Project Management Terms - Glossary

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.

Affinite Diagram - Is a tool used to organize large amounts of ideas, data, or issues into natural groups based on their relationships. Its purpose is to help teams make sense of unstructured information, reveal patterns, and identify themes so they can better understand root causes, brainstorm solutions, or prioritize work. It is especially useful after brainstorming sessions or when a problem produces many complex or overlapping inputs.

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.

Business Management Plan - A business management plan is a high-level document that describes how the project will align with and support the organization’s strategic objectives. It outlines the project’s business context, expected benefits, success criteria, financial assumptions, and how benefits will be monitored and realized over time. The plan provides guidance for decision-making by linking project outcomes to organizational goals, ensuring that the project delivers measurable value and remains strategically justified throughout its lifecycle.

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.

Control Quality Process - The control quality process involves monitoring and inspecting project deliverables to ensure they meet the defined quality standards and requirements. It uses measurement, testing, and verification techniques to identify defects, validate correctness, and confirm that outputs are complete, accurate, and fit for purpose before customer acceptance.

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

Cost Baseline – Approved budget used to measure cost performance.

Cost of Quality (CoQ) - The total cost of making sure the project delivers a quality product. Mindset: You either pay to build quality now, or you pay much more later to fix defects. The cost of fixing problems when quality fails.

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.

Cross-Training - Cross-training is the process of developing team members’ skills in multiple roles or tasks so they can support different functions as needed. Its purpose is to increase flexibility, reduce bottlenecks, improve resource utilization, and ensure continuity of work when specific individuals are unavailable. In Agile teams, cross-training strengthens collaboration and enables more consistent delivery.

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.

Delphi Technique - The Delphi Technique is a structured method for gathering expert opinions to reach a reliable consensus. It involves consulting a panel of experts anonymously through multiple rounds of questionnaires. After each round, a facilitator summarizes the responses and shares the summary with the group. Experts then revise their answers based on the collective input.

This iterative feedback process continues until the responses converge, producing a well-informed, unbiased consensus. Key features:

• Anonymity reduces bias, groupthink, and influence from dominant personalities.
• Multiple rounds allow refinement of ideas and improved accuracy.
• Facilitated summaries help experts reconsider their views objectively.
• Useful for estimates, risk analysis, forecasting, and decision-making where direct discussion may skew results.

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.

Dependenc(ies/y) – 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.

DISC Behaviour Model A framework used to understand communication preferences, decision-making tendencies, and interpersonal behaviour within project teams. It groups behaviour into four primary styles:

• Dominance (D): Direct, decisive, and results-focused. Prefers quick decisions, clear goals, and autonomy. May appear forceful when under pressure but excels at driving progress and removing obstacles.
• Influence (I): Outgoing, persuasive, and people-oriented. Values collaboration, enthusiasm, and open communication. Energizes teams and builds relationships but may overlook details.
• Steadiness (S): Patient, supportive, and reliable. Prefers stability, consistency, and teamwork. Helps maintain harmony and steady workflow but may resist rapid change.
• Conscientiousness (C): Analytical, detail-oriented, and quality-focused. Values accuracy, structure, and compliance with standards. Produces high-quality work but may take longer to make decisions.

Document Comparison:

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).

Environmental Scan - An environmental scan is the process of identifying and analyzing external and internal factors that can influence a project or organization. It examines trends, conditions, opportunities, and threats in areas such as the economy, regulations, technology, market forces, competitors, organizational culture, and stakeholder expectations. The purpose is to understand the broader environment so leaders can make informed strategic decisions and adapt plans proactively.

Common Tools and Techniques for an Environmental Scan

• PESTLE Analysis — examines Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors.
• SWOT Analysis — identifies internal Strengths and Weaknesses, and external Opportunities and Threats.
• Porter’s Five Forces — analyzes industry competition, supplier power, buyer power, substitutes, and new entrants.
• Benchmarking — compares organizational performance against industry standards or competitors.
• Trend Analysis — evaluates patterns in technology, markets, regulations, or customer behavior.
• Surveys and Interviews — collects insights from stakeholders, customers, or experts.
• Document and Data Analysis — reviews policies, financial reports, market studies, and regulatory documents.
• Scenario Planning — explores possible future states to assess risks and opportunities.

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.

Fixed-price increments - allow for the project to be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces, with payment being made upon completion of each increment. This helps to ensure that both parties are sharing the risk equally.

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.

Gated Approach - A gated approach is a project oversight method where work is divided into stages, and each stage ends with a formal “gate” review. At each gate, decision-makers evaluate progress, risks, costs, and alignment with business objectives to determine whether the project should continue, change direction, or be stopped. This ensures structured decision-making, higher control, and early detection of issues before moving to the next phase.

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

Graduated Time and Materials - is a pricing model that allows for the project to be completed within a certain timeframe, with the cost of materials and labor increasing as the project progresses. This helps to ensure that both parties are sharing the risk equally, as any delays or unforeseen circumstances will result in increased costs for both parties.

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.

Kotter’s Change Model - is an eight-step framework used to manage organizational change by building urgency, creating a guiding coalition, developing a clear vision, communicating that vision, empowering people to act, generating short-term wins, consolidating gains, and anchoring the change into the organization’s culture. Its purpose is to provide a structured, people-focused approach that increases adoption, reduces resistance, and ensures lasting change.

A company decides to implement a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. The project sponsor begins by showing declining customer retention data to create (1. A sense of urgency) and forms a cross-functional leadership team to (2. Build the guiding coalition). Together they outline how the new CRM will improve customer response times and sales efficiency, (3. Developing a clear vision), and this vision is shared across the organization through town halls and department meetings, (4. Communicate the vision).

The project team provides hands-on training and removes outdated manual steps to (5. Empower employees for broad-based action). Within the first month, they highlight improved follow-up times and more accurate customer records as (6. Short-term wins). As adoption increases, the team refines workflows and expands automation, (7. Consolidating gains and producing more change). Eventually, the new CRM practices become embedded into daily operations through updated procedures, KPIs, and performance reviews, (8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture).

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”

Matrix Organization Environment A structural approach where team members report to more than one manager—typically a functional manager (discipline-based) and a project manager (deliverable-based). This environment blends functional and projectized structures to balance technical expertise with project focus. Matrix organizations vary in authority distribution:

• Weak Matrix: Functional managers hold most authority; project managers act mainly as coordinators or expediters.
• Balanced Matrix: Authority and decision-making are shared between functional and project managers.
• Strong Matrix: Project managers have greater influence over resources, schedule, and priorities, resembling a projectized structure.

Matrix environments support flexible resource use and cross-disciplinary collaboration but require strong communication, clear roles, and effective conflict resolution.

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

Net Present Value (NPV) - NPV is a financial analysis technique used to evaluate the profitability of a project by calculating the difference between the present value of expected cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows. A positive NPV indicates the project is expected to generate value; a negative NPV suggests it will lose value.

Example NPV Calculation

• Initial cost: $10,000
• Benefits: $4,000 per year for 3 years
• Discount rate: 10%

Present Values:
Year 1: 4000 / 1.10 = 3636
Year 2: 4000 / 1.10² = 3306
Year 3: 4000 / 1.10³ = 3005
Total PV = 9947

NPV = 9947 – 10000 = –53

Result: Slightly negative NPV, not financially favorable.

Nominal Group Technique – Structured brainstorming method for prioritizing ideas. Furthermore, the nominal group technique is a structured group process that helps to ensure that everyone’s opinion is heard and considered. It is a non-confrontational approach, which can help to diffuse any tension or conflict that may be present and is a relatively quick and easy way to reach a decision.

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.

Planning Poker - is an Agile estimation technique where team members independently select estimation cards (usually using Fibonacci numbers) to estimate the effort or duration of a user story. All estimates are revealed simultaneously, and differences are discussed until the team reaches consensus. Its purpose is to reduce bias, encourage collaboration, and produce more accurate team-based estimates.

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

Procurement - Procurement is one of the project management process groups. For large projects there is a procurement team that handles the procurement process. Part of the procurement process include contract negotation and the contract must contain the certifications and qualifications required (if appropriate). Certifications are at the company level (ISO 900 Quality Management Certified) and/or at the individual staff level (certified high voltage electrician, forklift license etc.). The procurement process must follow estabilished procurement processes to avoid potential compliance concerns.

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 Techniques

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.

Resource Profiling - is the process of identifying the types, quantities, skills, and availability of resources (people, equipment, materials) needed to complete project activities so you can plan, schedule, and allocate them effectively.

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.

Rolling Wave Plan: With a Rolling Wave Plan, we should have regular checkpoints to incorporate new information and adjust our plan accordingly.

S

Salience Model

The Salience Model is a stakeholder analysis framework that helps project managers identify which stakeholders require the most attention. It ranks stakeholders based on three attributes:

• Power – Their ability to influence the project’s direction or outcomes.
• Legitimacy – The degree to which their involvement or interest is appropriate and valid.
• Urgency – How time-sensitive or critical their needs, expectations, or issues are.

Stakeholders with more of these attributes are considered more “salient” and therefore require greater engagement, communication, and management focus. The model helps prioritize limited project resources by clarifying who must be addressed first.

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. The Scrum Master is the facilitator for all Scrum ceremonies, including estimation events.

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.

Steering Commumittee - is an advisory body that is made up of senior stakeholders and experts that provide guidance on a lot of different issues that could face companies and projects such as budgets, new endeavors, company policy, marketing strategies, and project management concerns.

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.

Team Member Styles

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 with participation and autonomy.

Triple Constraint – Core balance among scope, schedule, and cost (sometimes extended to include quality).

Trouble-shooting Systems -

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]”). To create effective user stories, remember INVEST, which outlines the qualities of a well-formed story:

• Independent - stories should be as independent as possible.
• Negotiable - a story is not a contract. A story is an invitation to a conversation.
• Valuable - if a story does not have discernable value it should not be done.
• Estimatable - a story has to be able to be estimated or sized so it can be properly prioritized.
• Small - stories should be small chunks of work (eg. two-week iterations average 3-4 days of work)
• Testable - every story needs to be testable in order to be “done”.

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.