Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Acceptance criteria:
A specified set of factors that the final product(s) must meet before the customer will take ownership of them.
Accounts:
Financial records. Typically, sufficiently detailed to identify exact costs and sources of cost for individual products, resource types, etc.
Agile:
A family of development methodologies where requirements and solutions are developed iteratively and incrementally throughout the life cycle.
Agile product development:
A methodology that uses short iterations to build products based on customer feedback and flexible strategy.
Artefact:
Relates to any document or deliverable that is created during the course of a project.
Assumption:
A condition that is taken or accepted as being true without proof.
Assumptions log:
A document used in project planning to address an aspect of the project plan that cannot be proved will be true, but which it is reasonable to expect will hold true.
Attribute:
A characteristic or inherent feature.
B
Backward pass:
A technique used in analysing a network diagram. The backward pass identifies the latest start, latest finish, and float values for each node in the network. This allows calculation of the project’s duration and establishes the critical path.
Baseline:
A baseline in project management is a set of original project plans and data that serve as a reference point for comparison throughout a project’s lifecycle.
BAU (Business as usual):
The work carried out by teams or individuals as part of their standard daily work practice whereas Projects are unique and temporary (definitive beginning and ending).
Belbin model:
Developed by Meredith Belbin, the model is a research-based methodology used to help people discover, articulate and refine their strengths to build more effective teams and improve business performance.
Benefit:
The measurable improvement in financial or strategic position resulting from an outcome.
Benefits realisation review:
This verifies that the value of running the project, as defined in the business case, has been achieved. If not, it should determine what else would need to be done to achieve that value.
Benefits risk:
Failure to achieve business objectives/benefits.
Bespoke:
Custom tailored to the needs of an individual business.
Bottom up:
A method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower-level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS).
Budget:
Financial resources allocated for the execution of a project.
Business case:
The justification for an organisational activity (project), which typically contains timescales, costs, benefits and risks, and against which continuing viability is tested.
Business context:
Refers to understanding the factors impacting the business from various perspectives, including how decisions are made and what the business is ultimately trying to achieve.
Business risk:
Failure to achieve business objectives/benefits.
C
Change control:
The procedure to ensure that the processing of problems, issues and change requests is controlled.
Change vulnerable plan:
An unrealistically detailed and scheduled prediction of the project’s activities and staffing that is unlikely to correspond to emerging reality. It will, therefore, be unhelpful in determining when, or how, to exert control should the situation vary from that predicted.
Cons:
Arguments or considerations against something.
Constraint:
An externally imposed limitation with which the execution and/or outputs of a project must comply.
Contingency:
Provision of additional time or money to deal with the occurrence of risks should they occur.
Corporate Portfolio:
The totality of the change initiatives within an organisation; it may comprise a number of programmes, standalone projects and other initiatives that achieve congruence of change.
Cost:
The financial resource required to bring about some revised organisational state, e.g. the development of new capability, the acquisition of new premises.
Cost risk:
A category of risk that groups those risks that have an impact on the project budget. Used to differentiate from schedule risk, affecting the timeline, or benefit risks, affecting the outcomes.
Critical path:
A critical path can be defined in one of three ways:
a path through a dependency network with zero or lowest float; the shortest period in which the project can be completed, or the longest path, in terms of duration, through the dependency network.
Critical Success Factor (CSF):
A feature or outcome that is regarded as essential for project success, e.g. no physical injuries during building work.
D
Day zero:
The start date of a project.
Degree of uncertainty:
A measure of the margin for error inherent in an estimate.
Deliverable:
A tangible or intangible product typically delivered by a project. Used interchangeably with output and product.
Dependency:
A relationship indicating that one outcome or activity has a requirement of another outcome or activity (e.g. the other activity must have been completed).
Deterministic:
A view of a future event or outturn that establishes what it will be, e.g. Tomorrow will start at 00:00 hours.
Duration (D):
The elapsed time that any given task is estimated to last. Summing the durations of the tasks on the critical path determines the overall duration of the project.
E
Earliest finish (EF):
The earliest finish refers to the earliest time that a task can be finished. It is a key component of the critical path method.
Earliest start (ES):
The earliest start refers to the earliest time that a task can be started. It is a key component of the critical path method.
Elapsed time:
Refers to the passage of calendar time during which the project is running.
End state:
The point at which a project is completed, having delivered all of its scope.
End user:
The person who uses the final output of a project or delivered service.
Estimate:
An approximate judgement, especially of cost, value, size, etc.
Execution phase:
The execution phase of the project lifecycle is about the development and delivery of the project’s persistent product set. It, therefore, represents the primary work of the project.
Expectation management:
Involves effectively understanding, manipulating, setting, communicating and satisfying stakeholders’ desires during the project lifecycle.
Extrinsic motivation:
The drive to perform and succeed for the sake of obtaining a separate outcome. Essentially, it refers to action driven by external rewards such as money, praise, or fame, rather than internal satisfaction.
F
Final Accounts:
The set of accounts that fully represent a closed project.
Financial benefit:
A class of benefit measured in monetary terms.
Finite:
Refers to timescale:
projects (in contrast to Business as Usual) have a clear start and end.
Float:
Float is the amount of time by which a task can be moved without affecting the successor tasks.
Focus groups:
A research-based method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting.
Forecast:
A prediction or estimate of future project performance or outcomes based on existing data, trends and assumptions. Of particular use to a project manager in exerting appropriate control in a timely fashion; also useful to a sponsor in predicting the benefits profiles related to the project.
Forward pass:
A technique used to move through a project network diagram and determine the earliest start and finish times for each activity.
Full Business Case:
The third stage in the development of a business case for a project, which details the most attractive and affordable solution set and the resource, cost and delivery profiles for the project. It is the acceptance of the FBC that marks the life cycle transition from “Planning” to “Execution”.
FTE’s:
Full-time equivalents.
G
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation):
data protection legislation that requires businesses to have robust processes for handling and storing data of EU/UK citizens.
Governance structure:
A framework of roles and authority that defines accountabilities and responsibilities, along with decision making rights, to ensure appropriate control of the project.
H
Handover:
The formal process of transferring project documentation, deliverables, and responsibilities from the project team to the client or the operations team, ensuring successful project completion and continuation.
I
Ideal resource profile:
Refers to an unconstrained view of the resources required for a project, aligning them with the plan.
Impact:
A change in organisational performance brought about by the implementation of project products with the expectation that benefits will accrue from the revised performance level. E.g. fewer manufacturing errors.
Initiation phase:
The first phase of the project that establishes the need and the business case and gains approval for the project to proceed. The project initiate phase produces the project registry document (PRD).
Intrinsic motivation:
The motivation to engage in a behaviour because of the inherent satisfaction of the activity rather than the desire for a reward or specific outcome.
Issue:
A factor that might, or will, impact the project but is beyond the authority of the project manager to manage; therefore, require escalation.
Iterative:
The practice of building, refining, and improving a project, product or initiative through a repetitive series of recursive steps. E.g. ‘Agile’ is an iterative process designed to rapidly develop products.
K
Key performance indicators (KPIs):
A quantifiable measure used to evaluate a project’s success, both in its final outcomes and in its execution. Project managers find KPIs helpful for guiding and prioritising activities and tasks.
L
Lean:
A management process aimed at eliminating waste in the (BAU) supply chain.
Lesson learned report:
A report produced by the project manager following a review at the end of the project, highlighting anything to be learned from the project for improvement purposes.
Life Cycle:
A framework comprising a sequence of distinct high-level stages characterising the multiple complex operations that take place to bring about a transformation in an orderly and controlled manner. Life cycles offer a systematic and organised way to undertake project-based work and can be viewed as the structure underpinning deployment.
Limitation:
A boundary placed on some aspect of project activity or product.
Linear Process:
A process where each element under development undergoes each stage once only.
M
Methodology:
A formalised procedure for the execution of a complex process, typically including defined artefacts to be produced at specific points in the procedure. E.g. PRINCE2™.
Milestone:
A significant event in the project, usually the completion of a (major) product or deliverable.
Mobilising:
A process that brings together all the elements of a project and ensures they are ready to be executed.
N
Node:
A component of the dependency network that, typically, depicts an activity.
Non-persistent products:
Those deliverables required for the conduct of the project, but which are not among the deliverables that the customer/end user will expect to receive and use in their business-as-usual activities. e.g. scaffolding, jigs, or design drawings.
O
Objective:
The desired future organisational state that a project is intended to bring about.
Onboarding:
A process of effectively introducing new members into a team; particularly relevant in a project environment when teams are dynamic and transitory with a fluid membership.
Operational expenditure (OpEx):
The costs for running business operations on a daily basis. Also known as OpEx.
Opportunity:
An uncertain event that would have a favourable impact on objectives or benefits if it occurred.
Organisational breakdown structure (OBS):
A hierarchical way in which the organisation may be divided into management levels and groups, for planning and control purposes.
Outcome:
The result (and purpose) of change, normally affecting real-world behaviour or circumstances. Useful term when the project result is not easily definable as a ‘product’ (e.g., a culture change).
Outline business case:
The second stage in the development of a business case for a significant project, which identifies the option offering best public value for spend, confirms the deal and affordability, and puts in place the arrangements for successful delivery.
Output:
A tangible or intangible product typically delivered by a project. Used interchangeably with deliverable and product.
Outsource:
Using external providers to carry out business processes that would otherwise be handled internally, in-house.
P
Pilot:
A pilot is an initial small-scale implementation that is used to prove the viability of an idea.
Pinch points:
Restrictions, typically in the schedule, caused predominantly by dependencies and the merging of pathways (in the dependency network), or by governance gateway reviews.
Planning phase:
The phase of the project that creates a full set of plans for the project within the context defined by the project registry document (PRD). The project planning phase follows the project initiate phase and builds on the PRD created during initiation.
Portfolio:
A set of projects and programmes bringing about change in an organisation. Its management is generally an ongoing process of development and selection of new initiatives as existing initiatives are completed or become redundant.
Portfolio manager:
Oversees the management of the project portfolio, including approving or rejecting project and program ideas. They ensure alignment with organisational goals and delivering value.
Portfolio sponsor:
Generally, the person who’s accountable for funding the collection of projects or programmes that constitute the portfolio. In some instances, given the size and nature of investment that such a role disposes, the sponsor may take the form of an investment board.
Post implementation review:
This activity is aimed at ensuring that the project has effectively embedded its outputs, and that these are being ‘owned’ and used by the BAU (business-as-usual) community.
Primary use:
The main purpose something is intended for.
Probabilistic:
A view of a future event or outturn that is recognised as being approximate due to inherent uncertainty, e.g. Estimates give a probabilistic view of anticipated costs. However, they cannot determine what the actual cost will be.
Probability Curves:
A statistical distribution of the possible outcomes of an event used to infer the likelihood of achieving a given position, e.g. a ‘bell curve’ or ‘standard distribution’ suggests, because of the shape of its curve, an equal probability of being lower than the most likely, or higher than the most likely, value.
Problem:
A difference between organisational reality and a desirable more efficient or effective state that may be sufficiently large to trigger a response in the form of a project or programme.
Procedure:
A series of coordinated actions for a particular aspect of project management established specifically for the project (e.g. a risk management procedure).
Process:
A structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective. A process takes one or more defined inputs and turns them into defined outputs.
Process Improvement:
A Business-as-Usual activity focused on making incremental changes to a process in order to improve performance in some desired aspect (e.g. product quality, speed of delivery, cost).
Procurement:
The process by which products and services are acquired from an external provider for incorporation into the project, programme, or portfolio.
Product:
A tangible or intangible deliverable produced by a project. Used interchangeably with deliverable and output.
Product breakdown structure (PBS):
A hierarchy of all the products to be produced during a project.
Product Development:
The part of the product life cycle concerned with the building or acquisition of the product.
Product Life Cycle:
The series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery, growth and maturity to retirement.
Programme:
A group of related projects, sub-programmes and programme activities that are managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them independently.
Project:
A temporary organisation used to deliver a well-defined and time-bound piece of work outside business as usual.
Project Board:
An advisory body that supports the Sponsor in the direction and administration of a project. The members of the project board (other than the sponsor) normally include, but are not limited to, a senior user and a senior supplier.
Project brief:
A statement that describes the purpose, cost, time and performance requirements, and constraints for a project. It is created before the project begins, during the starting up a project process, and is used during the initiating a project process to create the PID and its components. It is superseded by the PID and not maintained.
Project budget:
The total projected costs needed to complete a project.
Project Completion Report:
A formal document summarising the closedown stage of a project. It includes confirmation of delivery and acceptance of products, lessons learned and any significant outcomes of future value to the business (e.g. the development of new processes or new intellectual property).
Project initiation document (PID):
A document that forms an agreement between the sponsor, senior stakeholders, and project team, as to what the project is. It is necessary to explain the project and build the detailed plan. So, it is a necessary output of the initiation process created before the project can proceed to planning.
Project initiation:
The first phase of the project that establishes the need and the business case and gains approval for the project to proceed. The project initiate phase produces the Project Registry Document (PRD).
Project lifecycle:
The project lifecycle is a management construct that breaks the project into a number of phases. It is useful, firstly, in directing the project manager’s attention towards appropriate activities and concerns. Secondly, it provides the sponsor with a governance framework against which to control the investment into the overall project.
Project management:
The planning, delegating, monitoring and control of all aspects of the project, and the motivation of those involved, to achieve the project objectives within the expected performance targets for time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk.
Project manager:
The person whose role is to ensure a project meets its objective by the organisation and management of allocated resources to deliver its outputs.
Project plan:
A plan of the project covering budget, products, processes, resources, risks, schedule, typically it also includes consideration of risk management, resource management, and communications, while also addressing scope, cost, and schedule baselines.
Project registry document:
A logical document that essentially forms the project mission, produced as the output of the project initiate phase, whose purpose is to bring together key, high-level information needed to plan the project on a sound basis and to convey that information to all concerned with the project. The purpose is to document the agreement between the project executive and the project manager of what is expected and what will be delivered.
Q
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S
Stakeholder:
Any individual or group with an interest in the project, or its outcomes, and with some ability to affect it. Typically, they also lie outside the project manager’s sphere of control.
Stakeholder mapping:
A range of visualisation processes which chart each stakeholder who can influence the work and/or outcomes of the project and who the project manager will need to engage to ensure success.
Stakeholder value:
Refers to the motivating factors for the stakeholders in terms of the positive outcomes of the project; understanding their interests and the relationship of those to the outcomes of the project is used to positively engage and motivate the stakeholders’ support.
Standard operating procedure (SOP):
An organisational response to generic risks that allows efficiencies in those risks’ management by mandating a common approach to addressing them. For example, The Green Cross Code is a SOP for crossing the road.
Status report:
A part of a progress report or highlight report that concentrates on the current status (present state and prognosis).
Steering group:
A governance team whose role is to ensure the project is capable of delivering in conformance to its business case and organisational priorities. The work of a steering group is to oversee and support a project from the senior management level.
Step Change:
A significant alteration in activity or ways of working, in contrast to an incremental change.
Strategic benefit:
Refers to benefits which can significantly contribute to an organisation’s success, for example, gaining the competitive advantage.
Strategic Business Case:
A high-level business case that justifies the execution of a project. The SBC triggers project “Initiation”.
Sub-product:
A component of a higher-level product (e.g. a brick is a sub-product of a wall, so too is mortar). Helpful in managing the development and delivery of products.
Sub-tasks:
The decomposition of any given task into the lower-level activities that constitute it.
Successor tasks:
An activity that follows another activity, according to their dependence on each other.
Supplier:
A supplier is a contractor, consultant, or any organisation that supplies resources to a project or programme.
T
Tangible outputs:
Physical and digital objects and products that you produce as a result of your project.
Timeline:
A schedule-based view of the project plan.
Top down:
A method of estimating that is based on a holistic overview of the task or project; typically, the top-down estimate is based on an analogue.
Trend:
A projection of outcomes achieved by having measured and extrapolated a number of historical instances to predict likely future outcomes.
Tuckman model:
The Tuckman model was developed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965. It seeks to understand and explain the dynamics of team formation and development.
U
Uncontrolled change:
Amendments to the scope of the project that have circumvented the approved ‘change control process’. Usually emerging from informal and ad-hoc conversations between users and developers.
User acceptance testing:
User acceptance testing (UAT) is a form of confirmatory examination of product/s to assure their conformance to the levels of performance mandated by the acceptance criteria.
User acceptance:
The act of the operational users of the project’s deliverables taking ownership and accountability for them. This step is a vital enabler of the benefits. It also helps to ensure that the products meet the expectations of the end users or customers.
V
Value:
The rationale or justification for running the project; ‘why it matters’. Value is primarily viewed in the form of benefits achievement, loss reduction, or risk avoidance.
Variable:
Project variables are key factors that can influence the performance or outcomes of a project.
W
Value:
The rationale or justification for running the project; ‘why it matters’. Value is primarily viewed in the form of benefits achievement, loss reduction, or risk avoidance.
Variable:
Project variables are key factors that can influence the performance or outcomes of a project.
Waterfall:
A type of life cycle where phases are broadly sequential.
WIIFM:
‘What’s in it for me’ – a simple but powerful question which underpins all communication efforts by focusing on how your message relates to your audience’s self-interest.
Work breakdown structure (WBS):
The hierarchical decomposition of the tasks necessary to produce the product set represented in the PBS.
Work package:
A group of related activities that are defined at the same level within a work breakdown structure.
Work package manager:
The leader of the resources allocated to deliver a work package.
Workshop:
A structured and interactive session designed to create an environment for meaningful work and to guide a group through a process that will lead to great outcomes.
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Y
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