CH 1 vocab project management

Project manager

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

Project Management

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

Stakeholder

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

Portfolio

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

Project Management Plan

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

Product Scope

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

Governance

The framework for directing and enabling an organization through its established policies, practices, and other relevant documentation.

Budget

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

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

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

Change Management

A comprehensive, cyclic, and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups, and organizations from a current state to a future state with intended business benefits.

Project Schedule.

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

Deployment plans

How a completed product will be deployed.

Milestone

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

Milestone Schedule

A type of schedule that presents milestones with planned dates.

quality

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

risk 

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

Risk register

A repository in which outputs of risk management processes are recorded.

Risk report 

A project document that summarizes information on individual project risks and the level of overall project risk.

Issue log

A project document where information about issues is recorded and monitored.

Communications Management Plan

A component of the project, program, or portfolio management plan that describes how, when, and by whom information about the project will be administered and disseminated.

Project Life Cycle

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

Product life cycle 

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

Project charter

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

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

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

Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix

A matrix that compares current and desired stakeholder engagement levels.

Stakeholder Register

A project document that includes information about project stakeholders including an assessment and classification of project stakeholders.

SWOT Analysis

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

RAID

Risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies.

Decision Tree

Visual tools that a project manager can use to evaluate costs and potential outcomes associated with certain project decisions.

Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram

Cause-and-Effect decomposition tool used in project management. This method is used to determine the root cause of a problem so that improvements can be made. The Effect represents the problem.

Baseline

The approved version of a work product, used as a basis for comparison to actual results.

Scope Baseline

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

Schedule Baseline

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

Gantt Chart

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

Cost Baseline

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

Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB)

Integrated scope, schedule, and cost baselines used for comparison to manage, measure, and control project execution.

Scope Creep

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

Aspirational standards

Goals we try to reach or strive to uphold.

Mandatory standards

Must be followed. This is a requirement that will prohibit certain actions.

Responsibility

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

Regulation 

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