PMP Flashcards

The processes required to ensure the project includes all the work required—and only the work required—to complete the project successfully.

The Stakeholder Register.

Critical Path Method (CPM), What-If Analysis, Resource Leveling, and Monte Carlo Simulation.

1. Plan Quality Management 2. Manage Quality 3. Control Quality

To identify quality requirements and standards and document how the project will demonstrate compliance.

To track identified risks, monitor residual risks, identify new risks, and evaluate response plan effectiveness.

To finalize all project activities and formally close the project or phase.

Because proactive risk management reduces uncertainty, improves decision-making, and enhances resilience.

n(n – 1) ÷ 2, where n = number of stakeholders.

The processes of identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risks to minimize threats and maximize opportunities.

The process-oriented activities that ensure quality standards are being followed.

A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

Perform Integrated Change Control.

To analyze activity sequences, durations, resources, and constraints to create the project schedule model.

The processes to identify, acquire, and manage the physical and human resources needed for successful project completion.

The Resource Requirements document.

To ensure that physical resources are assigned and used as planned.

A bar chart showing causes of defects in descending order of frequency.

To obtain seller responses, select a seller, and award a contract.

The iterative process of continuously improving and detailing a plan as more information becomes available.

Bidder conferences, proposal evaluations, advertising, and expert judgment.

A form of progressive elaboration in which work to be done in the near term is planned in detail, and future work is planned at a higher level.

Procurement Management Plan, Bid Documents, Seller Proposals, and Procurement SOW.

To establish policies and procedures for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the schedule.

To track team performance, provide feedback, resolve issues, and coordinate changes to enhance project outcomes.

A technique that identifies the sequence of activities that determines the minimum project duration.

Any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability required to complete a process, phase, or project.

The sequence of activities that determines the shortest possible duration of the project.

The total cost of ensuring and maintaining quality, including prevention, appraisal, and failure costs.

Approved Change Requests.

To aggregate estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.

A document that formally authorizes a project and provides the project manager with authority to apply resources.

To establish policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, managing, and controlling project costs.

Effort is the total labor hours required; duration is the time between start and finish, accounting for resource availability.

The Project Management Plan.

A grid that ranks risks based on their likelihood of occurring and their potential impact.

The Stakeholder Register.

1. Plan Scope Management 2. Collect Requirements 3. Define Scope 4. Create WBS 5. Validate Scope 6. Control Scope

Obstacles such as noise, cultural differences, jargon, or lack of feedback that distort messages.

To ensure information is distributed, received, and understood as intended.

Internal/External and Formal/Informal.

A contract where the seller agrees to deliver specified products or services at a predetermined price.

Exploit, Share, Enhance, and Accept.

To lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives.

Risks that arise as a direct result of implementing a risk response.

Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC).

Also known as a fishbone or Ishikawa diagram, it identifies root causes of quality problems.

Scope Baseline and Project Documents Updates.

The Planning Process Group.

The Project Manager or a designated governance representative.

Project communications, issue logs, and updates to project documents and plans.

A request by one party for compensation due to perceived contract violations or changes.

1. Plan Schedule Management 2. Define Activities 3. Sequence Activities 4. Estimate Activity Durations 5. Develop Schedule 6. Control Schedule

Because it ensures coordination among all processes and knowledge areas.

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

A documented justification for undertaking a project, outlining expected benefits, costs, and risks.

A structured, independent review to assess compliance with policies, procedures, and best practices.

Business documents (business case, benefits management plan), agreements, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets.

To subdivide project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components.

To document project procurement decisions, specify the approach, and identify potential sellers.

A model describing stages of team development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

1. Plan Communications Management 2. Manage Communications 3. Monitor Communications

A project is temporary and unique; operations are ongoing and repetitive.

To prioritize risks for further analysis or action based on their probability and impact.

To finalize all activities, formally close the project, and release resources.

An ongoing effort to enhance processes, products, or services through small, incremental changes.

Adjusting the project schedule to address resource constraints and balance demand with availability.

Explicit and Tacit knowledge.

To monitor project costs and manage changes to the cost baseline.

CV = EV – AC.

Adjusting activities within their float to optimize resource use without affecting the project’s critical path.

Sensitivity analysis, expected monetary value (EMV) analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and decision tree analysis.

Quality measures how well requirements are met; grade describes a category with the same functional use but different technical characteristics.

Create WBS.

Work Performance Information.

To categorize stakeholders based on their level of authority (power) and their concern (interest).

Risks that remain after risk response actions have been implemented.

A document providing detailed information about each WBS element, including deliverables, resources, and responsibilities.

SV = EV – PV.

Because engaged stakeholders contribute to decision-making, reduce risks, and increase project acceptance.

1. Plan Procurement Management 2. Conduct Procurements 3. Control Procurements

To develop approaches for engaging stakeholders based on their needs, interests, and potential impact.

Interpersonal and team skills, communication skills, ground rules, and conflict management.

Pre-assignment occurs when resources are designated in advance; acquisition happens during project execution.

The person responsible for monitoring a specific risk and implementing the agreed-upon response plan.

To numerically analyze the combined effect of identified risks on overall project objectives.

Comparing actual or planned practices to those of other projects or organizations to identify best practices.

Detailed information about each activity, such as predecessors, successors, constraints, and resources.

Power/Interest Grid, Power/Influence Grid, Impact/Influence Grid, and Salience Model.

To define how risk management activities will be conducted for the project.

Avoid, Transfer, Mitigate, and Accept.

A system for managing changes to product specifications and ensuring that deliverables remain consistent and traceable.

A structured tool used to verify that required steps or outputs have been completed.

To improve team competencies, interaction, and overall performance.

Estimating the cost of individual work packages or activities and aggregating them to higher levels.

Direct and Manage Project Work.

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.

The lowest level of the WBS where cost and duration can be estimated and managed.

SPI = EV ÷ PV.

To use existing knowledge and create new knowledge to achieve project objectives and contribute to organizational learning.

Initiating Process Group.

A framework consisting of sender, message, medium, receiver, noise, and feedback.

Continuously throughout the project.

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

To obtain team members, facilities, equipment, materials, and other resources required to complete the work.

The Risk Register.

Scope, Time, and Cost.

The approved version of a plan used for comparison to actual performance.

The Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM).

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

CPI = EV ÷ AC.

Unaware, Resistant, Neutral, Supportive, and Leading.

A hybrid contract combining fixed and cost-reimbursable elements, often used for staff augmentation or short-term work.

A multidirectional exchange of information between two or more parties.

Collaborate/Problem Solve.

To track, review, and regulate project performance and identify areas needing changes.

The processes required to identify all people or organizations impacted by the project and manage their expectations and engagement.

The Communications Management Plan.

The uncontrolled expansion of project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources.

The process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting project progress to meet performance objectives.

Interviews, focus groups, facilitated workshops, questionnaires, prototypes, and observations.

Withdraw/Avoid, Smooth/Accommodate, Compromise/Reconcile, Force/Direct, and Collaborate/Problem Solve.

The processes required to ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information.

Because effective resource management ensures the right people and materials are available, engaged, and optimized for delivery.

To establish the total scope of the effort, define objectives, and develop a plan to achieve them.

Any individual, group, or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a project.

Interactive, Push, and Pull.

Accepted Deliverables.

To determine who the stakeholders are, what their interests and influence levels are, and how they may affect the project.

Selecting a subset of outputs for inspection to determine overall quality.

A grid that links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that fulfill them.

The process of reviewing, approving, and managing changes to deliverables, documents, and baselines.

It ensures satisfaction, acceptance, and formal sign-off on deliverables.

A methodology that integrates scope, schedule, and cost to assess project performance.

To monitor the project and product scope and manage changes to the scope baseline.

Using statistical relationships between historical data and other variables (e.g., cost per unit) to estimate costs.

To translate the quality management plan into actionable quality activities that ensure project deliverables meet expectations.

The project sponsor or initiating entity.

The Project Scope Statement.

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

High participation rates, positive feedback, reduced resistance, and timely issue resolution.

The physical or electronic representations of project performance information compiled from work performance data.

Manage Team deals with human resource performance; Control Resources deals with physical resource utilization.

To ensure effective communication among stakeholders and maintain transparency.

Sent to specific recipients who need the information, such as reports or emails.

A framework explaining what drives individuals to perform effectively in a team.

To determine the communication needs of stakeholders and define how information will be shared.

Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Schedule Variance (SV).

The Executing Process Group.

The process of ensuring that the project’s various elements are properly coordinated.

The Project Charter.

A technique to determine whether project work should be performed internally or purchased externally.

Stakeholder requirements, communication methods, frequency, technologies, escalation processes, and responsibilities.

To provide a detailed description of project deliverables and work required to create them.

The approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding management reserves.

Acquire Resources.

Because it ensures resources are used efficiently and prevents rework, delays, and stakeholder dissatisfaction.

Verified Deliverables and Work Performance Data.

Requirements Documentation and the Requirements Traceability Matrix.

Expert judgment, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, bottom-up estimating, and three-point estimating.

The project manager leads communication, relationship-building, and alignment between stakeholders and project objectives.

To complete the work defined in the project management plan to meet project objectives.

To ensure that agreed-upon risk response plans are executed effectively.

A lead allows an activity to start earlier; a lag delays the start of an activity.

The processes required to manage the timely completion of the project.

1. Plan Cost Management 2. Estimate Costs 3. Determine Budget 4. Control Costs

An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives.

Cost-benefit analysis, cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, check sheets, histograms, control charts, and Pareto diagrams.

A model that classifies stakeholders based on power, legitimacy, and urgency.

If seven consecutive points fall on one side of the mean, the process may be out of control.

1. Finish-to-Start (FS) 2. Start-to-Start (SS) 3. Finish-to-Finish (FF) 4. Start-to-Finish (SF)

Manage Quality focuses on process quality assurance; Control Quality focuses on product verification.

A collection of projects, programs, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives.

A document containing details of identified risks, their characteristics, and potential responses.

To ensure information needs are met and communications remain effective and appropriate.

The forecasted total cost of the project based on current performance.

The product-oriented activities that verify deliverables meet defined quality standards.

TCPI = (BAC – EV) ÷ (BAC – AC).

To estimate the type and quantities of materials, human resources, equipment, and supplies required for each activity.

A hierarchical decomposition of the total work to accomplish the project objectives.

A contract where the seller is reimbursed for allowable costs plus a fee or incentive.

1. Plan Risk Management 2. Identify Risks 3. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis 4. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis 5. Plan Risk Responses 6. Implement Risk Responses 7. Monitor Risks

Deliverables, work performance data, and change requests.

Engage closely, keep satisfied, keep informed, and monitor with minimal effort.

1. Fixed-Price (FP) 2. Cost-Reimbursable (CR) 3. Time and Materials (T&M)

Contingency reserves address identified risks; management reserves cover unforeseen work within the project scope.

It enhances customer satisfaction, reduces rework, and improves efficiency and reputation.

Active listening, empathy, negotiation, and emotional intelligence.

A component plan that outlines detailed guidance for a specific aspect of project management (e.g., scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk).

A statistical concept that calculates the average outcome when the future includes scenarios that may or may not happen.

It ensures the message was understood and allows clarification when needed.

The knowledge gained during the project that can be used to improve future performance.

The processes for incorporating the organization’s quality policy regarding planning, managing, and controlling project and product quality requirements.

A detailed description of the work or services to be procured.

The processes required to purchase or acquire products, services, or results from outside the project team.

To define how project resources will be estimated, acquired, managed, and controlled.

Selected Sellers and Signed Agreements.

Expert judgment, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, three-point estimating, and bottom-up estimating.

The Stakeholder Engagement Plan.

Work Performance Information.

The series of phases a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

To communicate and work with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations, address issues, and foster support.

To define how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled.

Procurement Management Plan, Procurement Strategy, Bid Documents, and Make-or-Buy Decisions.

To manage procurement relationships, monitor contract performance, and make necessary changes.

Because clear, consistent, and timely communication fosters trust, reduces conflict, and aligns expectations.

1. Plan Resource Management 2. Estimate Activity Resources 3. Acquire Resources 4. Develop Team 5. Manage Team 6. Control Resources

To define how scope will be defined, validated, and controlled.

To monitor the project’s progress and manage changes to the schedule baseline.

To monitor process stability and identify whether variations are within acceptable limits.

Scope creep is unauthorized expansion of scope; gold plating is adding extra features not requested.

To identify and document logical relationships among project activities.

Estimating based on the cost of similar previous projects.

The processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so the project can be completed within the approved budget.

The approach used to determine delivery methods, contract types, and payment arrangements.

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date.

A tool comparing current and desired engagement levels for each stakeholder.

Structured reviews to examine the procurement process for efficiency, compliance, and lessons learned.

Approved versions of plans used to compare against actual results.

Final Product, Service, or Result Transition.

To approximate the number of work periods needed to complete each activity.

A technique that uses three estimates: optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic.

The technique of comparing planned results with actual results to determine performance deviations.

Corrective actions realign project performance with the plan; preventive actions reduce the probability of future deviations.

To evaluate stakeholder relationships and adjust strategies to maintain engagement effectiveness.

1. Identify Stakeholders 2. Plan Stakeholder Engagement 3. Manage Stakeholder Engagement 4. Monitor Stakeholder Engagement

To formally accept completed deliverables.

Formal proposals to modify any project document, deliverable, or baseline.

To develop an approximation of the financial resources needed to complete project activities.

The Activity List.

Training, team-building activities, recognition and rewards, colocation, and individual assessments.

Scope verification is concerned with acceptance of deliverables, while quality control checks for correctness.

Change control systems, contract change control boards, and performance reviews.

To formally start a new project or phase and authorize the project manager to proceed.

Information stored in a central location where recipients retrieve it as needed.

Performing activities in parallel that were originally planned to be done sequentially.

A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type.

Deliverables.

It ensures goods and services are acquired efficiently, legally, and strategically to support project objectives.