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

E - Early Finish Date to Event

Early Finish Date (EF)

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time on which the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity (or the project) can finish, based on the schedule network logic, the data date, and any schedule constraints. Early finish dates can change as the project progresses and as changes are made to the project management plan.
What is Critical Path Analysis?

Early Start Date (ES)

In the critical path method, the earliest possible point in time on which the uncompleted portions of a schedule activity (or the project) can start, based on the schedule network logic the data date, and any schedule constraints. Early start dates can change as the project progresses and changes are made to the project management plan.
What is Critical Path Analysis?

Earned Value (EV)

The value of completed work expressed in terms of the approved budget assigned to that work for a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Also referred to as the budgeted cost of work performed.

Earned Value Management (EVM)

A management methodology for integrating scope, schedule, and resources, and for objectively measuring project performance and progress. Performance is measured by determining the budgeted cost of work performed (i.e., earned value) and comparing it to the actual cost of work performed (i.e.actual cost). Progress is measured by comparing the earned value to the planned value.

Effort

The number of labor units required to complete a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. Usually expressed as staff hours, staff days, or staff weeks. Contrast with duration.

eForms

Also known as "Electronic Forms" – these are machine readable forms that may be completed and submitted by users, either online or offline. These forms may contain varying degrees of intelligence in the form of the ability to perform calculations, require different information based on user input and validity check aspects of data as it is entered.

Electronic Signature

The electronic equivalent of a hand-written signature. This is facilitated with software that allows a user to electronically sign or bind approval or disapproval to a specific document.

Endorsement

Something, as a signature or voucher that validates or sanctions.

Engineering News-Record (ENR)

An engineering-based news journal.

Estimate

A quantitative assessment of the likely amount or outcome. Usually applied to project costs, resources, effort, and durations and is usually preceded by a modifier (i.e., preliminary, conceptual, feasibility, order-of-magnitude, definitive). It should always include some indication of accuracy (e.g., ±x percent).

Estimate At Completion (EAC)

The expected total cost of a schedule activity, a work breakdown structure component, or project when the defined scope of work will be completed. EAC is equal to the actual cost (AC) plus the estimate to complete (ETC) for all of the remaining work. EAC = AC plus ETC. The EAC may be calculated based on performance to date or estimated by the project team based on other factors, in which case it is often referred to as the latest revised estimate. See also earned value management and estimate to complete.

Estimate To Complete (ETC)

The expected additional cost needed to complete all the remaining work for a schedule activity, work breakdown structure component, or the project. See also earned value management and estimate to complete.

Exception Report

Document that includes only major variations from plan (rather than all variations).

Exponential smoothing

a highlevel forecasting technique for smoothing data across a time period, in which older data is given less weight than recent data.

Event

Something that happens, an occurrence, an outcome. SOURCE: PMBOK Third Edition
 

Methodology specific dictionaries / glossaries