O

Order of Magnitude Estimate

See estimate.

(OBS) A depiction of the project organization arranged so as to relate work packages to organizational units.

Identifying, documenting, and assigning project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.

Coordinating changes across the entire project.

See lead.

P

Parametric Estimating

An estimating technique that uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables (e.g., square footage in construction, lines of code in software development) to calculate an estimate.

A histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence, that shows how many results were generated by each identified cause.

A set of sequentially connected activities in a project network diagram.

In mathematical analysis, the tendency of parallel paths of approximately equal duration to delay the completion of the milestone where they meet.

See float.

(PC) An estimate, expressed as a percent, of the amount of work which has been completed on an activity or group of activities.

Collecting and disseminating information about project performance to help ensure project progress.

The enterprise whose employees are most directly involved in doing the work of the project.

A specific type of project network diagram. See program evaluation and review technique.

See project phase.

(PF) See scheduled finish date.

(PS) See scheduled start date.

(PDM) A network diagramming technique in which activities are represented by boxes (or nodes). Activities are linked by precedence relationships to show the sequence in which the activities are to be performed.

The term used in the precedence diagramming method for a logical relationship. In current usage, however, precedence relationship, logical relationship, and dependency are widely used interchangeably regardless of the diagramming method in use.

(1) In the arrow diagramming method, the activity which enters a node. (2) In the precedence diagramming method, the ''from'' activity.

Determining what to procure and when.

A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way. Programs usually include an element of ongoing activity.

(PERT) An event-oriented network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty with the individual activity duration estimates. PERT applies the critical path method to a weighted average duration estimate. Also given as Project Evaluation and Review Technique.

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.

A document issued by senior management that provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure proper collection and dissemination of project information. It consists of communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting, and administrative closure.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project is completed within the approved budget. It consists of resource planning, cost estimating, cost budgeting, and cost control.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to make the most effective use of the people involved with the project. It consists of organizational planning, staff acquisition, and team development.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. It consists of project plan development, project plan execution, and overall change control.

A collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the control needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project.

(PM) The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project.

(PMBOK) An inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management. As with other professions such as law, medicine, and accounting, the body of knowledge rests with the practitioners and academics who apply and advance it. The PMBOK includes proven, traditional practices which are widely applied as well as innovative and advanced ones which have seen more limited use.

(PMP) An individual certified as such by the Project Management Institute.

A class of computer applications specifically designed to aid with planning and controlling project costs and schedules.

The members of the project team who are directly involved in project management activities. On some smaller projects, the project management team may include virtually all of the project team members.

(PM) The individual responsible for managing a project.

Any schematic display of the logical relationships of project activities. Always drawn from left to right to reflect project chronology. Often incorrectly referred to as a ''PERT chart.''

A collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of a major deliverable.

A formal, approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, to facilitate communication among stakeholders, and to document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines. A project plan may be summary or detailed.

Taking the results of other planning processes and putting them into a consistent, coherent document.

Carrying out the project plan by performing the activities included therein.

The development and maintenance of the project plan.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to acquire goods and services from outside the performing organization. It consists of procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection, contract administration, and contract close-out.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken. It consists of quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control.

A subset of project management that includes the processes concerned with identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risk. It consists of risk identification, risk quantification, risk response development, and risk response control.

The planned dates for performing activities and the planned dates for meeting milestones.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all of the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. It consists of initiation, scope planning, scope definition, scope verification, and scope change control.

The people who report either directly or indirectly to the project manager.

A subset of project management that includes the processes required to ensure timely completion of the project. It consists of activity definition, activity sequencing, activity duration estimating, schedule development, and schedule control.

Any organizational structure in which the project manager has full authority to assign priorities and to direct the work of individuals assigned to the project.

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