Project Management Framework
Glossary
Acceptance: The formal process of accepting delivery of a product or deliverable.
Acceptance Criteria: Performance requirements and essential conditions that have to be achieved before project deliverables are accepted.
Alternatives: A number of different solutions and approaches that must be evaluated and chosen to attain the objectives of a project.
Approach Statement: A high-level description of how the project will accomplish its goals and objectives.
Balanced Scorecard: A management and measurement system that enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy, and translate them into action. It provides feedback for both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results.
Baselines: Reference levels against which the project is monitored and controlled.
Business Drivers/Background Statement: An explanation of why the project is needed and why it is being recommended at this time. It describes the business problem or issue that will be resolved by the project as well as any background information necessary to understand the problem.
Business Goals: The underlying basis for which a project is undertaken.
Business Teams: Members of the organization unit, usually benefitting from the project's outcomes.
Charter: A formal document providing authority to a project manager to conduct a project within scope, quality, time, cost, and resource constraints as laid down in the document.
Constraints: A condition or occurance that might restrict, limit, or regulate the project. Generally constraints are outside the control of the project team.
Contingencies: Planned actions for minimizing the damage caused by a problem, in the event that problem should occur.
Critical Path: The series of tasks that must finish on time for the entire project to finish on schedule. A delay in any task on the critical path will result in a delay in the project.
Deliverable: Any measurable, tangible, verifiable item that must be produced to complete the project.
Design Specification: A document that specifies the "design-to" requirements and may include functionality, performance, interfaces, constraints, effectiveness, and verification.
Exposure (rank): The likely loss or consequence of a risk. It is the combined probability and impact of a risk usually expressed as the product or probability x impact.
Feasibility Study: A study to examine the viability of taking on a project.
Fiscal Year: The 12-month period of July 1 to June 30 used for financial planning and reporting purposes.
Goal Statement: A high-level statement of the project's object of study, its purpose, its quality focus, and viewpoint. Should reference the project's business benefits in terms of cost, time and/or quality.
Governance: The planning, influencing and conducting of the policy and affairs of the project.
Governance Committee: A group of interested people (customers, technicians, managers, etc.) providing direction, guidance and approval for a project.
Governance Model: The agreed upon processes, roles and responsibilities for governing the progress and direction of a project.
ISB Oversight: The
Information Services Board (ISB) is a 15-member Board made up of leadership from the Legislature, state agencies, higher education and the private sector. State law directs the ISB to:
- develop standards to govern the acquisition and disposition of equipment, software and purchased services;
- approve IT acquisitions or set rules that delegate acquisition authority;
- develop statement or interagency technical policies;
- review and approve the statewide IT strategic plans;
- provide oversight on large projects;
- establish and monitor appeals processes.
IT Portfolio: A model for the management of Information Technology (IT) resources adopted by the Washington State Legislature and the Information Services Board. Beginning in January 1998, the ISB approved a body of
portfolio management policies, standards and guidelines developed in collaboration with the Department of Information Services'
Customer Advisory Board.
Under the portfolio concept, state agencies manage their IT resources as one would manage investments in a real estate or stock portfolio. The portfolio facilitates the alignment of technology investments with agency business needs and the analysis and proper mitigation of IT investment risks.
Impact: The harm or consequences to a project of a risk if it occurs. Usually expressed on a relative scale such as low, medium or high.
Lessons Learned: A set of statements captured after completion of a project or a portion of a project. The statements describe in a neutral way what did or did not work well, along with a statement regarding the risk of ignoring the lesson. Capturing and sharing the lessons learned is an important part of process improvement.
Maintenance And Operations: The process of keeping an information technology application running and performing its functions on a routine basis. Project activities do not include maintenance and operations tasks.
Milestones: An event of no duration. It usually marks the completion of a critical part of the project.
Mitigation: Actions taken to eliminate or reduce risk by reducing the probability and or impact of occurrence.
Mitigation Strategies: Identification of the steps that can be taken to lessen risk by lowering the probability of a risk event's occurrence, or to reduce its effect should the risk event occur.
Non-labor Resources: Anything that can aid or support a project that is not a person. Most often refers to hardware tools, software tools, equipment, and facilities.
PIR (Post Implementation Review): Also known as Close Out Report. This is a report compiled upon completion of every project, which determines if the expectations established for the project outcome were met. It documents the comparison between actual results of a project and the objectives and deliverables specified in the project's Charter.
Performance Outcomes: Results or consequences of the efforts enacted during the project's planning and execution.
Performance Measures: Performance measures describe how success in achieving the agency goals will be measured and tracked. Performance measure targets provide the quantifiable answer to the question, "How will we know when we've been successful in achieving our goal?" Analyzing the gaps between current performance levels and performance targets helps organizations identify priority areas needing improvement and develop strategies that will close the gap.
Phases: Distinct stages of a development project or of a version within a project; the high-level divisions of a project. The recommended project phases for a system development project are: Conceive, Plan, Design, Develop, Test, Train, Implement and Close-Out.
Probability: The likelihood of a risk occurring. Usually expressed as a probability percentage or a relative scale such as low, medium or high.
Program Manager: The person who directs the planning and execution of a program and is held personally accountable for the success of the program.
Project Approach Statement: A statement of the way the project will do things. For example, project planning may require different approaches, or different approaches may be considered as a way of reducing project risks.
Project Assumptions: Written statements relative to the project, which help to clarify scope, objectives and other relevant factors that cannot be known at a given point in time.
Project Environment: The combined internal and external forces, both individual and collective, which assist or restrict the attainment of the project objectives.
Project Management Life Cycle: The sequential major time periods through which any project passes, namely:
-
Initiation
-
Planning
-
Execution & Control
-
Closure
Each period may be identified as a phase and further broken down into stages.
Project Manager: The person who has been given the responsibility and authority to manage a project effectively.
Project Objectives: Descriptions of the project's intended results.
Project Organization Chart: A chart that indicates project staff roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.
Project Outcomes: A result or consequence of the project activity.
Project Resources: Anything that can aid, support, or execute a project. Most often refers to project staff with specific knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Project Scope Statement: A concise and accurate description of the expected work, products and deliverables. Also includes work and products that are not included in the project.
Project Sponsor: The executive who manages, administers, monitors, funds and is responsible for the overall project deliver.
Project Statement: A concise statement that clearly identifies the project's purpose, or desired outcome. It generally includes three components: cost, time and performance.
Project Status Reports: Written reports given to both the project team and to a responsible person on a regular basis, stating the position of an activity, work package, or whole project. Status reports control the project and keep management informed of project status.
Project Team Members: Members of the core project team and those that are assigned to development and/or support the project deliverables.
Quantifiable Measures: Scientific measures.
Resource Pool: A set of
project resources that is available for assignment to the accomplishment of project tasks.
Required Approvals: Required sign offs, usually by higher authority.
Risk: A future event or problem that exists outside of the control of the project that will have an adverse impact on the project if it occurs. Risk involves the probability of occurrence and the possible consequences or impact. Unlike an issue that is a current problem that must be dealt with, a risk is a potential problem that has not yet occurred.
Risk Analysis: An examination of risk areas or events to assess the probable consequences for each event, or combination of events in the analysis, and determine possible options for avoidance.
Risk Exposure (rank): The likely loss or consequence of a risk. It is the combined probability and impact of a risk usually expressed as the product or probability x impact.
Risk Impact: The harm or consequences to a project of a risk if it occurs. Usually expressed on a relative scale such as low, medium or high.
Risk Management: A process to assess potential problems (risks), determine which risks are important to deal with, and implement strategies to reduce the likelihood or consequences (impact) of those problems.
Risk Mitigation: Actions taken to eliminate or reduce risk by reducing the probability and or impact of occurrence.
Risk Probability: The likelihood of a risk occurring. Usually expressed as a probability percentage or a relative scale such as low, medium or high.
Risk Trigger: Events or thresholds for indicators that specify when an action such as implementing a contingency plan needs to be taken.
Scope Creep: The process by which a project slowly grows beyond its initial scope by the changing or addition of new requirements, activities and/or deliverables.
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A contract between a service provider and a customer that specifies, usually in measurable terms, what services the service provider will furnish.
SMART: The five elements for a well-worded objective, namely Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound.
Staffing Profile: A listing of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of project staff assigned to, or needed by, a project and when they are needed.
Stakeholders: The people who have a vested interest in the outcome of the project.
Steering Committee: A group of people who monitor the project and give guidance to the project sponsor or project manager.
Strategic Plan: A plan that is tightly tied to the organization's mission, vision, values and objectives, and depends heavily on high-level coordination and influences management to achieve their goals.
System Lifecycle: The sequential major time periods through which any system passes.
Technical Committee: A committee that administers the technical aspects of the project.
Technical Requirements: Documentation that describes, defines or specifies the goods/services to be supplied.
Technical Team: A team that provides help in specific technologies.
User: Any individual or organization that uses the system or the results of the system.
Vision Statement: A statement that captures the long-term picture of what the organization wants to become. A vision statement must be inspirational, memorable and reflect the desires of those with vested interests. An example would be, "To be recognized for leadership, innovation and excellence in improving the health of individuals and populations."