular or graphical form (milestone charts; bar/ GANTT charts; project schedule network diagrams). Once approved, it becomes the Schedule Baseline.

Professional Responsibility

PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Aspirational Standards and Mandatory Standards in each of the four areas. (1) Responsibility (making decisions for the good of the organization, admitting our mistakes, being responsible for our decisions and resulting consequences): Ensure integrity of product; Accept assignments; Laws & regulations compliance; Confidential information. (2) Respect (how we conduct ourselves, treat others, listen to other viewpoints, etc.): Professional demeanor; Reporting ethics violations; Cultural awareness; Perceiving experiences. (3) Fairness (avoid favoritism & discrimination, avoid & report conflict of interest, maintain impartiality): Associations & affiliations; Vendor gifts; Stakeholder influence. (4) Honesty (reporting the truth, not deceiving): Personal gain; Truthful reporting.

Conflict Management

Part of Manage Project Team process 9.4. Handling, controlling, and guiding a conflictual situation to achieve a resolution. Successful resolution results in increased productivity and better, more positive working relationships. *Most conflict comes from schedule, resource availability or work style issues*. Generally, *best resolution comes when parties can work out issues between themselves*. A solution such that no party can be made better off without making the other party worse off by the same amount or more is called *Pareto-optimal*. Conflicts can be reduced by implementing team ground rules, group norms (policies and procedures), and utilizing well-grounded project management processes. Communication and a clear definition of roles and responsibilities of team members also are useful. Conflict management styles do not necessarily yield long-term results -- 5 General Techniques based on degree of *Objectives vs. Relationship goal* orientation: *(1) Force (directing or competing):* win-lose technique [high objective, low relationship orientation]; *(2) Smooth (accommodating):* temporary lose-lose since real issue stays buried [low objective, high relationship orientation]; *(3) Compromise (reconciling):* neither side wins nor are happy so need firm commitment to move ahead [medium objective, medium relationship orientation]; *(4) Problem solving (collaborating):* win-win and is the best way to resolve, *start with fact finding mission and discuss multiple views, and can reach true consensus if all parties believe had opportunity to provide their opinions and ideas*[high objective, high relationship orientation]; *(5) Withdrawal (avoiding):* lose-lose since nothing is resolved, only moves ahead when once party leaves and will no longer discuss [low objective, low relationship].

Organizational Process Assets

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

Plan Communications Management

Process 10.1: The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholders' information needs and requirements and available organizational assets. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Stakeholder register; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. (Efficient: right time; only info needed. Effective: adds... right format; intended audience.) *Tools & Techniques:* Communications requirements analysis (determine through interviews, workshops, study of lessons learned form prior projects, etc.; sources for determining requirements include org charts, stakeholder responsibility relationships, logistical considerations, depth & business units involved, internal/ external needs, etc.; graphs w/ lines of communication *# lines = n(n-1)/2)* where n is number of stakeholders communicating; Communication technologies; Communication models; Communication methods (interactive, push, pull); Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Communications management plan (see); (2) Project document updates.

Manage Communications

Process 10.2: The process of creating, collecting, distributing, storing, retrieving, and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the Communications Management Plan. Important to distribute information about the project to the stakeholders in a timely manner. Project managers spend *90% of their time communicating* in one form or another. *Inputs:* Communications management plan (subsidiary plan to Project management plan); Work performance reports; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Communication technology; Communication models (see); Communication methods; Information management systems; Performance reporting (act of collecting & distributing performance information including status reports, progress measurements, & forecasts; periodically compares actual & baselined performance; see work performance reports). *Outputs:* (1) Project communications (May include: performance reports, deliverable status, schedule progress, & incurred costs; Influenced by: urgency of message, impact of message, method of delivery, & level of confidentiality); (2) Project documents updates; (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Organizational process assets updates (Stakeholder notifications; Project reports; Project presentations; Project records; Feedback from stakeholders; Lessons learned documentation & meetings [Note: PMBOK *"professional obligation" to hold lessons learned meetings*]).

Control Communications

Process 10.3: The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met. Note: Concerned with evaluating and controlling the *impact* messages may carry and delivering the *right message* to the *right people* at the *right time*. Information on project quality, costs, scope, schedule, procurement and risk. Presented in form of status reports, progress measurements, or forecasts. *Inputs:* Project management plan (baseline data - report deviations); Project communications (information on status, performance, cost, budget, progress for decisions and actions); Issue log (see separate; useful for meetings); Work performance data; Organizational process assets (reporting templates, communication policies or standards, communication technologies, data security issues, communication methods & mediums, & records retention policies). *Tools & Techniques:* Information management systems (spreadsheet analysis, presentations, table reporting, & graphic capabilities); Expert judgement; Meetings (formal, informal, in person or online; *Status review meeting* is an important, interactive meeting to formally exchange project information; might have 3-4 of these during project; could involve different participants, but project manager always included; publish an agenda & a summary after). *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information (recorded in work performance reports - an output of the Monitor and Control Project Work process 4.4); (2) Change requests (processed through the Integrated Change Control process 4.5); (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project documents updates; (5) Organizational process assets updates.

Plan Risk Management

Process 11.1: The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project. Agreed-upon baseline for evaluating project internal and external risk. Should be started as soon as the project begins and concluded as early as possible in the planning process. Risk attitude of the organization is key: (1) *Appetite* (level of uncertainty [*uncertainty = variation that may or may not be risk* willing to accept for potential opportunity); (2) *Tolerance* (how much risk can accept if actually occurs [*risk = has an effect on the project, good or bad*]); & (3) Threshold (amount of risk willing to accept based on a limit such as a percent of project budget). *Inputs:* Project management plan (all subsidiary plans & baselines); Project charter; Stakeholder register; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Analytical techniques (stakeholder risk appetites & tolerances; method to score risks [such as *three-point estimates* for different WBS elements such as design, build & test]; determining risk exposure); Expert judgement; Meetings. *Output:* Risk management plan.

Identify Risks

Process 11.2: The process of determining which risks (negative & positive) may affect the project and documenting their characteristics. Iterative process that continually builds on itself. Inputs: Risk management plan (particularly roles & responsibilities section); Cost management plan; Schedule management plan; Quality management plan; Human resource management plan; Scope baseline (project scope statement's list of assumptions should be reviewed & revalidated); Activity cost estimates; Activity duration estimates; Stakeholder register; Project documents; Procurement documents; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. Tools & Techniques: Documentation reviews; Information gathering (Brainstorming [most often used which includes the Nominal Group Technique where everyone writes down risks on a list or sticky notes], Delphi [anonymous questionnaire with choices, then participants rank by risk impact], Interviewing, Root Cause Analysis); Checklist analysis (from historical information); Assumptions analysis (3 Qualities to Examine: accuracy, completeness & consistency; 2 Factors to Test: strength/ validity & consequences if false); Diagramming techniques (Cause & effect [fishbone or Ishikawa]; System or process flowcharts [logical steps w/ yes-no decisions]; Influence diagrams [how variables interact & what they affect]); SWOT or internal-external analysis (typically S&W are internal and O&T are external); Expert judgement. Output: Risk register which includes (1) List of identified risks; (2) List of potential responses.

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis

Process 11.3: The process of prioritizing risks for further analysis or action by assessing and combining their probability of occurrence and impact. Helps determine if quantitative risk analysis should be done. Considers risk tolerance levels particularly related to project constraints (scope, time, cost & quality) and time frames of potential risk events. This process should be performed throughout the project. Risk attitudes of those assisting should be identified and managed to avoid bias. *Inputs:* Risk management plan; Scope baseline [Note: Quantitative Risk Analy. has Cost & Sched. mgmt. plan vs. Scope baseline]; Risk register; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Risk probability and impact assessment (Probability [mutually exclusive outcomes add to 1], Impact [relative or ordinal scale (high, med., low) & cardinal (0.0-1.0)], Scales defined in Plan Risk Management stage and usually set by organizational process assets); Probability and impact matrix/ grid (Line up each risk on the matrix); Risk data quality assessment (unbiased & accurate); Risk categorization; Risk urgency assessment (based on triggers, time to react, risk rating); Expert judgement. *Output:* Project document updates (Risk ranking/ priority; Risk scores; Updated probability & impact analysis; Risk urgency information; Causes of risk; List of risks requiring near-term responses; List of risks needing additional analysis & response; Watch list of low-priority risks; Trends in qualitative risk analysis results).

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

Process 11.4: The process of numerically analyzing the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives. Purpose: (1) Quantity *project's* possible outcomes & probabilities; (2) Determine probability of achieving the project's *objectives*; (3) Identify risks needing the *most attention*; (4) Identify *realistic & achievable schedule, cost or scope targets*; (5) Determine the *best project management decisions* given uncertainties. Inputs: Risk management plan; Cost management plan; Schedule management plan [Note: Qualitative Risk Analy. has Scope baseline vs. Cost & Sched. mgmt. plan]; Risk response; Environmental enterprise factors; Organizational process assets. Tools & Techniques: Data-gathering and representation techniques (Continuous [normal, lognormal, triangular, beta & uniform] & Discrete distributions [decision trees]); Quantitative analysis and modeling techniques (Sensitivity analysis, Expected monetary value analysis (EMV), Decision tree analysis, and Modeling and simulation [such as Monte Carlo analysis; simulation techniques are used to predict schedule or cost risks]); Expert judgement. *Outputs:* Project management updates including (1) Probabilistic analysis of the project (completion dates & costs with confidence levels); (2) Probability of achieving the cost & time objectives; (3) Prioritized list of quantified risks (threats & opportunities); (4) Trends in perform quantitative risk analysis results.

Plan Risk Responses

Process 11.5: The process of developing options and actions to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to project objectives. Deciding what actions to take to reduce threats and take advantage of opportunities discovered during the risk analysis process. Includes assigning departments or individuals ("risk owners") the responsibility of carrying out the responses. Focus on high probability and significant impact risks. Risk responses should be cost effective, timely, and agreed to by stakeholders. *Inputs:* Risk management plan; Risk register. *Tools & Techniques:* Strategies for negative risks or threats (Avoid - change or improve plan; Transfer - to third-party, warranty, bonds; Mitigate - reduce probability or impact such as by more testing or better vendors; Accept - passive & take consequences or active & prepare contingencies); Strategies for positive risks or opportunities (Accept - if it happens; Exploit - complete faster; Share - such as JV; Enhance - help realize benefits); Contingent response strategies (Contingency planning for when the risk event occurs such as contingency reserves); Expert judgement. *Outputs:* (1) Project management plan updates; (2) Project document updates (Prioritized list of identified risks & what they impact; Risk ranking; Risk owners & responsibilities; Outputs from Perform Qualitatitive Analysis; Agreed response strategies; Actions to implement response plans; Cost & schedule activities to implement risk responses; Contingency plans; Fallback plans; List of residual/ leftover & secondary/ resulting risks; Contingency reserves).

Control Risks

Process 11.6: The process of implementing risk response plans, tracking identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project. Also involves: Monitoring for risk triggers; Reexamining risks for change or close-out (if not viable); Reassessing project assumptions and validity; Ensuring policies and procedures followed; Ensuring risk response and contingency plans are put into action appropriately and are effective; Ensuring that contingency reserves (schedule and cost) are updated according to the updated risk assessment. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Risk register (see); Work performance data (may help you see if a risk event is about to occur); Work performance reports (see; often status report). *Tools & Techniques:* Risk reassessment (regular activity, close non-viable risks, might have to revisit Perform Qualitative & Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis); Risk audits (typically not project team members, but are expertly trained and focus on response plans, processes and effectiveness at dealing with risks and root causes); Variance and trend analysis; Technical performance measurement (focus on milestones completed vs. planned during Executing processes); Reserve analysis; Status meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information; (2) Change requests (including recommended corrective and preventive actions; workaround - unplanned response to a negative risk event); (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project document updates (update risk register for changes, additions and to record results of risk responses); (5) Organizational process assets updates.

Plan Procurement Management

Process 12.1: Describes how the project team will acquire products & services from outside a performing organization. Provides guidance on the process of documenting project procurement decisions, and what approaches to use through contract closure. Includes using procurement documents & contracts, guidance for contract types (see Valid Contract Elements; see Contract Types), risk management issues, unilateral or procurement department purchases, independent estimates as evaluation criteria, coordinating procurements with other projects, managing multiple suppliers, any requirements for bid bond (before contract awarded) or performance bonds, insurance or prequalified sellers), and identifying potential sellers. Note: Each procurement item requires a Procurement Statement of Work (SOW) (see section). *Inputs:* Project management plan (scope baseline - project scope statement & product scope description, WBS & WBS dictionary; constraints); Requirements documentation; Risk register (risk-related contract decisions); Activity resource requirements; Project schedule; Activity cost estimates; Stakeholder register; Enterprise environmental factors (marketplace conditions); Organizational process assets (procurement policies; supplier system with prequalified sellers). *Tools & Techniques:* Make-or-buy analysis (include direct & indirect costs, other factors like capacity, skills, availability, trade secrets; consider leasing); Expert judgement; Market research (see Contract types: (a) *Fixed price contracts* [Firm fixed-price: FFP; Fixed-price incentive fee: FPIF; Fixed price with economic price adjustment contracts: FP-EPA]; (b) *Cost-reimbursable contracts* [Cost plus fixed fee: CPFF; Cost plus incentive fee: CPIF; Cost plus percentage of cost: CPPC; Cost plus award fee: CPAF], and Time & materials; see Procurement Agreement Components); Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Procurement management plan (see section); (2) Procurement statement of work (see section); (3) Make-or-buy decisions (documents the decisions & includes services, products, insurance, performance & performance bonds); (4) Procurement documents (see section); (5) Source selection criteria (see section); (6) Change requests (change requests must be processed through the Perform Integrated Change Control process; changes might be due to vendor availability, capability or proposed solutions including cost or quality changes); (7) Project document updates (updates to the requirements document, the requirements traceability matrix, the risk register, etc.).

Conduct Procurements

Process 12.2: The process of obtaining seller responses, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract. Generally, prior to award, organizational senior management must give final approval of all procurements that are complex, high-value, or high-risk. Project team responsibility: Agreement meets specific needs of project; Adheres to organizational procurement policies (in general, prior to award, senior management must give final approval of procurements that are complex, high-value, and high-risk). *Inputs:* Procurement management plan; Procurement documents (see section; Responses to RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, etc. are inputs); Source selection criteria; Seller proposals (proposal might be part of a draft contracts, so will become attached/ part of actual contract when award is made); Project documents; Make-or-buy decisions (see); Procurement statement of work (see); Organizational process assets (Qualified sellers list). *Tools & Techniques:* Bidder conferences (AKA: vendor, prevued & contractor conferences where single meeting is held with all vendors present before RFP responses); Proposal evaluation techniques (depends on types of goods & services; might request a sample; always ask for references; financial records; determine if vendor has clear understanding; compare and score each proposal using: criteria weighting, predefined screening & seller rating systems [past performance, contract compliance, quality ratings, but don't use seller rating as sole criteria]); Independent estimates ("should cost estimates" made by procurement department or independent third party); Expert judgement; Advertising (Internet [mostly on company's own website]; governmental organizations require public advertising or online posting of pending government contracts; also use professional journals, newspapers); Analytical techniques (to help research potential vendors' capabilities, analyze past performance, forecast future performance, learn from others, use Internet searches); Procurement negotiations (at minimum: price, responsibilities, regulation or laws that apply, and overall technical & business management approach; more complex: financing options, overall schedule, proprietary rights, service-level agreements, technical aspects; might also see "fait accompli" tactics try to convince other that nothing can be done to change a term). *Outputs:* (1) Selected sellers; (2) Agreements (see Procurement Agreement Components; Contract life cycles: Requirement; Requisition; Solicitation [1st during conduct procurement stage]; Award [administration handled by procurement department usually]); (3) Resource calendars; (4) Change requests; (5) Project management plan updates; (6) Project document updates.

Control Procurements

Process 12.3: The (post contract award) process of managing procurement relationships (vendors), monitoring contract performance to ensure procurement agreement requirements are met, and making changes and corrections as appropriate. The Control procurements process involves integrating and coordinating the other processes: Direct and manage project work, Control quality, Perform integrated change control, and Control risks (also Control communications). *Inputs:* Project management plan; Procurement documents; Agreements; Approved change requests (modified deliverables, changes to products or services, contract terms, or termination for poor performance; contract changes for cause - violation, convenience - desire, or default - failure to perform); Work performance reports (output of process 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work; monitor vendor work and examine deliverables vs contract SOW per quality & costs to date); Work performance data (actually collected during Direct and Manage Project Work process 4.3). *Tools & Techniques:* Contract change control system (formal process to collect, track, adjudicate & communicate changes to a contract using paperwork, tracking systems & dispute resolution procedures); Procurement performance reviews (structured review of scope, quality, budget & schedule that may include audits & has objectives of identifying performance successes or failures, progress on procurement SOW, and contract noncompliance [in some ways under 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work]); Inspections & audits (*Inspections*: examine or measure *product/service* to verify conformance to specified requirements; *Audits*: review how *system - contracts & contracting processes* - is working for completeness, accuracy & effectiveness); Performance reporting (see Work Performance Reports; output of 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work); Payment systems (used to provide & track supplier's invoices & payments for services & products); Claims administration (process of processing, adjudicating & communicating contract claims, disputes or appeals either by buyer or seller under terms of legally binding contract; usually resolved directly by negotiation among parties, but sometimes use "alternate dispute resolution" [ADR] such as arbitration); Records management system (documentation involving indexing, and also policies, control functions and automated tools). *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information; (2) Change requests (if affects project management plan, cost baseline &/or schedule baseline); (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project document updates (contract or other procurement documents, performance information, warranties, financial information, inspection & audit results, supporting schedules, approved & unapproved changes); (5) Organizational process assets updates (updates to organizational policies, procedures, etc.; for contracts: correspondence, payment schedules & requests, seller performance evaluation).

Close Procurements

Process 12.4: The process of completing each project procurement by documenting the final results of the contract or agreement, closing out open claims, and archiving the procurement information for future reference. This is where product *verification* is performed, [Note: product documentation and deliverables are verified and accepted during the Validate Scope process]. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Procurement documents. *Tools & Techniques:* Procurement audits (buyer or seller review of contracts & contracting processes for completeness, accuracy & effectiveness to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement); Procurement negotiations; Records management system (specific set of processes, related control functions & tools that are consolidated & combined to record & retain information about the project). *Outputs:* (1) Closed procurements (usually through its authorized procurement administrator; provides seller with formal written notice that a contract has been completed; formal closure requirements usually defined in T&C of contract & included in procurement management plan); (2) Organizational process assets updates (indexed file of all procurement records & supporting documents included in project file).

Plan Stakeholder Management

Process 13.2: The process of developing appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle. Planning is based on the analysis of their needs, interests, and potential impact on project success. This plan is sensitive so distribute it carefully. Review the validity of the underlying assumptions. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Stakeholder register; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Meetings; Analytical techniques. *Outputs:* (1) Stakeholder management plan (may include current and desired engagement levels; communication requirements; plan update methods; impact of scope change on stakeholders; overlaps & interrelationships between stakeholders; frequency & what information to be distributed to stakeholders); (2) Project document updates.

Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Process 13.3: The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs/ wants/ expectations, address issues as they occur, document and monitor elements under discussion or under dispute between stakeholders, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle. (Key is to manage expectations.) *Inputs:* Stakeholder management plan; Communications management plan; Change log (log that documents all the changes made during the course of the project); Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Communication methods (Note: face-to-face most effective with stakeholders); Interpersonal skills (see); Management skills (ability to plan, organize, direct & control individuals or groups to achieve specific goals; helps: facilitate consensus towards project objectives; influence people to support project; negotiate agreements to satisfy project needs; modify organizational behavior to accept project outcomes). *Outputs:* (1) Issue log (acts like an action item log to record actions needed to resolve stakeholder concerns and project issues they raise and to ensure that the project team has same understanding as stakeholders on the issue; rank by urgency & potential impact; assign responsible party & due date; document issues); (2) Change requests; (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project documents updates; (5) Organizational process assets updates (stakeholder notifications, project reports, project presentations, project records, feedback from stakeholders, & lessons learned documentation).

Control Stakeholder Engagement

Process 13.4: The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Issue log; Work performance data; Project documents. *Tools & Techniques:* Information management systems; Expert judgement; Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information; (2) Change requests; (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project document updates; (5) Organizational process assets updates.

Develop Project Charter (see Project Charter List for Outputs)

Process 4.1: First part of the Initiating Process Group. 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. *Inputs:* Project statement of work (SOW); Business case; Agreements; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets (policies, guidelines & procedures for projects). *Tools & Techniques:* Expert Judgement; Facilitating techniques. *Outputs:* Project Charter.

Develop Project Management Plan (See Project Management Plan)

Process 4.2: The process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all Subsidiary Plans, Baselines & Documents and integrating them into a comprehensive Project Management Plan. For the exam, this is the first process in the Planning Process Group. In reality, the Project Management Plan will be prepared after several other Planning processes are completed. *Inputs:* Project Charter; Outputs from other processes (such as Schedule Baseline, Cost Baseline & Scope Baseline); Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Facilitation techniques. *Outputs:* Project management plan. Note: It is an input to 23 processes (regardless of how developed it is) (all 9 planning, 1 executing [4.3 direct & manage project work], all 11 controlling, & all 2 closing processes). 18 other process outputs create *Updates to the Project Management Plan*. This can and should occur as "Subsidiary Plans" are created or changed.

Direct and Manage Project Work

Process 4.3: The process of *leading and performing the work* defined in the project management plan and *implementing approved changes* to achieve the project's objectives. *Inputs:* Project management plan (documents the collection of outputs of the planning process, documents the project goals, and describes & defines how to execute, monitor, control & close the project); Approved change requests (part of Perform integrated change control process 4.5); Enterprise environmental factors (company culture & organizational structure, facilities, personal guidelines, risk tolerance levels, and PMI Systems); Organizational process assets (historical information; organizational guidelines & work processes; measurement, issue & defect databases). *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Project management information system (PMIS); Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Deliverables (activity completion dates [including training completed & capabilities used to perform a service described in the plan], milestone completion, deliverable status, deliverable quality, costs, schedule progress, updates, etc.); (2) Work performance data (Schedule status & progress; Deliverable completion status; Schedule activity start-status-end dates; % overall work completed; Quality standard adherence; # change requests; Cost status [authorized & incurred]; Started activity completion date estimates; Schedule activities % complete; Lessons learned; Resource consumption & utilization); (3) Change requests (formal request to bring about a change that requires revising a document, a project baseline, a deliverable or some combination of all three - see "Change Management Plan"); (4) Project management plan updates; (5) Project document updates.

Monitor and Control Project Work

Process 4.4: The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan. Collecting data, measuring results, comparing results to what was planned and reporting on performance information. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Schedule forecasts; Cost forecasts (earned value management, time series, scenario building, and simulation); Validated changes; Work performance information; Enterprise environmental factors (project management information system, government or industry standards, risk tolerance levels of stakeholders, and work authorization systems); Organizational process assets (financial controls, communication needs, change control processes, issue management, process measurements, risk control processes, and lessons learned). *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Analytical techniques; Project management information system; Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Change requests (corrective actions, preventative actions, or defect repairs); (2) Work performance reports (primary output of this process include status reports, issues or action item logs, project documents, etc.); (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project documents updates (analysis or project performance; risk & issue status; work completed & expected to be completed; changes approved; results variance analysis; time & cost forecasts; other information).

Perform Integrated Change Control

Process 4.5: Where modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are managed - identified, documented, approved, or rejected. Expansion, adjustment or reduction to: Project &/or product scopes (see Configuration Control for deliverable specifications or project management processes); Quality requirements; Schedule &/or cost baselines (see Performance Measurement Baseline). See Change Control Board & Change Control System. Involves (1) Influencing/ avoiding factors causing change control process circumvention; (2) Promptly reviewing & analyzing change requests; (3) Managing approved changes; (4) Maintaining integrity of project baselines & incorporating changes into the plan & other documents; (5) Promptly reviewing & analyzing corrective & preventive actions; (6) Coordinating & managing changes across the project; (7) Documenting requested changes & their impact. Changes may be outputs across all processes in the Monitoring and Controlling process group including: Corrective action (realignment); Preventative action (ensure conformance); Defect repair (modification). [Note: Change requests also are an output of an *executing* process Direct and Manage Project Work 4.2.] *Inputs:* Project management plan; Work performance reports (see); Change requests; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Change control meetings; Change control tools (Support activities of Change Control Board; Assist with changes &/or Configuration management). *Outputs:* (1) Approved change requests; (2) Change log; (3) Project management plan updates; (4) Project documents updates. *Note: Output of this process 4.5 is an input to and implemented through Direct and Manage Project Work process 4.3.*

Close Project or Phase

Process 4.6: The process of finalizing all activities across all of the Project Management Process Groups to formally complete a project or phase. Administrative closure procedures involve collecting the records associated with the project (especially financial records), analyzing the project success (or failure), documenting & gathering lessons learned, and achieving project records. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Accepted deliverables; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Analytical techniques (might include regression analysis &/or trend analysis); Meetings (final reviews, lessons learned, closeout). *Outputs:* (1) Final product, service, or result transition (turnover of product, service or result to organization; formal sign-off or receipt indicating acceptance with distribution of notice of acceptance by the stakeholders, customer or project sponsor to stakeholders and customers; (2) Organizational process asset updates (where the formal sign-off is documented, collected and archived for future reference; also where other project records and files are collected and archived). Note: Formal acceptance of the deliverables occurs in the Validate Scope process.

Plan Scope Management

Process 5.1: The process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Project charter; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Scope management plan (see; describes how scope will be: defined, developed, monitored, controlled [how change requests will be processed so linked to 4.5], & verified; input to 5.2, 5.3 & 5.4); (2) Requirements management plan (see; describes how requirements will be analyzed, documented, & managed; input to 5.2).

Collect Requirements

Process 5.2: The process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives. Requirements are specifications of the deliverables. They must be: (1) Unambiguous (measurable, testable); (2) Traceable; (3) Complete; (4) Consistent; & (5) Acceptable to key stakeholders. Format may be: (a) Simple listing of requirements by stakeholder & priority; or (b) Elaborated to add executive summary, and detailed descriptions & attachments. *Inputs:* Scope management plan; Requirement management plan; Stakeholder management plan; Project charter; Stakeholder register. *Tools & Techniques:* Interviews (usually individual; to elicit information from stakeholders; ask prepared & spontaneous questions; record information; useful for obtaining confidential information); Focus groups (trained moderator; interactive); Facilitated workshops; Group creativity techniques (generate ideas via Brainstorming; Nominal group/ voting; Idea/ mind mapping; Affinity/ classify ideas into groups; Multicriteria decision analysis); Group decision-making techniques; Questionnaires and surveys (to quickly get information from large number of respondents); Observations (job shadowing; useful for detailed processes, when people are reluctant, to uncover hidden requirements); Prototypes (working model; supports progressive elaboration in iterative cycles from mock-up, to experimentation, to feedback, to prototype revision; storyboarding uses images as in film or advertising); Benchmarking (compare actual or planned practices with those that are comparable to identify best practices, generate ideas, or provide a basis to measure performance); Context diagrams (visual depiction of product scope showing a business system & how people & other systems interact with it); Document analysis. *Outputs:* (1) Requirements documentation (see; Input to 6 processes: 5.3-5.6; 8.1 & 12.1); (2) Requirements traceability matrix (see; Input to process 5.5 & 5.6).

Define Scope

Process 5.3: The critical process of developing a detailed description of the project and product (see Project Scope & Product Scope). *Inputs:* Scope management plan; Project charter; Requirements documentation; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Product analysis; Alternatives generation (different ways of accomplishing the work of the project); Facilitated workshops. *Outputs:* (1) Project scope statement (see; objectives, deliverables, work required; acceptance criteria; exclusions; constraints; assumptions; includes product scope description too); (2) Project document updates.

Create WBS (& WBS Description)

Process 5.4: The process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components at different levels. The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) process is useful for estimating costs & time, scheduling resources, and determining quality controls. Each component should be defined clearly & completely and should describe how the work will be performed & controlled. *WBS Description:* Format is hierarchy of total scope of work to accomplish project objectives & create required deliverables and uses some combination of a Chart structure often used (like organization chart), or an Outline form. Different ways to organize: (a) Major deliverables & subprojects (major deliverables are 1st level of decomposition = 2nd level of WBS); (b) Subprojects done outside (some subprojects might be 1st level of decomposition); (c) Project phases (each phase would be 1st level of decomposition). WBS Levels: Level 1 is the project level (project name); Level 2 (major deliverables; use nouns to describe higher levels); Lowest level is "work package level" (use verbs to describe lowest levels); "100-percent rule" = all levels roll up to top. If a work package only has one action then broken down too far. Goal: Break out work to where responsibility & accountability for each work package can be assigned to an organizational unit or team. *Work Package: Where time, cost and resource estimates are determined & summarized; cannot be assigned to more than one control account.* Control Account: Each work package assigned to just one control account so there can be a management control point used in EVMS; *A control account may have more than one work package*. "Create WBS" is a process, not an output. (Note: "Activities" are not part of WBS; decompose them later in "Define Activities" process 6.2.) *Inputs:* Approved Project Scope Statement (objectives, requirements & deliverables) [most important input which is an output from process 5.3]; Scope Management Plan (output from process 5.1); Requirements documentation (output from process 5.2); Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Decomposition (see Decomposition: a 5-step process); Expert judgement. *Outputs:* (1) Scope Baseline: (a) WBS (described above); (b) WBS Dictionary (see separate description); & (c) Project Scope Statement (see & output of 5.3); (2) Project document updates.

Validate Scope (Validation vs. Verification)

Process 5.5: The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables = *external* stakeholder acceptance of work results that the deliverables met their acceptance criteria (vs. Verification using Control Quality = *internal* evaluating/ checking for conformance/ compliance/ correct work results & assure quality requirements, specifications, or regulations were met). Validation is a formal sign off by the customer or sponsor. Documentation acknowledges formal stakeholder acceptance. *Inputs:* Project management plan; (2) Requirements documentation; (3) Requirements traceability matrix; (4) Verified deliverables (output of Control Quality); (5) Work performance data. *Tools & Techniques:* Inspection (examine, measure & validate using reviews, product reviews, & walkthroughs); Group decision-making techniques. *Outputs:* (1) Accepted deliverables; (2) Change requests; (3) Work performance information; (4) Project documents updates (formal acceptance documentation used as input to process 4.6 Close Project or Phase).

Plan Schedule Management

Process 6.1: The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule. May include an amount for contingencies. *Inputs:* (1) Project Management Plan (includes Scope Baseline which is made up of Scope Stmt, WBS & WBS Dict.; note: Schedule comes from WBS); (2) Project Charter; (3) Enterprise Environmental Factors; (4) Organizational Process Assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert Judgement; Analytical Techniques; Meetings. *Output:* Schedule Management Plan.

Define Activities

Process 6.2 (under Project Time Management): The process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables. Further breakdown of the WBS work package elements. Documents specific activities needed for deliverables. Activity is a distinct, scheduled portion of work. *Inputs:* Schedule management plan; Scope baseline (WBS, deliverables, constraints & assumptions); Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Decomposition; Rolling wave planning (near-term work more detailed than future work & progressively elaborate on future work); Expert judgement. *Outputs:* (1) Activity list (ID#, activity name, & scope of work descr. for each activity); (2) Activity attributes (incl. ID#, WBS ID#, name, evolves over project to include predecessor/ successor, logical relationships, leads & lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints & assumptions); (3) Milestone list (major accomplishments marking completion of major deliverable or other key event such as approval or sign-off, completion of prototype, system testing, contact approval, etc.; note if mandatory or optional).

Sequence Activities

Process 6.3: The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. Schematic display of schedule activities and logical relationships (dependencies). *Inputs:* Schedule management plan; Activity list; Activity attributes; Milestone list; Project scope statement; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Precedence diagramming method (PDM); Dependency determination (mandatory, discretionary, external, internal); Leads & lags (Leads - speed up successor so subtract time from start or finish date of activity you're scheduling; Lags - delay successor activities/ time elapses between activities so delay by adding time to start or finish dates of activity you're scheduling). *Outputs:* (1) Project schedule network diagrams; (2) Project documents updates.

Estimate Activity Resources

Process 6.4: The process of estimating the type and quantities of material, human resources, equipment, or supplies required to perform each activity in a work package. Closely coordinated with Estimate Cost process. Inputs: Schedule management plan; Activity list; Activity attributes; Resource calendars (HR & material); Risk register; Activity cost estimates; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. Tools & Techniques: Expert Judgement; Alternative Analysis (different methods; make-rent-or-buy); Published Estimating Data (your company or industry rates for your industry or region); Bottom-Up Estimating; Project Management Software. Outputs: (1) Activity Resource Requirements (see; describes types of resources & quantity needed for each activity associated with a work package; include method used to estimate describing information used & assumptions made); (2) Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS; lists the resources by category such as labor or hardware & type such as skill level or quality grade); (3) Project Document Updates.

Estimate Activity Durations

Process 6.5: The process of estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources. Expressed in hours, days, weeks or months. *Inputs:* Schedule management plan; Activity list; Activity attributes; +Activity resource requirements; Resource calendars; +Project scope statement; Risk register; +Resource breakdown structure; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets (such as project calendars) [+add'l to inputs in Est. Activity Resources]. Also use productivity metrics, historical information, scheduling methodology and lessons learned. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement (go to members who will perform, but also check historical info & other experts); Analogous estimating (AKA "top-down" estimating; it is a "gross value estimating" technique that can be used to estimate the overall project duration and cost; typically less time-consuming & less costly than other methods, but less accurate); Parametric estimating (uses algorithm to calculate cost or duration based on historical data & project parameters); Three-point estimating (est. cost or duration by applying an avg. of optimistic, pessimistic & most likely est.); Group decision-making techniques (incl. Delphi which includes subject matter experts); Reserve analysis (contingency reserves, buffers or time reserves based on percentages or set number of work periods; may include management reserves for unknown events not identified as risks (but these management reserves are not part of baseline); modify these as the project progresses). *Outputs:* (1) Activity Duration Estimates (should be expressed as x hours, days, etc. +/- hours, days etc.); (2) Project Documents Updates.

Develop Schedule

Process 6.6: The process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model. Repeated several times (along with Estimate Activity Resources & Estimate Activity Durations) before the Project Schedule is completed. Most software programs can automatically build the schedule once the activity information is entered. *Inputs:* Schedule management plan; Activity list; Activity attributes; Project schedule network diagrams; Activity resource requirements; Resource calendars; Activity duration estimates; Project scope statement; Risk register; Project staff assignments; Resource breakdown structure; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. The most important constraints are time constraints: (1) Imposed dates (start no earlier than & finish no later than); and (2) Key events/ major milestones. *Tools & Techniques:* Schedule network analysis; Critical path method; Critical chain method; Resource optimization techniques; Modeling techniques; Leads & lags; Schedule compression; Scheduling tool (software; why not project management software?)(See separate entries for definitions.) *Key Outputs:* Project schedule (see); Schedule baseline (approved version of project schedule, used for comparison to actual results, and can only be changed by formal change control). *Other Outputs:* Schedule data (includes at least schedule milestones, schedule activities, activity attributes, documentation of all identified assumptions & constraints; possibly also include resource requirements/ histogram, alternative schedules, scheduling of contingency reserves); Project calendars; Project management plan updates; Project documents update (activity resource requirements document, activity attributes, calendars, and the risk register).

Control Schedule

Process 6.7: The process of monitoring the status of project activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the plan. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Project schedule; Work performance data; Project calendars; Schedule data; Organizational process assets. Note: For *any change to schedule baseline must go through Integrated Change Control* process. *Tools & Techniques:* Performance reviews (Examine actual start and end dates, and remaining time to finish; Use Trend analysis, Critical path method [estimates *minimum project duration* using *longest path on schedule with zero or negative float* (float = slack)], Critical chain method [compare amount of buffer needed to amount of buffer remaining], & Earned value management [also used in Cost "Performance reviews"]); Project management software; Resource optimization techniques; Modeling techniques; Leads and lags; Schedule compression; Scheduling tool (software). *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information; (2) Schedule forecasts (estimates or predicts future events or conditions; should be updated); (3) Change requests; (4) Project management plan updates (updates to Schedule baseline, Schedule management plan, &/or Cost baseline; [Schedule baseline updates are for significant changes; require sponsor approval; and means project success will be measured against the revised goals); (5) Organizational process assets updates.

Plan Cost Management

Process 7.1: The process that establishes the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, expending, and controlling project costs. *Inputs:* Project management plan; Project charter; Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Analytical techniques; Meetings. *Output:* Cost management plan. This plan is established using the WBS and its associated Control Accounts. (However, should be synchronized with Cost Centers that are under the organization's Chart of Accounts.)

Estimate Costs

Process 7.2: The process of developing an approximation of the monetary resources (human and material) needed to complete project activities. *Inputs:* Cost management plan (policies and procedures to plan/ estimate & to execute/ manage & control project costs); HR management plan; Scope baseline (cannot estimate costs if you do not understand the scope); Project schedule; Risk register (cost to implement risk response); Enterprise environmental factors (supply rates); Organizational process assets (est. worksheets from past projects). *Tools & Techniques:* Expert judgement; Analogous estimating; Parametric estimating; Bottom-up estimating; Three-point estimating; Reserve analysis; Cost of quality; Project management software; Vendor bid analysis (responsive bids from qualified vendors; may need to add costs to that); Group decision-making techniques. *Outputs:* (1) Activity cost estimates (initially estimate -25 to +75%; later -5% to +10% [tolerance for project's budget = $x +/- 10%]; relevant costs may include direct labor, direct materials, equipment, services, facilities, inflation allowance, FX, cost contingency reserves, & indirect costs); (2) Basis of Estimates including: (a) How estimate developed; (b) Assumptions or methods; (c) Constraints; (d) Range of estimates; (e) Confidence level of final estimate; Note: CODB (Cost of Doing Business) = EFTW (Essential First Time Work) + COQ (Cost of Poor Quality) w/ COQ made up of conformance work (what you do to prevent something from being made poorly) + nonconformance work (rework); (3) Project documentation updates.

Determine Budget

Process 7.3: The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline. *Inputs:* Cost management plan; Scope baseline; Activity cost estimates; Basis of estimates; Project schedule; Resource calendars; Risk register; Agreements; Organizational Process Assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Cost aggregation; Reserve analysis; Expert judgement; Historical relationships (for parametric or analogous estimating); Funding limit reconciliation (may require leveling the workload). *Outputs:* (1) Cost baseline (authorized, time-phased budget; although longer-term costs may be identified, only activity costs associated with the project become part of the authorized project budget which includes contingency reserves and management reserves, but baseline does not include management reserves; typically shown as cumulative costs in shape of S-curve); (2) Project funding requirements (see; includes management reserves and may note funding sources and liabilities); (3) Project documents updates. Note: *Budget can be changed only through formal change control procedures.*

Control Costs

Process 7.4: The process of monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and manage changes to the cost baseline. Isolate and understand variances from baseline. Monitor change requests. Ensure budget does not exceed acceptable limits or funding authorized (influencing factors that could create cost changes, timely acting on change requests, monitor work performance vs. funds expended, prevent unapproved changes). Notify stakeholders of all approved changes & associated costs. *Inputs:* Project management plan (includes cost baseline and cost management plan); Project funding requirements; Work performance data; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Earned value management (EVM); Forecasting; To-complete performance index (TCPI); Performance reviews; Project management software; Reserve analysis. *Outputs:* (1) Work performance information; (2) Cost forecasts; (3) Change requests; (4) Project management plan updates; (5) Project document updates.

Plan Quality Management

Process 8.1: 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. Planning should be performed when developing the other planning processes while developing the project management plan. Quality should be planned, designed, and built in - not relying upon inspection. *Inputs:* Project management plan (particularly the Scope baseline - which is based on the project scope & requirements - and also the Schedule baseline - with start & end dates - and the Cost baseline); Stakeholder register; Risk register; Requirements documentation (based on Standards - non-mandatory such as ISO [PMBOK designed to be in alignment with ISO], Regulations -mandatory by government or recognized institutions like AMA, Guidelines, or Rules); Enterprise environmental factors; Organizational process assets (Quality policy of company - all key project stakeholders should be made aware of and have received copies the quality policy). *Tools & Techniques:* Cost-benefit analysis (Expense vs. Higher stakeholder satisfaction, costs, & productivity and less rework); Cost of quality (total cost of product meeting quality vs. not meeting including work due to nonconformance and rework); Seven basic quality tools; Benchmarking; Design of experiments; Statistical sampling; Additional quality planning tools (Brainstorming; Force field analysis; Nominal group technique; Quality management & control tools); Meetings. *Outputs:* (1) Quality management plan (see separate entry); (2) Process improvement plan (see separate entry); (3) Quality metrics (see separate entry); (4) Quality checklists (see separate entry); (5) Project documents updates (Stakeholder register; RAM and possibly also WBS and WBS dictionary).

Perform Quality Assurance

Process 8.2: The quality management process used to audit/ verify/ increase confidence that the quality standards laid out in the project management plan are being satisfied/ met. The process of *performing systematic quality activities* and *auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements* to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used and performed efficiently and effectively. *Can achieve continuous process improvement through this process*. QA department may be assigned to oversee this process and provide this service. *Inputs:* Quality management plan; Process improvement plan; Quality metrics; Quality control measurements; Project documents. *Tools & Techniques:* Quality management and control tools (Affinity diagrams or KJ Methods; Process Decision Program Charts [PDPC]; Interrelationship Digraphs; Tree diagrams; Prioritization matrices; Activity network diagrams; Matrix diagrams); Quality audits (fit for use & meets safety standards, follows relevant laws & standards, corrective actions recommended & implemented, quality improvements identified, process gaps & shortcomings identified, best practices implemented; experienced teams perform audits which can be internal - reported to project team & management, or they can be external - reported to customer); Process analysis (follows steps in the process improvement plan; examines & performs root-cause analysis on problems experienced, constraints experienced, and inefficient & ineffective actives identified during the project; looks at process improvement from an organizational & technical perspective; develop preventative actions). *Outputs:* (1) Change requests (any recommended corrective actions should be acted on immediately and processed through the change control process); (2) Project management plan updates; (3) Project document updates; (4) Organizational process assets updates.

Control Quality

Process 8.3: The process of monitoring work results and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance against the Quality Management Plan and recommend necessary changes = checking for correct work results & assure quality requirements met (vs. Validate Scope = accepting work results). *Inputs:* Project management plan; Quality metrics; Quality checklists; Work performance data; Approved change requests; Deliverables; Project documents; Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Seven basic quality tools (Cause-and-effect diagrams; Control charts; Flowcharts; Checksheets; Histograms; Pareto diagrams; and Scatter diagrams) [see Seven basic quality tools]; Statistical sampling; Inspection (examine work product to verify conformance to documented standards or validate defect repairs using reviews, peer reviews, audits, & walkthroughs); Approved change requests review (Review approved approved change requests and assume they were implemented as documented and approved). *Outputs:* (1) Quality control measurements; (2) Validated changes (changes, defect repairs, or variances to deliverables that have been inspected and corrected; rejected items may require rework); (3) Verified deliverables (determine conformance of deliverable; [becomes an input to Validate Scope 5.5]; if it is successful -- correct, accurate and meets the user's needs -- then validated deliverable); (4) Work performance information; (5) Change requests; (6) Project management plan updates (updates to quality management plan, & process improvement plan); (7) Project document updates (such as checklists, lessons learned, or updated quality standards); (8) Organizational process assets updates (such as completed checklists).

Plan Human Resource Management

Process 9.1: The process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, required skills (competency), reporting relationships, and creating a Staffing Management Plan (see). Covers individuals and groups, as well as internal and external resources. This process is closely connected to the Plan Communications Management process. Documents role clarity regarding Authority (see); Responsibilities (see); & boundaries. *Inputs:* Project management plan (Subsidiary plans: Stakeholder management plan, Stakeholder register, Risk register, Change control, Configuration management plans); Activity resource requirements (Estimate activity resources yielding the RBS); Enterprise environmental factors (Factors: Org., HR & market conditions, Personnel policies, Technical, & Interpersonal-Location-Logistics; Constraints: Org. structure, Collective bargaining agreements, & Econ. cond.); Organizational process assets (Org. process & std. role descr., *Templates & Checklists* [Templates: Project descr., Org. charts, Perform. appraisals, & Conflict mgmt. process; Checklists: Training req., Project roles & resp., Skill & competency levels, & Safety issues], Historical info., & Escalation procedures). *Tools & Techniques:* (1) Organizational charts & position descriptions (Hierarchical charts: Organizational breakdown structure OBS & Resource breakdown structure RBS; Matrix-based charts: Responsibility assignment matrix RAM [such as a RACI chart - Responsibility, Accountable, Consult & Inform]; Text-oriented format: Position description, or Role-responsibility-authority forms); (2) Networking (see); (3) Organizational theory (see Functional, Weak Matrix, Balanced Matrix, Strong Matrix, Projected, Composite Organizations); (4) Expert judgement; (5) Meetings. *Output:* Human Resource Management Plan made up of: (a) Roles & responsibilities documentation in RAM or RACI or Text format including: Role, Authority, Responsibility, & Competency (skills & ability needed); (b) Project org. charts; & (c) Staffing management plan (Staff acquisition; Resource calendars; Staff release plan; Training needs; Recognition & rewards; Compliance with regulations or contracts; & Safety).

Acquire Project Team

Process 9.2: The process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project activities. (Project manager is usually responsible for staffing.) *Inputs:* Human resource management plan (Roles & responsibilities; Project organization charts; and Staffing management plan including time periods needed for project team members); Enterprise environmental factors (These are for project activities that require special skills or knowledge; Consider availability, experience levels, interests, costs and abilities of potential team members); Organizational process assets (standard processes, policies and procedures). *Tools & Techniques:* Preassignment (Internal, usually for specific expertise & skill that is not interchangeable; Project put out for bid and/or specific team members are promised; When staff members are promised as part of the project proposal, they should be identified in the project charter); Acquisition (External; Hire people as employees or on contract; Resource cost not always financial); Virtual teams (different geographies using email, videoconference or teleconference); Negotiation (resolve disputes through consultations between involved parties; with functional managers, other project management team, & eternal organizations); Multi-criteria decision analysis (rank and score based on various criteria like availability, cost, experience, & ability). *Outputs:* (1) Project staff assignments (assign [clarify with memos outlining expectations for them to acknowledge] and publish project team directory, organization charts, RAM charts, etc.); (2) Resource calendars (show team members' availability, times scheduled, and capabilities & skills); (3) Project management plan updates (documents project roles and responsibilities).

Develop Project Team

Process 9.3: The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and overall team environment to enhance project performance. *Inputs:* Human resources management plan; Project staff assignments; Resource calendars. *Tools & Techniques:* Interpersonal skills (see; AKA: Soft skills or emotional intelligence such as leadership, team building, motivation, communication, influence, decision-making, empathy [political & cultural awareness], negotiation, trust-building, conflict management, coaching, counseling creatively to work with team members and other departments involved); Training (assessing team member skills & abilities and needs of project; use formal/ planned training including on-job (OJT), classroom, online, computer-based (CBT); use informal/ unplanned training including mentoring [listening], & coaching [active teacher], observing, or asking how to perform a task); Team building activities (to get a diverse or geographically spread group to work together in the most efficient and effective manner possible; see "team-building activities"); Ground rules (see); Co-location (AKA: "tight matrix" to improve communication, working relationships, productivity, & may include where people brought together in a project "war room" to meet face-to-face and exchange information); Recognition & rewards (Use throughout project; Extrinsic motivators - for those who need material rewards like a bonus vs. Intrinsic motivators - for what drives people by nature, culture or religion; Document criteria; Avoid seeming to play favorites; To avoid win-lose discouragement, try team awards; Award for above & beyond call of duty; Consider Intrinsic motivators for awards; See "Motivational Theories"); Personnel assessment tools (attitudinal surveys, specific assessments, structured interviews, ability tests, & focus groups; used to highlight strengths & weaknesses such as communication techniques, interpersonal skills & preferences, organizational skills, decision-making skills, etc.). *Outputs:* (1) Team performance assessments (team effectiveness, improvements, & recommended improvements [effectiveness, competency, turnover, & cohesiveness]; related to technical, schedule, & budget); (2) Enterprise environmental factors updates.

Manage Project Team

Process 9.4: The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance. Main questions, are the resources: Focused (on scope); Productive (on schedule); Affordable (within budget); Following organizational policies & procedures; Prepared for success? *Inputs:* Human resource management plan; Project staff assignments; Team performance assessments; Issue log (from opinion differences to newly surfaced responsibilities needing to be assigned; include date of issue and who is responsible to address); Work performance reports (an output of Monitor and Control Project, these document status of the project compared to forecasts - including cost control, scope validation, schedule control and QC); Organizational process assets. *Tools & Techniques:* Observation & conversation; Project performance appraisals (annual or semiannual where managers let employees know of their performance, clarify roles & responsibilities, give constructive feedback, discover issues, develop training plans, establish goals for future); Conflict management (see; assumes conflicts are likely); Interpersonal skills (see; Leadership; Influencing; Effective decision making). *Outputs:* (1) Change requests; (2) Project management plan updates (Outputs pertain to updates related to human resources management plan or staffing management plan); (3) Project document updates; (4) Enterprise environmental factors (Performance appraisal issues are resolved and personnel skill updates): (5) Organizational process assets updates (Historical information/ lessons learned documentation, templates, and organizational standard processes).

Procurement Agreement Components

Procurement agreements can be in *different forms:* Understandings; Contracts (legal relationship subject to remedy in courts); Subcontract (see privity - deny between you and subcontractor); Purchase order. *Components include* (may vary; see also Valid Contract Elements): (1) Statement of work (deliverables, requirements, responsibilities); (2) Schedule baseline; (3) Performance reporting; (4) Period of performance (schedule); (5) Pricing; (6) Payment terms; (7) Pace of delivery; (8) Inspection (inspections - product/service conformance vs. audits - contracts & processes for completeness, accuracy & effectiveness) & acceptance criteria; (9) Warranty; (10) Product support; (11) Limitation of liability; (12) Fees & retainer; (13) Penalties; (14) Incentives; (15) Insurance & performance bonds; (16) Privity approvals (requirement that a person be one of the parties to a contract in order to have a legal interest in the contract; affects successive responsibility as with subcontractors); (17) Change request handling (authority to make changes); (18) Termination clause; (19) Alternative dispute resolution [ADR] mechanisms. Others: Applicable terms & giving law; Technical & business management approaches; Technical solutions; Proprietary rights; Contract financing. (see Valid Contract Elements)

Discounted Cash Flow (PV & NPV)

Project Selection Method (DCF): Present Value (PV) FV = PV(1+i)^n ...so PF = FV/((1+i)^n) i = target, hurdle or discount rate required. Net Present Value: NPV = Calculate PV for each year; Then sum up; Then subtract investment. If positive, then accept project.

Internal Rate of Return

Project Selection Method (IRR): - Discount rate when NPV = 0 (solves for discount rate by iteration) Note: Question could ask, "criterion that makes the NPV of future projected cash equal to the amount of capital investment." - Assumes cash inflows are reinvested at the IRR value. - Select projects with highest IRR value. - Might have more than one answer.

Project Charter List

Project should include the following: (1) High-level descr./ overview with purpose/ justification including: (a) Business needs; (b) Customer needs (good, fast, cheap); (c) Project's purpose/ justification; (2) Measurable objectives & success criteria; (3) High-leval requirements; (4) High-level project description, list of tasks & boundaries; (5) Assumptions & constraints; (6) High-level risks (positive & negative); (7) Summary milestone schedule (significant, phase-gates, w/ prelim. est. compl. date, KISS); (8) Summary budget; (9) Project approval requirements (criteria); (10) Assigned project manger (responsibility & authority level); (11) Name & authority level of sponsor/ authorizer of project (define roles of proj. mgr. & sponsor). Note: Stakeholder list; Only if policy requires and if stakeholders are a source of risk. 1-2 pages only, if possible.

Portfolio

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

Regulation

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

Contingent Response Strategies

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

Communication Constraints

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

Performance Reports

See work performance reports.

SIPOC

Supplier; Input; Process; Output; Customer

Majority

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

Basis of Estimates

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

Risk Data Quality Assessment

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

Idea/Mind Mapping

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.

Schedule Compression

Techniques (such as "fast tracking" or "crashing") used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope.

Group Creativity Techniques

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

Group Decision-Making Techniques

Techniques to assess multiple alternatives that will be used to generate, classify, and prioritize product requirements. Six Phase Model (6-phase): (1) Problem definition; (2) Problem solution generation; (3) Ideas to action; (4) Solution action planning; (5) Solution evaluation planning; (6) Evaluation of outcome & process.

Data Gathering and Representation Techniques

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

Project Scope

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

Process Decision Program Charts (PDPC)

The PDPC is used to understand a goal in relation to the steps for getting to the goal. Helps plot a course of action when many events are unknown. *Constructed like organization chart* with *project or primary idea in top box and related ideas/ steps to get there branching off below*. Is *often used for contingency planning* to identify results that could positively or negatively impact the project (goal).

Project Communications Management

The Project Communications Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 3 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 including archival. (3 Processes: 10.1 Plan Communications Management; 10.2 Manage Communications; 10.3 Control Communications.) Requires interpersonal skills (see). Probably the most important Knowledge Area: Project managers spend 90% of their time communicating in one form or another..

Project Cost Management

The Project Cost Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 4 processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget. (4 Processes: 7.1 Plan Cost Management; 7.2 Estimate Costs; 7.3 Determine Budget (7.1-7.3 under Planning Process Grp); 7.4 Control Costs (under Mon&Contr Process Grp)) Techniques: Life Cycle Costing; Value Engineering (see); Payback Analysis; ROI; DCF.

Project Human Resource Management

The Project Human Resource Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 4 processes that organize, manage, and lead the project team. (4 Processes: 9.1 Plan HR Management; 9.2 Acquire Project Team; 9.3 Develop Project Team; 9.4 Manage Project Team (9.2-9.4 under Executing Process Grp)) Makeup of team changes over project, so use different techniques over time. (Do not "control" humans so nothing under Contr&Mon Process Grp.)

Project Integration Management

The Project Integration Management (4. Knowledge Area) includes the (6) processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate all the various processes and project management activities within the 5 Project Management Process Groups. It is highly interactive. (6 processes: 4.1 Develop proj. charter; 4.2 Develop proj. mgmt plan; 4.3 Direct & manage proj. work; 4.4 Monitor & control proj. work; 4.5 Perform integrated change control (4.4 & 4.5 under Mon&Contr Process Grp); 4.6 Close proj. or phase)

Project Procurement Management

The Project Procurement Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 4 processes necessary to purchase or acquire products, services, or results needed from outside the project team. (4 Processes: 12.1 Plan Procurement Management (prepare the SOW & procurement documents and determine the source selection criteria); 12.2 Conduct Procurements (obtain bids & proposals from potential vendors, evaluate proposals vs predetermined criteria, select vendors, and award contracts); 12.3 Control Procurements (monitor vendor performance to ensure that contract requirements are met); 12.4 Close Procurements.)

Project Quality Management

The Project Quality Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 3 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. (3 Processes: 8.1 Plan Quality Management; 8.2 Perform Quality Assurance (8.1-8.2 under Planning Process Grp); 8.3 Control Quality (under Mon&Contr Process Grp)) Measure, monitor project results and compare to standards set out in the planning process.

Project Risk Management

The Project Risk Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 6 processes of conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, response planning, and controlling risk on a project. Risks are both negative and positive. (6 Processes: 11.1 Plan Risk Management; 11.2 Identify Risks; 11.3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis; 11.4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis; 11.5 Plan Risk Responses (11.1-11.5 under Planning Process Grp); 11.6 Control Risk.) Often combine several of these processes into one step such as Identify Risks & Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis. Important to focus on risks with greatest consequences to the project objectives.

Project Scope Management

The Project Scope Management (Knowledge Area) includes the 6 processes (4 plan & 2 control) required to ensure that the project includes the authorized work, the whole authorized work, and nothing but the authorized work required to complete the project successfully. The processes are *highly interactive*, occur at least once and often are repeated many times (*scope is progressively elaborated* and *decomposition supports progressive elaboration*). Main questions: Is scope *unambiguous; complete; & cohesive*? Scope management controls *what is "in" and "not in" project*. (6 Processes: 5.1 Plan Scope Management; 5.2 Collect Requirements; 5.3 Define Scope (product scope/ project scope/ scope baseline) (5.1-5.4 Planning Process Grp); 5.4 Create WBS; 5.5 Validate Scope; 5.6 Control Scope (changes) (5.5-5.6 Mon&Contr Process Grp))

Project Stakeholder Management

The Project Stakeholder Management (13. Knowledge Area) includes the 4 processes required to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder needs, interests, expectations, interdependencies and their potential impact (pos. or neg.) on the project, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging/ involving stakeholders in project decisions and execution. (4 Processes: 13.1 Identify Stakeholders; 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Management; 13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement; 13.4 Control Stakeholder Engagement.) Stakeholders may change during project. The definition of a successful project is one where stakeholders are satisfied. (Inputs: charter, procurement docs., environmental factors, org. process assets. Tools & Techniques: stakeholder analysis, expert judgement & meetings.)

Tailor

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.

Project Management System

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

Project Governance

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.

Cost Variance (CV)

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.

Total Float

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.

Free Float

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor or violating a schedule constraint.

Lead

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

Lag

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

Program Management

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.

Project Management

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

Budget

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

Schedule Baseline

The approved version of a Schedule Model (or the Project Schedule) with baseline start and finish dates and resource assignments. It can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results. Output of Planning Process Group. Should be approved by stakeholders and functional managers who should sign off on it.

Baseline

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.

Cost Baseline (Approved Time-Phased Project Budget; Time-Phased Cost Baseline; Cost Breakdown Structure)

The approved version of the time-phased project budget (time-phased cost baseline)/ funding requirement (activity costs plus contingency reserves aggregated to the work package level; work package costs plus contingency reserves aggregated to the control accounts; and the management reserves seen in a cost table). The baseline leaves out the management reserves. Input to cost baseline is WBS and resource schedule (CBS or cost breakdown structure). Baseline is used in Executing and Monitoring and Controlling processes to measure performance. Can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results. Displayed as *cumulative costs* in form of an "S" curve (*S-curve*) with initial spending slow, middle fast and end slow (see Performance Management Baseline or PMB).

Control Limits

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. See also specification limits.

Specification Limits

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. See also control limits.

Validation

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. Contrast with verification.

Planned Value (PV)

The authorized budget assigned to scheduled work (on any given day) whether or not completed. (AKA: Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled or BCWS.) Total planned value for the project is called Budget at Completion (BAC).

Quality (vs. Grade)

The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements. Quality and Grade are not the same. Quality is degree to which set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements. Grade is category assigned to products or services with the same functional use, but different technical characteristics.

Flowchart

The depiction in a cause & effect diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a system. A diagraming technique. Used in Identify Risks process 11.2 and Perform Control Quality process 8.3. May be useful in understanding & estimating the cost of quality.

Project Management Plan

The document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. Serves as the *Project Baseline*. Documents the *3 "Baselines"* (Scope Baseline [Project scope statement; WBS & WBS dictionary]; Schedule Baseline; & Cost Baseline), and the *13 "Subsidiary Plans"* (Change; Communications [KA10]; Configuration; Cost [KA7]; HR [KA9]; Quality [KA8]; Procurement [KA12]; Requirement; Risk [KA11]; Schedule [KA6]; Scope [KA5]; Stakeholder [KA13]; Process Improvement). It is progressively elaborated over the life of the project. Includes: (1) Processes used to perform each project phase, level of implementation, tools & techniques used, interactions & dependencies among processes; (2) Change management plan; (3) Configuration management plan; (4) Methods for determining and maintaining the validity of performance baselines; (5) Communication needs of stakeholders & techniques to fulfill; (6) Life cycle for project and each phase if applicable; (7) Methods for executing the work; (8) Management review of content, issues & pending decisions. Note: Important that it is signed by the project sponsor and key stakeholders. (Cmt: Compare with project documents.)

Product Scope Description

The documented narrative description of the product scope.

Quality Control Measurements

The documented results of the process Control Quality 8.3.

Sponsoring Organization

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

Verification

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.

Estimate to Complete (ETC)

The expected cost to finish all the remaining project work. (Amount of costs that are left.)

Estimate at Completion (EAC)

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

Product Scope

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

Progressive Elaboration

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.

Lessons Learned

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.

Earned Value (EV)

The measure of work performed to date (cumulative) expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work. Typically expressed as a dollar value based on a percentage of the work completed compared to the budget. (AKA: Budgeted Cost of Work Performed, or BCWP.) EV cannot exceed PV for a component. PV * Pct Work Completed = EV. EV - AC = Cost Variance & PV - EV = Schedule Variance.

Bidder Conference

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.

Project Management Team

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. (During Execution Phase, they acquire, develop & manage project team members who carry out the work.)

Effort

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

Quality Management System

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. Includes continuous improvement activities throughout lifecycle. Assumptions: Tradeoffs are possible among scope, time & cost; Customer satisfaction is important. Main Questions: Are deliverables conformant? Are resources: Focused (on scope)? Productive (on schedule)? Affordable (within budget)? Following quality system?

Project Manager (PM)

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

Advertising

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

Funding Limit Reconciliation

The process of comparing the planned expenditure of project funds against any limits on the commitment of funds for the project to identify any variances between the funding limits and the planned expenditures.

Stakeholder Management Plan

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. Documents engagement levels of the stakeholders: (1) Unaware (uninformed); (2) Resistant; (3) Neutral; (4) Supportive; (5) Leading (champion).

Schedule Network Analysis

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. See analytical techniques that are used: backward pass, critical path method, critical chain method, what-if analysis and resource leveling/ optimization.

Precedence Relationship

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. See also logical relationship.

Actual Duration

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.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

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.

Executing Process Group

Those processes performed to (put in action and) complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project specifications. (Processes: 4.2 Direct and Manage Project Work; 8.2 Perform Quality Assurance; 9.2 Acquire Project Team; 9.3 Develop Project Team; 9.4 Manage Project Team; 10.2 Manage Communications; 12.2 Conduct Procurements; 13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement) Utilizes the most project time and resources. *Greatest conflicts exist with Scheduling* in this Group. Note: Monitoring & controlling process group and Executing process group both act as iterative inputs into each other. (Executing Process matrix pp. 601-604)

Closing Process Group

Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close a project or phase. Gather and store information for future reference. Closeout contract and receive formal acceptance and approval from stakeholders. A project is closed successfully when it meets stakeholders' expectations and satisfies the goals of the project. Projects also can be cancelled. Projects can close due to: (1) Addition (evolve into ongoing operations); (2) Starvation (resources cut off); (3) Integration (when resources are distributed to other areas of the organization or projects so the project lacks resources); (4) Extinction (successful completion). Should not wait until project completion to perform the Close Project or Close Phase process, but perform it at the end of every phase. (Processes: 4.2 Close Project or Phase; 12.4 Close Procurements) (Closing Process matrix, Kim Heldman, pp. 609)

Planning Process Group

Those processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives the project was to achieve. (Has processes in all 10 knowledge areas. Has 24 processes, more than any other Process Groups since the last three Process Groups use the planning processes and documentation: 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan; 5.1 Plan Scope Management; 5.2 Collect Requirements 5.3 Define Scope; 5.4 Create WBS; 6.1 Plan Schedule Management; 6.2 Define Activities; 6.3 Sequence Activities; 6.4 Estimate Activity Resources; 6.5 Estimate Activity Durations; 6.6 Develop Schedule 7.1 Plan Cost Management; 7.2 Estimate Costs; 7.3 Determine Budget; 8.1 Plan Quality Management; 9.1 Plan Human Resource Management; 10.1 Plan Communications Management; 11.1 Plan Risk Management; 11.2 Identify Risks; 11.3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis; 11.4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis; 11.5 Plan Risk Responses; 12.1 Plan Procurement Management; 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Management) This Group has 12 "plan" outputs. This Group has the greatest conflict with prioritization issues.) (Planning Process matrix pp. 591-600)

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

Those processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project. Analyze project data, compare and report project results against plan. *Document product information* through life of project. Gather, record and document project information for project status, measure and forecast costs and schedule and communicate with stakeholders, project team members, management and others. Monitor project risks to identify, report, document and put appropriate risk responses into action. Identify areas in which changes to the plan are required. Identify problems and apply corrective actions. Initiate and monitor approved change requests. (Processes: 4.4 Monitor and Control Project Work; 4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control; 5.5 Validate Scope; 5.6 Control Scope; 6.7 Control Schedule; 7.4 Control Costs; 8.3 Control Quality; 10.3 Control Communications; 11.6 Control Risks; 12.3 Control Procurements; 13.4 Control Stakeholder Engagement) Note: Monitoring & controlling process group and Executing process group both act as iterative inputs into each other. (Mon/Ctr Process matrix pp. 604-609)

Seven Basic Quality Tools

Tool & Technique of Control Quality process 8.3. A standard toolkit used by quality management professionals who are responsible for planning, monitoring, and controlling the issues related to quality in an organization. Used to graphically display and diagnose quality issues. Are used in conjunction with the plan-do-check-act cycle. Charts & diagrams: *(1) Cause-and-effect diagrams* (Ishikawa or fishbone decomposition); *(2) Flowcharts* (stratification charts; SIPOC [workflow logic & relative frequencies related o supplier, input, process action, output, customer w/ $ value of impact] model); *(3) Checksheets* (or tally sheets for inspecting and recording defect information); *(4) Pareto diagrams* (rank ordered histogram/ bar chart of issues with cumulative frequency line of issues); *(5) Histograms* (Bar charts that depict the distribution of variables over time - central tendency, dispersion, & shape of statistical distribution - but removes time from data presentation); *(6) Control charts* (Graph of process data over time & against established control limits; Centerline assists in detecting trend of plotted values toward either control limit; Zone test rules); *(7) Scatter diagrams* (plot of point on graph representing intersection of independent variable input on x-axis and dependent variable output on y-axis, also known as correlation charts, which helps determine cause and effect and root causes; the closer the plot resembles a line, the more likely the variables are related).

Expert Judgement

Tool & Technique. Provided by any person with: Specialized education, knowledge, skill, experience &/or training. Found in all Initiating Process Group KAs. In all Integration KAs (level 4). In all KA 0.1 levels except 8.1 and 10.1. In Scope KAs: 5.1; 5.3; & 5.4. In Time KAs: 6.1; 6.2; 6.4; & 6.5. In Cost KAs: 7.1; 7.2; & 7.3. In Quality, none. In HR KAs, 9.1. In Communication KAs: 10.3. In Risk KAs: 11.1-11.5; only not in 11.6. In Procurement KAs: 12.1; & 12.2. In Stakeholder KAs: 13.1; 13.2; & 13.4; only not in 13.3.

Meetings

Tool & Technique: Meeting Structure Types: Face-to-face or Virtual; Formal or Informal. Meeting Purpose Types: Information exchange; Brainstorming, option evaluation, or design; Decision-making. Meetings should have: (1) Well-defined purpose; (2) Objective; (3) Time frame; (4) Agenda; (5) Meeting minutes. In all KA 0.1 levels except not in 4.1. In Integration KA: 4.3; 4.4; 4.5; & 4.6. In Scope KA: 5.1. In Time KA: 6.1. In Cost KA: 7.1. In Quality KA: 8.1. In HR KA: 9.1. In Communication KA: 10.1; & 10.3. In Risk KA: 11.1; & 11.6. In Procurement KA: 12.1. In Stakeholder KA: 13.1; 13.2; & 13.4.

Management Skills

Tool & Technique: The ability to plan, organize, direct, and control individuals or groups of people to achieve specific goals. Primarily refer to maintaining consensus regarding project objectives, influencing others to support the project, negotiating, and helping to shape organizational behavior to accept the project outcomes. Other skills include presenting, writing, and public speaking. With stakeholders, face-to-face communications are most effective.

Enterprise environmental factors & Organizational process assets

Tools & Techniques. Usually found together (Enterprise environmental factors [EEF] never found alone; Organizational process assets is found without EEF only in 4.6; 5.3; 5.6; 6.7; 7.3; 7.4; 8.3; 9.4; 10.3; 12.2; & 13.3). Found in all Initiating Process Group KAs. Planning Process Group KAs, not in 5.2; or 11.5. Executing Process Group KAs, not in 8.2; or 9.3. Monitoring & Controlling Process Group KAs, not in 5.5; 11.6; 12.3; or 13.4.

Team-Building Activities

Under Develop Project Team process 9.3. Team building theories and characteristics. *Theories:* Dr. Bruce Tuckman & Mary Ann Jensen (Tuckman-Jensen, or Tuckman Ladder) team development model on 5 Stages of Development. (1) Forming (all team members introduced formally & told objectives of project; told why each assigned); (2) Storming (team vies for position & control; raise issues & ask questions; let team resolve their own conflicts, but conflicts need to be resolved); (3) Norming (focus on project problems instead of people problems; decisions made jointly; continue to hold team meetings & intervene more often to avoid slipping back to storming; now have efficiently functioning teams, but not most efficiently); (4) Performing (mature stage with high team trust, most productive & efficient, self-directed; team leader can focus on project management processes and keeping lines of communication open vs. managing team itself); (5) Adjourning (after work is completed; sense of loss, so good to celebrate & thank them). Note: A new team member starts the stages over again. Leaders evolve in styles to match team needs & development level from directing to coaching, to participating, and then to developing. *Characteristics:* Effective teams are energetic, high-performing, motivated by task completion, enthusiastic and creative problem solvers. Poor teams attitudes can be contagious and include lack motivation or have "don't care" attitudes, perform poorly, whine at status meetings, communicate poorly, lack respect or trust for project manager.

Project Selection Methods

Used to evaluate different projects and alternative ways to perform projects. Two Types of Methods: 1. Mathematical Models (or calculation methods, including: Linear, Dynamic, Integer, Nonlinear, &/or Multi-Objective Programming); 2. Benefit Measurement Methods (or decision models, including: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Scoring Models; Cash Flow Analysis using Payback Period (ignores time value of money & cash flow after payback), Discounted Cash Flows; Net Present Value; or Internal Rate of Return).

Analytical Techniques

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.

Project Scope Statement (Part of Scope Baseline)

Very important description of the project objectives, deliverables, and work required. This output of the Define Scope process 5.3 *should be signed*. Includes: (1) Project scope description (characteristics of product, service or result of project; progressively elaborated); (2) Acceptance criteria; (3) Project deliverables (measurable outcomes, requirements or discrete/ specific items that can be verified - "critical success factors"; avoid open-ended deliverables); (4) Project exclusions; (5) Project constraints; and (6) Project assumptions (identify significant factors that, for planning purposes, are assumed to be real/ true). Consider "SMART" Objectives: Specific; Measurable; Actionable; Relevant; Time Bound. Should be approved, agreed upon, published and distributed by stakeholders. (Note: If included in other documents, then just refer to these for details.) Most projects have multiple deliverables. The approved Project Scope Statement is *one part of the Scope Baseline*. Input into 5.4; 6.3; 6.5; & 6.6.

Scheduling Equation

W = D * U; or D = W/U; or U = W/D where: W is work (total work in work periods); U is in equivalent headcount (available to work); D is work periods required to complete work (duration); Calendar time is elapsed duration (DE) DE is D + non-working time (weekends, etc.).

Customer Satisfaction

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.

Accuracy (vs. Precision)

Within the quality management system, accuracy is an assessment of correctness; that measured value is very close to true value. Not same as precision which means that the values of repeated measurements are clustered and have little scatter (exact), or how small the increments are in a measurement scale. Smaller increments are more precise.

Conformance

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

Precision

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

Questionnaires and Surveys

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