PMI® Authorized PMP® Exam Prep

PMI® Authorized On-Demand PMP®

Exam Prep

Glossary of Terms
Updated Feb 2023
5 Whys Method
An effective tool for root cause analysis in which the question “Why?” is asked of a
problem in succession until the root cause is found. Developed by Sakichi Toyoda, a
Japanese inventor and industrialist, the 5 Whys method is an integral part of the Lean
philosophy.

80/20 Rule
A general guideline with many applications; in terms of controlling processes, it
contends that a relatively large number of problems or defects, typically 80%, are
commonly due to a relatively small number of causes, typically 20%. See also “Pareto
Chart”.

A/B Testing
A marketing approach used to determine user preferences by showing different sets of
users' similar services—an ‘Alpha’ and a ‘Beta’ version—with one independent variable.

Accept
A strategy for managing negative risks or opportunities that involves acknowledging risk
and not taking any action until the risk occurs.

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

Accepted Deliverables
Deliverables that meet the acceptance criteria and have been formally signed off and
approved by the customer or sponsor as part of the scope validation process.

Active Listening
A communication technique that involves acknowledging the speaker’s message and
the recipient clarifying the message to confirm that what was heard matches the
message that the sender intended.

Activity
A distinct portion of work, scheduled with a beginning and an end, that must be
performed to complete work on the project. Also known as a schedule activity. See also
“Task”.

Activity Attributes
Multiple attributes associated with each activity that can be included within the activity
list.

Activity Cost Estimates

Each task is assigned a budget, and the aggregate of these estimates results in the
project budget. Activity cost estimates include labor, materials, equipment, and fixed
cost items like contractors, services, facilities, financing costs, etc. This information can
be presented in a detailed or summarized form.

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Activity Dependency
A logical relationship that exists between two project activities. The relationship
indicates whether the start of an activity is contingent upon an event or input from
outside the activity.

Activity Duration Estimates

The quantitative assessments of the likely number of time periods that are required to
complete an activity.

Activity List
A documented tabulation of schedule activities that shows the activity description,
activity identifier, and a sufficiently detailed scope-of-work description so project team
members understand what work is to be performed.

Activity on Arrow or Activity on Node

A graphical diagram on which schedule activities are represented by nodes (rectangle
boxes) and their dependencies are depicted by arrows.

Activity Resource Estimates

Material and human resources that are needed to complete an activity; often expressed
by a probability or range.

Activity Resource Requirements

The resources (physical, human, and organizational) required to complete the activities
in the activity list.

Actual Cost (AC)

Earned Value Management term for the realized cost incurred for the work performed
on an activity during a specific time.

Adaptive
A type of project life cycle or methodology that values responding to change over
following a set plan. Adaptive methodologies seek solutions that deliver maximum value
to the customer.

Administrative Closure
Involves verifying and documenting project results to formalize project or phase
completion.

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

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Affinity Estimating
Technique designed to rapidly estimate large stories (epics or features) in the backlog.
For example: T-Shirt sizing, coffee cup sizes, or Fibonacci sequence.

Agile
A term used to describe a mindset of values and principles as set forth in the Agile
Manifesto.

See also “Agile Life Cycle,” Agile Manifesto,” “Agile Practitioner,” and “Agile
Principles.”

Agile Coach
A process role on a project team that helps organizations achieve true agility by
coaching teams across the enterprise on how to apply agile practices and choose their
best way of working. See also “scrum master.”

Agile Estimating
An approach that assists with planning a project appropriately from the beginning to
ensure the team can focus on the quality of each deliverable.

Agile Life Cycle

An approach that is both iterative and incremental to refine work items and deliver
frequently.

Agile Manifesto
In 2001, a group of 17 software developers met in Snowbird, Utah to discuss lightweight
software development. Based on their experience, they came up with the four core
values of agile software development as stated by the Agile Manifesto are: individuals
and interactions over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive
documentation; customer collaboration over contract negotiation; and responding to
change over following a plan.

Agile Modeling
A representation of the workflow of a process or system that the team can review before
it is implemented in code.

Agile Practitioner
A person embracing the agile mindset who collaborates with like-minded
colleagues in cross- functional teams. Also referred to as an agilist.

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Agile Principles
A set of 12 guidelines that support the Agile Manifesto and which practitioners and
teams should internalize and act upon.

1. Customer satisfaction by early and continuous delivery of valuable software

2. Welcome changing requirements, even in late development
3. Deliver working software frequently (weeks rather than months)
4. Close, daily cooperation between business and technical people
5. Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted
6. Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (colocation)
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress
8. Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
10. Simplicity is essential
11. Best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams
12. Regularly, the team reflects on how to become more effective, and adjusts accordingly

Agile Release Planning

A process in which a team determines the number of iterations or Sprints that are
needed to complete each release, the features that each iteration will contain, and the
target dates of each release.

Agile Space
Team space that encourages colocation, collaboration, communication, transparency,
and visibility.

Agreements
Any documents or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project.
Examples include contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), service-level
agreements (SLAs), letters of agreement, letters of intent, verbal agreements, email, or
other written agreements.

Allowable Costs
Costs that are allowed under the terms of the contract. Typically, allowable costs
become relevant under certain types of cost-reimbursable contracts in which the buyer
reimburses the seller’s allowable costs.

Analogous Estimating
A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity on a project using historical
data from a similar activity or project. Also known as “Top-Down Estimating”.

Analytical Techniques
Logical approach that looks at the relationship between outcomes and the factors that
can influence them.

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Approved Change Requests
Change requests that have been reviewed and approved by the change control board
(CCB) and are ready to be scheduled for implementation.

Artifact
Any project management processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, EEFs, and
OPAs that the project management team uses on their specific project. They are subject
to configuration management and are maintained and archived by the team.

Assumption
Anything considered to be true while planning. Assumptions should be documented and
validated and are often closely linked to constraints.

Assumption and Constraint Analysis

A process that explores the validity of the project assumptions within the constraints and
identifies risks from any incompleteness or inaccuracy of these project assumptions.

Assumption Log
A list of all uncertainties that are treated as true for the purpose of planning.

Attribute Sampling Data

Data that is counted such as the number of product defects or customer complaints.

Audit
An examination of a project’s goals and achievements, including adequacy, accuracy,
efficiency, effectiveness, and the project’s compliance with applicable methodologies
and regulations. It tends to be a formal, one-sided process that can be extremely
demoralizing to team members.

Autocratic
A group decision-making method in which one member of the group makes the
decision. In most cases, this person will consider the larger group’s ideas and decisions
and will then make a decision based on that input.

Avoid
A strategy for managing negative risks or threats that involves changing the project
management plan to remove the risk entirely by extending the schedule, changing the
strategy, increasing the funding, or reducing the scope.

Backlog
The prioritized list of all the work, presented in story form, for a project team. See also
“Iteration Backlog”.

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Backlog Refinement
The progressive elaboration of project requirements and/or the ongoing activity in which
the team collaboratively reviews, updates, and writes requirements to satisfy the need
of the customer request.

Backward Pass
Technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates of the schedule activities.
This is part of the critical path method and is paired with forward pass to determine
activity and schedule float along with the critical path.

Bar Chart
A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, schedule
activities or WBS 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”.

Baseline
Original objectives plus approved change requests for scope, schedule, cost, and
resources required to finish the project. Baselines represent the approved plan, and
they are useful for measuring how actual results deviate from the plan.

Benchmarking
The comparison of actual or planned products, processes, and practices to those of
comparable organizations to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement,
and provide a basis for measuring performance.

Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)

The ratio of the expected benefits and the anticipated costs.

Benefits Management Plan

The documented explanation defining the processes for creating, maximizing, and
sustaining the benefits provided by a project or program. It also describes how and
when the benefits of a project will be derived and measured. Both the business case
and the benefits management plan are developed with the benefits owner prior to the
project being initiated. Additionally, both documents are referenced after the project has
been completed. Therefore, they are considered business documents rather than
project documents or components of the project management plan.

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Bidder Conferences
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 called vendor conferences, pre-bid conferences, or contractor
conferences.

Bottom-Up Estimating
A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the
lower- level components of the WBS.

Brainstorming
A simple technique used to generate a list of ideas. It should be led by a facilitator with
a group consisting of stakeholders, team members, and subject matter experts. After
quickly generating a list of alternatives, the group then performs analysis of the
alternatives and generally chooses a particular option for action.

Breach of Contract
The failure to meet some or all the obligations of a contract.

Budget
A time-phased plan for when funds will be disbursed on a project. It helps the
organization anticipate when money will be coming in and/or going out, for the duration
of the project. Budget accuracy is dependent upon a well-defined project scope and
schedule. The total project budget is the cost baseline plus management reserves. See
also “Cost Baseline”.

Budget at Completion (BAC)

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

Buffer
A planning term related to contingency. See also “Reserve”.

Burn Chart
A tool that is used to track the progress of the project by plotting the number of days of
sprint against the number of hours of work remaining. It is used to communicate
progress during and at the end of an iteration/sprint/ increment, showing the number of
stores that have been completed and the ones that remain. The concept is as the
project progresses over time, the backlog of work will “burn down”/lessen.

Burn Rate
The rate at which the project consumes financial resources, representing negative cash
flow. Burn rates are often used by agile projects to budget costs for planned
iterations/sprints/increments.

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Burndown Chart
A graphical representation of the work remaining versus the time left in a timebox.

Burnup Chart
A graphical representation of the work completed toward the release of a product.

Business Case
A documented economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of the benefits of
a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the
authorization of further project management activities.

Business Document
An artifact developed prior to the project, used as part of the business case, and which
is reviewed periodically by a project professional to verify benefit delivery.

Business Requirement Documents (BRD)

Listing of all requirements for a specific project.

Business Risk
The inherent risk in any business endeavor that carries the potential for either profit or
loss. Types of business risks are competitive, legislative, monetary, and operational.

Business Value
The net quantifiable benefit derived from a business endeavor. The benefit may be
tangible, intangible, or both.

Cadence
A rhythm of execution. Also see “time box.”

Capability Maturity Model Information (CMMI)

The CMMI provides a framework for the integration of process improvement for multiple
process areas. Associated with quality management.

Cause and Effect Diagram

This diagram shows the relationship between causes and effects. Primarily used in root
cause analysis (risk and quality) to uncover the causes of risks, problems, or issues.
See also “Fishbone Diagram” and “Ishikawa Diagram”.

Cease and Desist Letter

A legal document sent to an individual or a business with the direct intention of stopping
specific activities and preventing their occurrence or recurrence.

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Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
PMI® Certification that offers recognition to practitioners who are interested in or are just
starting a career in project management, as well as project team members who wish to
demonstrate their project management knowledge. This certification denotes that the
individual possesses the knowledge in the principles and terminology of A Guide to the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), which outlines generally
recognized good practices in project management.

Change Control
Purposeful management of changes to the project (scope, schedule, cost, or quality). In
change control, a change request goes through a formal process before a decision
(approve/deny) is made.

Change Control Board (CCB)

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

Change Control Form

A document used to request a project change. They can also be recommendations for
taking corrective or preventive actions. See also “Change Request”.

Change Control System

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

Change Log
A living list of all project change requests (CR). This log is used to track and provide
accurate status of each CR (requester, owner, details, impact analysis, decision, etc.)

Change Management
A comprehensive, cyclic, and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups,
and organizations from a current state to a future state in which they realize desired
benefits. It is different from project change control, which is a process whereby
modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the project are
identified and documented, and then are approved or rejected.

Change Management Plan

A component of the project management plan that establishes the Change Control
Board, documents the extent of its authority, and describes how the change control
system will be implemented.

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Change Request (CR)
Request for change sent to upper management or the Change Control Board (CCB) for
its evaluation and approval. See also “Change Control Form”.

Charter
A shortened name for the project charter. A formal document that starts the project.
Typically used by the project sponsor and the project manager, this document provides
the reason for the project (based on business case) and may include high-level
requirements, assumptions, constraints, milestone(s), and preliminary budget. See also
“Project Charter”.

Checklist
A set of procedural instructions used to ensure that a product or component quality is
achieved.

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

Claim
An issue with the contract brought by one party against another. Claims must be
resolved before the contract can be properly closed out.

Close Project or Phase Process

The process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract.

Close-Out Meetings
Sessions held at the end of a project or phase during which teams discuss work and
capture lessons learned.

Closing Process Group

One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It consists of those processes
performed to formally complete or close the project, phase, or contract.

Coach
An agile servant leader role that exists to help the team and identify and remove any
impediments (obstacles).

Coaching
The act of giving guidance and direction to another person to facilitate personal and/or
professional growth and development.

Code of Accounts
A numbering system used to uniquely identify each component of the WBS.

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Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
®
A PMI published body of knowledge that describes the ethical, professional behavior
and expectations of an individual working as a project management professional
(PMP®).

Collaboration
The act of working together and sharing information to create deliverables, work
products or results.

Collect Requirements Process

The process in which requirements documentation is developed. Precedes the Define
Scope process.

Colocation
An organizational placement strategy in which the project team members are physically
located close to one another to improve communication, working relationships, and
productivity.

Common Cause
A reason contributing to a quality problem that is usually considered acceptable.
Common causes are considered unpreventable or if they are preventable, the cost of
prevention would not justify the benefit. Opposite of “Special Cause”.

Communication
Act of accurately encoding, sending, receiving, decoding, and verifying messages.
Communication between sender and receiver may be oral or written, formal or informal.

Communication Channels
The number of possible communication paths on a project. The formula for calculating
communication channels is: [n(n-1)]/2; n=number of people on the project.

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

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

Communication Requirements Analysis

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

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Communication Styles Assessment
A technique to identify the preferred communication method, format, and content for
stakeholders for planned communication activities.

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

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 and
disseminated.

Community of Practice (CoP)

As described by E. Wenger in his book, Cultivating Communities of Practice, the CoP
uses the same basic idea as used by Shell in their offshore drilling platforms to establish
local forums of “experts” with the specific mandate to create an arena in which project
managers would feel comfortable sharing their findings and learnings from their
projects.

Completion Contract
A type of contract that is completed when the vendor delivers the product to the buyer
and the buyer accepts the product.

Complexity
A characteristic of a program, project, or its environment, which is difficult to manage
due to human behavior, system behavior, or ambiguity.

Compliance
The state of meeting—or being in accord with—organizational, legal, certification or
other relevant regulations.

Compromise
An option in conflict management in which both parties give up something to reach an
agreement.

Conduct Procurement Process

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

Cone of Uncertainty
Agile term describing the difficulty of estimating early due to unknowns and how that
should improve over time.

Configuration Item
Any component or project element that needs to be managed to ensure the
successful delivery of the project, services, or result.

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Configuration Management
A tool used to manage changes to a product or service being produced as well as
changes to any of the project documents—for example, schedule updates.

Configuration Management Plan

A component of the project management plan that describes how to identify and
account for project artifacts under configuration control and how to record and report
changes to them.

Configuration Management System

A collection of procedures used to track project artifacts and monitor and control
changes to these artifacts.

Conflict
Difference of opinion or agenda on a project amongst team members, stakeholders, or
customers.

Conflict Management
The application of one or more strategies for dealing with disagreements that may be
detrimental to team performance.

Conflict Resolution
The process of working to reach an agreement after a conflict situation arises.

Consensus
Group decision technique in which the group agrees to support an outcome even if the
individuals do not agree with the decision.

Constraint
An external factor that limits the ability to plan. Constraints and assumptions are closely
linked.

Context Diagram
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.

Contingency Plan
A risk response strategy developed in advance, before risks occur; it is meant to be
used if and when identified risks become reality.

Contingency Reserve
Time or money allocated in the schedule or cost baseline for known risks with active
response strategies.

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Contingency Theory
A theory credited to Fred. E. Fielder which states that the set of skills and attributes that
helped a project manager in one environment may work against them in another
environment.

Continuous Improvement (CI)

The ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.

Continuous Integration
The practice of regularly merging all software code into a shared environment, several
times a day, to check code quality and functionality.

Continuous Process Improvement

The systematic, ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes in an
organization.

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

Contract Change Control System

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

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

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. These charts are often associated with control limits, specification limits, means,
and standard deviation. Control charts are used to analyze and communicate the
variability of a process or project activity over time. See also “Variability Control
Charts”.

Control Costs Process

Monitor and control project costs to ensure they align with the cost baseline/budget.

Control Procurements Process

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

Control Procurements Process

Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process is performed by the
buyer to ensure compliance by the seller and the other party; it compares the terms in
the agreement/contract.

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Control Quality Process
Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process focuses on the
quality of deliverables.

Control Resources Process

Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process ensures that the flow
and usage of physical resources line up with the plan.

Control Schedule Process

Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process compares the
planned work to the actual work.

Control Scope Process

Part of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, this process ensures that
changes to scope are properly controlled.

Controlling PMO
A type of PMO that provides support and requires compliance through various means.
Compliance may involve adopting project management frameworks or methodologies;
using specific templates, forms, and tools; or conformance to governance.

Corrective Action
Steps (action) to bring future results in line with the plan; this can change the plan or the
way the plan is being executed.

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.

Cost Baseline
The approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding any management
reserves, which can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is
used as a basis for comparison to actual results. See also “Budget”.

Cost-Benefit Analysis
A financial analysis method used to determine the benefits provided by a project
against its costs.

Cost Forecast
Cost estimates adjusted based on performance—i.e., Estimate at complete, budget at
completion, estimate to complete, etc.

Cost Management Plan

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

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Cost of Conformance
The money spent during a project to avoid failures. This includes prevention costs that
build a quality product and appraisal costs that assess the quality.

Cost of Non-Conformance
The money spent after a project is complete because of failures. This includes internal
and external failure costs.

Cost of Quality (CoQ)

All costs incurred over the life of the product by investment in preventing
nonconformance to requirements, appraisal of the product or service for conformance to
requirements, and failure to meet requirements.

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

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

Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) contract

A category of contract that involves payments to the seller for all legitimate actual costs
incurred for completed work, plus an award fee representing seller profit.

Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract

A type of cost-reimbursable contract in which the buyer reimburses the seller for the
seller’s allowable costs (allowable costs are defined by the contract) plus a fixed amount
of profit (fee).

Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) contract

A type of cost-reimbursable contract in which the buyer reimburses the seller for the
seller’s allowable costs (allowable costs are defined by the contract), and the seller
earns its profit if it meets defined performance criteria.

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.

Cost-Benefit Analysis
A cost-benefit analysis allows project managers to compare if the benefits of an action
outweigh the costs or, conversely, if the costs outweigh the benefits. This can be an
important criterion in decision making.

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

Crashing
Applying additional resources to one or more tasks/activities to complete the work more
quickly. Crashing usually increases costs more than risks. In comparison, fast-tracking
increases risks. See also “Fast Tracking”.

Create WBS Process

A planning processes that involves creating the work-break-down (WBS) structure,
along with the WBS dictionary. This process produces the schedule baseline, which
consists of the WBS, WBS dictionary and the scope statement. The scope statement is
produced from the Define Scope process.

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

Critical Path Activity

Any activity on the critical path in a project schedule.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

A technique of schedule analysis in which the schedule activities are evaluated to
determine the float or slack for each activity and the overall schedule. To calculate
critical path, use the forward and backward pass along with float analysis to identify all
network paths, including critical.

Cross-Functional Team
Teams that have all the capabilities to deliver the work they’ve been assigned. Team
members can specialize in certain skills, but the team can deliver what they’ve been
called on to build. See also “self-organizing teams.”

Crystal Family of Methodologies.

A collection of lightweight agile software development methods focused on adaptability
to a particular circumstance.

Cultural Awareness
Understanding the cultural differences of the individuals, groups, and organizations in
the project stakeholder community to adapt communication strategies to avoid or
reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Customer
The individual or organization that will accept the deliverable(s) or product. Customers
can be internal organizational groups or external to an organization.

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Cycle Time
Refers to the period from the time a team starts a task until the time it is completed. See
also “lead time.”

Daily Standup
A short, 15-minute meeting in which the complete team gets together for a quick status
update while standing in a circle. Also referred to as a “daily scrum” or “standup”.

Data
Refers to gathered empirical information, especially facts and numbers.

Data Analysis
The act of scrutinizing facts and numbers for typical purposes of decision-making,
verification, validation, or assessment.

Data Gathering
Techniques used to solicit and document ideas—i.e., brainstorming, interviews, focus
groups, questionnaires, surveys, and so on.

Data Representation
A way of depicting data visually to aid in its communication/comprehension to various
audiences.

De Facto Regulations
Regulations that are widely accepted and adopted through use.

De Jure Regulations
Regulations that are mandated by law or have been approved by a recognized body of
experts.

Debriefing
An informal, collaborative means of discussing the positives and the negatives of a
project, what worked, and what will be done differently next time. This discussion
includes technology issues, people issues, vendor relationships, and organizational
culture.

Decision Making
The process of selecting a course of action from among multiple options.

Decision Tree Analysis

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

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

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DEEP
An acronym used in agile projects that describes desirable attributes of a product
backlog. Stands for: Detailed, Estimable, Emergent and Prioritize.

Define Activities Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process defines the activities (tasks)
necessary to complete work packages/stories.

Define Scope Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process produces the scope statement that
depicts a detailed and complete understanding of the project’s vision.

Definition of Done (DoD)

A team’s checklist of all the criteria required to be met so that a deliverable can be
considered ready for customer use.

Definition of Ready (DoR)

A team’s checklist for a user-centric requirement that has all the information the team
needs to be able to begin working on it.

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

Delphi Technique
A form of gathering expert opinions in which members of a group are asked or polled
anonymously.

Demo
A review at the end of each iteration with the product owner and other customer
stakeholders to review the progress of the product, get early feedback, and review an
acceptance from the product owner of the stories delivered in the iteration. See also
“Sprint Review”.
Dependency
A relationship between one or more tasks/activities. A dependency may be mandatory
or discretionary, internal or external. See also “start-to-start”; “start-to-finish”; “finish-
to-start”; and “finish-to-finish”.

Design for X (DfX)

A set of technical guidelines that may be applied during the design of a product for the
optimization of a specific aspect of the design. DfX can control or even improve the
product’s final characteristics.

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Design of Experiments (DoE)
A data analysis technique to determine the optimal condition; typically used with
multiple variables.

Determine Budget Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process produces the cost baseline/project
budget.

DevOps
A collection of practices for creating a smooth flow of delivery by improving collaboration
between development and operations staff.

Develop Project Charter

Part of the Initiating Process Group, this process produces the project charter, which
officially starts the project.

Develop Project Management Plan Process

A planning process which is a guide on how the project will be managed. It is composed
of 19 components.

Develop Schedule Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process arranges activities to create the
schedule baseline.

Develop Team Process

Part of the Executing Process Group, this process enhances and empowers the team to
improve teamwork and individual skills.

Diagramming Techniques
Various means of depicting a system or virtual concept such as a business or process
flow that indicate entities, relationships, and interactions.

Dictatorship
A group decision technique in which one person makes the decision for the entire
group.
Direct and Manage Project Work Process
A Monitoring and Controlling process that reviews the entire project and analyzes what
is planned vs. actual (with schedule forecast and cost forecast as an input) to determine
the overall project status.

Direct Cost
Costs that are reported against the project, which may include salaries for resources,
materials, and other expenses. It does not include shared expenses or overhead
expenses.

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Directions of Influence
A classification model that groups stakeholders based on how they influence the project
and/or the project team: upwards (senior management); downwards (team or
specialists); outwards (external); sidewards (project manager’s peers).

Directive PMO
A type of PMO that takes control of projects by directly managing the projects.

Disaggregation
Breaking down epics or large stories into smaller stories. This is similar to
decomposition on predictive projects.

Discretionary Dependency
A relationship that is established based on knowledge of best practices within a
particular application area or an aspect of the project in which a specific sequence is
desired.

Document Analysis
A technique used to gain project requirements from current document valuation.

Duration
Amount of time needed to complete an activity/task or work package.

Early Finish
Used in a networking diagram, this represents the earliest date that the activity can
finish.

Early Start
Used in a networking diagram, this represents the earliest date that the activity can
start.

Earned Value (EV)

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

Earned Value Management (EVM)

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

EEF
Any or all environmental factors either internal or external to the project that can
influence the project's success. Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs) include
culture, weather conditions, government regulations, political situation, market
conditions, and so on.

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Effect-Based Risk Classification
A way of analyzing the major risks inherent to a project that could have an impact on its
success. These major risks include time, cost, quality, and scope.

Effort
The number of labor units required to complete a scheduled activity or WBS
component, often expressed in hours, days, or weeks.

Elapsed Time
The actual calendar time required for an activity from start to finish.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

The ability to identify, assess, and manage the personal emotions of oneself and other
people, as well as the collective emotions of groups of people. EQ (emotional quotient)
is also a commonly used abbreviation.

Empathy
Part of emotional intelligence (EQ or EI). The ability to understand others’
viewpoints and be a team player. It enables us to connect with others and
understand what moves them.

Empowerment
An essential attribute of agile teams to enable localized decision-making capabilities.
The quality of granting or being granted, nurturing, or motivating a team member or
team to exercise one’s own knowledge, skill, and ability—or that of a team.

Engagement Roadmap
Another name for “stakeholder engagement roadmap” - a guideline based on the
stakeholder analysis that sets forth processes for engaging with stakeholders at current
and all future states of the project.

Enhance
A strategy for managing positive risks or opportunities that involves increasing the
probability that the opportunity will happen, or the impact it will have by identifying and
maximizing enablers of these opportunities.

Epic
A block of work with one common objective, such as a feature, customer request or
business requirement. A helpful way to organize work and create a hierarchy, epic helps
teams break their work down, while continuing to work towards a bigger goal.

Escalate
The act of seeking helpful intervention in response to a threat that is outside the scope
of the project or beyond the project manager’s authority.

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Estimate
A number, figure, or representation that denotes cost or time.

Estimate Activity Durations Process

A planning process that determines the estimate time needed to complete a work
package and/or activity.

Estimate Activity Resources Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process estimates the materials and human
resources needed to perform the project activities.

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.

Estimate Costs Process

Part of the Planning Process Group, this process determines the financial estimate for
each work package and/or activity.

Estimate to Complete (ETC)

The expected cost of finishing all the remaining project work.

Executing Process Group

One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It consists of those processes
performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the
project requirements.

Exit Gate
Logical point at the end of a project phase at which an independent party and/or
relevant stakeholders reviews that phase’s deliverables to determine whether or not
they were completed successfully, and the subsequent project phase should be
initiated. Used in predictive or traditional projects. See also “Kill Point”.

Expectancy Theory
Motivational theory which proposes that the team makes choices based on the
expected outcome.

Expected Monetary Value (EMV)

A quantitative method of calculating the average outcome when the future is uncertain.
The calculation of EMV is a component of decision tree analysis. Opportunities will have
positive values and threats will have negative values.

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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.

Explicit Knowledge
Knowledge that can be codified using symbols such as words, numbers, and pictures.
This type of knowledge can be easily documented and shared with others.

Exploit
A strategy for managing positive risks or opportunities that involves attempting to make
sure that the opportunity happens.

External Dependency
Types of activity dependencies that exist between project activities and non-project
activities and can be out of the project’s control.

Extreme Programming (XP)

Agile methodology in which iterations last for one week and programmers work in pairs.

Facilitated Workshops
Organized working sessions held by project managers to determine a project’s
requirements and to get all stakeholders together to agree on the project’s outcomes.

Facilitation
A skill used to lead or guide an assembled group toward a successful conclusion such
as making a decision or finding a solution.

Fast Tracking
A schedule compression technique in which activities or phases normally done in
sequence are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration. See also
“Crashing”.

Feature
A group of stories that delivers value to the customer.

Fibonacci Sequence
A mathematical sequence in which the value of each number is derived from the sum of
the two preceding numbers. Used in agile estimating or relative estimating techniques,
such as planning poker. 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144... Simplified sequence:
0,1,2,35,8,13,20,40,100.

Final Report
A summary of the project’s information on performance, scope, schedule, quality, cost,
and risks.

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Finish-to-Finish (FF)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor
activity has finished.

Finish-to-Start (FS)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor
activity has finished.

Firm Fixed Price Contract (FFP)

A type of fixed price contract in which the buyer pays the seller a set amount (as defined
by the contract), regardless of the seller’s costs.

Fishbone Diagram
See “Cause and Effect Diagram”.

Fixed Price Contract

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.

Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF) contract

A type of contract in which 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.

Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment (FPEPA) contract

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

Float
Also called slack. See “Total Float” and “Free Float”.

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

Forward Pass
Technique for calculating the early start and early finish dates of the schedule activities.
This is part of the critical path method and is paired with backward pass to determine
activity and schedule float along with the critical path. See also “Backward Pass”.

Free Float
The amount of time that a scheduled activity can be delayed without impacting the early
start date of any subsequent scheduled activity.

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Functional Manager
Supervisory organizational role in a specialized area or department.

Functional Organization
An organizational structure in which staff is grouped by areas of specialization and the
project manager has limited authority to assign work and apply resources.

Functionality
In an agile context, an action that the system performs that adds value to the
customer/user.

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.

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

Generalizing Specialist
Refers to a project team member who has a particular area of deep expertise but also
has experience in many other areas that may not be directly related to their core area.
These team member types are valued on agile projects because of their ability to be
interchangeable.

Gold Plating
Adding more scope than the customer requested and/or that the team planned for.

Group Decision Techniques

Team working techniques to move a group towards consensus or decision. Examples
are unanimity, majority, plurality, and dictatorship.

Growth Mindset
A growth mindset, as conceived by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck and colleagues,
is the belief that a person's capacities and talents can be improved over time.

Ground Rules
Expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.

Hardening Iteration/Iteration H
Specialized increment/iteration/sprint dedicated to stabilizing the code base so that it is
robust enough for release. No new functionality is added. Primarily used for refactoring
and/or technical debt.

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Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
In 1959, behavioral scientist Frederick Herzberg proposed that ‘hygiene’ or
environmental factors can cause workers to feel satisfied or unsatisfied with their job
and this factor affects their performance. The theory also proposes that a worker’s
independent drive associated with motivation also affects performance and that workers
respond to feelings of connection with their work. Therefore, leaders should encourage
workers to accept more authority as well as promote feedback. Also known as Two
Factor Theory, Herzberg’s Motivation Theory, and The Dual Structure Theory.

Histogram
A bar or column chart that graphically represents numerical data—for example, the
number of defects per deliverable, a ranking of the cause of defects, the number of
times each process is noncompliant, or other representations of project or product
defects.

Historical Information
Archived information from previous projects that can be used for a multitude of reasons,
including estimating cost, schedule, resources, and lessons learned.

Ideal Time
An estimation technique that refers to the time it would take to complete a given task
assuming neither interruptions nor unplanned problems arise

Identify Risks
Performed throughout the project, this is the process of identifying individual project
risks as well as sources of overall project risk and documenting their characteristics.
The key benefit of this process is the documentation of existing individual project risks
and the sources of overall project risk. It also brings together information so the project
team can respond appropriately to identified risks.

Identify Stakeholders
Performed periodically, throughout the project as needed, this is the process of
identifying project stakeholders regularly and analyzing and documenting relevant
information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and
potential impact on project success. The key benefit of this process is that it enables the
project team to identify the appropriate focus for engagement of each stakeholder or
group of stakeholders.

Impediment
An obstacle that prevents the team from achieving its objectives.

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Implement Risk Response Process
A part of the Executing Process Group, this is the process of implementing agreed-upon
risk response plans. The key benefit of this process is that it ensures that agreed-upon
risk responses are executed as planned to address overall project risk exposure,
minimize individual project threats, and maximize individual project opportunities. This
process is performed throughout the project.

Increment
A functional, tested, and accepted deliverable that is a subset of the overall project
outcome.

Incremental Delivery
Agile concept that the functionality should be delivered in small pieces or stages rather
than as a complete solution.

Incremental Life Cycle

An adaptive project life cycle in which the deliverable is produced through a series of
iterations that successively add functionality within a predetermined time frame. The
deliverable contains the necessary and sufficient capability to be considered complete
only after the final iteration.

Independent Estimates
Estimates generated by experts outside the project for the purposes of comparing them
with those made by the team.

Indirect Costs
A cost usually tracked as part of a contract, that is not expended directly for the project’s
benefit.

Influence Diagram
Used in quality management decisions. A graphical representation of situations
showing causal influences, time ordering of events, and other relationships among
variables and outcomes.

Influence/Impact Grid
Used in stakeholder management. A classification model that groups stakeholders on
the basis of their involvement in and impact on the project.

Influencing
The act of presenting a good case to explain why an idea, decision, or problem should
be handled a certain way, without resistance from other individuals.

Information
Data that has been analyzed, organized, and processed to make it more meaningful.

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Information Management
A system to allow the team to collaborate, share, and capture project work.

Information Management System

A way to collect, manage, and distribute project information.

Information Radiator
The generic term for visual displays placed in a visible location so everyone can quickly
see the latest information. Also known as “Big Visible Chart” in agile.

Initiating Progress Group

One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It includes the process(es)
performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining
authorization to start the project or phase.

Input
Something needed or used by a process to create the process output.

Inspection
Reviewing the functionality or suitability of a product, service, or result against the plan
(requirements/story).

Insurable Risk
A risk that has only the potential for loss and no potential for profit or gain. An insurable
risk is one for which insurance may be purchased to reduce or offset the possible loss.
Types of insurable risks are direct property, indirect property, liability, and personnel
related.

Interactions
In an agile context, this generally refers to face-to-face conversations between
members, customers and stakeholders.

Interactive Communication
An exchange of information between two or more individuals that ensures common
understanding for everyone participating in that exchange.

Internal Dependency
A type of activity dependency that exists between project activities and is usually under
the project’s control.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

The interest rate that makes the net present value of all cash flow equal to zero. This
rate is a function of the cost of capital for project implementation.

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Interpersonal Skills
Skills used to establish and maintain relationships with other people or stakeholders.

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

INVEST
Acronym describing the desirable attributes of a good story. Stands for: Independent,
Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small and Testable.

Invitation for Bid (IFB)

A type of procurement document most commonly used when deliverables are
commodities for which there are clear specifications and when quantities are very large.
The invitation is usually advertised, and any seller may submit a bid. Negotiation is
typically not anticipated. These are sometimes used interchangeably with RFPs.
Generally, this term is equivalent to RFP. However, in some application areas, it may be
a narrower or more specific meaning.
Ishikawa Diagram
See “Cause and Effect Diagram”.

Issue
A current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project objectives.

Issue Log
An issue is a current condition or situation that may have an impact on the project
objectives. An issue log is used to record and monitor information on active issues.
Issues are assigned to a responsible party for follow up and resolution.

Iteration
A timeboxed cycle of development on a product or deliverable in which all the work
needed to deliver value is performed.

Iteration Backlog
The work that is committed to be performed during a given iteration and is
expected to burn down the duration. The work does not carry over to the next
iteration.

Iterative Life Cycle

A project life cycle in which 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/service increases. Iterations progressively develop the
product/service through a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add
to the functionality of the product/service.

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Job Shadowing
Techniques used to gain knowledge of a specific job role, task, or function to
understand and determine project requirements. See “Observations”.

Joint Application Design (JAD)

Specialized workshops that include both SMEs and the development team together to
discuss and improve on the software development process.

Kaizen
A management concept adapted by the project management community which refers to
project activities that continuously improve all project processes. It usually involves all
stakeholders. The concept originated in Japan and generally involves “change for the
better” or “continuous improvement”.

Kanban
Japanese management philosophy that means “signal”. This philosophy focuses on
promoting visibility of the work in progress (WIP) and limiting the amount of WIP that the
team allows.

Kanban Board
A visualization tool that enables improvements to the flow of work by making
bottlenecks and work quantities visible. It is a popular framework used to implement
agile and DevOps software development. Also referred to as a signboard.
Kano Model
A mechanism, derived from the customer marketing industry, to understand and classify
all potential customer requirements or features into four categories

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

A set metric used to evaluate a project, an organizational unit, or a project team’s
performance against the project vision and objectives. KPI can be time bound.

Kill Point
The stage gate or phase review point. At this point, the progress of the project is
evaluated, and a decision is made whether to continue or cancel the project. A set of
criteria may be developed to assist with the decision to be made. See also “Exit Gate”.

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. The knowledge areas intersect with the five respective Project Management
Process Groups. Although the Knowledge Areas are interrelated, ten are defined
separately in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®).

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Knowledge Management
A business area dedicated to connecting individuals to shared knowledge and general
collaboration on project work. The modality used for connection can be face-to-face
and/or virtual.

Lag
Refers to the amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect
to a preceding activity on the critical path.

Late Finish
The latest date an activity can finish, without delaying the finish of the project.

Late Start
The latest that a project activity can start without having to reschedule the calculated
early finish of the project.

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

Leadership
The ability to guide others to achieve results. Leadership abilities are gained through
experience, building relationships, and taking on initiatives.

Leading
The act of establishing direction, aligning the team to a vision, and inspiring/motivating
them to achieve a project’s objectives.

Lead Time
Refers to the period from the time the team places a task on the board until delivery.
Because the order of the items in the Ready column can be changed, this can be
unpredictable. See also “cycle time.”

Lean
An agile method used primarily in manufacturing that focuses on achieving outcomes
with little or no waste.

Lean Six Sigma

A collaborative team method that provides an enhanced ability to target customer needs
and measure performance during project execution and monitoring. It was introduced by
American engineer Bill Smith while working at Motorola in 1986.

Legitimate Power
The authority granted to an individual due to his/her position within a group or an
organization.

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

Lessons Learned Register

A project document used to record knowledge gained during a project. The knowledge
attained can be used in the current project and entered into the lessons learned
repository for subsequent use.

Lessons Learned Repository

A central store of historical lessons learned information from various projects across
jurisdictions.

Life Cycle Costing (LCC)

Life cycle costing is an approach that assesses the total cost of an asset over its life
cycle including but not limited to initial capital costs, maintenance costs, etc. LCC is an
important economic analysis used in the selection of alternatives that impact both
pending and future costs. The concept is also known as lifetime cost and is commonly
referred to as "cradle to grave" or "womb to tomb" costs.

Logical Relationship
Those relations between the elements of discourse or thought that constitute its
rationality, in the sense either of reasonableness or intelligibility.
Majority
A group decision-making method in which a course of action is agreed upon by a pre-
defined quorum.

Make-or-Buy Analysis
The process of gathering and organizing data about product/service requirements and
analyzing data against available alternatives including the purchase or internal manufacture
of the project.

Make-or-Buy Decisions
Decisions made regarding the external purchase versus internal manufacture of a
product.

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

Manage Project Knowledge

The process of using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge to achieve
project objectives and contribute to organizational learning. The process must include
tools that allow converting data into information, and information into knowledge.

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Manage Project Quality
The process of continually measuring the quality of all activities and taking corrective
action until the desired quality is achieved. Quality management lowers the risk of
product/service failure or unsatisfied clients.

Manage Project Team

The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving
issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance. The key benefit
of this process is that it influences team behavior, manages conflict, resolves issues,
and appraises team member performance.

Manage Stakeholder Engagement Process

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

Management Reserve
An amount of the project budget held outside of the performance measurement baseline
(PMB) for management control purposes, that is reserved for unforeseen work that is
within the scope of the project. Usually 5 – 10% of the project budget. This should not
be confused with contingency reserve. See also “Contingency Reserve”.

Managing
The exercise of executive control or authority.

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

Market Research
The process of evaluating the feasibility of a new product or service, through research
conducted directly with potential consumers.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A theory of psychology explaining human motivation based on the pursuit of different
levels of needs. The theory states that humans are motivated to fulfill their needs in a
hierarchical order. This order begins with the most basic needs before moving on to
more advanced needs. The ultimate goal, according to this theory, is to reach the fifth
level of the hierarchy: self-actualization.

Matrix Organization
An organizational structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the
functional managers for assigning priorities and for directing the work of individuals
assigned to the project.

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McClelland's Three Needs Theory
A human motivation theory which states that every person has one of three main driving
motivators: the needs for achievement, affiliation, or power. Those with a strong need
for affiliation don't like to stand out or take risk, and they value relationships above
anything else.

Milestone
A specific point within a project life cycle used as a measure in the progress toward the
ultimate goal. A milestone marks a specific point along a project timeline. The point may
signal anchors such as a project start and end date, a need for external review, or input
and budget check. It is represented as a task of zero duration and is displayed as an
important achievement in a project.

Milestone Charts
A graphical representation of milestones. A type of project schedule bar chart that only
includes milestone or major deliverables and their corresponding points in time.

Milestone List
Refers to an input or an output of various processes. A document that contains the
milestones of a project.

Mind Mapping
A graphical technique used to consolidate ideas created through individual
brainstorming sessions into a single map - image/display is used to reflect commonality
and differences in understanding and to generate new ideas.

Minimum Business Increment (MBI)

The smallest amount of value that can be added to a product or service that benefits the
business.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

The smallest collection of features that can be included in a product for customers to
consider it functional. In Lean methodologies, it can be referred to as “bare bones” or
“no frills” functionality.

Mitigate
A strategy for managing negative risks or threats and that involves taking action to
reduce the probability of occurrence or the impact of a risk.

Modeling
An approach used in schedule management and risk management. This can assist in
identification of problems or areas of risk with the project before they actually occur. See
also “What-If Scenario” and “Monte Carlo Analysis”.

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Monitor and Control Project Work
Performed throughout the project, this the process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting
the overall progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project
management plan. The key benefits of this process are that it allows stakeholders to
understand the current state of the project, to recognize the actions taken to address
any performance issues, and to have visibility into the future project status with cost and
schedule forecasts.

Monitor and Controlling Process Group

One of five Project Management Process Groups. Monitoring and controlling processes
measure work results against the plan and make adjustments where variance exists.

Monitor Communications Process

This process determines if the planned communications artifacts and activities have had
the desired effect of increasing or maintaining stakeholders’ support for the project’s
deliverables and expected outcomes.

Monitor Risks
The process of monitoring the implementation of agreed-upon risk response plans,
tracking identified risks, identifying and analyzing new risks, and evaluating risk process
effectiveness throughout the project. The key benefit of this process is that it enables
project decisions to be based on current information about overall project risk exposure
and individual project risks.

Monitor Stakeholder Engagement Process

Performed throughout a project, this is the process of monitoring project stakeholder
relationships and tailoring strategies for engaging stakeholders through modification of
engagement strategies and plans. The key benefit of this process is that it maintains or
increases the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities as the
project evolves and its environment changes.

Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It consists of those processes
required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project;
identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the
corresponding changes.

Monte Carlo Analysis

Refers to a simulation technique in project management by which the project manager
computes and calculates the total project cost and the project schedule using various
scenarios. A set of input values are selected taking into consideration the of probability
distributions, potential costs, and potential durations. It allows a project manager to
calculate a probable total cost of a project as well as to find a range or a potential date
of completion for the project.

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Monte Carlo Simulation (risk analysis)
A risk management technique, which project managers use to estimate the impacts of
various risks on the project cost and project timeline. Using this method, one can easily
find out what will happen to the project schedule and cost in case any risk occurs. It is
used at various times during the project life cycle to get the idea on a range of probable
outcomes during various scenarios.

Moscow Analysis
A prioritization technique used in management, business analysis, project management,
and software development to reach a common understanding with stakeholders on the
importance they place on the delivery of each requirement; it is also known as MoSCoW
prioritization or MoSCoW analysis.

Motivation
The inner drive or external encouragement that keeps people involved and wanting to
complete work of high quality in a timely fashion.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

A technique that 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.

Negative Float
The amount of time that must be saved to bring the project to completion on time.

Negotiated Settlements
The product or output of negotiation, representing a final, equitable, mutually agreed
disposition of all outstanding issues, claims, and disputes.

Negotiation
An approach used by more than one individual or group to come to an agreement or
resolution that is mutually agreed by all parties.

Net Present Value (NPV)

The difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash
outflows over a period of time. NPV is used in capital budgeting and investment
planning to analyze the financial viability of a projected investment or project.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Measures a customer’s willingness to recommend a provider’s products or services to
another on a scale of -100 to 100.

Network Diagram
A graph that shows the activities, duration, and interdependencies of tasks within a
project.

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Node
Represents the start or end of an activity in a sequence.

Nominal Group Technique

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

Nonfunctional Requirements (NFRs)

A term from agile software development. NFRs define system attributes such as
security, reliability, performance, maintainability, scalability and usability. They serve as
constraints or restrictions on the design of the system across backlogs.

Non-Verbal Communication
The use of body language and other means besides the spoken word—posture,
gestures, dress and appearance, facial expressions, and the like—to communicate.
Observations
Techniques used to gain knowledge of a specific job role, task, or function to
understand and determine project requirements. See “Job Shadowing”.

Opportunity
A risk that, if developed, could create a positive effect on one or more project objectives.

Opportunity Cost
A concept applied to quantify the missed opportunity when deciding to use a resource
(e.g., investment dollars) for one purpose versus another. Alternately opportunity cost is
the loss of potential future return from the second-best unselected project. In other
words, it is the opportunity (potential return) that will not be realized when one project is
selected over another.

Organizational Chart
A diagram that shows the structure of an organization and the relationships and relative
ranks of its parts and positions/jobs. It is typically a diagram that visually conveys a
company's internal structure by detailing the roles, responsibilities, and relationships
between individuals within an entity.

Organizational Culture
The underlying beliefs, assumptions, values, and behaviors that contribute to and define
the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.

Organizational Process Assets (OPA)

Refers to all the implicit input or assets on processes used by an organization in
operating a business. This may include business plans, processes, policies, protocols,
and knowledge.

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Organizational Silo
Occurs when employees or an entire department are isolated or refuse to share
information or interact with others in the same company. Thus, the flow of critical
information will be contained within that department. See also “Silo”.

Organizational Theory
The study of how people, teams, and organizations behave. It is part of the search for
common themes for the purpose of maximizing efficiency and productivity, problem
solving, and meeting the stakeholder requirements of a project.

Osmotic Communication
Communication which occurs informally or indirectly and through means such as
overhearing, as a result of people sitting in the same room/environment.

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

Outsourcing
Moving beyond the organization to secure services and expertise from an outside
source on a contract or short-term basis.

Overlapping Relationships
A type of phase-to-phase relationship characterized by phases that start prior to the
ending of the previous phase. Therefore, activities in different phases run concurrently
with one another.

Paralingual Communications
The effect of pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender's voice on the message being
sent. For example, facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language contribute to
the message.

Parametric Estimating
An estimating technique in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration
based on historical data and project parameters. This technique is scalable and linear.
Pareto Chart
A histogram that is used to rank causes of problems in a hierarchical format. See also
“80/20 Rule”.

Path
The sequence of project network activities.

Payback Period
The interval required to amass (via profit or value) the initial investment made for a
project.

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PDCA/PDSA
Plan Do Check/Study Act – also known as the “Deming Wheel”. A process or method
used to solve problems and implement solutions.

Penalty Power
The ability to gain support because project personnel perceive the project manager as
capable of directly or indirectly dispensing penalties that they wish to avoid. Penalty
power usually derives from the same sources as reward power, with one being a
necessary condition for the other.

Perform Integrated Change Control

The process of reviewing all change requests, approving changes, and managing
changes to deliverables, project documents, and the project management plan. These
decisions are communicated to stakeholders.

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis

A process used to identify individual risks by looking at how likely they are to happen
(probability of occurrence) and how bad they would be for the project if they did happen
(impact).

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

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

Persona
An imaginary person or identity created by the team to model interactions with the
system to gather requirements.

Phase
Refers to a collection of activities within a project. Each project phase is goal oriented
and ends at a milestone.

Phase Gate
A point 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.

Plan Communications Management

Performed periodically, as needed, throughout the project, this is the process of
developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications activities
based on the information needs of each stakeholder or group, available organizational
assets, and the needs of the project. The key benefit of this process is a documented
approach to engage stakeholders effectively and efficiently by presenting relevant
information in a timely manner.

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Plan Cost Management
Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of defining how
the project costs will be estimated, budgeted, managed, monitored, and controlled. The
key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how the project
costs will be managed throughout the project.

Plan Procurement Management Process

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of
documenting project procurement decisions, specifying the approach and identifying
potential sellers. The key benefit of this process is that it determines whether to acquire
goods and services from outside the project and, if so, what to acquire as well as how
and when to acquire it. Goods and services may be procured from other parts of the
performing organization or from external sources.

Plan Quality Management

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, 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 and/or standards. The
key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how quality will
be managed and verified throughout the project.

Plan Resource Management

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of defining how
to estimate, acquire, manage, and use team and physical resources. The key benefit of
this process is that it establishes the approach and level of management effort needed
for managing project resources based on the type and complexity of the project.

Plan Risk Management

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of defining how
to conduct risk management activities for a project. The key benefit of this process is
that it ensures that the degree, type, and visibility of risk management are proportionate
to both risks and the importance of the project to the organization and other
stakeholders.

Plan Schedule Management

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of establishing
the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing,
executing, and controlling the project schedule. The key benefit of this process is that it
provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed
throughout the project.

Plan Scope Management

Performed once or at predefined points in the project, this is the process of creating a
scope management plan that documents how the project and product scope will be
defined, validated, and controlled. The key benefit of this process is that it provides
guidance and direction on how scope will be managed throughout the project.

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Plan Stakeholder Engagement Process
Performed periodically throughout the project as needed, this is the process of
developing approaches to involve project stakeholders based on their needs,
expectations, interests, and potential impact on the project. The key benefit is that it
provides an actionable plan to interact effectively with stakeholders.

Planned Value (PV)

The approved value of the work to be completed for a specific period of time.

Planning package
A WBS component below the control account with known work content but without
detailed schedule activities.
Planning Poker
Agile exercise to help the team estimate work.

Planning Process Group

One of the five Project Management Process Groups. It consists of those processes
required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the
course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to
achieve.

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

PMBOK®
PMBOK® stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge, and it is the entire
collection of processes, best practices, terminologies, and guidelines that are accepted
as standard within the project management industry.

PMBOK® Guide
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) is the Project
Management Institute’s flagship publication representing standards in the business area
of project management. It is currently in its Seventh Edition.

Political Awareness
The ability to recognize the power structure internal to the organization, and the ability
to navigate the relationships.

Portfolio
Projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios, and operations managed as a group to
achieve strategic objectives.

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

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Power/Influence Grid
A classification model that groups stakeholders on the basis of their levels of authority
and involvement in the project.

Power/Interest Grid
A classification model that groups stakeholders on the basis of their levels of authority
and interest in the project.

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

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

Precedence Relationship
A logical dependency used in the precedence diagramming methods.

Predictive Life Cycle

Project management approach in which activities are completed in a distinct or linear
fashion and a new phase begins only when the previous phase is completed. Value is
delivered at the completion of the project in the form of deliverables. Also known as
“Waterfall”.

Present Value (PV)

The current value of a future sum of money or stream of cash flows given a specific rate
of return.

Preventative Action
Action taken to proactively prevent or avoid anticipated future problems. This is closely
tied to risk management.

Prevention
A concept in quality management that indicates that quality cannot be inspected into a
product but should be planned for from the start to avoid problems.

Probability and Impact Matrix

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

Probability Distribution
The scattering of values assigned to likelihood in a sample population. It can be visually
depicted in the form of a probability density function (PDF).

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

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Process Improvement Plan
A component of the project management plan, this document describes the processes
used in the production of the project’s deliverables, how they will be monitored, and
under what conditions they may be changed.

Procurement
The acquisition of goods and services from an external organization, vendor, or supplier
to enable the deliverables of the project.

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

Procurement Documents
Documents used in bid and proposal activities, which include the buyer’s invitation for
bid, expression of interest (EOI); invitation for negotiations; request for information
(RFI); request for quotation (RFQ); request for proposal (RFP); and seller’s responses.

Procurement Management Plan

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

Procurement Statement of Work (SOW)

Describes the procurement item in sufficient detail to allow prospective sellers to
determine their capability of executing the tasks necessary to deliver the deliverables,
products, services, or outputs.

Product
An artifact that is produced, is quantifiable, and can be either an end item in itself or a
component item. See also “Deliverable”.

Product Analysis
For projects that deliver a product, this is a tool to define scope. It generally means
asking questions about a product and forming answers to describe the use,
characteristics, and other relevant aspects of what is going to be manufactured.

Product Backlog
A Scrum term. A prioritized list of customer requirements that will improve a
product/service. This list represents the single source for work.

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Product Box Exercise
A technique used to explain a desired solution or outcome. Stakeholders try to describe
aspects of a solution in the same way a marketer might describe product features and
benefits on a box.

Product Owner
An individual or an organization who is responsible for gathering inputs about a product
from the customer and translating the requirements into the product vision for the team
and stakeholders.

Product Life Cycle

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

Product Management
The integration of people, data, processes, and business systems to create, maintain,
and evolve a product or service throughout its life cycle.

Product Roadmap
A high-level visual summary of the product or products of the project that includes
goals, milestones, and potential deliverables.

Product Scope
The functions and features that characterize a product or a service.

Program
Related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities that are managed in a
coordinated manner to obtain benefits not available from individual management of
them. A project may or may not be part of a program, but a program will always have
projects.

Program Management
The application of knowledge, skills, and principles to a program to achieve program
objectives and obtain benefits and control not available by management of program
components individually.

Program Management
The process of managing programs mapped to business objectives that improve
organizational performance. Program managers oversee and coordinate the various
projects and other strategic initiatives throughout an organization.

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.

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

Project Artifact
Any document related to the management of a project.

Project Calendar
The project calendar specifies the working and non-working days and times for
activities.

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

Project Coordinator
A project coordinator handles administrative tasks for the project manager and team
members to manage a project effectively and efficiently. Tasks may include procuring
project resources such as equipment and supplies, managing deadlines, workflow, and
scheduling project meetings and other appointments on behalf of the project team.

Project Documents
Any documents that are prepared in support of a project – for example,
requirements, specifications, contracts with vendors, design documents, test plans,
and publications that will be delivered to the client along with the final product.

1. Activity attributes
2. Activity list
3. Assumption log
4. Basis of estimates
5. Change log
6. Cost estimates
7. Cost forecasts
8. Duration estimates
9. Issue log
10. Lessons learned register
11. Milestone list
12. Physical resource assignments
13. Project calendars
14. Project communications
15. Project schedule
16. Project schedule network diagram
17. Project scope statement
18. Project team assignments
19. Quality control measurements
20. Quality metrics

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 21. Quality report
22. Requirements documentation
23. Requirements traceability matrix
24. Resource breakdown structure
25. Resource calendars
26. Resource requirements
27. Risk register
28. Risk report
29. Schedule data
30. Schedule forecasts
31. Stakeholder register
32. Team charter
33. Test and evaluation documents

Project Expeditor
Role or position on a project team that works as an assistant and coordinates
communications on behalf of the team. Individuals performing in this role cannot make
or enforce decisions but can communicate with the contractors or suppliers of project
resources to ensure the timely delivery of materials.

Project Funding
The means by which the money required to undertake a project, program or portfolio is
secured and then made available as required.

Project Funding Requirements

Budgetary requirements that specify when funds will be needed to be provided for the
project.

Project Governance
The framework, functions, and processes that guide project management activities to
create a unique product, service, or result to meet organizational, strategic, and
operational goals.

Project Life Cycle

The series of phases that a project passes through from its start to its completion.

Project Management
The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to fulfill
the project plan.

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Project Management Information System (PMIS)
An information system consisting of the tools and techniques used to gather, integrate,
and disseminate the outputs of project management processes. See also “Project
Management Software”.

Project Management Institute (PMI®)

A professional membership association for project managers.

Project Management Office (PMO)

A management structure that standardizes the project-related governance processes
and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques. PMOs
are more common in larger organizations because of the number of projects that can be
in process at the same time.

Project Management Plan

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

Project Management Process Groups

Refers specifically to five logic-oriented groupings of project management processes.
These include:
1. Initiation
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing

Project Management Software

An automated application that helps plan, organize, and manage project resources and
develop resource estimates for activities. See also “Project Management Information
System (PMIS)”.

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

Project Meetings
In-person or virtual communication events held with stakeholders that intend to
generate group decisions, such as discussing issues, creating proposals, and approving
or rejecting offers which can contribute to quicker project deliverables, planned goals,
and expected results. Project meetings are an effective method of distributing
information and communicating with the team and stakeholders.

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Project Methodology
A system of principles, practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who
manage projects.

Project Performance Domains

A project performance domain is a group of related activities that are critical for the
effective delivery of project outcomes. Project performance domains are interactive,
interrelated, and interdependent areas of focus that work in unison to achieve desired
project outcomes. There are eight project performance domains:
• Stakeholders
• Team
• Development Approach and Life Cycle
• Planning
• Project Work
• Delivery
• Measurement
• Uncertainty

Project Phase
A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one
or more deliverables. A phase has a set of goals and objectives, and the attainment of
these goals/objectives triggers a milestone.

Project Plan
Defines project goals and objectives, specifies tasks, and methodology. The plan
identifies the resources required, associated budgets, and timelines for completion. A
project plan is expected to define all works in a project, the human resources and other
resources required to execute the plan in its entirety.

Project Requirements
For a project, these are the agreed-upon conditions or capabilities of a product, service,
or outcome that a project is designed to satisfy. See also “Requirements”.

Project Schedule Network Diagram

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project schedule
activities. An output of a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned
dates, durations, milestones, and resources. See also “Network Diagram”.

Project Scope
The features, functions, and works that characterize the delivery of a product, service,
and/or result.

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

Project Sponsor
A person or group who provides resources and support for the project, program, or
portfolio and is accountable for enabling success. See also “Sponsor”.

Project Team
A set of individuals performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.

Projectized Organization
A structure in which a project manager and a core project team operate as a separate
organizational unit within the parent organization.

Prompt List
A checklist for a specific category of risk. This tool is a simple series of broad risks, for
example environmental or legal, rather than specific risks, such as flooding or regulatory
changes. The idea is to push (prompt) the team to think and brainstorm the risks in
groups and eventually prioritize the same.

Prototypes
A method of obtaining early feedback on user requirements by building a working model
of the expected product. Prototypes can be used to solicit aesthetics, functionalities etc.
Several iterations maybe displayed.

Psychological Safety
Being able to show and employ oneself without fear of negative consequences of
status, career, or self-worth—we should be comfortable being ourselves in our work
setting.

Pull Communications
Messages that require the interested people to access the information based on their
own initiative.

Push Communications
Messages that are sent out to people who need to receive the information.

Qualified Vendors
The vendors who are approved to deliver the products, services, or results based on the
procurement requirements identified for a project.

Qualified Vendors List

Contains details regarding vendors who meet the organization’s requirements and to
whom requests can be sent.

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Qualitative Risk Analysis
A technique used to determine the probability of occurrence and the impact of identified
risk.

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

Quality Audit
A structured, independent process to determine if project activities comply with
organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Workshops that are commonly used in the manufacturing field to determine new product
development requirements.

Quality Gate
A special type of gate located before a phase that is strongly dependent upon the
outcome of a previous phase. The quality gate process is a formal way of specifying and
recording the transition between stages in the project life cycle.

Quality Management Plan

A component of the project or program management plan that describes how applicable
policies, procedures, and guidelines will be implemented to achieve the quality
objectives.

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

Quality Policy
The basic principles that should govern the organization’s actions as it implements its
system for quality management.

Quality Report
A project document that includes quality management issues, recommendations for
corrective actions, and a summary of findings from quality control activities and may
include recommendations for process, project, and product improvements.

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Technique used to assess the risk exposure events to overall project objectives and
determine the confidence levels of achieving the project objectives.

Questionnaires
Written sets of questions designed to quickly gather information from many
respondents.

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RACI Chart
Stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. A common type of
responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) that uses responsible, accountable, consult, and
inform statuses to define the involvement of stakeholders in project activities.

Recognition
A more personalized, intangible, and experiential event that focuses on behavior rather
than outcome.

Refactoring
Refers to software development. Improving the design of the code so that it is easier to
test, debug, and maintain.

Referent Power
Refers to establishing trust, respect, and credibility with people in work or personal life
contexts.

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

Relative Authority
The project manager’s authority relative to the functional manager’s authority over the
project and the project team.

Relative Estimating
Also called sizing. The process of estimating stories or backlog tasks in relation to each
other instead of in units of time.

Release Plan
The plan that sets expectations for the dates, features, and/or outcomes a project
expects to deliver over the course of several iterations.

Release Planning
The process of identifying a high-level plan for releasing or transitioning a product,
deliverable, or increment of value to the customer.

Reports
A formal record or summary of information.

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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.

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 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.

Requirement
A measurable condition or capability that must be present in a product, service, or result
to satisfy a business need.

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

Requirements Management Plan

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

Requirements Traceability Matrix

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

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 risks are meant to be mitigated. See also “Buffer”.

Reserve Analysis
A method used to evaluate the amount of risk on the project and the amount of
schedule and budget reserve to determine whether the reserve is sufficient for the
remaining risk.

Residual Risk
The risk that remains after risk responses have been implemented.

Resource
A skilled individual or team, equipment, services, supplies, commodities, materials,
budgets, or funds required to accomplish the defined work.

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Resource Breakdown Structure
A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type.

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

Resource Histogram
A bar chart that represents when a resource will be needed in the project.

Resource Levelling
A resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project
schedule to optimize the allocation of resources and which may affect the critical path.

Resource Management Plan

A component of the project management plan that describes how project resources are
acquired, allocated, monitored, and controlled.

Resource Optimization Techniques

A technique in which activity start and finish dates are adjusted to balance demand for
resources with the available supply. See also “Resource Levelling” and “Resource
Smoothing”.

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

Resource Smoothing
A resource optimization technique in which free and total float are used without affecting
the critical path. See also “Resource Levelling” and “Resource Optimization
Technique”.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

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

Retrospective
Agile meeting held after the iteration/sprint/increment for the team to review the process
and results to identify what went well and what can be done differently. Closely tied to
continuous improvement. Process is the same as lessons learned.

Return on Investment (ROI)

A financial metric of profitability that measures the gain or loss from an investment
relative to the amount of money invested.

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Reward
A tangible, consumable item that is given to a person based on a specific outcome or an
achievement.

Reward and Recognition Plan

A formalized way to reinforce performance or behavior.

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

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

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 Appetite
The degree of uncertainty an organization or individual is willing to accept in anticipation
of a reward.

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

Risk Breakdown Structure

A hierarchical representation of potential sources of risk.

Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

A hierarchical representation of potential sources of risk.

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.

Risk Category
A group of potential causes of risk.

Risk Enhancement
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to increase the probability of
occurrence or impact of an opportunity.

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Risk Exploiting
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to ensure that an opportunity
occurs.

Risk Exposure
An aggregate measure of the potential impact of all risks at any given point in time in a
project, program, or portfolio.

Risk Impact
The likely effect on project objectives if a risk event occurs.

Risk Management Plan

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

Risk Mitigation
A risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to decrease the probability of
occurrence or impact of a threat.

Risk Owner
The person responsible for monitoring the risk and for selecting and implementing an
appropriate risk response strategy.

Risk Probability
The likelihood that a risk event will occur or prove true during the project.

Risk Register
A repository in which outputs of risk management processes are recorded. As the
central planning document for project risk analysis and control, the risk register contains
a list of the most important risks to the project’s completion. For each risk, it identifies
the likelihood of occurrence, the impact to the project, the priority, and the applicable
response plans.

Risk Response Plan

This plan involves reducing and eliminating risks and their potential impacts through
appropriate mitigation techniques.

Risk Sharing
A risk response strategy whereby the project team allocates ownership of an
opportunity to a third party who is best able to capture the benefit for the project.

Risk Threshold
The level of risk exposure above which risks are addressed and below which risks may
be accepted.

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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.

Risk Workshop
A technique that uses a special meeting conducted for the purpose of identifying project
risks. In addition to the project team members, this workshop might also include the
project sponsor, SMEs, customer representatives, and other stakeholders, depending
on the size of the project.

Role
Refers to a human-driven function in a work setting.

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.

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.

SAFe® (Scaled Agile Framework)

A knowledge base of integrated patterns for enterprise-scale lean- agile development. A
framework that implements Scrum at an enterprise level.

Salience Model
A classification model that groups stakeholders according to level of authority,
immediate needs, and how appropriate their involvement is in terms of the project.

Schedule Baseline
The approved version of a schedule model that can be changed using formal change
control procedures and is used as the basis of comparison to actual results. It is one of
the main project documents that should be created before the project starts.

Schedule Compression
A method used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope.

Schedule Forecast
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.

Schedule Management Plan

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

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Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
A measure of schedule efficiency, expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned
value.

Schedule Variance (SV)

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

Scope Baseline
The approved version of a scope statement, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and its
associated WBS dictionary can be changed using formal change control procedures
and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results.

Scope Creep
The uncontrolled expansion of project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and
resources.

Scope Management Plan

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

Scope Statement
Details about project deliverables and the major objectives of a project, including
measurable outcomes.

Scrum
An agile framework for developing and sustaining complex products, with specific roles,
events, and artifacts.

Scrum Master
The coach of the development team and process owner in the Scrum framework.
Removes obstacles, facilitates productive events, and protects the team from
disruptions.

Scrum of Scrums (SoS)

A technique to operate Scrum at scale for several teams working on the same product,
coordinating discussions of progress on their interdependencies, and focusing on how
to integrate the delivery of software, especially in areas of overlap.

Scrum Team
Dedicated, self-managing, cross-functional, fully empowered individuals who deliver the
finished work required by the customer.

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

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Self-Organizing Team
A cross-functional team in which people fluidly assume leadership as needed to achieve
the team’s objectives. See also “cross-functional team.”

Sensitivity Analysis
An analysis technique to determine which individual project risks or other sources
of uncertainty have the most potential impact on project outcomes, by correlating
variations in project outcomes with variations in elements of a quantitative risk
analysis model.

Sequential Relationships
Refers to a consecutive relationship between phases; phases occur in procession and
without overlap.

Servant Leadership
The practice of leading the team by focusing on understanding and addressing the
needs and development of team members in order to enable the highest possible team
performance.

Service-Level Agreement (SLA)

A contract between a service provider (either internal or external) and the end user that
defines the level of service expected from the service provider.

Share
A strategy for managing positive risks or opportunities that involves allocating some or
all the ownership of the opportunity to a third party.

Silo
See “Organizational Silo”.

Simulation
An analytical technique that models the combined effect of uncertainties to evaluate
their potential impact on objectives.

Six Sigma
See “Lean Six Sigma”.

Skills List
The skills list provides details of all the skills the team possesses. This includes
interpersonal skills needed to establish and maintain relationships with other people.
Some of the skills may be irrelevant to the project team, while some are highly relevant
to project goals.

Slack
Used in the critical path method. Amount of time that a task can be delayed without
affecting the deadlines of other subsequent tasks.

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Smoothing
See “Resource Smoothing”.

SoS
See “Scrum of Scrums”.

Source Selection Criteria

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

Source-Based Risk Classification

A method of analyzing risk in terms of its origins.

Special Cause
Refers to a system in project management. Also called an assignable cause. Any factor
or factors which may affect a system either in progress or outcome. See also “Common
Cause”.

Special Interval
A period during a project when normal work may be suspended for some or all team
members. See also “Hardening Iteration/Iteration H”

Spike
An agile term emerging from Extreme Programming (XP). Refers to timeboxed work for
the purpose of answering a question or gathering information, rather than producing a
viable product.

Sprint
Used in Scrum. A short time interval during which a usable and potentially releasable
increment of the product is created. See also “Iteration”.

Sprint Backlog
A list of work items identified by the Scrum team to be completed during the Scrum
sprint.

Sprint Planning
A collaborative event in Scrum in which the Scrum team plans the work for the current
sprint.

Sprint Retrospective
This critical part of the Scrum process is attended by the product owner, Scrum Master,
and the Scrum team to analyze from a process perspective what is working well and
what is not and to agree upon changes to implement.

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Sprint Review
A review at the end of each iteration with the product owner and other customer
stakeholders to review the progress of the product, get early feedback, and review an
acceptance from the product owner of the stories delivered in the iteration. See also
“Demo”.

Sprint Velocity
A descriptive metric used by agile and hybrid teams. It describes the volume of work
that a team performs during a sprint. Use this metric to understand the rate of your
team’s work during an average sprint.

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

Stakeholder Analysis
A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative
information to determine whose interests should be considered throughout the project.

Stakeholder Cube
A three-dimensional classification model that builds on the previous two-dimensional
grids to group stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix

A matrix that compares current and desired stakeholder engagement levels.

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

A component of the project management plan that identifies the strategies and
actions required to promote productive involvement of stakeholders in project or
program decision-making and execution. Used to understand stakeholder
communication requirements and the level of stakeholder engagement in order to
assess and adapt to the level of stakeholder participation in requirements activities.

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

Standard
A document established by an authority, custom or general consent as a model or
example.

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Standard Deviation (SD)
Statistical concept that gives a measure of the duration uncertainty and risk in project
time estimation. SD represented by the Greek letter sigma (σ). A low value for the SD
indicates that that data points are close to the mean or the expected value of the set,
while a high value indicates that the data points are spread out over a wider range.

Start-to-Finish (SF)
A logical relationship in which a predecessor activity cannot finish until a successor
activity has started.

Start-to-Start (SS)
A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor
activity has started.

Statement of Work (SoW)

A document used to describe project work. The SoW identifies requirements,
deliverables, scope, project details, and timelines for delivery.

Statistical Sampling
Choosing part of a population of interest for inspection. Used when more thorough data
analysis methods are not suitable.

Statistical Sampling Process

A process that involves dividing sampling data into two categories—attribute and
variable— each of which is gathered according to sampling plans. As corrective actions
are taken in response to analysis of statistical sampling and other quality control
activities, and as trend analysis is performed, defects and process variability should be
reduced.

Strategic Plan
A high-level business document that explains an organization’s vision and mission plus
the approach that will be adopted to achieve this mission and vision, including the
specific goals and objectives to be achieved during the period covered by the
document.

Story
Describes the smallest unit of work in an agile framework. An informal, general
explanation of a product, service, or software feature written from the end-user's
perspective. Its purpose is to articulate how the feature will provide value to the
customer. See also “User Story”.

Story Card
One unit of delivery for an agile team.

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Story Map
A visual model of all the features and functionality desired for a given product, created
to give the team a holistic view of what they are building and why.

Story Points
Used in agile practice to estimate the amount of time it will take to complete a story item
from the project backlog.

Storyboarding
The prototyping method that uses visuals or images to illustrate a process or represent
a project outcome. Storyboards are useful to illustrate how a product, service, or
application will function or operate when it is complete.

Supportive PMO
The type of PMO that provides a consultative role to projects by supplying templates,
best practices, training, access to information, and lessons learned from other projects.

Sustainability
The planning, monitoring, and controlling of project delivery and support processes with
consideration to environmental, economic, and social aspects of project-based working
to meet the current needs of the stakeholders without compromising future generations.

Swarming
Act of all development team members working on only one requirement at a time during
the sprint. Team members focus collectively to resolve a specific problem.

SWOT Analysis
A grid used to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an
organization, project, or option.

System
The rules, processes, procedures, people, and other elements that support an outcome
or process. A project can have one or many systems, for example, work authorization
system, change control system, information system, etc.

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Typically used with software development projects, SDLC depicts the group of phases
which encompass the entire project life cycle from start to finish. How the project is
executed is defined by the methodology—waterfall, agile, iterative, incremental, etc.

Tacit Knowledge
Personal knowledge that can be difficult to articulate and share such as beliefs,
experience, and insights.

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Tailoring
The mindful selection and adjustment of multiple factors. Determining the
appropriate combination of processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, and life
cycle phases to manage a project.

Task
An activity to be accomplished with a specific purpose within a defined period of time.
See also “Activity”.

Task Board
Used to visualize the work and enable the team and stakeholders to track their progress
as work is performed during an iteration. Examples of task boards include Kanban
boards, to-do lists, procedure checklists, and Scrum boards.

Team
Group of people responsible for executing project tasks and producing deliverables
outlined in the project plan and schedule.

Team Building
The process of continually supporting and working collaboratively with team members to
enable a team to work together to solve problems, diffuse interpersonal issues, share
information, and tackle project objectives as a unified force.

Team Charter
A document that records the team values, agreements, and operating guidelines as well
as establishes clear expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team
members.

Team Management Plan

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

Team Resource Management

The processes necessary to organize, manage, and lead the people on the project team
as well as the processes needed to procure and manage physical resources for a
project.

Team-Building Activities
The specific functions or actions taken to help the team to develop into a mature,
productive team. They can be formal or informal, brief, or extended, and facilitated by
the project manager or a group facilitator.

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Teaming Agreement
A legal contractual agreement between two or more parties to form a joint venture or
any other arrangement as defined by the parties to meet the requirements of a business
opportunity. The parties can be internal or external to the organization executing the
project.

Technique
See “Tool”.

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

Term Contract
A type of contract that engages the vendor to deliver a set amount of service—
measured in staff-hours or a similar unit—over a set period of time.

Test-Driven Development (TDD)/Test-First Development

Derived from a software development practice, TDD helps in the design process by
using repeated short development cycles. First the developer writes an (initially failing)
automated test case that defines a desired improvement or new function. The team then
produces the minimum amount of code to pass that test before finally refactoring the
new code to acceptable standards.

Theme
Agile term. Refers to groupings of epics or stories.

Theory X
Refers to Theory X by Douglas McGregor which proposes that managers micro-manage
their employees or team members because they assume their workers are unmotivated
and dislike work. See also “Theory Y”.

Theory Y
Refers to Theory Y by Douglas McGregor which proposes that managers have an
optimistic and positive opinion of their employees or team members, so this type of
manager encourages a more collaborative, trust-based relationship between
employees. See also “Theory X”.

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

Three-Point Estimating
A technique used to estimate cost or duration by applying an average or weighted
average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates when there is uncertainty
with the individual activity estimates. Also called “triangular estimating”.

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Threshold
A predetermined value of a measurable project variable that represents a limit that
requires action to be taken if it is reached.

Throughput
A key agile metric used to determine how many finished work items a process produces
over a given time frame.

Time and Material (T&M) Contract

A type of contract that is a hybrid contractual arrangement containing aspects of both
cost- reimbursable and fixed-price contracts.

Timebox
A fixed period of time to provide duration limits for an activity, a piece of work, or a
meeting—for example, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 1 month.

To Complete Performance Index (TCPI)

The estimate of the future cost performance that may be needed to complete the project
within the approved budget.

Tolerance
The quantified description of acceptable variation for a quality, risk, budget, or other
project requirement.

Tool
The applied function, action, procedure, or routine defined for a process to produce the
desired output.

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

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.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

An approach to improve business results through an emphasis on customer satisfaction,
employee development, and processes rather than on functions.

Training
An activity in which team members acquire new or enhanced skills, knowledge, or
attitudes.

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Transfer
A strategy for managing negative risks or threats that involves shifting the impact and
ownership of the risk to a third party and paying a risk premium to the party taking on
the liability of the risk.

Transparency
One of the three pillars of empirical process (transparency, inspection, and adaptability)
that promotes real-time, accurate progress on every aspect of the project. See also
“Visibility”.

Trend Analysis
An analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes
based on historical results.

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

Triple Constraint
Refers to the factors of time, cost, and scope which can be adjusted when managing
projects. Often called the project management triangle.

T-Shaped
Refers to a person whose skill set comprises one area of specialization and broad ability
in other skills required by the team.

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

Unique Identification Code

A specific configuration of a code of accounts that assigns a particular alphanumeric
sequence of characters to each element of a WBS.

User Story
An informal, general explanation of a product, service, or software feature written from
the perspective of the end user. Its purpose is to articulate how the feature will provide
value to the customer. See also “Story”.

Validate Scope
The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.

Validation
The assurance that a product, service, or result meets the needs of the customer and
other identified stakeholders. See also “Verification”.

Value
The worth that a project delivers to the business.

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Value Analysis
The process of examining each of the components of business value and understanding
the cost of each one. The goal is to cost effectively improve the components to increase
the overall business value.

Value Delivery System

The combined and systematic effort by leadership, portfolio, and program and project
management to create value in and for an organization.

Value Engineering
Systematic, organized approach to providing necessary functions in a project at the
lowest cost.

Value Stream
An organizational construct that focuses on the flow of value to customers through the
delivery of specific products or services.

Value Stream Mapping

A Lean enterprise technique used to document, analyze, and improve the flow of
information or materials required to produce a product or service for a customer.

Variability Control Charts

Used to analyze and communicate the variability of a process or project activity over
time. See also “Control Charts”.

Variable Sampling Data

Data from a sample that is measured on a continuous scale such as time, temperature,
or weight.

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

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

Variance at Completion (VAC)

A formula that measures a project’s actual cost, compared with the budgeted amount. It
is the difference from the budget at completion (BAC) and the estimate at completion
(EAC). The formula is VAC = BAC – EAC.

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Velocity
A measure of a team’s productivity rate at which the deliverables are produced,
validated, and accepted within a predefined interval.

Vendor Bid Analysis

A cost estimation technique used to understand what a product/service should cost.

Verification
The evaluation of whether a product, service, or result complies with a regulation,
requirement, specification, or imposed condition. See also “Validation”.

Verified Deliverable
Deliverables that have been compared to the scope/requirements and specifications to
ensure they are correct.

Version Control
A system that records changes to a file, in a way that allows users to retrieve previous
changes made to it.

Virtual Team
A group of people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent
meeting face-to-face.

Visibility
See “Transparency”.

Vision Statement
A stated direction for the project established and communicated by the project sponsor.

Waiver
A legally binding provision in which one party in a contract agrees to forfeit a claim
without the other party becoming liable, even inadvertently.

War Room
Refers to a physical space where project team members and stakeholders plan strategy
and run a project.

Warranty
A promise, explicit or implied, that goods or services will meet a predetermined
standard. Usually limited to a specific period of time.

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Waterfall
An informal name for predictive project management approach. This term is no longer
used by PMI. See “Predictive Life Cycle”.

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

What-If Scenario
Used in the Develop Schedule process, this technique evaluates different scenarios to
predict their effects–both positive and negative–on the project objectives.

Wideband Delphi Estimating

Consensus-based estimation technique for estimating effort.

Wireframe
A non-functional interface design (not written in code) that shows the key elements and
how they would interact to give the user an idea of how the system would function.

Withdrawal
Refusal to deal with a conflict.

Work Authorization System

Used to ensure that work gets performed at the right time, in the right sequence, and
with the right resources. This can be formal or informal.

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.

Work in Progress (WIP)

Work that has been started but not yet completed.

Work Package
The work defined at the lowest level of the work breakdown structure (WBS) for which
cost and duration are estimated and managed.

Work Performance Data

The raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to
carry out the project work. They can be recorded in the PMIS and project documents.

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Work Performance Information
The raw performance data collected from controlling processes, analyzed in comparison
with project management plan components, project documents, and other work
performance information.

Work Performance Report

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

Work Shadowing
An on-the-job technique that enables someone to learn about and perform a job while
observing and working with another, more experienced person.

Workaround
A suitable, unplanned alternative action used to complete work.

Workflow
Carefully planned sequence of the tasks and activities that need to be done to complete
the project.

XP Metaphor
A common Extreme Programming (XP) technique that describes a common vision of
how a program works.

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