Project Management Terms

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts in project management to aid students in their exam preparation.

Acceptance

The formal process of accepting delivery of a product or deliverable.

Acceptance Criteria

Performance requirements and essential conditions that must be achieved before project deliverables are accepted.

Accountability

The obligation to report on one's actions.

Activity

Actions taken or work performed that mobilizes resources to produce specific outputs.

Activity Duration

Specifies the length of time (hours, days, weeks, months) to complete an activity.

Actual Dates

Dates entered as the project progresses, indicating when activities really started and finished.

Actuals

The cost or effort incurred in the performance of tasks and the actual dates tasks and milestones were reached.

Alternatives

Different solutions and approaches that are evaluated to attain project objectives.

Analogous Estimating

Estimating based on similar projects or activities to determine current project effort, cost, and/or duration.

Approach Statement

A high-level description of how the project will accomplish its goals and objectives.

Assumption

Something taken as true without proof, regarding factors that influence project planning.

Authority

The ability to get others to act based on decisions made.

Award Agreement

An agreement between an NGO and the project donor.

Balanced Scorecard

A management system that helps organizations clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action.

Baseline

A reference point for project control reporting, including schedule, cost, and product baselines.

Baseline Schedule

A fixed project schedule used as a standard for measuring project performance.

Baseline Survey

Information on pre-project participant conditions for comparison at midterm and project end.

Beneficiary

The person or organization that benefits most from the project.

Benefits Management

The identification and monitoring of benefits at an organizational level.

Best Practice

Learnings from experience across similar projects indicating effective methods.

Bottom-up Estimating

Estimating project size and risk by breaking it down into tasks and sub-tasks.

Budget

The allotted amount for a project representing planned expenditures and income.

Capacity Assessment

Analysis to measure the ability of the project and partners to implement a project strategy.

Change

A difference in expected value or event, often significant in project scope, resources, schedule, or budget.

Change Control

Process to evaluate and manage changes to a project’s baseline scope, time, and cost.

Change Request

A documented request for a change in project scope or other plan aspects.

Charter

A formal document authorizing a project manager to conduct a project within specified constraints.

Closing

The process of formal acceptance of project results and bringing the project to an orderly end.

Communication

The giving, receiving, processing, and interpreting of information.

Concept

The first phase of the project life cycle that confirms needs and identifies preferred solutions.

Conflict Management

Process of addressing and resolving differences to prevent destructive elements in a project.

Consensus

Unanimous agreement among decision-makers that is satisfactory to all.

Constraint

A condition that may restrict or limit a project, often outside of the project team's control.

Contingencies

Planned actions for minimizing damage caused by problems that might arise.

Contingency Reserve

An amount of time or budget set aside for unpredictable parts of a project.

Control

The process of comparing actual performance against planned performance and making necessary adjustments.

Critical Activity

An activity with zero or negative float that must be finished on time to prevent project delays.

Critical Path

The series of activities determining the earliest completion date of a project.

Deliverable

Any measurable, tangible or intangible item produced to complete a project.

Dependency

A relationship between tasks indicating the sequence in which they must be performed.

Goal Statement

A high-level statement describing the objectives and purpose of the project.

Governance

The planning and conducting of the policy affairs of the project.

Governance Model

Processes and responsibilities agreed upon for governing a project.

Grant

Funds given to organizations to support specific projects often requiring reporting.

Histogram

A graphic display showing resource usage over time.

Human Resource Management

Managing policies affecting people working on a project.

Impact

Positive or negative long-term effects on population groups from a development intervention.

Implementation

The execution phase of the project management plan.

Incremental Delivery

A project strategy to reduce risk by dividing projects into manageable pieces.

Information Management and Reporting

Collection and presentation of project information to stakeholders.

Initiating (Project)

The process of authorizing a project or phase and providing resources.

Inputs

Resources used for the development intervention.

Issue Management

The process of addressing concerns threatening project objectives.

Kick-Off Meeting

A meeting to officially start a project and align the team on objectives.

Lag

The delay between the start or finish of an activity and its successor(s).

Late Finish

The latest date an activity can be completed without delaying the project.

Late Start

The latest time a task can begin without impacting the project completion date.

Leadership

The ability to influence and align others toward a common goal.

Learning and Development

Continuous improvement of organizational competencies.

Legal Awareness

Understanding of relevant legal responsibilities in project management.

Lessons Learned

Statements reflecting on what went well or did not in project completion.

Link

A relationship between tasks in project management.

Log Frame

A management tool for planning and evaluating interventions.

Logical Relationship

A dependency relationship between tasks where one must start/finish before another.

Management Reserve

Budget set aside for unknown project risks.

Matrix Organization

A business structure with functional groups and project assignments.

Methods and Procedures

Standard practices for managing projects.

Metrics

Quantitative measures for assessing project activity success.

Milestone

A significant point in time in a project where deliverables are due.

Mitigation

Actions taken to reduce risk's probability or impact.

Mitigation Strategies

Steps to lessen project risks.

Monitoring

Process of tracking project progress and implementing corrective actions.

Negative Float

A situation where tasks must start before predecessors finish to meet deadlines.

Negotiation

The search for agreement among project stakeholders.

Network Analysis

Identifying task start and finish dates using forward and backward passes.

Network Diagram

Graphic tool showing relationships between project tasks.

NGO

Non-governmental organization engaged in development work.

Objective

An outcome meant to be achieved through the project.

Organization Structure

The hierarchy within which project management operates.

Organizational Roles

Defined responsibilities of individuals or groups in a project.

Organizational Culture

Shared behaviors and norms within an organization.

Outcome

The expected short-to-medium-term effects of an intervention's outputs.

Outputs

Products and services resulting from project activities.

Parallel Activities

Tasks that can execute simultaneously to speed up project completion.

Parametric Estimating

Using parameters to calculate project duration and cost.

Performance Indicators

Metrics approximating changes in a project's interests.

Performance Measures

How success in achieving agency goals is tracked and measured.

Performance Outcomes

Results from efforts during project planning and execution.

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

A scheduling technique using dependency analysis and critical path.

PERT Diagram

A type of network diagram used in PERT analysis.

Phase

A grouping of project activities leading to a significant deliverable.

Post Project Evaluation

Assessing how well a project was performed after completion.

Power

The ability to influence others' actions in a project.

Predecessor Task

A task that must be completed before another task can begin.

Probability

The likelihood of a risk occurring.

Process

A series of steps to accomplish an outcome.

Procurement

The process of acquiring resources needed for a project.

Program

A group of related projects and operational activities managed together.

Program Management

Coordinated management of related projects for benefit changes.

Program Manager

The person directing a program's planning and execution.