Glossary

Many of the words defined here have broader, and in some cases, different dictionary definitions.

The definitions use the following conventions:

• Terms used as part of the definitions and that are defined in the glossary are shown in italics.
  • When the same glossary term appears more than once in a given definition, only the first occurrence is italicized.
  • In some cases, a single glossary term consists of multiple words (e.g., risk response planning).
• When synonyms are included, no definition is given and the reader is directed to the preferred term (i.e., see preferred term).
• Related terms that are not synonyms are cross-referenced at the end of the definition (i.e., see also related term).

Activity. A component of work performed during the course of a project.

Apportioned Effort (AE). Effort applied to project work that is not readily divisible into discrete efforts for that work, but which is related in direct proportion to measurable discrete work efforts. Contrast with discrete effort.

Control Account (CA). A management control point where scope, budget (resource plans), actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement. Control accounts are placed at selected management points (specific components at selected levels) of the work breakdown structure. Each control account may include one or more work packages, but each work package may be associated with only one control account. Each control account is associated with a specific single organizational component in the organizational breakdown structure (OBS). Previously called a cost account. See also work package.

Customer. The person or organization that will use the project's product or service or result. (See also user).

Decomposition. A planning technique that subdivides the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components, until the project work associated with accomplishing the project scope and providing the deliverables is defined in sufficient detail to support executing, monitoring, and controlling the work.

Deliverable. Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that must be produced to complete a process, phase, or project. Often used more narrowly in reference to an external deliverable, which is a deliverable that is subject to approval by the project sponsor or customer.

Level of Effort (LOE). Support-type activity (e.g., seller or customer liaison, project cost accounting, project management, etc.) which does not produce definitive end products. It is generally characterized by a uniform rate of work performance over a period of time determined by the activities supported.

Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS). A hierarchically organized depiction of the project organization arranged so as to relate the work packages to the performing organizational units.

Phase. See project phase.

Portfolio. A collection of projects or programs and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives. The projects or programs of the portfolio may not necessarily be interdependent or directly related.

Portfolio Management. The centralized management of one or more portfolios, which includes identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing, and controlling projects, programs, and other related work, to achieve specific strategic business objectives.

Product Scope. The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result.

Program. A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. Programs may include elements of related work outside of the scope of the discrete projects in the program.

Program Management. The centralized coordinated management of a program to achieve the program's strategic objectives and benefits.

Progressive Elaboration. Continuously improving and detailing a plan as more detailed and specific information and more accurate estimates become available as the project progresses, and thereby producing more accurate and complete plans that result from the successive iterations of the planning process.

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

Project Phase. A collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of a major deliverable. Project phases (also called phases) are mainly completed sequentially, but can overlap in some project situations. Phases can be subdivided into subphases and then components; this hierarchy, if the project or portions of the project are divided into phases, is contained in the work breakdown structure. A project phase is a component of a project life cycle. A project phase is not a project management process group.

Project Scope. The work that must be performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.

Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS). A hierarchical structure of resources by resource category and resource type used in resource leveling schedules and to develop resource-limited schedules, and which may be used to identify and analyze project human resource assignments.

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). A structure that relates the project organizational breakdown structure to the work breakdown structure to help ensure that each component of the project's scope of work is assigned to a responsible person/team.

Risk. An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives.

Scope. The sum of the products, services, and results to be provided as a project. (See also project scope and product scope.)

Scope Change. Any change to the project scope. A scope change almost always requires an adjustment to the project cost or schedule.

Stakeholder. Person or organization (e.g., customer, sponsor, performing organization, or the public) that is actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by execution or completion of the project. A stakeholder may also exert influence over the project and its deliverables.

Standard. A document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievements of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

Statement of Work (SOW). A narrative description of products, services, or results to be supplied.

Task. A term for work whose meaning and placement within a structured plan for project work varies by the application area, industry, and brand of project management software.

User. The person or organization that will use the project's product or service. (See also customer.)

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). A deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. The WBS is decomposed into work packages. The deliverable orientation of the hierarchy includes both internal and external deliverables. (See also work package and control account.)

Work Breakdown Structure Component. An entry in the work breakdown structure that can be at any level.

Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary. A document that describes each component in the work breakdown structure (WBS). For each WBS component, the WBS dictionary includes a brief definition of the scope or statement of work, defined deliverable(s), a list of associated activities, and a list of milestones. Other information may include: responsible organization, start and end dates, resources required, an estimate of cost, charge number, contract information, quality requirements, and technical references to facilitate performance of the work.

Work Breakdown Structure Element. Any single work breakdown structure (WBS) element or component and its associated WBS attributes contained within an individual work breakdown structure.

Work Package. A deliverable or project work component at the lowest level of each branch of the work breakdown structure. The work package includes the schedule activities and schedule milestones required to complete the work package deliverable or project work component. (See also control account.)