PMO Terms and Definitions

Project Management Glossary

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To find specific terms in this glossary you can either click on a letter in the bar below to access the section with terms beginning with that letter, or to search for a specific term you may use the Ctrl-F (Control Find) keyboard shortcut to bring up a search box where you can type the specific term to search the page for all instances of the word.

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A

Abandoned Project:

A project in which inadequate handoff or transition on the project deliverables occurs

Acceptance Criteria:

Pre-established standards or requirements that a product, service, or process must meet

Accessible:

Something that is easily used, accessed, or adapted for use by people experiencing disabilities

Accountability:

Refers to being responsible for for decisions associated with a project or task

Action Item:

A task that needs to be completed

Adaption:

Adjusting project, product, or processes to minimize any further deviation or issues; one of three pillars of Scrum

Adoption Metrics:

Metrics that indicate whether or not a product, service, or process is accepted and used

Agile:

The term refers to being able to move quickly and easily. It also refers to flexibility and the willingness and ability to change and adapt

Agile Manifesto:

A collection of four values and 12 principles that define the mindset that all Agile teams should strive for

Agile Project Management:

An approach to project and team management that embodies “agility” based on the agile manifesto

Air Cover:

Support for and protection of a team in the face of out-of-scope requests or criticism from leadership

Alignment:

Reaching agreement between two or more parties

Ambiguity:

A state where conditions and root causes of events or circumstances are unclear, leading to the possibility of misunderstanding

Analytics:

The process of answering business questions, discovering relationships, and predicting outcomes based on the analysis of data

Artifact:

A project management document or resource

Authority:

Refers to one's ability to make decisions for the project that impact the organization

 

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B

Backlog Refinement:

The act of keeping the backlog prioritized, estimated, and described so the Scrum Team can operate effectively

Backward Pass:

Refers to starting with a final task or milestone and moving backwards through the schedule to determine the shortest path

Bad Compromise:

A situation that occurs when two parties settle on a so-called solution but the end product still suffers

Bar Chart:

A type of chart that uses color and length to compare categories in a data set; useful for comparing values

Barrier:

Something that can get in the way of project progress

Baseline:

The dollar amount used to measure against to find out whether a project is on track or not and to measure the success of the project

Baseline Budget:

The act of creating a fixed reference point of spending to measure and compare a project’s process

Behavioral Questions:

In an interview, these questions ask the interviewee to share an example when they had to practice a particular skill

Benchmarking:

Refers to evaluating success against a standard

Benefits:

The expected gains of a project

Beta Distribution (PERT):

A three-point estimation formula that takes into account that the “most likely” case is more likely to occur, so it gives it more weight

Bottleneck:

This is a work stage where the inflow of workload is greater than the capacity of the system, resulting in hindering the smooth flow of work overtime

Bottom-Up Approach:

Thinking about all the parts of a project from the beginning to the end--including making a list of anything that comes with an associated cost--and adding all of it together

Budget:

The estimated monetary resources needed to achieve the project’s goals and objectives

Budget Pre-Allocation:

A situation where a budget is set before the project begins

Budget Risk:

The possibility that the costs of a project will increase due to poor planning or expanding the project’s scope

Buffer:

Extra time added to the end of a task or project to account for unexpected slowdowns or delays in work progress

Bug:

A technical issue

Burndown Chart:

A graphical representation used to count the remaining quantity of some trackable aspect of a project over time Burndown charts help visualize progress, stalled efforts, or backsliding where the remaining quantity of what is being tracked increases over time The chart shows the total effort against the amount of work for each iteration

Business Agility:

Refers to incorporating Agile principles into the wide sphere of management

Business Collaboration:

The concept that collaborating with customers gets critical business information to the team immediately, allowing them to adjust and adapt new information instantly; one of the four themes of the agile principles

Business Case:

A formal document that clearly defines the business goals of a project and how to attain them

 

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C

Capacity:

The amount of work a team can handle in a given amount of time

Capacity Planning:

Refers to the act of allocating people and resources to project tasks and determining whether the necessary resources required to complete the work on time have been acquired

Capacity Scarcity:

When employees feel they do not have the time or capacity to handle the additional work that comes with adapting to change

CAPEX:

Capital expenses; refers to expenses which business incur to create a benefit in the future

Case Studies:

In-depth, data-driven analyses of a business, community, or organization

Cash Flow:

The inflow and outflow of cash on a project

Cause-and-Effect Diagram:

A visual that shows the possible causes of an event or risk; also known as a fishbone diagram

Change:

Anything that alters or impacts the tasks, structures, or processes within a project

Change Agent:

A person from inside an organization who helps the organization transform by focusing on improving organizational effectiveness and development

Change Coalition:

A team of key leaders who serve as visible, role model change champions

Change Control Board:

A formal and rigorous process to manage any changes to requirements

Change Curve:

The phases an individual goes through when change threatens their basic human instinct for survival, and triggers a predictable emotional journey

Change Log:

A record of all notable changes on a project

Change Management:

The process of getting people to adopt a new product, process, or value system

Charter Dependencies (Mandatory, Discretionary, Internal, External):

Project dependencies refer to the relationships between project activities that determine the sequence in which they are performed Mandatory dependencies often involve physical limitations, while discretionary dependencies are based on best practices or project preferences Internal dependencies are between project activities, while external dependencies are between project activities and non-project activities

Classic Structure:

An organizational structure with a traditional, top-down reporting hierarchy

Close-Ended Question:

A type of question that can be answered with a single response, like “yes or no” and "true or false"

Closing:

The phase at the end of a project during which team members' work is celebrated and how the project went is evaluated

Coalition:

A temporary alliance or partnering of individuals or groups in order to achieve a common purpose or to engage in a joint activity

Collaboration:

The process of actively involving each team member in project activities

Communication:

The flow of information; includes everything that’s shared, how it’s shared, and with whom

Communication Plan:

A document that organizes the process, types, and expectations of communications for a project

Complexity:

Refers to the high number of interrelated forces, issues, organizations, and factors that would influence a project

Confidence Level Rating:

An indication of confidence in an estimate’s accuracy

Confirmation Bias:

A type of data bias that refers to the tendency to search for information that confirms preexisting beliefs

Conger's Four Steps:

Refers to Jay A Conger's four-step approach to effectively persuade and influence another person to consider new ideas: establish credibility, frame for common ground, provide evidence, and connect emotionally

Constructive Criticism:

A respectful form of feedback that is intended to help the recipient improve a piece of work

Contingency Budget:

Money that is included to cover potentially unforeseen events that aren’t accounted for in a cost estimate

Contingency Reserves:

Money added to the estimated project cost to manage identified risks

Continuous Improvement:

An ongoing effort to improve products or services; begins with recognizing when processes and tasks need to be created, eliminated, or improved

Continuous Integration and Continuous Refactoring:

The extreme programming practice of merging product changes into a shared version several times a day in order to get quick feedback on the quality of the code or product

Contract Work:

Work done for a company by non-employees on a project-by-project basis

Control:

An experiment or observation designed to minimize the effects of variables

Corporate Governance:

The framework by which an organization achieves its goals and objectives

Cost of Quality:

Costs that are incurred to prevent issues with products, processes, or tasks

Cost Performance Index (CPI):

The ratio of the percentage complete to the actual costs

Cost Variance (CV):

The difference between the amount of budget expected to be spent on versus what is actually spent for work completed at a point in time

Costs:

The money spent on project tasks as well as prices of things like time, resources, and labor

Critical Path:

The list of project milestones that must be reached in order to meet the project goal on schedule, as well as the mandatory tasks that contribute to the completion of each milestone

Critical User Journey:

The sequence of steps a user follows to accomplish tasks in a product

Cross-Functional Team:

Team members who have different skill sets and may even work in different departments but are all working towards the successful completion of a project

Culture Mapping:

A tool that can illustrate a company’s culture and how the company’s values, norms, and employee behavior may be affected by change

Customer Satisfaction Score:

A metric that indicates how well the project delivered what it set out to do and how well it satisfies customer and stakeholder needs

CSV File:

A file type that holds a spreadsheet’s data; stands for “Comma Separated Value” because it uses commas to separate values

Cynefin Framework:

A framework used for measuring project complexity; pinpoints five sections of complexity that various projects may fall into: obvious, complex, complicated, chaotic, and disorder

 

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D

Daily Scrum:

A brief meeting of up to 15 minutes that takes place every day of the Sprint to inspect progress toward the goal; also called a stand-up

Dashboard:

A type of user interface—typically a graph or summary chart— that provides a snapshot view of a project’s progress or performance

Data:

A collection of facts or information; the numbers and feedback available about different aspects of a project

Data Analysis:

The collection, transformation, and organization of data to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making

Data Bias:

A type of error that is influenced by one’s inherent beliefs

Data Ethics:

The well-founded standards of right and wrong that dictate how data is collected, shared, and used

Data Privacy:

The act of protecting a data subject’s information and activity any time a data transaction occurs

Data Visualization:

A graphical representation of information to facilitate understanding

Data-Driven Improvement Frameworks:

Techniques used to make decisions based on actual data

Decision Tree:

A flowchart that helps visualize the wider impact of a decision on the rest of a project

Definition of Done:

An agreed-upon set of items that must be completed before a project or user story can be considered complete

Delegation:

Assigning tasks to individuals or resources who can best complete the work

Deliverable:

A tangible outcome from a project

Dependability:

A quality indicating team members are reliable and complete their work on time

Dependency:

A relationship between two project tasks, where the start or completion of one depends on the start or completion of the other

Dependency Graph:

A visual representing the dependencies in the flow of work during a project

Dependency Management:

The process of managing interrelated tasks and resources within a project to ensure that the overall project is completed successfully, on time, and on budget

Development Team:

In Scrum, the people who do the work to build the product; also called Developers

Deviation:

Anything that alters the original course of action

DevOps:

An organizational and cultural movement that aims to increase software delivery velocity, improve service reliability, and build shared ownership among software stakeholders

Direct Costs:

Costs that occur directly in a project

Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD):

A hybrid approach that combines the strategies from various agile frameworks, including Kanban, LeSS, Lean Development, Extreme Programming, and Agile Modeling; guides people through process-related decisions and helps develop a scaled agile strategy based on context and desired outcomes

Discretionary Dependency:

Dependencies that could occur on their own, but the team saw a need to make those dependencies reliant on one another It may be modified

Diversity:

The set of differences each individual possesses, whether visible or invisible, that gives them a unique perspective on the world and their work

DMAIC:

A strategy for process improvement; refers to the five phases in the Lean Six Sigma approach: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control

Domain Knowledge:

Knowledge of a specific industry, topic, or activity

Duration:

The amount of time it takes to complete or produce something

 

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E

Earliest Start Date:

In the critical path method, the earliest possible date on which a task (or the project itself) can begin

Earned Value Management (EVM):

A technique where a project’s performance or actuals for budget and schedule are regularly monitored against the planned budget and schedule

Edge Case:

Rare outliers that the original requirements of the project didn’t account for; deals with the extreme maximums and minimums of parameters

Effective Communication:

Refers to being transparent, upfront with plans and ideas, and making information available

Effort Estimation:

A prediction of the amount and difficulty of active work required to complete a task

Elevator Pitch:

A quick professional summary of yourself

Empathy:

A person’s ability to relate to the thoughts and feelings of others

Empiricism:

The idea that true knowledge comes from actual, lived experience

Engagement Metrics:

Metrics that indicate the degree to which a product or service is used—the frequency of use, amount of time spent using it, and the range of use

Epic:

A group or collection of users (This is used in Agile Project Sprints)

Escalation:

The process of enlisting the help of higher-level project leadership or management to remove an obstacle, clarify or reinforce priorities, and validate next steps

Escalation Paths:

Refers to the courses for communicating risks to the right people at the right time

Ethical Leadership:

A form of leadership that promotes and values honesty, justice, respect, community, and integrity

Ethical Trap:

An issue that may cause a person to make unethical choices

Evaluation:

The act of observing, measuring, and then comparing findings to a set of agreed-upon criteria

Evaluation Indicator:

The specific type of data that needs to be collected to help answer an evaluation question

Evaluation Presentation:

A presentation that examines how well your project is working according to a set of standards

Evaluation Question:

A key question about the outcomes, impact, and/or effectiveness of a project or program

Excited Urgency:

Inspiring employees to take action based on enthusiasm for the end state

Executing:

Completing the tasks necessary to achieve the project goals

Executive Summary:

A few sentences to a paragraph that describe a project’s purpose and outcome; provides an overview of the main points of a larger report

External Dependency:

This type of dependency can be reliant on outside factors, like regulatory agencies or other projects or non-project activities It usually cannot be modified

Extreme Programming (XP):

A methodology that aims to improve product quality and the ability to respond to changing customer needs; takes best practices for the development process to extreme levels

 

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F

Factual Questions:

In an interview, these questions aim to assess the interviewee on knowledge of basic project management skills

Fast Tracking:

This refers to a technique project managers use to speed up their projects

Feasibility Study:

A way to ascertain whether the proposed plan or methodology prescribed is practical in terms of fulfilling the goals of a project

Feedback Survey:

A survey in which users provide feedback on features of a product that they like or dislike

Finish-to-Finish (FF):

In this type of dependency relationship, the first task must be completed before the second task can be completed

Finish-to-Start (FS):

In this type of dependency relationship, the first task must be completed before the second task can start

Fishbone Diagram:

A visual that shows the possible causes of an event or risk; also known as a cause-and-effect diagram

Five Values of Scrum:

The core values that guide how Scrum Teams work and behave: commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect

Fixed Contract:

A contract that is paid for when certain milestones are reached

Fixed Costs:

Costs that won’t change over the course of a project

Fixed Start Date:

The date on which work on a task must start in order to achieve a goal

Float:

The amount of time that can be waited to begin a task before it impacts the project schedule and threatens the project outcome

Floating Task:

A task for which a change in its delivery would not affect the project's overall success or impact its timeline

Flow:

A core principle of Kanban that aims to maximize efficiency

Flowchart:

A tool that can visualize a project’s development process

Force Majeure:

An unforeseen circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a contract due to a major crisis

Forecast:

A cost estimate or prediction over a period of time

Forward Pass:

Refers to starting at the beginning of a project task list and moving forward towards the end of the project

Functional Manager:

The leader of a department in a functional (Classic) organization

Functional Organizations:

An organization divided into departments based on function; also called a Classic organization

 

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G

Gantt Chart:

A project-tracking visual that is useful for staying on schedule; ideal for projects with many dependencies and larger project teams

Good Product Hygiene:

Refers to compiling all links and documentation into one place for historical purposes; proper documentation

Governance:

The management framework within which decisions are made and accountability and responsibility are determined

 

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H

Headline:

The one-sentence main point that illustrates a concept such as newspaper, article, slide, etc

High-level Risk:

A risk that is serious and can affect the overall success of a project; requires direct communication with stakeholders to go over plans to mitigate and address

History:

Refers to the level of personal history between oneself and another person

Hypothetical Questions:

In an interview, these questions present a scenario to assess the interview on how they would go about working through that experience

 

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I

INVEST:

Acronym for the criteria each user story should meet; stands for: independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable

Impact:

The belief that the results of one’s work matter and create change

Impact Report:

A presentation guided by a deck or slideshow that shows key stakeholders others the value that’s been added by the project

Inclusive Leadership:

A form of leadership where everyone’s unique identity, background, and experiences are respected, valued, and integrated into how the team operates

Inclusivity:

The practice or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized

Incremental:

Describes work that is divided into smaller chunks that build on one another

Indirect Costs:

Costs that can’t be linked directly to a project

Influencing:

The ability to alter another person’s thinking or behaviors

Influencing Statement:

A conversation opener that sets a person up for success with their audience

Infographic:

A visual representation of information or data intended to present information quickly and clearly

Information:

An organizational source of power that refers to one’s level of access and control over information

Inherent Risk:

The measure of a risk, calculated by its probability and impact

Initiation:

The project phase that is the launchpad for the entire project; project goals, deliverables, resources, budget, and people are identified at this stage

Inspection:

A timely check toward the outcome of a Sprint Goal to detect undesirable variances; one of the three pillars of Scrum

Interest:

Refers to how much the stakeholder’s needs will be affected by project operations and outcomes

Internal Dependency:

This type of dependency is between one or more project activities It may be modifiable

Interpretation Bias:

A type of data bias that refers to the tendency to always interpret ambiguous situations as either negative or positive

Issue:

A known and real problem that can affect the ability to complete a task

Issue Log:

A complete record of all the project issues both ongoing and closed , along with the persons responsible for resolving them

Issue Tracking:

The process of identifying possible problems or errors which are affecting a project

Iterative:

Refers to repeating cycles of delivery

 

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J

 

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K

Kanban:

(pronounced Can-Ban) A methodology that provides visual feedback to everyone who might be interested in the status of the work in progress; displays the progress of a project as “to do”, “in progress”, and “done”

Kanban Board:

A visual tool used to manage tasks and workflows

Key Accomplishments:

The section of the executive summary that discusses which activities, tasks, and milestones helped your project find success

Key Performance Indicator (KPI):

A measurable value that demonstrates how effective a company is at achieving business objectives

Kickback:

A corruption scheme where a certain percentage of an awarded contract is offered to an official who can ensure that their company wins the bid

Knowledge:

Refers to the power drawn from one’s expertise in certain subjects, unique abilities and skill sets, and ability to learn new things

Knowledge Management:

A way of ensuring that project data can be accessed in the future by others who need it for informing decisions or planning similar projects

 

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L

Latest Start Date:

In the critical path method, the latest possible date on which a task (or the project itself) can begin

Lean:

A methodology in which the main principle is the removal of waste within an operation

Legend:

The bottom or side section of a chart that gives a small description of each section

Lessons Learned:

The section that discusses potential improvements and how future processes will be changed for the better

Leverage Experts:

Refers to gathering experts' insights to do something more effectively

Line Chart:

A type of chart that displays information as a series of data point markers; helpful for showing trends and behaviors over set periods of time or overall

Linear:

A project structure in which the previous phase or task has to be completed before the next can start

Low-level Risk:

A risk that may not greatly impact the project and may have a low probability of occurring, so a project manager may or may not communicate it to stakeholders

 

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M

Management Reserves:

A percentage of the budget set aside for unknown risks

Mandate:

An official order or commission to do something The authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election

Mandatory Dependencies:

Tasks that are legally or contractually required

Medium-Level Risk:

A risk that requires direct communication with stakeholders and should be treated as urgent, as it will most likely impact the project

Metric:

A quantifiable measurement that is used to track and assess a business objective

Micromanaging:

Refers to when a manager too closely observes, controls, or continuously reminds the people they’re managing of the work they’ve been assigned

Milestone:

An important point within the project schedule that indicates progress and usually signifies the completion of a deliverable or phase of the project

Minimum Viable Product (MVP):

A version of a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers

Mission:

A short statement that stays constant for the team throughout the project and gives them something to work toward

Most Likely Estimate:

An estimate for a task that assumes some issues might occur based on how long the task usually takes under normal circumstances

Mutual Benefit:

Refers to when all parties involved gain some kind of benefit or advantage

Mutually Beneficial Agreement:

An agreement that benefits all parties involved

 

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N

Need-to-Know Basis:

Telling someone facts they need to know at the time they need to know them, and nothing more

Network:

The people one is connected with professionally and personally

Network Diagram:

A visual that sequences project asks in order of dependencies

Never-Ending Project:

A project in which the project deliverables and tasks cannot be completed and should likely be canceled, re-scoped, or never initiated (if identified early)

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA):

Document that keeps confidential information within the organization

 

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O

Objective Criteria:

Standards by which something can be judged based on neutral information like market value, research findings, previously-documented experience, or laws and regulations

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs):

A combination of a goal and a metric to determine a measurable outcome

Observer Bias:

A type of data bias that refers to the tendency for different people to observe different things

One-Pager:

A one-page document that provides an overview of your project

On-Time Completion Rate:

A productivity metric that helps illustrate to clients and stakeholders how the project is progressing and when they can expect certain deliverables to be ready

Open-Ended Question:

A question that cannot be answered with a yes or no

OPEX (Operating Expenses):

Refers to expenses which are required for day-to-day tasks within the company

Optimism Bias:

When a person believes that they are unlikely to experience a negative event

Optimistic Estimate:

An estimate for a task that assumes the best-case scenario—that issues will not occur

Organization Chart / Org Chart:

A diagram showing the relationships among people and groups within the organization and who each person or group reports to

Organizational Culture:

Describes shared workplace values and shows up in people’s behaviors, activities, the way they communicate, and how they work with each other

Out-of-Scope:

Details that are not included in the project plan and don’t contribute to the project’s goal

Overhead:

The business expenses not directly attributed to creating a product or service

 

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P

Parallel Tasks:

Tasks that can happen at the same time as other tasks

PDCA:

A four-step process that focuses on identifying a problem, fixing the issue, assessing whether the fix was successful, and fine-tuning the final fix; stands for: plan, do, check, and act

Performance Work Statement (PWS):

A statement of work preferred when clear details are available

Personally Identifiable Information (PII):

Information that could be used on its own to directly identify, contact, or precisely locate an individual; includes email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, precise locations, full names, and usernames

Pessimistic Estimate:

An estimate for a task that assumes the worst-case scenario—that issues will definitely occur

Pie Chart:

A type of chart divided into sections that each represent a portion of a whole; useful for making comparisons

Planning:

Making use of productivity tools and creating processes; creating and maintaining plans, timelines, schedules, and other forms of documentation to track project completion

Planning Fallacy:

Describes people's tendency to underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task, as well as the costs and risks associated with that task

Planning Phase:

The second phase of the project life cycle; includes the schedule, the budget, and the risk management plan

Portfolio:

A collection of programs and projects across a whole organization

Post-Award Phase:

The phase when the contract is finalized and the project charter approved

Power-Interest Grid:

A chart that provides clarity about whom to prioritize and how best to approach negotiations with each stakeholder

Pre-Award Phase:

The phase that takes place before the contract is signed

Probability:

The likelihood that a risk will occur

Probability and Impact Matrix:

A tool used to prioritize project risks

Process Improvement:

The practice of identifying, analyzing, and improving existing processes to enhance performance, meet best practices, or optimize consumer experiences

Procurement:

Obtaining all of the materials, services, and supplies required to complete the project

Product Backlog:

The single authoritative source for things a team works on; contains all of the features, requirements, and activities associated with deliverables to achieve the goal of the project

Product Goal:

The desired future state of the product; can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against

Product Increment:

What is produced after a given Sprint

Product Owner:

In Scrum, the role responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the team

Product Roadmap:

A visualization or document that provides a high-level view of expected product, its requirements, and an estimated schedule for reaching milestones

Product Vision:

Defines what the product is, how it supports the customer’s business strategy, and who will use it; makes clear what outcomes the team is responsible for and where their boundaries are

Productivity Metrics:

Metrics that track the effectiveness and efficiency of a project, including items like tasks, milestones, projections, and duration

Program:

A collection of projects

Program Manager:

A project manager who manages multiple projects for specific products, teams, or programs

Project:

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product(s), services, or result

Project Budget:

The estimated monetary resources needed to achieve the project’s goals and objectives

Project Buffer:

Extra time tacked onto the end of a project

Project Charter:

A formal document that clearly defines the project and outlines the necessary details to reach the project’s goals

Project Closeout Report:

A document that describes what the team did, how they did it, and what they delivered; evaluates the quality of work and the project’s performance with respect to budget and schedule

Project Closing:

A process performed to formally complete a project, the current phase, and contractual obligations

Project Goals:

The desired results of the project

Project Governance:

The framework for how project decisions are made

Project Kick-Off Meeting:

The first meeting in which a project team comes together to ground everyone in a shared vision, gain a shared understanding of the project’s goals and scope, and understand each person’s individual roles within the team

Project Life Cycle:

The basic structure for a project; consists of four different phases: initiate the project, make a plan, execute and complete tasks, and close the project

Project Management:

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

Project Management Baseline (PMB):

A clearly defined fixed starting point for your project that includes the scope, budget, and schedule

Project Management Methodology:

A set of guiding principles and processes for owning a project throughout its life cycle

Project Management Office (PMO):

An internal group at a company that defines and maintains project management standards across the organization

Project Management Plan:

A living document that will guide the project manager and their team during the project

Project Manager:

The project manager is a professional responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects They oversee the entire project lifecycle, ensuring that all project objectives are met within the constraints of time, budget, and quality The role of a project manager involves a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, which are crucial for the successful completion of a project

Project Plan:

A document that records the scope, tasks, milestones, and overall activities of a project; generally contains these five basic elements: tasks, milestones, people, documentation, and time

Project Sponsor:

A project sponsor is a key figure in the success of a project, providing decision leadership and support that extends beyond the authority of the project manager and team The project sponsor plays a crucial role in aligning the project with the organization's strategic goals and ensuring that it has the necessary resources and executive support The project sponsor is a vital link between the project team and the organization's executive level, providing the necessary support, resources, and strategic alignment to drive project success Their active engagement and oversight are crucial for ensuring that the project meets its goals and contributes to the organization's overall objectives

Project Status Report:

An update that gives an overview of all of a project’s common elements and summarizes them at a given point in time

Project Summary:

A brief overview of the project that outlines the project goals

Project Task:

An activity that needs to be accomplished within a set period of time by the project manager, the project team, or the stakeholder

Project Vision:

The section of the executive summary that specifies the need the project is fulfilling

Projection:

A prediction of a future outcome—such as future productivity trends, project durations, costs, performance, or quality—based on current information; also called a forecast

Psychological Safety:

An individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an interpersonal risk

 

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Q

Qualitative Data:

Information about subjective qualities that can’t be measured with numerical data

Quality:

Refers to when the outlined requirements for the deliverable are fulfilled and meet or exceed the needs and expectations of customers

Quality Assurance:

A review process that evaluates whether a project is moving towards delivering a high-quality service or product; also called QA

Quality Control:

Techniques used to ensure quality standards when a problem is identified; also called QC

Quality Management Plan:

Documentation of all the information needed to effectively manage quality throughout the project life cycle; defines the policies, processes, and criteria for project quality as well as the roles and responsibilities for carrying them out

Quality Metrics:

Metrics that relate to achieving acceptable outcomes, such as number of changes, issues, and cost variance

Quality Planning:

The actions of the project manager or team to establish and conduct a process for identifying and determining exactly which standards of quality are relevant to the project as a whole and how to satisfy them

Quality Standards:

Requirements, specifications, or guidelines that can be used to ensure that materials, products, processes, and services are fit for achieving the desired outcome

Quantitative Data:

Statistical and numerical facts

 

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R

RAG Status Report:

A report that follow a traffic light pattern to indicate progress and status: “red” indicates there are critical issues that need resolution, “amber/yellow’ means that there are potential issues with schedule or budget, and “green” means the that the project is on track

Reforecast:

Creating a separate revised budget based on how a project is tracking

Relative Estimation:

A comparison of the effort for a task to the effort for another task

Releasable:

Refers to when the team has developed a minimum viable product of a given feature or requirement

Release Plans:

Indicates the approximate date when the team is expected to release and deliver certain features to the customer or user; contains a release goal, the list of Backlog items, an estimated release date, and any other relevant dates that impact a release

Reputation:

Refers to how others perceive a person overall

Request for Proposal (RFP):

Document that outlines the details of a project

Requirements:

Conditions that must be met or tasks that must be finished to ensure the successful completion of the project

Reserve Analysis:

A method to check for remaining project resources

Resource Allocation:

The process of scheduling and assigning resources for a project in the most efficient way possible

Resource Availability:

A diagram showing the relationships among people and groups within the organization and who each person or group reports to

Resource Breakdown Structure:

A comprehensive list of resources required to complete a project This list is usually made according to the function and resource type, facilitating the planning and control of a project work

Resource Cost Rate:

The phase that takes place before the contract is signed

Resource Leveling:

The process of adjusting the project schedule in a way that keeps a resource use below a set limit

Resources:

Anything needed to complete a project, such as people, equipment, software programs, vendors, and physical spaces, or locations

Retrospective:

A meeting in which project teams discuss successes, failures, and possible future improvements on a project

Retrospectives and Continuous Learning:

Refers to striving continuously to learn and adapt to what’s working and what’s not; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

Risk:

A potential event which can occur and have an impact on a project

Risk Appetite:

The willingness of an organization to accept the possible outcomes of a risk

Risk Assessment:

The stage of risk management where qualities of a risk are estimated or measured

Risk Exposure:

A way to measure potential future loss resulting from a specific activity or event

Risk Management Plan:

A living document that contains information regarding the identified risks, estimates of their probability and impact, and the mitigation plans for those risks

Risk Management:

The process of identifying, evaluating, and addressing potential risks and issues that could impact a project

Risk Mitigation:

A strategy devised to decrease the probability of adverse effects of a risk

Risk Owner:

A person responsible for ensuring that a particular risk is managed appropriately

Risk Register:

A table or chart that contains a list of risks

Roadmap:

A project-tracking visual that is useful for high-level tracking of large milestones

ROAM Technique:

A strategy used to help manage actions after risks arise; stands for resolved, owned, accepted, and mitigated

Role:

One’s position within an organization or team

Root Cause:

The initial cause of a situation that introduces a risk

 

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S

Sampling Bias:

A type of data bias in which the sample isn’t representative of the population as the whole

Scaled Question:

A closed-ended question that provides more than two options and asks the respondent to rate their answers on a scale

Schedule:

The project timeline, which includes the start date, the end date, and dates for events in between

Schedule Performance Index (SPI):

The ratio of the percentage of work complete compared to the planned budget for the planned work

Schedule Variance (SV):

The difference between the amount of work expected to have been completed and the amount actually completed at a given point in time

Scope:

The work required to output a project’s deliverable

Scope Creep:

When changes, growth, and other factors affect a project’s scope

Scope Risk:

The possibility that a project won’t produce the results outlined in the project goals

Scrum:

A framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products

Scrum Master:

In Scrum, the role responsible for ensuring the team lives Agile values and principles follows the processes and practices the team agreed to; shares information with the larger project team and helps the team focus on doing their best work

Scrum of Scrums:

A technique for integrating the work of multiple, smaller Scrum Teams working on the same project or solution

Sequential Tasks:

Tasks that must be completed in a specific order

Signal:

An observable change

Signpost:

A way to clue the audience in to where a presentation is going and what to expect

Single Point of Failure:

A risk that has the potential to be catastrophic and halt work across a project

Slack:

The amount of time that a task can be delayed past its earliest start date without delaying the project

Slide-Based Presentation:

A series of digital slides used to visually present information

SMART Action Item:

A task that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound

SMART Goals:

Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound

Soft Skills:

Personal characteristics that help people work effectively with others

Sole-Supplier Sourcing:

When a company restricts the bidding process to one supplier, preventing competition

Solution Design Sprint:

An entire Sprint spent working solely on the solution design

Statement Of Objectives (SOO):

A statement preferred when details are not specific

Spotify Model:

The Spotify organization’s version of the Agile approach; focuses on culture, team autonomy, communication, accountability, and quality to increase agility

Spring Backlog:

The set of of Product Backlog Items that are selected to be completed during the upcoming Sprint

Sprint:

A time boxed iteration where a planned amount of work is done

Sprint Planning:

Refers to when the entire Scrum Team comes together to map out what will be done during the sprint

Sprint Retrospective:

An essential meeting of up to three hours for the Scrum Team to take a step back, reflect, and identify improvements about how to work together as a team

Sprint Review:

A meeting with the entire Scrum Team where the product is demonstrated to determine which aspects are finished and which aren’t

Stacked Bar Chart:

A type of bar chart that can show part-to-whole variables simultaneously; useful when comparing numerical information

Stakeholder:

People who are interested in and affected by the project's completion and success

Stakeholder Analysis:

A visual representation of all stakeholders

Stakeholder Management:

The process of maintaining good relationships with the people who have the most influence on one’s work

STAR Method:

A way of organizing a response to an interview question following a story-like structure; stands for: situation, task, action, and result

Start-to-Finish (SF):

In this type of dependency relationship, the first task must begin before the second task can be completed

Start-to-Start (SS):

In this type of dependency relationship, the second task can’t begin until the first task begins

Statement of Work (SoW):

A document that clearly lays out the products and services a vendor or contractor will provide for the organization

Status Report:

A document intended to convey to clients, sponsors or team members, the state of the project right now

Story Points:

A method for estimating user stories, tasks, and backlog items by assigning a point value based on effort and risk

Storytelling:

The process of turning facts into narrative to communicate something to an audience

Subject Matter Expert (SME):

A team member with a deep understanding of a particular job, process, department, function, technology, machine, material, or type of equipment

Subtasks:

Smaller tasks that are required to complete a larger task

Summary Sheet:

A one- or two-page write-up with just the most relevant information

Summary Task:

A header at the top of a project plan that describes a collection of subtasks

Synthesizing:

Refers to gathering information from multiple sources and using those points to help form an analysis

 

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T

Task Buffer:

Extra time tacked on to a specific task

Team:

A group of people who plan work, solve problems, make decisions, and review progress in service of a specific project or objective

Team Dynamics:

The forces, both conscious and unconscious, that impact team behavior and performance

Teamwork:

An effective, collaborative way of working in which each person is committed to and heading towards a shared goal

Test Case:

A sequence of steps and its expected results

Three Pillars of Scrum:

The foundational concepts on which Scrum is based: transparency, inspection, and adaptation

Three-Point Estimating:

A technique used to help determine the most realistic time estimate for a task

Time and Materials Contract:

Contract paid monthly based on the hours worked and other fees associated with the work, like travel and meals

Time Estimation:

A prediction of the total amount of time required to complete a task

Time Risk:

The possibility that project tasks will take longer than anticipated to complete

Timebox:

A Scrum concept that refers to the estimated duration for an event

Timeboxing:

Refers to setting a time limit

Timeout:

Refers to taking a moment away from the project to regroup and adjust the game plan

Time-Phase a Budget:

The act of spreading budget items out over the duration of a project

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):

The total cost of a project, from the initiation phase through completion

Total Duration Estimate:

An effort estimates plus any other factors, like getting approvals, prep work, testing, and so on

Tracking:

A method of following the progress of project activities

Transferable Skill:

An ability that can be used in many different jobs and career paths

Triangular Distribution:

A three-point estimation formula in which the weight of each estimate is identical, meaning the “most likely” case does not affect the final estimate more than the optimistic or pessimistic estimate

 

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U

Urgency:

Getting team members to understand that the project is important and to identify what actions need to be taken to move the project along

User Acceptance Test:

A trial that helps a business make sure a product or solution works for its users; also called a UAT

User Story:

An informal, general explanation of a feature written from the perspective of the end user

 

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V

Value Delivery:

Refers to delivering the work as quickly as possible to get feedback and mitigate time risk; one of the four themes of the Agile principles

Value Roadmap:

An Agile way of mapping out the timelines and requirements for the product-development process

Values:

Principles that describe how employees are expected to behave

Velocity:

A measure of the amount of work a team can take on during a single Sprint

Vendors:

Individuals or businesses who provide goods and services to the project

Volatility:

The rate of change and churn in a business or situation

VUCA:

The conditions that affect organizations in a changing and complex world; stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity

 

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W

Waterfall Project Management:

A project management methodology that refers to the sequential or linear ordering of phases

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

A tool that sorts the milestones and tasks of a project in a hierarchy, in the order they need to be completed

Work Groups:

People in an organization who work toward a common goal; based on and assigned by organizational or managerial hierarchy

Work-In-Progress (WIP) limit:

A constraint on how many work items are actively being worked on at any given time

 

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X

 

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