Keeping terms simple is one way of ensuring that team members and others understand what is going on with your project. This simple glossary provides most of the terms you will need to communicate project information effectively.
Brainstorming
Meetings and conferences set up to share ideas in an open and unencumbered way.
Budget
Cost allocated to the project
Change Control
A process set up to manage changes and modifications to an existing project. The change control process should be agreed by the project owner and project manager in advance
Controls
Check points to ensure that certain milestones, quality standards or other guidelines associated with the project have been met.
Cost
The cost associated with items in the project; should be measured against the budget.
Estimate
Detailed information linking tasks, activities, staff requirements and resources to their cost structure. The basis for the budgeting process.
Gantt chart
Timeline with activities in a graphical project plan.
Guidelines
Guidance for the successful completion of tasks in the project. Can include instructions, business rules, recipes and general guidelines for the project.
Implementation
The second step of a project that immediately follows the planning phase, beginning with the start up phase of the project right through the conclusion.
Microsoft Project
The most popular project management software on the planet.
Planning
First step of a project including goals, objectives, estimates including all the elements in the project.
Primavera
Project management software for dealing with very large projects.
Priorities
A list of the important goals and objectives to be met by the project.
Process
Tasks and activities linked together in a series of actions that represent a process.
Project Management
The act of managing projects using available skills, processes and systems to achieve desired outcomes from the project in hand.
Quality
Required performance levels and standards needed from the finished project and its components. Quality can also represent standards that have to be adhered to in the project.
Research
Reviewing and collecting of relevant data to assist in the development of the project plan
Resources
Tools, materials and systems needed to support activities within the project.
Risk
The hazard level in a project; usually measured on a sliding scale — high to low.
Roles
The job characteristics of individuals participating in a project.
Schedule
Timeline with events, milestones and processes that together make up the overall project schedule.
Scope
A statement reflecting the details of an entire project, or part thereof. Typically includes goals, objectives and milestones for completion.
Scope creep
Changes occurring in a project on a gradual basis; ultimately causing the complete nature of the project to change.
Stages
Each project can be broken into separate stages either with its own milestones and schedule.
Steps
Used to describe instructional stages in a project or specific guidelines for a task.
Tasks
Actions or decisions included in a project. Together the tasks linked together make up a process.
Teamwork
Proactive collaboration and cooperation in a project between team members.
Visualization
Creation of a visual diagram to communicate status and ideas behind the project.
Workshop
Facilitation meeting involving all team members with the goal of creating a defined set of decisions or output; sometimes used in training applications.
Excerpted from Michael J. Cunningham’s Finish What You Start
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