Project Management Dictionary of Terms

This glossary covers all common project management terminology.
A - Acceptance Criteria to Authority | B - Backward Pass to Business Process Manager (BPM) | C - Change to Customer | D - Decision Tree Analysis to Duration | E - Early Finish Date to Event | F - Failure Mode and Effect Analysis to Functional Organisation | G - Gantt Chart to guidelines | H - Hammock task to Hyperlink | I - i-j notation to ITIL | J - Job Description to Just-In-Time | K - Kaizen to Knowledge | L - Labor, Equipment, Material to Logical Relationship | M - Manage Project Team to Monte Carlo Analysis | N - Near-Critical Activity to Node | O - Operations to Output | P - Parametic to Projectized Organization | Q - Qualitative Risk Analysis to Quantitative Risk Analysis | R - Records Management to Root Cause Analysis | S - Saved Search to System | T - Target Completion Date to Triple Constraint | U - Uncontrollable Risks to User Group | V - Validation to Voice of the Customer | W to Z - War Room to Zero Float

B - Backward Pass to Business Process Manager (BPM)

Backward Pass

The calculation of late finish dates and late start dates for the uncompleted portions of all schedule activities. Determined by working backward through the schedule network logic from the project's end date. The end date may be calculated in a forward pass or set by the customer or sponsor. See also schedule network analysis.

Ball-in-Court (BIC)

A term used to identify the person or role in a workflow or process currently responsible for a specified item or activity.

Bar Chart

See Gantt Chart

Baseline

The approved time phased plan (for a project, a work breakdown structure component, a work package, or a schedule activity), plus or minus approved project scope, cost, schedule, and technical changes. Generally refers to the current baseline, but may refer to the original or some other baseline. Usually used with a modifier.

Baseline Finish Date

See scheduled finish date.

Baseline Start Date

See scheduled start date.

Bottom-up Estimating

A method of estimating a component of work. The work is decomposed into more detail. An estimate is prepared of what is needed to meet the requirements of each of the lower, more detailed pieces of work, and these estimates are then aggregated into a total quantity for the component of work. The accuracy of bottom-up estimating is driven by the size and complexity of the work identified at the lower levels. Generally smaller work scopes increase the accuracy of the estimates.

Budget

The approved cost estimate for the project or any work breakdown structure component or any schedule activity.

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Budget at Completion (BAC)

The sum of all budget values established for the work to be performed on a project or a work breakdown structure component or a schedule activity. The total planned value of the project.

Budget Authority

Authority provided by law to enter into financial obligations that will result in immediate or future outlays of federal government funds. Budget authority includes the credit subsidy costs for direct loan and loan guarantee programs. Basic forms of budget authority include appropriations, borrowing authority, contract authority, and authority to obligate and expend offsetting receipts and collections.

Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP)

A measure used in earned value management system that allows you to quantify the overall progress of the project in monetary terms. BCWP is calculated by applying a performance measurement factor to the planned cost. (By comparing BCWP with ACWP, it is possible to determine if the project is under or over budget.) Another term for BCWP is "earned value."

Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS)

The sum of the budgets for all planned work scheduled to be accomplished within a given time period. This term is often used to designate the cumulative to-date budget.

Business Process Manager (BPM)

Business Process Manager's design, create, review, monitor and measure business processes. They ensure that business process outcomes align with the organization’s strategic goals. They will work across departments and functions to assess and improve processes end to end.
What is BPM? Business Project Management
 

Methodology specific dictionaries / glossaries