Definitions

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

Products, results, or capabilities produced by a project and validated by the project
customer or sponsors as meeting their specified acceptance criteria.

Within the quality management system, accuracy is an assessment of correctness.

The process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary
to complete project activities.

Obtaining human and material resources necessary to perform project activities. Acquisition implies
a cost of resources, and is not necessarily financial.

A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during the course of a project.

Multiple attributes associated with each schedule activity that can be included within the activity
list. Activity attributes include activity codes, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads
and lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.

One or more numerical or text values that identify characteristics of the work or in some way
categorize the schedule activity that allows filtering and ordering of activities within reports.

The projected cost of the schedule activity that includes the cost for all resources required
to perform and complete the activity, including all cost types and cost components.

The time in calendar units between the start and finish of a schedule activity. See also duration.
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A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome for the duration of an
activity.

A short, unique numeric or text identification assigned to each schedule activity to differentiate
that project activity from other activities. Typically unique within any one project schedule network diagram.

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

See project schedule network diagram.

A graphical representation of the logical relationships among the project
schedule activities.

See precedence diagramming method (PDM).

Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM).

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

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

The realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period.

The time in calendar units between the actual start date of the schedule activity and either the
data date of the project schedule if the schedule activity is in progress or the actual finish date if the schedule
activity is complete.

A project life cycle, also known as change-driven or agile methods, that is intended to
facilitate change and require a high degree of ongoing stakeholder involvement. Adaptive life cycles are also
iterative and incremental, but differ in that iterations are very rapid (usually 2–4 weeks in length) and are fixed in
time and resources.

A set of tools used to define the quality requirements and to plan effective
quality management activities. They include, but are not limited to: brainstorming, force field analysis, nominal
group techniques and quality management and control tools.

A technique used to find ways to bring project activities that are behind into alignment
with plan during project execution.

The process of calling public attention to a project or effort.

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

Any document or communication that defines the initial intentions of a project. This can take the
form of a contract, memorandum of understanding (MOU), letters of agreement, verbal agreements, email, etc.

A technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select which options or
approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project.

A technique used to develop as many potential options as possible in order to identify
different approaches to execute and perform the work of the project.

A technique for estimating the duration or cost of an activity or a project using historical
data from a similar activity or project.

Various techniques used to evaluate, analyze, or forecast potential outcomes based on
possible variations of project or environmental variables and their relationships with other variables.

A category of projects that have common components significant in such projects,
but are not needed or present in all projects. Application areas are usually defined in terms of either the
product (i.e., by similar technologies or production methods) or the type of customer (i.e., internal versus
external, government versus commercial) or industry sector (i.e., utilities, automotive, aerospace, information
technologies, etc.). Application areas can overlap.

A technique that is used to adjust the amount of time between predecessor and
successor activities.

An activity where effort is allotted proportionately across certain discrete efforts and not
divisible into discrete efforts. [Note: Apportioned effort is one of three earned value management (EVM) types of
activities used to measure work performance.]

A change request that has been processed through the integrated change control
process and approved.

A review of the change requests to verify that these were implemented as
approved.

A factor in the planning process that is considered to be true, real, or certain, without proof or
demonstration.

A technique that explores the accuracy of assumptions and identifies risks to the project
from inaccuracy, inconsistency, or incompleteness of assumptions.

Method of measuring quality that consists of noting the presence (or absence) of some
characteristic (attribute) in each of the units under consideration. After each unit is inspected, the decision is made
to accept a lot, reject it, or inspect another unit.

The right to apply project resources, expend funds, make decisions, or give approvals.

A critical path method technique for calculating the late start and late finish dates by working
backward through the schedule model from the project end date.

A graphic display of schedule-related information. In the typical bar chart, schedule activities or work
breakdown structure components are listed down the left side of the chart, dates are shown across the top, and
activity durations are shown as date-placed horizontal bars. See also Gantt chart.

The approved version of a work product that can be changed only through formal change control
procedures and is used as a basis for comparison.

Supporting documentation outlining the details used in establishing project estimates such as
assumptions, constraints, level of detail, ranges, and confidence levels.

Benchmarking is the comparison of actual or planned practices, such as processes and operations,
to those of comparable organizations to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a
basis for measuring performance.

The meetings with prospective sellers prior to the preparation of a bid or proposal to ensure
all prospective vendors have a clear and common understanding of the procurement. Also known as contractor
conferences, vendor conferences, or pre-bid conferences.

A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the
lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS).

A general data gathering and creativity technique that can be used to identify risks, ideas, or
solutions to issues by using a group of team members or subject matter experts.

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

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

See reserve.

Reserve.

A provision in the project management plan to mitigate cost and/or schedule risk. Often used with a
modifier (e.g., management reserve, contingency reserve) to provide further detail on what types of risk are meant
to be mitigated.

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

A concept that is unique to each organization and includes tangible and intangible elements.
Through the effective use of project, program, and portfolio management disciplines, organizations will possess the
ability to employ reliable, established processes to meet enterprise objectives and obtain greater business value
from their investments.

The acquirer of products, services, or results for an organization.

A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root
cause.

A property of the central limit theorem predicting that the data observations in a distribution
will tend to group around a central location. The three typical measures of central tendency are the mean, median,
and mode.

A process whereby modifications to documents, deliverables, or baselines associated with the
project are identified, documented, approved, or rejected.

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

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

Manual or automated tools to assist with change and/or configuration management. At a
minimum, the tools should support the activities of the CCB.

A comprehensive list of changes made during the project. This typically includes dates of the change
and impacts in terms of time, cost, and risk.

A formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline.

See project charter.

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.

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

A tally sheet that can be used as a checklist when gathering data.

A request, demand, or assertion of rights by a seller against a buyer, or vice versa, for consideration,
compensation, or payment under the terms of a legally binding contract, such as for a disputed change.

The process of processing, adjudicating, and communicating contract claims.