Project Management Terms - Glossory

Table of contents

Introduction

Termology used in predictive, hybrid, or agile projects.

A

Acceptance Criteria – Specific conditions a deliverable must meet to be accepted by the customer or product owner.

Adaptive Life Cycle – Iterative approach (used in Agile) where deliverables evolve through multiple cycles of feedback and adjustment.

Agile – A mindset and set of principles emphasizing collaboration, flexibility, iterative delivery, and customer feedback.

Artifact – Any tangible output created during the project (e.g., plans, reports, user stories, burndown charts).

Assumption Log – Document recording assumptions, constraints, and their potential impact on the project.

Avoidance (Risk Response) – Strategy to eliminate a threat by removing its cause or changing the plan.

B

Backlog (Product Backlog) – Ordered list of work or features that deliver value to the customer, maintained by the Product Owner.

Baseline – Approved version of a plan (scope, schedule, cost) used for comparison with actual performance.

Benchmarking – Comparing project practices or metrics with best practices from other organizations or industries.

Benefits Management Plan - Is a component of the Project Management Plan that describes how and when the benefits of a project will be delivered and measured. It links project outputs to the organization’s strategic objectives.

Benefit Realization – Process of ensuring project outcomes deliver intended business value.

Burn-Down Chart – A Burn Down Chart is a visual tool used in Agile project management to track the amount of work remaining over time. It shows how quickly a team is completing tasks within a sprint or project by plotting work remaining (y-axis) against time (x-axis).

Burn-Up Chart – Shows cumulative work completed toward total project scope over time.

Business Case - The value proposition for a proposed project that may include financial and nonfinanical benefits.

C

Change Control Board (CCB) – Group that reviews and approves/rejects proposed changes to scope, schedule, or cost.

Change Request – Formal proposal to modify any project document, deliverable, or baseline.

Charter (Project Charter) – Document authorizing the project and giving the project manager authority to apply resources.

Contingency Reserve – Funds/time set aside to address known risks.

Control Quality - The process that records deliverable results and ensure the project outputs are correct.

Constraint – Limiting factor affecting execution (e.g., budget, deadline, resources).

Cost Baseline – Approved budget used to measure cost performance.

Continuous Improvement Process - Is an ongoing effort to enhance products, services, or processes by making small, incremental improvements over time. Its goal is to increase efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction while reducing waste and errors.

Crash Schedule - Crashing a project will increase both costs and risks. Crashing results in the addition of more resources.

Critical Path – Longest sequence of dependent activities determining the shortest possible project duration.

Cycle Time – Time between the start and completion of a single work item in Agile or Lean systems.

D

Daily Stand-Up (Scrum Meeting) – Short daily Agile meeting to coordinate team activities and identify impediments.

Deliverable – Any unique, verifiable product, result, or capability produced by the project.

Deming’s PDCA cycle - The PDCA Cycle is a continuous feedback loop that promotes learning and improvement — a core idea in quality management and Lean Six Sigma. Also known as the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle — is a four-step iterative method for continuous improvement of processes and products.

Dependency – Relationship between tasks where one depends on another (Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, etc.).

Definition of Done (DoD) – Shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete and ready for acceptance.

Definition of Ready (DoR) – Agreed criteria that a backlog item must meet before being accepted into a sprint.

Deputation - A deputation is a small group of people who act or speak for others.

E

Earned Value (EV) – Value of work completed compared to planned value and actual cost.

Engagement Map - Is a visual or tabular tool used in project management and stakeholder analysis to identify, assess, and plan interactions with stakeholders based on their level of influence, interest, and involvement in the project. It helps the project manager understand:

• Who the key stakeholders are,

• How engaged they currently are (e.g., unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading), and

• What level of engagement is desired to ensure project success.

  Engagement maps are often used alongside a Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix to track progress and guide communication strategies throughout the project lifecycle.

Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) – Organizational or external conditions influencing project success (e.g., culture, market, laws).

Epic – Large body of work in Agile that can be broken down into smaller user stories.

Escalation – Process of raising unresolved issues to higher authority for decision-making.

Estimate at Completion (EAC) – Forecasted total cost of the project at completion.

F

Facilitation Techniques – Methods (e.g., brainstorming, nominal group technique) used to guide group decision-making.

Fast Tracking – Compressing schedule by overlapping activities normally done sequentially.

Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) – Cause-and-effect diagram used to identify root causes of problems.

Float (Slack) – Amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project finish date.

G

Gantt Chart – Bar chart illustrating project schedule, tasks, durations, and dependencies.

Governance – Framework of rules, processes, and decision rights ensuring projects align with organizational strategy.

Ground Rules – Agreed-upon team norms defining acceptable behavior and decision-making.

H

Hybrid Approach – Combines predictive planning with Agile execution to balance stability and flexibility.

Hygiene Factors (Herzberg) – Job aspects that prevent dissatisfaction but do not motivate (e.g., pay, conditions).

I

Impediments Log

• Record
  The Daily Standup Meeting is the best time to document impediments in the Impediments Log as each team member reveals them. After the brief meeting, the Scrum Master will gather additional information so that the impediments can be prioritized.

• Prioritize
  Impediments should be prioritized based on their levels of importance and in relation to those that are already on the log.

• Publish
  The Impediments Log should be made visible to everyone and posted for all to view.

• Address
  The Scrum Master should address the highest priority impediments from the log and ensure that they are removed so the team can continue to reach the Sprint’s objective.

• Communicate
  When the impediment is removed, this information should be communicated to the involved parties and the Impediments Log should be updated.

Increment – A usable, potentially shippable product outcome from a sprint.

Ishikawa Diagram - Is also known as a fishbone diagram or a cause-and-effect diagram.

Issue Log – Record of current project problems requiring action or resolution.

Iteration – Repeated development cycle producing a working product increment.

K

Kanban – Visual Agile framework focused on continuous delivery, limiting work in progress (WIP), and optimizing flow.

Kickoff Meeting – First formal team meeting to align understanding of goals, roles, and responsibilities.

L

Lag – Delay between dependent activities.

Lead – Amount of time a successor task can start before its predecessor finishes.

Lean Six Sigma Methodology - Is a continuous improvement approach that combines Lean principles (eliminating waste and improving flow) with Six Sigma techniques (reducing defects and process variation).

Learning Approaches -

Lessons Learned Register – Ongoing record of knowledge gained that can improve current or future projects.

M

Management Reserve - A management reserve is the amount of the project budget or project schedule held outside of the performance measurement baseline for management control purposes that is reserved for unforeseen work that is within the project scope.

Manage Quality - Is the process of translating the quality management plan into executable quality activities that incorporate the organization’s quality policies into the project. The key benefits of this process are that it increases the probability of meeting the quality objectives as well as identifying ineffective processes and causes of poor quality. Manage Quality uses the data and results from the control quality process to reflect the overall quality status of the project to the stakeholders. This process is performed throughout the project.

Manage Quality is sometimes called quality assurance, although Manage Quality has a broader definition than quality assurance as it is used in non project work. In project management, the focus of quality assurance is on the processes used in the project. Quality assurance is about using project processes effectively. It involves following and meeting standards to assure stakeholders that the final product will meet their needs, expectations, and requirements. Manage Quality includes all the quality assurance activities, and is also concerned with the product design aspects and process improvements. Manage Quality work will fall under the conformance work category in the cost of quality framework.

The Manage Quality process implements a set of planned and systematic acts and processes defined within the project’s quality management plan that helps to:

Design an optimal and mature product by implementing specific design guidelines that address specific aspects of the product,

Build confidence that a future output will be completed in a manner that meets the specified requirements and expectations through quality assurance tools and techniques such as quality audits and failure analysis,

Confirm that the quality processes are used and that their use meets the quality objectives of the project, and

Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and activities to achieve better results and performance and enhance stakeholders’ satisfaction.

The project manager and project team may use the organization’s quality assurance department, or other organizational functions, to execute some of the Manage Quality activities such as failure analysis, design of experiments, and quality improvement. Quality assurance departments usually have cross-organizational experience in using quality tools and techniques and are a good resource for the project.

Manage Quality is considered the work of everybody—the project manager, the project team, the project sponsor, the management of the performing organization, and even the customer. All of these have roles in managing quality in the project, though the roles differ in size and effort. The level of participation in the quality management effort may differ between industries and project management styles. In agile projects, quality management is performed by all team members throughout the project, but in traditional projects, quality management is often the responsibility of specific team members”

Milestone – Key event or checkpoint marking progress in a project.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – Simplest product version that delivers value and enables feedback.

Monte Carlo Analysis – Simulation technique to predict possible schedule or cost outcomes based on risk probability.

N

Nominal Group Technique – Structured brainstorming method for prioritizing ideas.

Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) – Define system qualities (performance, reliability, usability), not specific functions.

O

Opportunity (Risk) – Positive risk that could benefit the project if realized.

Organizational Process Assets (OPA) – Internal templates, procedures, and lessons learned that influence project work.

P

Parametric Estimating – Uses statistical relationships (e.g., cost per unit) for estimating.

Pareto Chart (80/20 Rule) – Graph showing which causes have the most significant impact.

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) – Time estimation using optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely durations.

Predictive Life Cycle – Traditional approach where scope, schedule, and cost are determined early and changes are tightly controlled.

Product Owner – Agile role responsible for maximizing value and managing the product backlog.

Program – Group of related projects managed together for strategic benefits.

Project Management Information System (PMIS): The PMIS provides access to information technology (IT) software tools, such as scheduling software tools, work authorization systems, configuration management systems, information collection and distribution systems, as well as interfaces to other online automated systems such as corporate knowledge base repositories. Automated gathering and reporting on key performance indicators (KPI) can be part of this system.

Project Management Plan – Comprehensive document integrating all subsidiary plans.

Project Phase – Logical grouping of project activities (Initiating, Planning, Executing, etc.).

Project participants - is the broadest term. It includes everyone actively involved in the project’s work or decision-making, whether internal or external. This group typically encompasses:

• The project team (people doing the work)
• The customer or client
• Vendors, consultants, or partners
• Sponsors and key stakeholders who participate in reviews, approvals, or steering committees

Pull System – Agile concept where work is started only when there is capacity, not pushed into the system.

Q

Quality Assurance (QA) – Process-oriented activities ensuring standards are followed.

Quality Control (QC) – Product-oriented activities verifying deliverables meet quality standards, or is used to analyze and evaluate the project deliverables against the requirements.

Quality Management Plan – The quality management plan (QMP) drives the quality management processes and regression testing is a part of the QMP. Defines quality requirements, standards, and metrics.

R

RACI Chart – Matrix defining who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each activity.

Regression Testing – Verifying that new changes haven’t broken existing functionality.

Relationship Network - Is a the web of connections among project stakeholders, team members, and organizations. It represents how communication, influence, and collaboration flow within and around the project—helping the project manager build trust, gain support, and resolve issues efficiently.

Requirements Management Plan - Describes how requirements will be analyzed, documented and managed.

Requirements Register -

Resource Allocation Plan - a document that identifies the resources that will be needed for the project and how they will be allocated, such as personnel, equipment, and materials. By referencing the resource allocation plan, the project manager can ensure that the resources that are needed for the project are available and that they are allocated in a way that maximizes efficiency.

Resource Histogram - A bar chart that displays the amount of resources required over time, typically showing the number of people or hours needed per time period. It helps project managers visualize resource utilization, identify peaks or shortages, and plan resource leveling to maintain a balanced workload throughout the project.

Retrospective Meeting - Scrum process held at the end of each sprint.

Resource-based Theory -

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) – Hierarchical chart categorizing resources (people, equipment, materials).

Resource Management Plan (RMP) - A component of the project management plan that defines how project resources—human, equipment, materials, and budget—will be identified, acquired, managed, and released. It outlines roles, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and procedures for resource allocation and performance management throughout the project. The resource management plan also include a calendar where resource ability, statutory holidays, weekends, are factored in.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) - A tool that shows the relationship between project tasks and team members by mapping who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (RACI) for each activity. It ensures clear ownership, avoids overlap, and helps the project manager coordinate roles and responsibilities effectively.

Risk Appetite – Level of uncertainty an organization is willing to accept.

Risk Register – Document containing all identified risks, analysis, and response plans.

Risk Response Plan – Actions defined to address specific threats or opportunities.

Roadmap (Product Roadmap) – High-level visual summary of product vision and delivery timeline.

S

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) - Is a structured methodology for applying Agile principles across large organizations or complex projects. It aligns teams, programs, and portfolios through coordinated planning, continuous delivery, and iterative development to improve collaboration, quality, and business agility at scale.

Schedule Baseline – Approved version of the project schedule.

Scope Baseline – Approved version of scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.

Scope Creep – Uncontrolled expansion of scope without formal change control.

Scrum – Agile framework with roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Team), artifacts, and ceremonies.

Scrum Master – Facilitator ensuring the Scrum process is followed and impediments are removed.

Smoothing - Resource smoothing is defined as a technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model so that all requirements for the resources do not go beyond the resource limits already pre-defined during the planning

Sprint – Time-boxed iteration (typically 1–4 weeks) delivering a usable product increment.

Sprint Retrospective - An Agile ceremony that allows the team to discuss openly about their thoughts/opinion about the sprint. This allows them to examine the sprint process and understand what work well, what went wrong and what actions they need to take to improve the process. This ceremony fosters empowerment within the team as they had an opportunity to decide on what works with them to make them more engaged and satisfied in handling the project.

Stakeholder Engagement Plan - Outlines the communication strategy for each stakeholder group. It considers factors like stakeholder interest level, communication preferences, and information needs.

A Stakeholder Map is a visual representation that identifies all individuals, groups, or organizations that have an interest in, influence over, or are affected by a project. It helps the project manager and team:

• Visualize relationships between stakeholders,
• Understand influence and interest levels, and
• Prioritize engagement and communication efforts.

Stakeholder maps are often organized using a power–interest grid (or similar matrix), where stakeholders are plotted according to their level of influence and interest. This allows the project team to decide how much attention and communication each stakeholder should receive to maintain support and reduce resistance throughout the project.

Stakeholder Register – List of all stakeholders, their interests, and influence levels.

Statistical control are: Run Chart, Pareto Chart, and Control Chart.

Statement of Work (SOW): Describes all the work that needs to be executed for the project to be completed and accepted.

Story Point – Relative measure of effort to complete a user story in Agile.

Sustainable Pace - In Agile and Hybrid project management, sustainable pace refers to maintaining a consistent, manageable workload that can be continued indefinitely without causing burnout, fatigue, or a decline in quality. Teams work at a steady rhythm—often called a velocity—that balances productivity with well-being. The goal is to ensure reliable delivery of value over time rather than short bursts of overwork followed by exhaustion or reduced efficiency.

SWOT Analysis - A strategic planning tool used to evaluate a project, organization, or initiative by identifying its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors—such as resources, skills, and processes—while opportunities and threats are external factors, like market trends, competitors, or regulations. In project management, SWOT helps teams understand their current position, anticipate challenges, and make informed decisions about planning, risk management, and strategic direction.

All five tools—Stakeholder Matrix, RACI Chart, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Map, and Engagement Map—are used in project management to understand and manage people involved in or affected by a project, but each serves a distinct purpose.

A Stakeholder Analysis is the overall process of identifying stakeholders, understanding their interests, influence, and expectations, and determining how to engage them. The Stakeholder Matrix organizes this information into a visual or tabular format, typically ranking stakeholders by power, interest, or engagement level. A Stakeholder Map builds on this by showing the relationships and positions of stakeholders in a visual layout—often using a power–interest grid—to clarify who should be prioritized for communication. The Engagement Map then tracks how engaged each stakeholder currently is versus how engaged they need to be, helping guide targeted communication and change management efforts. In contrast, the RACI Chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) focuses on roles and responsibilities within the project team itself, clarifying who does what rather than how to engage them. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive framework for stakeholder identification, prioritization, engagement, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

T

Task Board – Visual tool (in Scrum or Kanban) showing work status (To Do, Doing, Done).

Team Charter – Document defining team values, agreements, and working norms.

Timeboxing – Setting a fixed time period for an activity, common in Agile iterations.

The Law of Authority - refers to the psychological principle that people are more likely to follow or be influenced by someone they perceive as an authority figure or expert. In project management or organizational behavior, this means:

• Team members are more likely to accept guidance or decisions from someone who demonstrates expertise, confidence, and credibility.
• Authority can come from formal position (e.g., a project manager or sponsor) or perceived competence (e.g., a subject matter expert).
• This concept originates from Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles of Influence, where the Law of Authority emphasizes that demonstrating knowledge, credentials, or trustworthy experience increases compliance and cooperation.

Theory X - assumes employees are lazy and require authoritarian control.

Theory Y - assumes employees are self-motivated and thrive iwth participation and autonomy. Triple Constraint – Core balance among scope, schedule, and cost (sometimes extended to include quality).

Tuckman Stages of Team Development

• Forming – Team members meet, learn about each other, and define the group’s purpose and goals.
• Storming – Members express differing ideas and personalities clash as roles and norms are challenged.
• Norming – The team establishes clear norms, trust, and cohesion, agreeing on shared processes and goals.
• Performing – The group operates efficiently toward objectives with high trust, collaboration, and autonomy.
• Adjourning – The project concludes; members reflect, celebrate achievements, and transition out of the group.

U

User Story – Short description of a feature from the end-user’s perspective (“As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]”).

Utility Theory – Framework suggesting decisions are made based on perceived value or utility of outcomes.

V

Value Delivery Office (VDO) – Evolved form of PMO focused on aligning projects to organizational value and benefits.

Value Stream Mapping - Is to use a structured diagram to see where time, effort, or resources are lost — and redesign the process so more of it contributes directly to customer value. Part of Lean Methology.

Velocity – Agile metric measuring how much work a team completes in a sprint.

Variance Analysis – Comparing actual results against baselines to identify performance deviations.

W

War Room – Centralized project space promoting collaboration and communication.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – Hierarchical decomposition of total project scope into manageable components.

Work Package – Lowest level of WBS used for planning, estimating, and controlling work.

Work Performance Data/Information/Reports – Raw observations → analyzed data → communicated reports used for decision-making.