Predictive Process

100% Rule,

States that the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) must include 100% of the work defined in the project scope

Acceleration

The use of methods to complete work in a shorter time than previously planned or required

Accepted Deliverables

Deliverables that have been formally accepted by the client through formal sign-off

Activity

A task or set of tasks carried out to create a deliverable

Activity Attributes

The elements associated with each scheduled activity including codes, predecessors, successors, relationships, leads, lags, resource requirements, constraints, assumptions, and imposed dates

Activity Duration Estimates

Quantitative assessments of the likely time required to complete an activity

Activity List

A detailed list of all planned project activities

Actual Cost (AC)

The amount of money actually spent to date on the project

Actual Duration

The actual amount of time a task has taken from start to completion or to the current point if still in progress

Backward Pass

A technique used to calculate Late Start and Late Finish dates by working backward through the network diagram

Baseline

The final approved version of the project scope, schedule, and cost

Basis of Estimates

A document explaining how estimates were developed and the supporting information used

Benefits Management Plan

A document describing how project benefits will be realized and managed

Beta Distribution (PERT)

A weighted average estimate giving the most weight to the most likely estimate to improve accuracy

Bottom-up Estimation

Estimating individual activities and combining them to determine the total project cost and duration

Budget at Completion (BAC)

The planned total budget for the entire project

Buffer

Extra time allocated to account for uncertainty, constraints, or delays

Change

A proposed modification to any project document, plan, deliverable, or work product

Change Control

A structured process for reviewing, analyzing, approving, implementing, and documenting change requests

Change Control Board (CCB)

The group responsible for approving or rejecting change requests

Change Control Plan

A document describing how project changes will be identified, evaluated, approved, communicated, and implemented

Change Log

A record used to track project changes and their status

Change Request

A formal proposal to modify any aspect of the project baseline

Closing Process Group

The process group used to formally complete the project, phase, or contract and obtain customer acceptance;

Code of Accounts

A numbering or lettering system that uniquely identifies each WBS component

Conceptual Estimate

An early estimate developed using prototypes, designs, mockups, or similar concepts to reduce uncertainty

Configuration Management Plan

A document describing how configuration items will be identified, tracked, controlled, and audited

Control

Activities used to monitor, measure, and adjust project performance

Control Accounts

Management control points where scope, schedule, and cost are integrated and measured

Cost Aggregation

The process of combining individual cost estimates into a total project cost

Cost Baseline

The approved project budget excluding management reserves

Cost Management Plan

A document describing how project costs will be planned, managed, and controlled

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

A measure of cost efficiency calculated as Earned Value divided by Actual Cost

Cost Variance (CV)

The difference between Earned Value and Actual Cost

Crashing

A schedule compression technique that adds resources to shorten project duration

Critical Chain

The longest chain of dependent activities considering both task dependencies and resource availability

Critical Path

The sequence of activities that determines the shortest possible project duration

Critical Path Method (CPM)

a project management technique for determining the project schedule using the network diagram

Deadline

the latest date or time by which a task or project should be completed

Decomposition

breaking down project deliverables into smaller, more detailed, and manageable work packages.

Definitive estimate

determined at the end of the planning phase, hence providing the most accurate cost estimation

Dependencies, Logical relationships:

relationships between tasks that determine their order in a project

Discretionary dependency, Soft, preferred, or preferential logic:

created based on the preference of the project team and the order of

activities they find more suitable or the nature of work.

Dropped Baton

refers to the impact of poor coordination when an activity is completed early and the resources or the new dependent activity are not ready, thus the time gained by completing the activity early is lost.

Early Finish (EF)

refers to the earliest possible date that a task or activity can be completed

Early Start (ES)

refers to the earliest possible date that a task can begin

Earned Value (EV)

Measures the budgeted value of work realized to date. It’s calculated to determine whether the project is on track, behind or ahead of schedule, and over or under budget.

Earned Value Management (EVM)

The process of performance measurement by monitoring project progress and comparing its actual performance to its planned performance.

Estimate at Completion (EAC)

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

Estimate to Complete (ETC)

The expected cost to finish all the remaining project work.

Estimating methods

Methods used to develop an approximation of work, time, or cost on a project.

Executing process group

Performed to implement the work defined and detailed in the planning process group. This group involves carrying out all planned activities to produce the project deliverables according to requirements.

Expert judgment estimating

making estimations based on the skill, expertise, or specialized knowledge of the project team, independent consultants, or subject-matter agencies.

External dependency

the type of dependency between project activities and non-project activities that is outside of the direct influence or control of the project team, but must nonetheless be accounted or when planning or managing a project schedule

Fast Tracking

a schedule compression technique that consists o concurrently completing tasks that would normally be completed sequentially

Finish-to-Finish (FF) dependency

when one task can only be completed after the other task has been completed

Finish-to-Start (FS) dependency

when the start of the successor activity depends on the completion o the predecessor activity

Float, Total Float, Slack

the amount of time that a task can be delayed without affecting the completion date of the project. Total Float can be calculated either by subtracting the Early Start date of the activity from its Late Start date or its Early Finish date from its Late Finish date. Critical path activities have zero float.

Forecasting

the process of making predictions, guesses, or assumptions of the possible outcomes of a project.

Forward Pass

moving forward through a network diagram to calculate the early start and early finish values, meaning the earliest day each project task can begin and wrap up

Free Float

the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the Early Start date of its successor activity

Gantt chart, Bar chart

A bar chart created to depict the scheduled activities’ duration and sequence; activities are listed on vertical bars, their start and finish dates are displayed across the top of the chart, and their durations are shown as horizontal bars.

Gold plating

Performing work that was neither requested nor approved by the client, aiming to deliver added value.

Historical information

information that was created and documented in earlier projects and developments, including documents such as project manuals, requirement specifications, reports, etc.

Initiating process group

This is the process group or launching the project. It’s performed to identify the project's objectives, scope, purpose, and key stakeholders.

Internal dependency

dependencies between two project activities that generally the project team has complete control over.

ITTOs

stands for Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, a method used to understand how a process can be performed.

Kill point

a phase-end review that allows the organization to evaluate the project's performance and take immediate action to correct any problems or even cancel the project, hence the name kill point.

Lag time

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

Late Finish (LF)

The latest date that the activity can finish without causing a delay to the project completion date.

Late Start (LS)

The latest date that the activity can start without causing a delay to the project completion date.

Lead

the amount of time in which a predecessor activity can run in parallel with a successor activity.

Mandatory dependency, Hard logic

is a negotiable dependency that means that the next task can't be started until the previous one has been completed.

Master schedule

a detailed plan that includes all aspects o multiple projects or operations, providing a broad overview of various project schedules, such as milestone schedules.

Milestone schedule

A type of schedule that presents milestones with planned dates.

Monitoring and Controlling process group

where the project's performance is tracked, reviewed, and adjusted to ensure that it stays on track and meets the planned objectives and requirements.

Murder board

a committee of experts, senior managers, and stakeholders that attends stage gate meetings to review and evaluate the phase performance, and accordingly, decide whether the project should continue or should be canceled.

Network diagram, Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

a graphical representation o the project schedule, depicting and mapping out all the tasks in a project.

Node

a key element within a project network diagram that represents a specific activity that needs to be accomplished.

Parametric estimating

uses statistical relationships and historical data to estimate the cost, duration, or resource requirements of a project or activity based on specific measurable parameters.

Parkinson’s law

States that work expands to fill the time available or its completion.

Performance Measurement Baseline

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

Performance review

a technique used to gauge, compare, and analyze the performance of work in progress against the baseline of the project.

Phase review, Stage gate, Phase gate, Phase entrance, Phase exit

a formal meeting to check that the desired outcomes or exit criteria or the phase have been achieved before proceeding to the next phase.

Planned Value (PV)

The authorized budget or accomplishing the planned work.

Planning package

A Work Breakdown Structure component under control accounts, used to plan and track activities that are not yet fully defined.

Planning process group

Involves developing the project management plans including its budget, schedule, assignments, and responsibilities.

Precedence relationship

defines the logical sequence between tasks, indicating the order in which activities must be performed. There are our types of dependencies: finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish.

Predictive approach, Plan driven approach, Traditional approach, Waterfall

A development approach in which the project scope, time,

and cost are determined in the early phases o the life cycle.

Preliminary estimate, Rough estimate, Screening estimate, Approximate estimate

carried out at the beginning of the project based on historical data of other projects to provide a high-level estimate of the cost and time required or completing the project.

Process group

A logical grouping o project management processes to achieve specific project objectives.

Project calendar

A calendar that identifies workin days and shits that are available or scheduled activities.

Project Management Plan

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

Project schedule

a detailed plan that outlines the duration o project activities, milestones, and deliverables to ensure the project is completed on time.

Ranged estimating

The process of estimating a minimum and maximum value or cost or schedule.

Requirements Management Plan

describes how project requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed.

Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

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

Reserve Analysis

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

Resource leveling

Consists of altering the duration or the sequence of activities according to resources’ availability to avoid any overallocation. This can lead to changes in schedule.

Resource optimization technique

Used to adjust resource allocation before the schedule is approved or baselined.