List of project management topics
Encyclopedia
This list of project management topics gives an overview of project management
topics.
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
topics.
Project management activities
Project management is composed of several different types of activities such as:- Analysis and design of objectivesGoalA goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
and events - PlanningProject planningProject planning is part of project management, which relates to the use of schedules such as Gantt charts to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment....
the work according to the objectives - Assessing and controlling risk (or risk managementRisk managementRisk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities...
) - Estimating resources
- Allocation of resources
- Organizing the work
- Acquiring human and material resources
- Assigning tasks
- Directing activities
- Controlling project execution
- Tracking and reporting progress (Management information systemManagement information systemA management information system provides information needed to manage organizations efficiently and effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources: people, technology, and information. Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that...
) - Analyzing the results based on the facts achieved
- Defining the products of the project
- Forecasting future trends in the project
- Quality managementQuality managementThe term Quality management has a specific meaning within many business sectors. This specific definition, which does not aim to assure 'good quality' by the more general definition , can be considered to have four main components: quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality...
- Issues management
- Issue solving
- Defect prevention
- Identifying, managing & controlling changes
- Project closure (and project debrief)
- Communicating to stakeholders
Project management artifacts
The following documents serve to clarify objectives and deliverables and to align sponsors, clients, and project team's expectations.- Project charterProject charterIn project management, a project charter or project definition is a statement of the scope, objectives and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project objectives, identifies the main stakeholders, and defines the authority of...
- Preliminary scope statement / Statement of workStatement of workA statement of work is a formal document that captures and defines the work activities, deliverables and timeline a vendor will execute against in performance of specified work for a client...
- Business caseBusiness caseA business case captures the reasoning for initiating a project or task. It is often presented in a well-structured written document, but may also sometimes come in the form of a short verbal argument or presentation. The logic of the business case is that, whenever resources such as money or...
/ Feasibility studyFeasibility studyFeasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest... - Scope statementScope StatementScope statements may take many forms depending on the type of project being implemented and the nature of the organization. The scope statement details the project deliverables and describes the major objectives...
/ Terms of referenceTerms of referenceTerms of reference describe the purpose and structure of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal. The terms of reference of a project are often referred to as the project charter.- Terms of... - Project management planProject management planA project management plan, as defined in the PMBOK Guide Third Edition, is a formal, approved document that defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled. It may be summary or detailed and may be composed of one or more subsidiary management plans and other planning documents...
/ Project initiation documentProject initiation documentThe Project Initiation Documentation bundles the information which was acquired through the Starting up a Project and Initiating a Project processes in a PRINCE2 controlled project environment... - Work breakdown structureWork breakdown structureA work breakdown structure , in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. It defines and groups a project's discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project.A work...
- Change control planChange ControlChange control within Quality management systems and Information Technology systems is a formal process used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner...
- Risk management planRisk Management PlanA Risk Management Plan is a document prepared by a project manager to foresee risks, to estimate the impacts, and to create response plans to mitigate them...
- Risk breakdown structureRisk breakdown structureRisk Breakdown Structure - A hierarchically organised depiction of the identified project risks arranged by category.- An Introduction to the Risk Breakdown Structure :...
- Communications plan
- Governance model
- Risk registerRisk registerA Risk Register is a Risk Management tool commonly used in Project Management and organisational risk assessments. It acts as a central repository for all risks identified by the project or organisation and, for each risk, includes information such as risk probability, impact, counter-measures,...
- Issue logIssue LogIssue Log is a documentation element of software project management. An issue log contains a list of ongoing and closed issues of the project. While issue logs can be viewed as a way to track errors in the project, the role it plays often extends further...
- Action item listAction itemIn management, an action item is a documented event, task, activity, or action that needs to take place. Action items are discrete units that can be handled by a single person.-Planning actions:...
- Resource management planResource managementIn organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
- Project scheduleSchedule (project management)In project management, a schedule consists of a list of a project's terminal elements with intended start and finish dates. Terminal elements are the lowest element in a schedule, which is not further subdivided...
- Project status report
- Responsibility assignment (RACI) matrixResponsibility assignment matrixA responsibility assignment matrix , also known as RACI matrix or Linear Responsibility Chart , describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project or business process...
- Database of lessons learned
- Stakeholder analysisStakeholder analysisStakeholder analysis in conflict resolution, project management, and business administration, is the process of identifying the individuals or groups that are likely to affect or be affected by a proposed action, and sorting them according to their impact on the action and the impact the action...
- Document management
General management tools
- Online tools to run a project health check (Ph-Check tool), take a baseline or checkpoint, or to generate highlight, or status reports.
- Project management softwareProject management softwareProject management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
Scheduling charts
- PERT charts
- Gantt chartGantt chartA Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Some Gantt charts...
s - Event chain diagram
- Time–distance diagramTime–distance diagramA time–distance diagram is generally a diagram with one axis representing time and the other axis distance. Such charts are used in the aviation industry to plot flights, or in scientific research to present effects in respect to distance over time...
Communication aids for teams
- Responsibility assignment (RACI) matrixResponsibility assignment matrixA responsibility assignment matrix , also known as RACI matrix or Linear Responsibility Chart , describes the participation by various roles in completing tasks or deliverables for a project or business process...
- Run chartRun ChartA run chart, also known as a run-sequence plot is a graph that displays observed data in a time sequence. Often, the data displayed represent some aspect of the output or performance of a manufacturing or other business process.- Overview :...
s - Project cycle optimisation (PCO)
- Participatory impact pathways analysisParticipatory Impact Pathways AnalysisParticipatory impact pathways analysis is a project management approach in which the participants in a project , including project staff, key stakeholders and the ultimate beneficiaries, together co-construct their program theory.- Overview :The PIPA theory describes plausible impact pathways by...
(An approach for developing common understanding and consensus amongst project participants and stakeholders as to how the project will achieve its goal) - Logical framework approachLogical framework approachThe Logical Framework Approach is a management tool mainly used in the design, monitoring and evaluation of international development projects. It is also widely known as Goal Oriented Project Planning or Objectives Oriented Project Planning .-Background:The Logical Framework Approach was...
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