Glossary Framework
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Artifact | Something made by the team for the project, especially something that may be reused |
| Controlling PMO | A project management office that provides support and requires compliance in the form of an adoption of mandated project management frameworks, governance frameworks, and/or tools and documentation. |
| Cost Benefit Analysis | A financial analysis approach that compares the project's benefits (revenue) to its costs. (Sometimes called a benefit cost analysis.) |
| Dashboard | An information radiator that contains graphical representations depicting progress, trends, and identification of potential issues |
| Directive PMO | A project management office that directly manages projects. |
| Enterprise | A company, business, or other formal structure that encompasses a business function |
| Functional Organization | An entity that is arranged by department or purpose and focuses on operational work rather than project work |
| Goverance | A framework for policies, practices, and documentation that an organization applies to projects and operations. |
| Impact Mapping | A strategic planning method that results in a visual roadmap for the organization while doing product development. |
| Log | Documentation of selected items that occur during a project, typically modified to reflect the condition of the item (issue, quality control item, action, or defect) |
| Matrix Organization | An organizational framework that mandates the sharing of responsibility for the assignment of resources and priorities between the project manager and the functional manager |
| Method | An approach to produce an outcome, output, result, or project deliverable. |
| Methodology | A body of rules, practices, processes, and techniques employed within a field |
| Operations | The day-to-day repeatable activities that a company performs |
| Organizational Process Assets | The process-related assets of the performing organization including, but not limited to, procedures, processes, policies, knowledge bases, templates, documentation, and plans |
| Policy | A course of action adopted by an organization to facilitate operational and project work |
| Portfolio | The projects, programs, and other work that comprise the portfolio and are managed in a coordinated manner to accomplish strategic goals |
| Portfolio Management | The coordinated management of the projects, programs, and other work that comprise the portfolio for the purpose of accomplishing strategic goals |
| Product Management | The application of people, processes, data, and systems to create, maintain and update a product or service through its life cycle. |
| Program | A group of related projects, subprograms, and program activities administered in a coordinated manner in order to realize benefits that would not be available if administered separately |
| Program Management | The exercise of knowledge, expertise, tools, and techniques to meet program requirements and realize benefits and control unavailable when component projects are administered individually |
| Project | A temporary undertaking to produce a unique product, service, or result |
| Project Archives | A set of records that correctly describe and document the history of the project |
| Project Artifact | Any project management document. |
| Project Governance | The alignment of project goals with the strategy established by the organization, the project sponsor, and team; must fit within the organizational governance, but is separate from that organizational governance |
| Project Management | The exercise of knowledge, expertise, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements |
| Project Management Body of Knowledge | The total knowledge contained within the project management profession including its practices, both customary and groundbreaking, whether published and non published |
| Project Management Information System (PMIS) | A system, either manual or automated, comprised of the tools and techniques used to amass, incorporate, and disseminate the results of project management processes in order to reinforce all facets of the project |
| Project Management Office (PMO) | An organization area responsible for standardizing governance processes for projects and for making available resources, methodologies, tools and techniques |
| Project Management Software | An application that can assist in planning, estimating, organizing, and managing resources. |
| Projectized Organization | An organizational framework that provides the project manager with the authority to establish priorities, assign resources, and direct the work of the project team |
| Register | A documented record of evolving project entries such as issues, risks, stakeholders, or defects. |
| Regulation | A requirement of local, state, or federal government that can mandate product, process, or service characteristics including any applicable administrative provisions |
| Result | The consequence of completing a series of activities or process; examples include outcomes and documents |
| Standard | An established norm or requirement |
| Strategic Planning | Long-term planning by a company (usually three to five years in the future) |
| Strategy Artifact | Documents started before or early into the project covering strategic, business and any other high-level information related to the project. |
| System | Software, hardware, middleware, documentation, and installation and operational procedures |
| Templates | A partially completed instrument that provides the desired format for the assemblage, ordering, and presentation of data and information |
| Triple Bottom Line | A framework for looking at the full cost of business, with a focus on profit, people, and the planet. |
| Value | Something that is viewed to be useful, have worth, or importance. |
| Value Delivery Office (VDO) | A project delivery support group that focuses on coaching teams, building agile skills and capabilities through the organization. This also includes helping sponsors and product owners maximize their effectiveness to the organization. |
Glossary Predictive
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Approved Change Request | A modification request that has been authorized as a result of undergoing the integrated change control process |
| Business Case | A document that attempts to prove the economic feasibility of a business idea, such as a product or service, to justify the project |
| Business Model Canvas | Commonly used in lean startups. A one-page, visual summary of the value proposition, customers, infrastructure, customers, and finances of the environment. |
| Business Value | An abstraction that includes tangible and intangible elements associated with project, program, and portfolio management that maximize the value to the organization |
| Change | A modification to any deliverable, project management plan component, or project document subject to the formal change control process. |
| Change Control | The process of determining, documenting, reviewing, and then approving or rejecting any proposed modifications to project documentation, deliverables, or baselines |
| Change Control Board (CCB) | The group accountable for considering, appraising, and making decisions about (approval, postponement, or rejection) proposed project changes and for the documenting and communicating those decisions |
| Change Control Plan | A component of the project management plan that defines the change control board (CCB), their authority, and how the change control system will be applied. |
| Change Control System | The procedures that govern modifications to project documents, deliverables, and baselines |
| Change Log | A list of proposed project modifications and their associated details including description, date, requestor, and status |
| Change Management | A proactive approach to controlling, communicating, and responding effectively to fluctuations |
| Change Management Plan | A plan that defines the project change management process |
| Change Request | A formal solicitation for a project modification that relates to the approach to, or outcome of, the project. Sometimes called a change control form |
| Closing Process Group | The group of activities associated with concluding the project or phase |
| Development Approach | The method (predictive, iterative, incremental, agile, or hybrid) utilized during the project life cycle to produce and elaborate the product, service, or result of the project. |
| Development Approach and Life Cycle Performance Domain | The performance domain that focuses on activities and functions for the project development approach, cadence, and life cycle phases. |
| Executing Process Group | The processes performed to achieve the work detailed in the project management plan in order to meet the requirements delineated in the project specifications per the work identified in the project management plan |
| Initiating Process Group | The processes associated with the inauguration of a new project or phase; typically involves obtaining approval and identifying project stakeholders |
| Life Cycle | The phases of a project associated with the work of the project, as opposed to being associated with its project management |
| Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) | An approach to assess the complete environmental impact of a product, process, or system. |
| Overlapping Relationship | A relationship between project phases where one starts before the predecessor finishes. |
| Phase Gate | A review which is conducted at the end of a phase to decide if the project should continue to the next phase, if the project should continue to the next phase with modification, or if the project or program should be terminated. |
| Planning Process Group | The processes required to create the management and other planning documents that comprise the project management plan |
| Predictive Life Cycle | A life cycle type that determines project scope, time, and cost during the early phases of the life cycle. |
| Product Life Cycle | The phases of product development, typically defined as conception through delivery, expansion, maturity, and disengagement |
| Progressive Elaboration | The iterative process of increasing the level of detail in accordance with the increase in information discovery and estimation accuracy |
| Project Life Cycle | The phases, from initiation through closure, of a project associated with the work of the project, as opposed to being associated with its project management |
| Project Management Process Group | The aggregation of the processes, along with their inputs, outputs, tools, and technique, that make up project management including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing |
| Project Phase | An aggregation of logically related activities that results in the completion of a deliverable or deliverables |
| Relative Authority | The authority that the project manager has relative to the functional manager's authority over the project team and project environment. |
| Rolling Wave Planning | Preparing in more detail as the project becomes clearer |
| Tailoring | The determination of the conglomeration of processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, and life cycle phases appropriate to the management of a project. |
| Task (Predictive) | An activity to be completed on the project |
| Value Delivery System | Tasks associated with building, sustaining, and evolving an organization with project and product work. |
| Value Proposition | The reasoning behind why an organization does or should do something. |
| Volatility | The potential for unpredictable and rapid change in a project or product environment. |
Glossary Adaptive
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adaptive Approach | A development approach where requirements can be uncertain and volatile throughout the project because change is expected. |
| Agile | An iterative software development approach, expressed in a variety of methodologies, which embraces incremental delivery, flexibility, cross-functional and self-organizing teams, direct customer-developer communication and collaboration, and frequent inspection and adaptation |
| Agile Life Cycles | A life cycle that can be iterative or incremental in nature. Commonly called change-driven and applied when there is a high degree of change expected, or uncertainty present. |
| Agile Manifesto | Declaration of values and principals for Agile development including prioritizing individuals over processes and working software over extensive documentation |
| Agile Project Management | A project management framework that applies iterative or incremental development approaches, with an emphasis on value delivery and empowering the team. |
| Agile Release Planning | The approach to determine the number of iterations or sprints needed to complete a release. Included are the features that will be in each iteration or sprint that come together to make up the release. |
| Backlog | An evolving list of customer-prioritized stories, tasks, and bugs that have not been completed and are not being worked on during the current iteration |
| Backlog Item | Any story, task, or bug that has not been completed and is not being worked on during the current iteration |
| Backlog Refinement (also referred to as Backlog Grooming or Backlog Maintenance) | Continuously updating the prioritized product backlog to reflect any changes, including adding new items, removing items that are no longer appropriate, reprioritizing existing items as necessary, and refining/cleaning user stories to get them ready for planning and execution |
| Burn Chart | A graphical representation of the product work in an iteration or the project. |
| Burndown Chart | A graphical representation of the work (represented by story points for a release and hours for an iteration) remaining over time |
| Burnup Chart | A graphical representation of the work that has been completed over time plotted against the total work |
| Business Value | An abstraction that includes tangible and intangible elements associated with project, program, and portfolio management that maximize the value to the organization |
| Crystal | A family of light software development methodologies |
| Crystal Clear | A light software development methodology for small (usually 6 or 8 colocated members) teams |
| Crystal Orange | A light software development methodology for medium (usually 10-40 members) teams |
| Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) | A chart that displays features completed over time, in various stages of development, and those in the backlog. |
| Daily Standup | Sometimes called the daily scrum. Team meeting held on a daily basis used to share the daily reality (what you have done since the last daily scrum, what you will do until the next daily scrum, and what impediments stand in your way) and to adapt to that reality, which usually involves an immediate replanning meeting and additional meetings (based on the availability of team members, what technical debt was revealed, and other information that impacts today’s work) |
| Definition of Done DOD) | A Scrum term representing the objective criteria used to determine if a story meets internal standards/constraints |
| Definition of Ready (DOR) | A checklist the team uses to establish they have everything needed to start work on the project or product. |
| Design-the-box | An exercise in which team members create a container for the product that articulates the product’s purpose and lists its key features |
| Development Approach | The method (predictive, iterative, incremental, agile, or hybrid) utilized during the project life cycle to produce and elaborate the product, service, or result of the project. |
| Development Approach and Life Cycle Performance Domain | The performance domain that focuses on activities and functions for the project development approach, cadence, and life cycle phases. |
| DevOps | An approach that focuses on a smooth flow of work completion from development to operations. |
| Elevator Statement | The synopsis of a concept, such as the purpose of a project, which can be expressed in thirty seconds or so |
| Epic | A large story, usually undeveloped, that needs to be decomposed into smaller stories |
| Fail Fast (aka Fast Failure) | A strategy that consists of attempting something, obtaining feedback as soon as possible, and then inspecting and adapting rapidly to determine if the attempt represents a good decision; if not, the attempt is immediately aborted so that time and resources are not wasted on its continuance |
| Feature Creep | The continual increase in or unrestrained changes to software functionality |
| Fibonacci Sequence | A series of numbers that begins with 0 and 1, and then is expanded by adding the two previous numbers together: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13… |
| Fixed Duration | An activity where the duration does not change, regardless of the people or resources applied to the activity. |
| Function Point | An estimate of the amount of business functionality in an IT system. It can be used to calculate the functional size of an application. |
| High-level (Gross) Estimates | An estimate based on relative sizing |
| Hybrid Approach | A project approach that utilizes two or more agile and non-agile elements that results in a non-agile outcome. |
| Ideal Days/Hours | A unit of time (in days or hours) exclusively allocated to a given task, that is a unit of time where no other work is performed or interruptions occur |
| Ideal Time | A unit of time exclusively allocated to a given task, i.e., a unit of time where no other work is performed or interruptions occur |
| Impediment | Anything that prevents the team from working efficiently and effectively |
| Incremental Approach | An adaptive development approach where deliverables are created over time with functionality added until the functionality is determined complete. |
| Incremental Life Cycle | The progression of project phases characterized by an early determination of scope, the adjustment of time and cost estimates as the team learns more about the product, and an increase in functionality resulting from incremental delivery |
| Interdependent Stories | User stories that, considered together, solve a problem |
| Information Radiator | A wall in the common workspace that contains highly visible, graphic representations of progress |
| INVEST | An acronym that stands for the rules that define a user story (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable) |
| Iteration | A timebox cycle to create a product or deliverable where all the work is completed. |
| Iteration 0 (Zero) | Iteration 0 sets the stage for Iteration 1 and beyond by ensuring that the vision statements for the project and release have been prepared, the features in the product backlog have been prioritized and estimated; the stories have been decomposed, the length of the iteration has been set; the team is adequately staffed, the team is co-located, the definition of done is established, the team environment is acceptable, and the architecture has been determined |
| Iteration Plan | The work plan for the current iteration. |
| Iteration Planning | A planning meeting that includes backlog items, acceptance criteria, and work estimates to complete the iteration. In scrum, commonly called a sprint planning meeting. |
| Iteration Review | A meeting held at the end of an iteration to review the work completed during that iteration. In scrum, called a retrospective. |
| Iterative Approach | A development approach that begins with a simple implementation, then expands by adding features until the final deliverable, or outcome is complete. |
| Iterative Life Cycle | The progression of project phases characterized by the development of scope details one iteration at a time, the adjustment of time and cost estimates as the team learns more about the product, and an increase in functionality resulting from iterative development |
| Joint application development (JAD) | A method that involves the product owner/customer or user in the design and development of the product |
| kanban | Signal cards used in manufacturing to assist flow; used to indicate when new work can be pulled into the flow and when there is a stoppage in flow |
| Kanban Board | A visual tool that shows work in progress to identify bottlenecks and overallocations, so that the team can optimize the workflow. |
| Kano Analysis | A model for customer satisfaction that categorizes features as Must Haves, Linear (the more, the better), Exciters/Delighters, or Dissatisfiers |
| Lean | A methodology that emphasizes the elimination of waste, producing only what is valuable to the customer |
| Lean Startup Canvas | A one-page template to communicate the business plan to key stakeholders as effectively as possible. |
| Life Cycle | The phases of a project associated with the work of the project, as opposed to being associated with its project management |
| Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) | An approach to assess the complete environmental impact of a product, process, or system. |
| Lost Iteration | An iteration that does not result in a deliverable |
| Nebulous Units of Time (NUTs) | An alternative term for story points |
| Pair Programming | An eXtreme programming practice that pairs two programmers at one station, typically with one programmer coding (driver) and one reviewing (navigator); an excellent cross-training device |
| Planning Poker | A game played with cards representing tasks that uses Delphi, a method where each team member estimates the size of a task and after a series of discussions, the team arrives at a consensus for task size estimation |
| Product Analysis | An approach used to convert a business-defined product into project deliverables; typically involves asking business representatives questions about the intended uses and characteristics of the product |
| Product Backlog | An evolving list of customer-prioritized features, bugs, technical work, and knowledge acquisition that have not been completed and are not being worked on during the current iteration |
| Product Box Exercise | A technique to help facilitate product requirements gathering and understanding by building a sample box with name, features, and other relevant details. |
| Product Breakdown Structure | A hierarchical structure that shows a product's components and deliverables. |
| Product Life Cycle | The phases of product development, typically defined as conception through delivery, expansion, maturity, and disengagement |
| Product Roadmap | The description of how the project will proceed from its current state to the state described in the vision statement |
| Progressive Elaboration | The iterative process of increasing the level of detail in accordance with the increase in information discovery and estimation accuracy |
| Project Vision Statement | A document that defines the goal of the project, typically referencing the target customer, the need or opportunity, and the key benefit; often includes the main alternative to the project and why the project goal is more desirable |
| Relative Estimation | Assessing the size and complexity of a story by comparing it to previously assessed stories |
| Release | A deployable software package that incorporates several iterations |
| Release Management | Activities performed to ensure that the software is ready for release to the customer |
| Release Plan | A plan that defines iterations, dates and features or outcomes to be delivered over multiple iterations. |
| Release Planning | Defining the prioritized and estimated stories from the product backlog that will be developed in the release and determining the date of the release |
| Roadmap | A document that contains the high-level plan of the features that will be developed during the next few releases; the product owner/customer owns and maintain the document |
| Rolling Wave Planning | Preparing in more detail as the project becomes clearer |
| Scrum | An Agile methodology that delivers finished increments of a product at the end of each Sprint (a timeboxed iteration with a duration of one to four weeks) |
| Scrum of Scrums | A planning forum used in multiple-team projects to coordinate resources and dependencies |
| Scrum Values | Openness, focus, commitment, courage, visibility, and humor |
| Spike | A short, timeboxed research effort that is necessary to estimate the size of a specific story, usually a technical story |
| Sprint | An abbreviated development cycle (typically 30 days) that results in potentially shippable product |
| Sprint Backlog | The list of stories scheduled for the current iteration |
| Sprint Planning | A meeting between the product owner and the team to prioritize and identify stories for the next Sprint |
| Sprint Retrospective Meeting | A meeting held at the end of each Sprint in which the ScrumMaster and the team discuss what went well and what could be improved during the next Sprint; part of the inspect and adapt philosophy |
| Sprint Review | An informal meeting at the end of the Sprint to demonstrate to the product owner what was accomplished during the Sprint |
| Story Map | A graphical model for the team to see all the features and functions with a product, so they know what they are building and why they are building it. |
| Story Point | A measurement that defines the size and complexity of a story/user story relative to a previously estimated story/user story |
| Storyboarding | A prototype method that uses graphics or images to show how a process or outcome should flow, and how the product, service, or application should work when complete. |
| Tailoring | The determination of the conglomeration of processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs, and life cycle phases appropriate to the management of a project. |
| Task (Agile) | A decomposed portion of a story/user story |
| Task board | A surface upon which tasks written on cards are grouped under their user stories and pinned in priority order; used to track the progress of the project |
| Technical Debt | An obligation incurred as a result of an opportunistic design or architectural approach which results in complexity and increased costs in the long term; can also refer to code that will be difficult to maintain as a result of ignoring the definition of done, writing poor code, or writing poor tests |
| Timebox | A fixed duration of time that cannot be expanded |
| User Story | A document describing a unit of functionality written in business language that is used as the basis of conversation between the product owner/customer and the team to elicit functionality details; a user story is independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable |
| Value Delivery System | Tasks associated with building, sustaining, and evolving an organization with project and product work. |
| Value Proposition | The reasoning behind why an organization does or should do something. |
| Velocity | The rate at which stories are completed during an iteration, typically measured in story points; also known as team velocity |
| Velocity Chart | A chart that shows the rate (typically in points) that deliverables are produced, tested, and accepted within a set time interval. |
| Vision Statement | A document that defines the goal of the project, typically referencing the target customer, the need or opportunity, and the key benefit; often includes the main alternative to the project and why the project goal is more desirable |
| Volatility | The potential for unpredictable and rapid change in a project or product environment. |
| Design-the-box | An exercise in which team members create a container for the product that articulates the product’s purpose and lists its key features |
| Elevator Statement | The synopsis of a concept, such as the purpose of a project, which can be expressed in thirty seconds or so |
| Epic | A large story, usually undeveloped, that needs to be decomposed into smaller stories |
| Fail Fast (aka Fast Failure) | A strategy that consists of attempting something, obtaining feedback as soon as possible, and then inspecting and adapting rapidly to determine if the attempt represents a good decision; if not, the attempt is immediately aborted so that time and resources are not wasted on its continuance |
| Feature Creep | The continual increase in or unrestrained changes to software functionality |
| Fibonacci Sequence | A series of numbers that begins with 0 and 1, and then is expanded by adding the two previous numbers together: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13… |
| Fixed Duration | An activity where the duration does not change, regardless of the people or resources applied to the activity. |
| Function Point | An estimate of the amount of business functionality in an IT system. It can be used to calculate the functional size of an application. |
| High-level (Gross) Estimates | An estimate based on relative sizing |
| Interdependent Stories | User stories that, considered together, solve a problem |
| INVEST | An acronym that stands for the rules that define a user story (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable) |
| Nebulous Units of Time (NUTs) | An alternative term for story points |
| Planning Poker | A game played with cards representing tasks that uses Delphi, a method where each team member estimates the size of a task and after a series of discussions, the team arrives at a consensus for task size estimation |
| Product Analysis | An approach used to convert a business-defined product into project deliverables; typically involves asking business representatives questions about the intended uses and characteristics of the product |
| Product Backlog | An evolving list of customer-prioritized features, bugs, technical work, and knowledge acquisition that have not been completed and are not being worked on during the current iteration |
| Product Box Exercise | A technique to help facilitate product requirements gathering and understanding by building a sample box with name, features, and other relevant details. |
| Product Breakdown Structure | A hierarchical structure that shows a product's components and deliverables. |
| Relative Estimation | Assessing the size and complexity of a story by comparing it to previously assessed stories |
| Spike | A short, timeboxed research effort that is necessary to estimate the size of a specific story, usually a technical story |
Glossary Uncertainty
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accept | A strategy for managing positive or negative risks where nothing is done until the risk occurs. |
| Ambiguity | The state of being unclear; not able to identify the cause of events or having many options to select from. |
| Assumption | A premise considered to be true without benefit of proof |
| Assumption Log | A project document that tracks assumptions related to the project. |
| Assumptions and Constraints Analysis | The evaluation of assumptions and constraints to ensure they are factored into the plan and related documents, and they are applied consistently. |
| Avoid | A risk response plan for negative risks where steps are taken to eliminate the risk so that it cannot occur. |
| Brainstorming | A group creativity session that encourages all members to spontaneously suggest ideas that will lead to a solution to a problem |
| Business Risk | A risk that is typically uninsurable because of doing business that could result in a profit or loss. |
| Complexity | The intricate arrangement of many parts or factors into a whole |
| Confirmation Bias | A cognitive bias that validates preexisting ideas, hypothesis, or beliefs. |
| Contingency | A possible event that could negatively impact the project and is typically neutralized by accessing the time or cost reserve established for that purpose |
| Contingency Plan | A risk response strategy that is pre-established and implemented if the risk occurs. |
| Contingency Reserve | Funds set aside for unforeseen events that can negatively effect the project |
| Decision Tree Analysis | A technique used to assess possible responses to a threat or opportunity in order to make the best decision; it involves diagramming the options and notating the expected monetary value (EMV) potential of each option |
| Effect-Based Risk Classification | An approach to analyzing bigger project risks that could impact project success. Categories includes scope, schedule, budget, and quality. |
| Enhance | A risk response strategy for positive risks or opportunities that takes steps to improve the size or capacity of the risk event. |
| Escalate | A risk response strategy that addresses risks that are bigger than the project manager authority, or outside of the project where the risk is handed off to a person with the appropriate level to address it. |
| Expected Monetary Value (EMV) | A statistical technique, typically applied in decision tree analysis, used to determine the average outcome when contingent scenarios for future project risks must be considered |
| Exploit | A risk response strategy that involves ensuring the success of the project opportunity. |
| Insurable Risk | A risk (threat) where insurance can typically be purchased. Categories could include liability, personnel, and property. |
| Management Reserve | Funds set aside for unanticipated project work and excluded from the performance measurement baseline |
| Mitigate | A risk response strategy that takes steps to attempt to minimize the negative impact of the risk. |
| Monte Carlo Simulation | A process that simulates possible project schedule or cost outcomes; often used to estimate required reserves based on the scatter diagram or probability table that is typically the output of the process |
| Opportunity | A risk whose occurrence will result in a positive impact on the project |
| Overall Project Risk | The impact that uncertainty, including the cumulative effect of individual risks, has on the project; the exposure of stakeholders to the implications of variations in project outcome, both positive and negative. |
| Probability and Impact Matrix | An array used in qualitative risk management to prioritize risk, typically based on each risk’s probability of occurrence and potential impact |
| Qualitative Risk Analysis | A technique to establish the probability and impact of project risks. |
| Quantitative Risk Analysis | The process of numerically evaluating the impact of identified risks on the project |
| Reserve | Funds set aside for risks to the budget or schedule, for example management reserves or contingency reserves, as provided for in the project management plan |
| Reserve Analysis | An analysis technique used to identify the critical features and relationships of components in order to determine the amount of reserves realistically needed for the project with consideration of schedule duration, budget, and cost estimation |
| Residual Risk | The remaining risk following the implementation of risk responses |
| Risk | An unscheduled, but possible, event that may have a positive or negative impact on the project if it occurs |
| Risk Acceptance | A risk response strategy that involves acknowledgement only of the risk; no planned response is formulated unless the risk occurs |
| Risk Appetite | The amount of uncertainty an organization or individual is willing to accept in anticipation of a reward. |
| Risk Audits | The evaluation of project risk responses to determine the effectiveness of the utilized approach to risk |
| Risk Avoidance | A risk response strategy that involves the elimination of the threat or protection of the project from the impact of the threat |
| Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) | A representation of risks ranked by category |
| Risk Categorization | The organization of risks by source or other criteria to increase understanding of overall project risk |
| Risk Data Quality Assessment | An evaluation of risk-associated data to determine its quality |
| Risk Enhancement | A risk response strategy that increases the probability of occurrence or impact of an opportunity as a result of deliberate team action. |
| Risk Escalation | A risk response strategy that transfers ownership of the risk from the project team to a higher organizational level for more effectively management. |
| Risk Exploiting | A risk response strategy that ensures the occurrence of an opportunity as a result of deliberate team action. |
| Risk Exposure | The calculation that determines the impact to the schedule if risks are realized: multiply the probability of each risk occurring, expressed as a percentage, by the impact to the schedule if that risk is realized, expressed in days, and total the results |
| Risk Impact | What is at stake if the risk occurs. This is commonly, but not always, measured in dollars. |
| Risk Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to describe the manner in which risk management activities will be framed and executed |
| Risk Mitigation | A risk response strategy that involves the reduction of the threat or the probability that the risk will occur |
| Risk Owner | The person responsible for the monitoring of a risk and for the determination and implementation of an appropriate risk response strategy. |
| Risk Probability | The chance that a risk will occur during the project. |
| Risk Register | A document that lists each risk along with the results of its analysis and risk response planning |
| Risk Report | A project document that establishes the progressive development of risk management processes throughout the project, summarizes individual project risk information, and delineates the degree of overall project risk. |
| Risk Review | A meeting used to examine and document the effectiveness of risk responses in relation to identified, individual project risks and to overall project risk. |
| Risk Sharing | A risk responses strategy that allocates ownership of an opportunity from the project team to a third party who is best able to capture the benefits of that opportunity. |
| Risk Threshold | The degree of risk exposure that defines the upper limit of risk acceptance; risks whose level exceed the threshold must be addressed. |
| Risk Tolerance | The level of risk that an individual or organization is willing to permit; also known as risk utility |
| Risk Transference | A risk response strategy that involves shifting the impact of a threat, as well as accountability for the response, to a third party |
| Risk Workshop | A special meeting to identify project risks. It can include team members and any relevant stakeholders. |
| Risk-Adjusted Backlog | A backlog that can include product work to address any related threats and opportunities. |
| Risk-averse | Possessing a low desire or tolerance for risk |
| Risk-neutral | A middle ground between the risk taken and the benefit received |
| Secondary Risk | A risk that results from a risk response implementation |
| Sensitivity Analysis | A quantitative risk analysis and modeling technique used to identify those risks that have the greatest effect on the project |
| Share | A risk response strategy that involves the risk or opportunity being divided across multiple parties. |
| Source-Based Risk Classification | An approach to analyze risks based on their source. |
| Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis | A risk analysis technique that considers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the project to facilitate a more knowledgeable risk management analysis |
| Threat | A risk whose occurrence will result in a negative impact to the project |
| Transfer | A risk response strategy for negative risks or threats that assigns the risks to a third party. |
| Trigger Condition | An indicator that a risk event could occur |
| Uncertainty | Unknowns associated with tasks, issues, direction, or solutions associated with a project or product. |
| Uncertainty Domain | The performance domain associated with project risk and uncertainty. |
| Workaround | A response to a risk that was unplanned or that had an ineffective planned response |
Glossary Stakeholder
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | A technique that requires the listener to concentrate on the message conveyed by the speaker, then to repeat or paraphrase the message to confirm understanding. |
| Autocratic | A group decision making technique where one party makes the decisions based on the inputs of others. |
| Blockers | A role that interrupts information flow on the project |
| Communication Methods | Procedures, techniques, and processes that are employed to disseminate information to project stakeholders |
| Communication Model | A facsimile that demonstrates the manner in which project communications will be performed |
| Communication Requirements Analysis | An approach to the determination of stakeholder communication requirements, which can include interviews, lessons learned, and analysis of previous projects |
| Communication Styles Assessment | A technique utilized to identify the approach, format, and content preferred by each stakeholder for planned communication activities. |
| Communication Technology | The tools, systems, and computer applications utilized in the dissemination of information to project stakeholders |
| Communications Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, that addresses the communication flow of the project and contains a detailed description of the transmittal process, the transmittal schedule, and the administration process |
| Compromise | A conflict resolution technique in which a solution involves (typically) a little of what everyone is proposing for a solution |
| Conflict Management | The management of conflict within the project by applying such techniques as problem solving, collaboration, forcing, compromising, accommodation, and avoidance |
| Conflict of Interest | A situation in which an individual or company engages in behavior that is inappropriate, but not necessarily illegal (it could be illegal) |
| Cultural Awareness | Being aware of the differences and priorities of the various stakeholders, teams, and organizations, to help establish appropriate communication strategies. |
| Directions of Influence | A model that groups stakeholders on their project influence and priority. Upwards are senior and executive management. Downwards are the team and any specialists. Outwards are any external parties. Sidewards/Sideways are fellow project managers. |
| Emotional Intelligence | The ability to determine, assess, and manage the emotions of individuals or groups |
| Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) | The capacity to acknowledge and effectively manage feelings in oneself and others |
| Focus Group | A focused session involving pre-qualified stakeholders, subject matter experts (SMEs), and a designated leader that is conducted to determine expectations and views regarding a potential product, service, or result |
| Influence/Impact Grid | A model that groups stakeholders by their influence and impact on the project. |
| Interactive Communication | A communication type that enables an exchange of information between multiple parties and fosters a common understanding between participants. |
| Interpersonal Skills | The abilities that maximize the establishment and maintenance of relationships with project stakeholders; examples include the ability to communicate clearly, to motivate others, and to effectively negotiate; also known as soft skills |
| Osmotic Communication | The indirect absorption of information, often by being present, but not participating, during conversations |
| Persona | A fictional character, created by the team to portray a user, used as a reference for determining the viability of a product |
| Political Awareness | Being aware of the power structure and navigating relationships in an organization. |
| Power/Influence Grid | A graphical model that organizes stakeholders by their level of involvement and authority on the project. |
| Power/Interest Grid | A graphical model that organizes stakeholders by their level of interest and authority on the project. |
| Pull Communications | A communication type that requires people to access the communication if they want it. |
| Push Communications | A communication type that distributes the communication to the recipients without requiring them to access it manually. |
| Qualified Vendors | Any vendors that have met the procurement qualification requirements. |
| Qualified Vendors List | A list of vendors that have met the procurement qualification requirements and can be engaged for potential agreements. |
| RACI Chart | A type of responsibility assignment matrix that designates the status of stakeholder involvement in project activities; status designations are responsible, accountable, consult, or inform. |
| Salience Model | A model that organizes stakeholders with their level of authority, involvement, and needs with the project. |
| Stakeholder | Any person or entity, external to the team, that may impact, be impacted by, or perceive itself to be impacted by any decision, activity, or outcome of the project |
| Stakeholder Analysis | A technique by which quantitative and qualitative information is amassed and evaluated to determine whose interests should be considered throughout the project |
| Stakeholder Cube | A 3D model that is an evolution of the earlier two-dimensional models, such as power/interest and power/influence grids. |
| Stakeholder Engagement | Working and communicating with stakeholders to ensure satisfaction of their legitimate needs and expectations, to resolve their issues, and to include them in appropriate decision-making |
| Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix | A matrix in which current and desired stakeholder engagement levels are listed for comparison. |
| Stakeholder Engagement Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to depict all processes, procedures, tools, and techniques that will be used to effectively involve stakeholders in project determinations and performance based on the stakeholders' requirements, concerns, and potential impact |
| Stakeholder Performance Domain | The performance domain associated with identifying and engaging stakeholders. |
| Stakeholder Register | A project document that lists stakeholder information including name, role, assessment, and classification |
| Steering Committee | A group of senior stakeholders who direct and support the project team and make decisions that are outside the scope of the project team's authority. |
| User | The person, division, or company that will be the user or owner of the product when the project is complete |
Glossary Team
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Coaching | Activities associated with providing guidance and reinforcement to people, so they can be more effective. |
| Colocation | A technique for improving team effectiveness, as well as communication and collaboration among team members, by placing them in close proximity to each other |
| Cross-Functional Team | A group whose members collectively provide the skills required to complete the project |
| Development Team | A self-organizing, cross-functional group of individuals who do the work of the project, including analysis, design, development, testing, technical communication, and documentation |
| Expert Judgment | The opinion of an authority on a project-related subject |
| Expert Power | A capacity in which one uses personal knowledge and expert opinion to get others to do what is desired |
| Explicit Knowledge | Knowledge that can be classified utilizing such symbols as words, numerals, and images. |
| Facilitation | The ability to direct a group event to achieve a successful conclusion. |
| Forcing | Applying an all or nothing (win/lose) to get the desired result |
| Functional Manager | A manager of any unit that creates a product or executes a service; also known as a line manager |
| Hierarchy of Needs | A pyramid representation of Maslow's Theory that a person's motivation is based on needs (and where the person fits in this pyramid) |
| Job Shadowing | To view individuals performing the tasks required by their positions |
| Knowledge | The composite of experience, values and beliefs, contextual information, intuition, and insight that people employ in an attempt to make sense of new experiences and information. |
| Knowledge Management | An approach to align people to share knowledge and work/collaborate together on the project. |
| Leadership | The ability to lead others to achieve desired results. Keys include experience, taking on challenges, and engaging stakeholders. |
| Majority | The votes of more than half of the members of a group, typically used to denote agreement with a decision |
| Mirroring | Matching behavior characteristics of another person or group |
| Mood Chart | A chart for tracking moods or reactions to identify areas that can be improved. |
| Motivation | An inner drive that moves people to be engaged and want to work to meet the goal of the project. |
| Observations | To view individuals performing the tasks required by their positions |
| Organization Chart | A graphical representation of an organization’s hierarchical framework as well as the relationships between departments and personnel, typically delineating lines of responsibility and authority |
| Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) | A ranked representation of the project organization that illustrates the relationship between activities and their performing organization unit |
| Organizational Theory | An approach to establish how to maximize productivity and efficiency with stakeholders on the project. |
| Power | The possible ability to influence behavior or performance of others |
| Product Owner/Customer | The primary business representative who manages the vision and ROI and has the authority to make decisions; also called the product champion and voice of the customer |
| Programmer-Coach | A person, typically a senior programmer, who guides the team in applying XP practices |
| Project Lead | A person who works with the project team to achieve project goals by helping to organize the work. They are also called a project manager. |
| Project Management Team | The individuals on the project team who perform project management activities |
| Project Manager (PM) | The person authorized by the performing organization to direct the team accountable for realizing project objectives |
| Project Team | The individuals responsible for reinforcing the project manager in the work of the project in order to realize project objectives |
| Recognition | A personal approach to emphasize good behavior, effort, or other attribute instead of simply a result. |
| Resource Breakdown Structure | A representation of resources ranked by category and type |
| Resource Management Plan | A component of the project management plan that defines the manner in which project resources are acquired, allocated, monitored, and controlled. |
| Resource Requirements | The types and quantities of resources needed for each activity that makes up a work package. |
| Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) | A graphical representation of the project resources committed to a monitored area of the project, such as a work package; typically applies RACI (responsibly, accountable, consult, inform) indicators to depict the form of commitment |
| Reward | A tangible item given to someone based on an achievement. |
| Reward and Recognition Plan | A formal approach to reinforce desired performance. |
| Role | A person’s identity within the project such as product owner/customer, project manager, developer, or tester |
| Scribe | The person who documents meetings and modeling sessions |
| Scrum Team | A self-organizing, cross-functional group of individuals who do the work of the Scrum |
| ScrumMaster | The servant leader and facilitator who ensures that the Scrum process is followed, that Scrum is used in a positive way by the team, and that the team is continually improving in its use of Scrum |
| Self-Organizing Team | A team formation type that defines a team able to function without centralized control. |
| Servant Leader | A leader whose focus is on providing what the team needs, removing roadblocks, and performing tasks that will support and improve team productivity |
| Servant Leadership | The approach of leading the team with a focus on the needs of the team members to attempt to maximize the highest possible team results. |
| Situational Leadership | The adaptation of leadership to the task at hand and in consideration of the maturity of the team |
| Sponsor | The person or group responsible for providing resources and reinforcement for the project and for enabling the project to realize its objectives |
| Subject Matter Expert | Any person who has deep, specialized knowledge of a subject |
| T-Shaped | A general reference to a person that has deep knowledge or experience in one area, and a broad ability in other required areas needed by the team. |
| Tacit Knowledge | Individual knowledge (such as beliefs, experience, and insights) that can be difficult to express and share. |
| Team Charter | A document that delineates team values, agreements, and operating guidelines and establishes clear expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members. |
| Team Development | The creation of individual and team skills to maximize project output |
| Team Dynamics | The manner in which team members interact with each other |
| Team Management Plan | A component of the resource management plan that delineates the manner and timing in which team members are acquired and released. |
| Team Performance Domain | The performance domain associated with the team that will create the project deliverables to realize the desired project outcomes. |
| Team Resource Management | The processes to organize, lead, and manage the project team. Processes to procure and manage physical (non-personnel) project resources are also included. |
| Team-Building Activities | Facilitated by the project manager or other leader, formal or informal steps taken to help the team evolve into a high performing group. |
| Theory X | The hypothesis that management’s role is to direct, and if necessary, coerce the employee in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization |
| Theory Y | The hypothesis that management’s role is to develop employee potential and help them release that potential to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization |
| Thumb Vote | Agreement (thumbs-up) or disagreement (thumbs-down) with a statement, idea, or proposal; also called a Roman Vote |
| Unanimity | A decision with which all group members concurred |
| Virtual Team | A group of people with similar goals who form a team but spend little (if any) time together |
| War Room | A room shared by project personnel that can be used for planning and meetings, and display charts, graphs, and various other project information |
| Work Shadowing | An approach where someone can learn about and perform a job while learning from someone with more experience, including a mentor. |
Glossary Delivery
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Affinity Diagram | A tool used to gather ideas and organize them into groupings so they can be reviewed and analyzed; typically used for ideas generated from brainstorming sessions |
| Affinity Grouping | The process to group similar items into the same category. |
| Context Diagrams | A graphical representation of the scope of a business system that includes processes, equipment, and computer systems and indicates the manner in which people and other systems interact with the business system |
| Continuous Delivery | The approach to deliver features immediately to the customer in small increments of work and automation technology. |
| Data-flow diagram (DFD) | Graphical representation depicting the movement of data between processes, objects, and storage within the system |
| Data Gathering and Analysis Methods | A method used to collect, assess, and review data and information to better understand the situation. |
| Decomposition | The process of breaking down the work of the project into smaller, more controllable components |
| Deliverable | Any product, result, or service that must be generated to complete a process, phase, or project |
| Delivery Performance Domain | The performance domain that focuses on activities and functions to deliver project scope and quality. |
| Facilitated Workshop | A focused session involving cross-functional stakeholders and a designated leader that is conducted to achieve a specific goal, such as the creation of project requirements |
| Features | The characteristics that the user desires built into a product |
| Incentive Fee | An amount paid, in addition to the contract amount, for exceeding expectations, particularly in the areas of cost, schedule, or technical performance |
| Increment | Consecutive changes that increase the amount or value of something |
| Interviews | A focused session involving individual stakeholders and a designated leader that is conducted to elicit specific information |
| Issue | A disputed or unsettled condition |
| Issue Log | A project document that tracks elements which cause stakeholder concern or dissension |
| Just In Time (JIT) Development | The development of something when it’s needed and not before |
| Lead Time | The amount of time between a customer's request and delivery. |
| Lead Time Chart | A chart that shows trends over time and the average lead time of completed work items. |
| Learning Curve Theory | A theory which states that the more of something that is produced, the lower the unit cost of it becomes due to an improvement in efficiency |
| Mind-Mapping | A technique used to integrate ideas created through individual brainstorming sessions into a single map in order to highlight similarities and differences in understanding and generate new ideas. |
| Modeling | The process of evaluating counterfeit situations to determine their impact on the project |
| MoSCoW | A model for prioritization that categorizes features as Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have [we use KANO instead] |
| Negotiated Settlement | The resolution and finalization of any contract related issues, claims, and disputes |
| Nominal Group Technique | A technique, effected by a voting process, that is used to prioritize ideas by utility for further brainstorming |
| Observed Velocity | A technique used to estimate future velocity based on the velocity achieved during one, two, or three completed iterations |
| Outcome | An end result of a process or product. |
| PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) | An iterative, four step process used to improve quality |
| Planning Package | A WBS component that has no detailed scheduled activities even though it is known to have work content |
| Plurality | The votes of the largest block in a group when a majority is not required, typically used to denote agreement with a decision |
| Prioritization Matrices | A quality management tool used to identify issues and potential alternatives related to the establishment of implementation priorities |
| Product Scope | The features and functions of a project's product, service, or result |
| Project Requirements | The conditions or capabilities that a product, service, or outcome should preform when complete. |
| Project Scope | The work executed to deliver a product, service, or result that satisfies the specified features and functions |
| Project Scope Management | The processes required to ensure that all the work needed to complete the project, and only that work, is included in the project |
| Project Scope Statement | The document that describes the major deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and scope of the project |
| Proof of Concept (POC) | A model built to test a concept; a prototype |
| Prototype | A working model of the product created to obtain detailed stakeholder feedback |
| Quality Function Deployment (QFD) | A workshop approach used in manufacturing environments to establish requirements. |
| Quality Gate | A gate that occurs before a project phase. It is impacted by the previous phase. The quality gate is used to help document the transition between stages in the project life cycle as quality goals are met. |
| Quality Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to describe the execution of the organization's quality policies |
| Quality Policy | The organizational policies crafted to achieve quality goals. |
| Questionnaires | Written surveys designed to quickly gather information from a large number of respondents. |
| Requirement | A condition or capability that must be made available through a product, service, or result in order to fulfill a contract or formal specification |
| Requirements Documentation | A document that describes requirements for creating a product or a feature of the product |
| Requirements Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to describe the evaluation, recording, and administration of project requirements |
| Requirements Traceability Matrix | A graphical representation that illustrates the relationships between the origins of the product requirements to the deliverables that fulfill the requirements |
| Scope | The products, services, and results expected to be provided by the project |
| Scope Baseline | The authorized scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary that contain only those modifications authorized through a formal change control process; used as a basis for comparison |
| Scope Creep | The gradual increase in the scope of the project over time |
| Scope Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to the manner in which the project scope will be delineated, elaborated, monitored, controlled, and authenticated |
| Self-adapting | Modification of a process as quickly as needed to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to the project |
| Service Level Agreement (SLA) | A contract between an internal or external service provider and the end user that delineates the level of service expected from the service provider. |
| Swarm | The assignment of all capable team members to a specific task with a high priority |
| Throughput | The rate at which items pass through a system |
| Throughput Chart | A chart that shows accepted deliverables over time on a project. |
| Traceability | The practice of defining the relationships between different artifacts (e.g., documents, models, and source code) |
| User interface (UI) | The part of the system with which the user will interact |
| Value Stream | The series of activities required to analyze, design, build, and deploy a product |
| Value Stream Map | A graphical display of the steps associated with a process, and the time with each step to identify potential waste. |
| Value Stream Mapping | The identification of the process steps to analyze, design, build, and deploy a product; tools are available to execute this process |
| Voice of the Customer (VOC) | The translation of customer requirements into requisite technical requirements in a manner that ensures the results of the project will meet the requirements of the customer |
| Warranty | A commitment from the organization providing it, that the product, service, or outcome will perform at a predefined standard. |
| Waste | Anything that does not add value for the customer |
| WBS Dictionary | A document that itemizes deliverable, activity, and scheduling information for each WBS component |
| Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | A document used in traditional project management that itemizes the work decomposed from the project scope statement |
| Work in Progress (WIP) | Software that is in the process of development, but has not yet been deployed; calculated by multiplying throughput (rate at which items pass through the system) by lead time (time between two successive deliveries) |
| Work Package | The smallest level of WBS work for which cost and time can be assessed and administered |
Glossary General planning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Analogous Estimate | A top-down method that approximates size, cost, or scope based on the size, cost, or scope of a similar object or process |
| Analogy Approach | A methodology for establishing values for the current project based on those from a previous project with similar characteristics; values obtained from this method include activity duration, required resources, and estimated costs |
| Baseline | The agreed upon level of work (or other variable) used as a basis for comparison; once established, any changes must be authorized through formal change control procedures |
| Basis of Estimates | Supporting details associated with an estimate, typically time or cost, that may include assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels |
| Benefits Management Plan | A component of the project management plan that details the manner in which the benefits provided by a project or program are created, maximized, and sustained. |
| Bottom-up Estimating | An estimating technique in which individual estimates are rolled up to create a summary estimate for the project |
| Charter | An instrument issued by the project sponsor or initiator that approves the existence of the project and authorizes the project manager to assign resources held by the organization to project activities |
| Configuration Management | A process which verifies that the products of the project are complete and accurate |
| Configuration Management Plan | A part of the project management plan that is used to control product features and details through change control. |
| Configuration Management System | A subsystem within the project management system that is comprised of documented procedures that delineate the method by which the attributes of a product, result, service, or component of a project are determined; attribute changes are controlled via authorization rules and a tracking system; conformance requirements can be corroborated through audit |
| Constraint | An internal or external limitation of the project |
| De Facto Regulations | Regulations that are commonly applied across the environment or organization. |
| De Jure Regulations | Regulations that are required by law or are deemed recognized by experts. |
| Decision Making | The approach of selecting from various options. |
| Document Analysis | The evaluation of current documentation related to project risk |
| Enterprise Environmental Factors | Internal and external variables, not under the control of the project team, that impact the project |
| Estimate | An approximation of an outcome, based on experience or calculation, that is typically applied to cost, effort, or duration and usually contains a modifier (e.g. preliminary) and an accuracy indication (e.g. ±%) |
| Estimating Methods | Methods to establish work, time, or cost estimates for a project. |
| Forecast | The estimation of a future state of a project based on the performance levels of the organization or a previous project; typically includes measurements associated with estimate at completion (EAC) or estimate to complete (ETC) |
| Hierarchy Chart | A chart that shows high-level information that is broken down into more detail as needed. |
| Interface | A boundary that allows two separate systems or a user and a system to interact |
| Kickoff Meeting | A meeting used to initiate the start of the project; typically attended by all the key stakeholders; can be done when Initiating or Planning is complete depending upon the organization |
| Material | Any materials used on a project; examples include equipment, tools, machinery, and supplies |
| Most Likely Duration | The most probable, or realistic, estimate of elapsed time for an activity based on data from previous projects or expert judgment |
| Multi-criteria Decision Analysis | A process that utilizes a decision matrix to systematically analyze project information such as risk levels, uncertainty, value, and prioritization |
| Multipoint Estimating | A method used in cost or duration estimating with an average or weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely (realistic) values to factor in uncertainty. |
| Optimistic Duration | The shortest estimate of elapsed time or lowest cost for an activity based on data from previous projects or expert judgment |
| Parametric Estimating | A technique, effected by a calculation that employs an algorithm, used to determine cost or duration. Sometimes called parametric modeling. |
| PERT Weighted Average | An estimating technique used to take the pessimistic, optimistic, and realistic (most likely) estimates to achieve a cumulative estimate |
| Pessimistic Duration | The longest estimate of elapsed time for an activity based on data from previous projects or expert judgment; typically used in three-point or parametric estimates |
| Planning | A meeting to prioritize stories and define tasks for the next iteration |
| Probabilistic Estimating | A method that produces a range of estimates and the associated probabilities of each estimate. |
| Product | An output of the project that is quantifiable and can be described as material and goods |
| Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) | An estimation technique, used when individual estimates are questionable, that involves applying a weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates |
| Project Brief | A high level document with the goals, processes, and deliverables associated with the project. |
| Project Charter | An instrument issued by the project sponsor or initiator that approves the existence of the project and authorizes the project manager to assign resources held by the organization to project activities |
| Project Management Plan | The cumulative document, containing all management plans and other planning documents, that serves as the blueprint for realizing the objectives of the project |
| Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Estimate | A cost estimate, performed early in the project, of the completion cost of the project; the tolerance range is -25% to +75%. |
| Simulation | A project computer model that can counterfeit project outcome when there is uncertainty associated with schedule, cost or resources |
| Single-Point Estimating | An estimating method that uses data to establish a best guess estimate. |
| Three-Point Estimating | A technique used to evaluate the cost or duration of an activity by averaging the optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates. |
| Wideband Delphi | An estimation technique where each team member estimates the size of a task and after a series of discussions, the team arrives at a consensus for task size estimation |
Glossary Schedule planning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Activity | A unique, scheduled segment of project work that typically has an associated cost, duration, and resources; sometimes called a task |
| Activity Attributes | The characteristics of an activity that include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions |
| Activity Dependency | The relationship between two activities or between an activity and a milestone, also known as a logical relationship |
| Activity Duration Estimate | The projected duration of an activity |
| Activity List | A listing of scheduled activities, with such details of a description, identifier, and scope of work, used to ensure that team members comprehend the work that will be performed during the project |
| Backward Pass | A network diagramming method that calculates the late start (LS) and late finish (LF) dates of each activity by working backward through the schedule from the project completion date |
| Bar Chart | A graphical representation of schedule-related information. Typically, schedule activities or work breakdown structure components are displayed vertically on the far left of the chart, dates are displayed horizontally across the top of the chart, and activity duration's are displayed as date-placed horizontal bars. Also see Gantt chart. |
| Crashing | A compression technique to shorten the duration of the schedule, typically by adding additional resources to critical path activities |
| Critical Path | The progression of activities that comprise the longest path through the project; used to ascertain the project duration |
| Critical Path Activity | An activity on the critical path of a project schedule |
| Critical Path Method | A technique used to assess minimum project duration and ascertain any schedule adaptability that appertains to logical network paths |
| Dependency | The relationship between two activities or between an activity and a milestone, also known as a logical relationship |
| Discretionary Dependency | An activity that the project manager (or other decision maker) arbitrarily chooses to designate as a dependency; for example, making the reservation of a hotel room dependent on the purchase of a plane ticket; also known as soft logic |
| Duration (DU or DUR) | The time, exclusive of holidays or other days in which business is not conducted and typically measured in workdays or workweeks, required to complete a specific activity or WBS component |
| Early Finish Date (EF) | The earliest possible date for an activity to be completed based upon the schedule network logic |
| Early Start Date (ES) | The earliest possible date for an activity to be started based upon the schedule network logic |
| Effort | The amount of labor (typically measured in hours, days, or weeks) required to complete an activity or WBS component |
| Elapsed Time | The actual time to complete a task. |
| External Dependency | A relationship between project activities and non-project activities |
| Fast Tracking | A schedule compression approach that puts some activities in parallel, instead of in series to shorten pieces of, or the overall project duration. |
| Finish Date | A point in time related to the completion of a schedule activity and typically qualified as actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current. |
| Finish-to-finish (FF) | A dependency that requires the completion of a predecessor activity prior to the completion of the successor activity |
| Finish-to-start (FS) | A dependency that requires the completion of a predecessor activity prior to the start of the successor activity |
| Float | The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying successor activities or the project completion date |
| Forward Pass | A network diagramming method that calculates the early start (ES) and early finish (EF) dates of each activity by working forward through the schedule from the project inception date or a specific point in time |
| Free Float | The amount of time an activity can be delayed without violating any schedule limitation and without delaying the early start date of successor activities |
| Gantt Chart | A graphical representation that registers activities on the vertical axis and depicts the activity durations, based on their start and finish dates, on the horizontal access; also known as a bar chart |
| Internal Dependency | A relationship between multiple project tasks. |
| Lag | The amount of time, predicated on the start or finish of a predecessor activity, a successor activity must be delayed |
| Late Finish Date (LF) | The latest possible date for an activity to be completed based upon the schedule network logic, the project finish date, and schedule limitations |
| Late Start Date (LS) | The latest possible date for an activity to be started based upon the schedule network logic, the project finish date, and schedule limitations |
| Lead | The amount of time, predicated on the start or finish of a predecessor activity, a successor activity can be moved up |
| Mandatory Dependency | A relationship that is necessitated by virtue of a contractual requirement or the work itself |
| Merge | A coming together (convergence) of activities on a network diagram |
| Milestone | A meaningful project event typically preceded by a series of activities that lead to its completion |
| Milestone Charts | A summary chart that itemizes key milestones over time on the project. |
| Milestone List | A list of significant events in the project that may be designated as mandatory or optional |
| Milestone Schedule | A summary timetable that itemizes key milestones |
| Near-critical Activity | Any schedule network diagram activity that is close to zero slack |
| Network Diagram | A schematic of logical relationships that make up the flow of activities on the project; always drawn from left to right |
| Network Path | An uninterrupted series of activities depicted in a schedule network diagram and connected by dependencies |
| Node | A point in a schedule network that is the juncture of some or all dependency lines |
| Over-allocation | A situation in which a resource is applied to too many activities at the same time to accomplish them all within the acceptable timeframe |
| Path Convergence | A node on a network diagram that indicates the merger of parallel paths; distinguished by an activity with multiple predecessors |
| Path Divergence | A dependency between a schedule activity and its multiple successors; sometimes called a burst |
| Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) | A technique used to create a schedule model in which activities are represented by nodes and graphically linked by one or more logical relationships in order to display the sequence in which the activities are to be performed. |
| Precedence Relationship | A dependency in the precedence diagramming method; also known as a logical relationship |
| Predecessor Activity | An activity that logically precedes a successor activity |
| Project Schedule | The document, an output of the schedule model, that depicts linked activities with their estimated dates, durations, milestones, and resources |
| Project Schedule Network Diagram | A graphical representation of the logical relationships that exist among activities in the project schedule |
| Resource Leveling | A technique in which resource constraints dictate start and finish date adjustments in order to balance the demand for resources with the resources available |
| Resource Optimization Techniques | An approach to resource allocation that adjusts schedule start and finish dates to ensure that resource assignments do not exceed predefined capacity limits |
| Schedule | The document, an output of the schedule model, that depicts linked activities with their estimated dates, durations, milestones, and resources |
| Schedule Baseline | The authorized version of the schedule model that is used as the basis for comparison and can only be modified through a formal change control procedure |
| Schedule Compression | Any technique, such as crashing or fast tracking, used to shorten the duration of the schedule while maintaining the project scope |
| Schedule Forecasts | Estimates, based on current project information, that are associated with future schedule events |
| Schedule Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, that authenticates standards and activities used to produce, track, and administer the schedule |
| Schedule Model | A model which includes activity durations and dependencies, used to produce the project schedule |
| Sequential Relationships | An approach where one phase has to be complete before the next one starts. |
| Start Date | The date work begins on an activity; can include qualifiers such as actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, target, baseline, and current |
| Start-to-finish (SF) | A dependency that requires the start of a predecessor activity prior to the completion of the successor activity |
| Start-to-start (SS) | A dependency that requires the start of a predecessor activity prior to the start of the successor activity |
| Successor Activity | An activity that logically follows its predecessor activity |
| Summary Activity | An array of related schedule activities aggregated and displayed as a single activity. |
| Total Slack (Total Float) | The amount of time an activity can slip (be delayed) from its early start date without delaying the overall finish date |
Glossary Cost planning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Actual Cost (AC) | The total cost accrued for an activity over a designated time period; also known as the actual cost of work performed (ACWP) |
| Budget | The total cost of all project iterations including adjustments for change |
| Budget at Completion (BAC) | The total project budget derived from incorporating all items from the project's individual budgets; also called the sum of all planned value (PV) |
| Chart of Accounts | A structure used to monitor project cost that usually aligns with a company's accounting system and WBS of the project or program |
| Code of Accounts | The numbering system used to distinguish constituents of the WBS |
| Control Account | A specific point in the work breakdown structure (WBS) where the project scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are combined and then compared to earned value in order to establish performance metrics |
| Cost Aggregation | Adding together the work package cost estimates for high-level WBS components, including control accounts, for the purpose of establishing the value of the total project or the control account work |
| Cost Baseline | The authorized project budget version, exclusive of management reserves, that requires a formal control process to effect changes and is used as the basis of comparison to actual costs |
| Cost Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to describe the framing, forming, observation, and control of project costs |
| Definitive Estimate | A cost estimate that provides an accurate estimate of the project cost; the final cost estimate used before implementation; typically the range of -10% to +10% |
| Earned Value (EV) | Represents the worth of the work completed at a specific point in time; also known as the budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) |
| Earned Value Analysis | An approach that measures scope, schedule, and cost to establish the state of the project schedule and budget. |
| Earned Value Management | A technique, effected by considering actual cost (AC), time (PV) , and what has been accomplished (EV), that is used to determine project progress and performance |
| Funding Limit Reconciliation | The process of comparing planned project expenses to any limitations or constraints in project funding |
| Internal Rate of Return (IRR) | In capital budgeting, the interest rate that makes the net present value of all cash flow equal to zero |
| Net Present Value (NPV) | Comparison of the value of a dollar today versus the value of that dollar in the future taking inflation and return into account |
| Opportunity Cost | The amount associated with bypassing one opportunity in favor of another; as an example, if the pursuit of project B with a value of $75K is elected over the pursuit of project A with a value of $50K, $50k value of project A will not be realized |
| Payback Period | The amount of time needed to recover the investment in the project |
| Planned Value (PV) | The total value of the work scheduled as of a certain point in time; also known as the budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) |
| Present Value (PV) | The current value of a value stream at a specific point in time in the future |
| Return on Investment (ROI) | The amount of income from an investment; income divided by the investment |
Glossary Procurement planning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Agreements (Predictive) | A document or communication that defines the intentions of a project; examples include a contract, a memorandum of understanding (MOU), and letters of agreement |
| Bid Documents | The documentation utilized to request information, quotations, or proposals from prospective sellers. |
| Bidder Conference | Meetings with potential sellers that occur before bids or proposals are prepared and which are used to ensure that all sellers have an unambiguous and common comprehension of the procurement; also known as a contractor conference, vendor conference, or pre-bid conference |
| Breach of Contract | When some, or all terms of a contract (agreement) are not performed or met. |
| Completion Contract | A general category of contract that is done when the seller delivers the product, and the buyer accepts it. |
| Contract | A mutually binding agreement that requires, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, the seller to deliver goods or services to the purchaser and the purchaser to compensate the seller for those goods or services |
| Contract Change Control System | System that manages contract amendments |
| Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) Contract | A contract in which the seller receives payments for actual costs related to completed work plus an award that is at the discretion of the buyer; the award that typically represents seller profit |
| Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Contract | A contract in which the supplier receives payment for allowable costs plus a fixed fee typically based on estimated cost |
| Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) Contract | A contract in which the supplier receives payment for allowable costs, as well as a pre-negotiated fee and an incentive fee (if incentives are met) |
| Cost Reimbursable (CR) Contract | A mutually binding agreement that compensate the seller for goods or services on the basis of actual costs plus a fee that represents the seller's profit and typically includes an incentive if specific objectives, such as budget or schedule targets, are met |
| Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Contract | A contract that requires the seller to provide products or services for a set price based on a well defined scope of work; the seller assumes the majority of risk |
| Fixed Price (FP) Contract | A mutually binding agreement that compensates the seller for goods or services on the basis of a fixed amount identified in the agreement, notwithstanding the seller's costs |
| Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF) Contract | A contract in which the seller provides products or services based on a well defined scope of work for a set price, but which allow for additional payments to the seller if pre-defined performance objectives are met; the seller assumes the majority of risk |
| Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment (FP-EPA) Contract | A contract that requires the seller to provide products or services for a set price based on a well defined scope of work and allows a price adjustment over time in response to a specific indicator, typically a change in the cost of labor or materials; the seller assumes the majority of risk |
| Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) | A contract that delivers an indefinite quantity of goods and services, with minimums/maximums in a set timeframe. |
| Invitation for Bid (IFB) | A procurement document, typically used when requirements are complete, clear, and accurate or with governmental sealed bids, issued by the seller to request a proposal from the seller; in addition to detailed requirements, it often includes acceptability criteria |
| Make or Buy Analysis | The process of determining whether specific work should be created by the project team or purchased from an external source |
| Make or Buy Decisions | The result of the process of determining whether specific work should be created by the project team or purchased from an external source. |
| Outsourcing | An approach to procure services from a third party for a contract or short-term duration. |
| Procurement | The acquisition of goods or services from an outside source (vendor) |
| Procurement Documents | The instruments used with bid and proposal activities that include the Invitation for Bid (IFB), the Invitation for Negotiation (IFN), the Request for Information (RFI), the Request for Quotation (RFQ), and the Request for Proposal (RFP) |
| Procurement Management Plan | The document, part of the project or program management plan, used to describe the methods that will be employed by the project team to obtain goods and services from outside the organization |
| Procurement Statement of Work | A description of a procurement item that is broken down to the appropriate level of detail that will allow potential sellers to determine if they are capable of providing the products or services associated with the contract scope |
| Request for Information (RFI) | A buyer issued procurement document requesting a potential seller to provide information related to the seller's ability to deliver a product, service, or capability |
| Request for Proposal (RFP) | A procurement document issued by the buyer to request a proposal from the seller; typically describes acceptability criteria and a description of the product, service, or capability the buyer wishes to procure |
| Request for Quote (RFQ) | A document used to get bids or quotes from possible suppliers, usually for commodity type items, with minimal customization |
| Selected Sellers | Vendors chosen to provide products or services |
| Seller Proposals | An offer from a vendor who is being considered as a provider of a product or service |
| Source Selection Criteria | Seller attributes that will be considered by the buyer; typically includes capacity to deliver, costs, delivery dates, expertise, and contract approach |
| Statement of Work (SOW) | A detailed description of the products, services, or results expected from a project or other initiative |
| Time & Materials (T&M) Contract | A contract that pays the contractor the actual cost of labor, the actual cost of materials and equipment usage, and an agreed upon profit |
| Top-down Estimating | An estimating technique in which the project manager estimates the cost or duration of the project based on the cost or duration of a previous project that is very similar to the current project |
| Waiver | Surrendering a contract right, term, or condition. |
Glossary Project Work
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alternative Analysis | A technique used to evaluate project execution approaches |
| Cadence | The rhythm of activities conducted throughout the project. |
| Capacity | The amount of work that can be completed in a defined time period taking into consideration the need to perform administrative tasks, the need to perform other work, and absence |
| Cease and Desist Letter | A letter sent to a party demanding that they stop (cease) something, and not do it again (desist). |
| Checklist Analysis | An evaluation of project checklists to determine their effectiveness |
| Cycle Time | The total elapsed time to move a unit of work from the beginning to the end of the process |
| Cycle Time Chart | A diagram that displays the average cycle period of work (features, tasks) completed over time. |
| Feedback Loop | A control process within a process or system that uses cause and effect to improve the process or system |
| Flow chart | Graphic representation of logic stream for business process or software operation |
| Kaizen | The philosophy of continuous improvement |
| Last Responsible Moment | An approach to delay a decision so the team can consider multiple options to the point that cost of any longer delay outweighs the benefit. |
| Minimum Business Increment (MBI) | The smallest value that can be added to the product to benefit customers or the business. |
| Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF) | The smallest unit of functionality required for the customer to realize value |
| Minimum Viable Product (MVP) | An approach to define the initial scope of a release to customers with the fewest requirements that deliver value. |
| Negotiation | The art of reaching an agreement or resolving issues between two or more parties |
| Procurement Audits | Examinations of contracts and contract processes for legality, completeness, accuracy, and effectiveness |
| Project Work Performance Domain | The performance domain associated with identifying project processes, managing physical resources, and creating a learning environment. |
| Term Contract | A contract type where the seller delivers a set amount of service, typically measured in hours over a predefined timeframe. |
| Theory of Constraints (also called Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints) | The hypothesis that every system is negatively impacted by a small number of limitations and there is always at least one limitation; addressed by the Five Focusing Steps of determining the goal, determining the bottleneck, exploiting the bottleneck, subordinating other decisions to the bottleneck, elevating the bottleneck, and repeating the steps |
| Version Control | A system that keeps track of changes to a file, so that you can access older versions if needed. |
| Visual Data and Information | Artifacts that organize and display work data and information in a graphical format, including graphs, charts, diagrams, and matrices. |
| What-If Scenario Analysis | The process of evaluating counterfeit situations to determine their impact on the project |
Glossary Measurement
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 80/20 Rule | A rule of thumb that has many applications, but generally implies that 80% of problems or defects come from a small number (20%) of causes. |
| A/B Testing | A marketing tool where users are given two different options with one independent variable, to see which they prefer. |
| Acceptance Criteria | Customer identified functionality written in enough detail to validate product performance; objective criteria that determines if the story achieves the value it represents |
| Acceptance Test | Activities that validate that the features perform in accordance with customer defined functionality |
| Accuracy | The degree of correctness within a quality system |
| Administrative Closure | Task associated with the verification and documentation of project results, to formally close the project or phase. |
| Attribute Sampling Data | Data that is counted to analyze, create charts/graphs, and support decision making. |
| Auditing | A formal review of the project's characteristics including purpose, results, metrics, and documentation, among other parameters. |
| Benchmarking | Technique of measuring performance against the best-in-class; often involves determining the processes used by best-in-class to achieve that status and applying those processes to effect improvement |
| Cause and Effect Diagram | A decomposition approach used to identify the root cause of a problem; also known as a fishbone or Ishakawa diagram |
| Checksheets | A sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data |
| Close Project or Phase | The process of completing each activity across all process groups in order to finalize a project or phase |
| Close-Out Meetings | Meetings held at the end of the project to review project work, and to capture lessons learned. (Sometimes called lessonsn learned or retrospectives.) |
| Conformance | Within the quality management system, the delivery of a product or result that falls within the acceptable tolerance levels of quality requirements |
| Continuous Improvement (CI) | Daily inspection and adaption performed to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to the workplace |
| Control | The process of contrasting actual performance to planned performance, assessing the resulting variances, and determining the actions that will improve performance levels |
| Control Chart | A graphic representation of process data over time that is set against documented control limits and has a center line (mean) to assist in identifying trends |
| Cost of Conformance | A proactive approach, spending money on quality with a project to attempt to design out defects before they arise. Any type of proactive spending can be included to eliminate potential defects and maximize the customer experience with the product. |
| Cost of Nonconformance | Cost associated with not meeting quality expectations of the project or product |
| Cost of Quality | The total cost of achieving or failing to achieve desired quality: specifically the costs of achievement are those associated with planning, controlling, and assuring quality and the costs of failure are those associated with reworking, warranty, waste, and negative reputation |
| Cost Performance Index (CPI) | The ratio indicating the cost efficiency of resources, calculated by dividing earned value (EV) by actual cost (AC): a CPI of 1.0 indicates the project is proceeding as planned; a CPI greater than 1.0 more indicates the project is proceeding better than planned; and a CPI less than 1.0 indicates the project is not proceeding as well as planned |
| Cost Variance (CV) | The difference between the value of what was built (earned value) and the cost of what was built (actual cost) |
| Criteria | Standards applied to a product, service, result, or process in order to make a decision or render a judgment about that product, service, result or process |
| Debriefing | A more casual approach to lessons learned on a project to help the organization evolve and improve future projects. |
| End-to-End Test | Investigation of the entire software environment under conditions that replicate actual usage, such as any interactions with databases, other applications, and/or other systems |
| Estimate at Completion (EAC) | The estimated cost of all the project work based on the actual cost of work done plus the estimated costs of work remaining |
| Estimate at Completion (EAC) | The estimated cost of all the project work based on the actual cost of work done plus the estimated costs of work remaining |
| Estimate to Complete (ETC) | The expected monetary resources required to complete the remaining work of the project; calculated by subtracting actual cost (AC) from the estimate at completion (EAC) |
| Estimate to Complete (ETC) | The expected monetary resources required to complete the remaining work of the project; calculated by subtracting actual cost (AC) from the estimate at completion (EAC) |
| Five Whys Activity | The practice of asking a series of questions as a method of uncovering the source of an issue |
| Formal Acceptance | Attaining signature for a piece of the project or the complete project, where the signature represents completion or closure of the project or that piece of the project |
| Grade | A ranking to classify products that have different functions or features |
| Histogram | A graphical representation, in the format of bar chart, that depicts the central tendency, dispersal, and shape of a statistical distribution |
| Influence Diagram | A graphical representation of relationship between variables and outcomes including situations with causal influence and event time sequences |
| Key Performance Indicator (KPI) | A metric or measurement used to compare a team's performance to the project's vision and goals. |
| Lessons Learned | The knowledge of what worked and what didn't work during a project |
| Lessons Learned Register | A project document utilized to record knowledge gained, both positive and negative, during the project; the information contained in register can be used in the current project and entered into the lessons learned repository for use with future projects. |
| Matrix Diagrams | A quality management tool that analyzes data by showing relationships between the data |
| Measurement Performance Domain | The performance domain associated with project performance including assessing performance and maintaining acceptable performance levels. |
| Measures of Performance | Measures that show physical or functional attributes related to system or application operation. |
| Net Promotor Score (NPS) | An index that measures a customer's willingness to recommend the organization's products or services to others. |
| Normal Distribution | A bell-shaped curve that is in sync with the mean of the population |
| Pareto Chart | A bar chart, ordered by occurrence frequency, depicting the number of outcomes for each identified cause. Sometimes called a Pareto diagram. |
| Percent Complete | The completed work estimate of an activity or WBS component expressed as a percentage |
| Performance | The level of success at which a product performs its intended use |
| Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) | The comparison of project execution to the approved and integrated scope, schedule, and budget (exclusive of management reserves, but inclusive of contingency reserves) for the purpose of gauging and administering performance |
| Population | The entire group of similar criteria (Ex: All Americans, all owners of a particular product) |
| Precision | The accuracy of the measurements used by the quality management system |
| Probability Distribution | The scattering of values associated with a dataset. They can be represented in a probability distribution function. |
| Project Review | A meeting at the end of a phase or project to review the current state, what was produced, if value was delivered, and if the project can move to the next stage or transition to operations. |
| Quality | The degree to which a group of fundamental characteristics satisfies requirements |
| Quality Assurance (QA) | Activities that assure product integrity and prevents product defects |
| Quality Audits | A formal, independent process that assesses whether project activities are in compliance with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures |
| Quality Control Measurements | The documented outcome of quality control functions |
| Quality Metrics | The description of a project or product attribute and the measurements that must be applied to the attribute within the quality control process examples of metrics include failure rate, defect frequency, cost control, reliability, and availability |
| Quality Report | A project document that addresses quality management issues, recommendations for corrective actions, and a recap of findings from quality control activities; the report may include advice related to the improvement of process, project, and product. |
| Regression Analysis | An analytical technique that examines a series of input variables in relation to their corresponding output results for the purpose of establishing a mathematical or statistical relationship. |
| Retrospective | A meeting held at the end of each iteration in which the team discusses what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved |
| Rework | Action taken to bring any component that is flawed or out of conformance into compliance with specifications or requirements |
| Root Cause Analysis (RCA) | An analytical technique used to ascertain the fundamental reason a problem or defect exists |
| S-curve | Graphic representation of costs, work, and other quantities over time so that the planned value, earned value, and actual cost of the work can be seen |
| Scatter Diagram | A graphical representation that shows the relationship between two variables by putting one on an x axis, the other on a y axis, and analyzing the intersecting points; typically used to determine root causes or the presence of a cause and effect relationship |
| Schedule Performance Index (SPI) | A measure of project schedule efficiency calculated by dividing the earned value (EV) by the planned value (PV): a value of 1.0 indicates the work is being performed as expected, a value greater than 1.0 means the work is being performed ahead of schedule, and a value of less than 1.0 means the work is being performed behind schedule |
| Schedule Variance (SV) | A determination of schedule performance calculated by subtracting the planned value (PV) from the earned value (EV): if the result is zero, the project is performing as expected; if the result is positive, the project is ahead of schedule; if the result is negative, the project is behind schedule |
| Seven Basic Quality Tools | A group of devises used by quality management for quality planning and for monitoring and controlling |
| Sigma | A measurement of acceptability of a product or process |
| Six Sigma | A highly structured methodology focused on accelerating process performance and diminishing process variations in order to improve quality and profits, while reducing defects |
| SMART Goals Activity | Objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely |
| Specification | An instrument that effectively defines the requirements, design, characteristics, and other attributes of a system, component, product, result or service and typically provides for procedures to determine that the provisions of the instrument have been met |
| Statistical Sampling | The selection of a part of a population for examination rather than using the entire population |
| Status Meeting | A regularly scheduled meeting that facilitates updating the team and relevant stakeholders on the current state of progress on the project. |
| Status Report | A report that states the current shape or state of the project to date |
| Technical Performance Measures | Measurable performance criteria established to ensure system components fulfill the technical requirements. |
| Test Plan | A document that describes what deliverables will be tested, what tests will be performed, and any related processes associated with testing. |
| Threshold | Any value (typically applied to cost, time, quality, technical, or resource) that is used as a parameter; typically crossing the threshold results in a triggered action |
| To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) | The ratio that represents the cost performance required to complete the work of the project given the remaining resources; calculated by dividing the remaining project work by the remaining budget (BAC - EV/BAC - AC) |
| Tolerance | The measure of acceptable variation |
| Total Quality Management (TQM) | A quality management philosophy that approaches quality management proactively and applies statistical sampling to help document improvements. |
| Trend Analysis | An analytical technique that uses mathematical paradigms to predict future outcomes based on historical data |
| Unique Identification Code | A subset of the code of accounts that allows assignment of a unique number to pieces of the WBS or other work decomposition. |
| Unit Test | Activities that validate the smallest testable parts of the system |
| Use Case | A document that defines how the user will interact with the product and how the product will respond to the user |
| User Acceptance Test (UAT) | Activities that validate that the product behaves in accordance with the user stories |
| Validate Scope | The process in which the customer or sponsor reviews and accepts project deliverables as being complete and correct in accordance with the requirements |
| Validation | The process of determining that the results of the project are in compliance with requirements imposed by the customer and appropriate stakeholders and typically involving acceptance by them |
| Vanity Metric | A metric that appears to show some kind of outcome, but is not really helpful in making decisions. |
| Variable Sampling Data | Sample data that is measured continuously, such as duration, temperature, length, and weight. |
| Variance | Any difference between a planned value or baseline and an actual result |
| Variance Analysis | The assessment of the level and reasons for a variance from planned value or baseline |
| Variance At Completion (VAC) | The projected amount the project will be over or under budget based on the difference between the budget at completion (BAC) and the estimate at completion (EAC) |
| Verification | The process, typically internal, of determining that the results of the project are in compliance with appropriate specifications, requirements, regulatory requirements, and imposed conditions |
| Verified Deliverables | Completed project deliverables that have been reviewed and confirmed for correctness through the Control Quality Process. |
| Work Performance Data | Measurements or statistics related to the execution of project work |
| Work Performance Information | The evaluation and integration of project execution statistics and measurements gathered from control processes |
| Work Performance Reports | Project status and performance data utilized to produce communications and advance discussion |
