LTP10 cheat sheet

LTP10 defines five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing; they are not sequential phases but may overlap.

A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined start and end, producing a unique product, service, or result; operations are ongoing and repetitive.

Project vs. program vs. portfolio: a program is a group of related projects managed together for synergies; a portfolio is a collection of projects/programs aligned to strategic objectives.

The triple constraint (scope, time, cost) is balanced by quality; a change in any one typically affects the others.

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who can affect or be affected by the project; their influence and interest vary over the project life cycle.

Organizational process assets (OPAs) are internal policies, procedures, and historical data; enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) are external conditions such as market, culture, and regulations.

A project management office (PMO) can be supportive (consultative), controlling (compliance), or directive (direct management of projects).

The project life cycle consists of phases; phase gates (kill points) review deliverables and authorize the next phase.

Project success is measured by meeting scope, schedule, cost, and quality objectives and by stakeholder satisfaction; benefits realization may extend beyond project closure.

The project charter authorizes the project, names the project manager, and documents high-level scope, objectives, and constraints; it is issued by the sponsor.

The project management plan integrates subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, stakeholder) and baselines.

Scope baseline = scope statement + work breakdown structure (WBS) + WBS dictionary; it is used to control scope.

WBS decomposition follows the 100% rule: all work in the project is captured, and no work outside the WBS is performed.

Schedule baseline is developed using precedence diagramming method (PDM); critical path is the longest path through the network and determines project duration.

Cost baseline is the time-phased budget used to measure cost performance; management reserve is not part of the baseline but is for unknown-unknown risks.

Risk management plan defines risk appetite, thresholds, and the risk breakdown structure (RBS); risk identification uses techniques like brainstorming, Delphi, and SWOT.

Stakeholder engagement plan classifies stakeholders by power/interest and defines engagement strategies from unaware to leading.

Communications management plan specifies who needs what information, when, how, and by whom; it accounts for communication channels = n(n-1)/2.

Direct and Manage Project Work involves leading the team, managing stakeholder engagement, and producing deliverables; work performance data is generated here.

Quality assurance (manage quality) is a preventive, process-oriented activity; quality control (control quality) is a detective, product-oriented activity.

Team development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning; the project manager adapts leadership style to the stage.

Conflict resolution techniques include collaborating (win-win), compromising, forcing, avoiding, and smoothing; collaborating is generally preferred for important issues.

Motivation theories: Maslow's hierarchy, Herzberg's two-factor (hygiene vs. motivators), McGregor's Theory X/Y, and Vroom's expectancy theory.

Procurement execution includes selecting sellers, awarding contracts, and managing seller performance; contract types include fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, and time-and-materials.

Distribute information (manage communications) ensures stakeholders receive timely and appropriate information per the communications plan.

Manage stakeholder engagement involves fostering appropriate stakeholder involvement throughout the project life cycle.

Earned value management (EVM) integrates scope, schedule, and cost: PV = planned value, EV = earned value, AC = actual cost.

Schedule variance SV = EV - PV; cost variance CV = EV - AC; negative values indicate unfavorable performance.

Schedule performance index SPI = EV / PV; cost performance index CPI = EV / AC; values less than 1.0 indicate behind schedule or over budget.

Estimate at completion EAC = BAC / CPI (typical variance); EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) (atypical variance); EAC = AC + bottom-up ETC.

To-complete performance index TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC) for budget constraint; TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (EAC - AC) for EAC constraint.

Variance analysis compares actual performance to the baseline; trend analysis forecasts future performance; earned value graph plots PV, EV, and AC over time.

Integrated change control reviews all change requests, assesses impact on baselines, and approves, rejects, or defers them; approved changes update the plan.

Control quality uses tools such as cause-and-effect diagrams, control charts, Pareto charts, and statistical sampling to identify defects.

Configuration management ensures that versions of deliverables and documents are controlled and that changes are tracked.

Problem-solving steps: define the problem, identify root cause, generate alternatives, select a solution, implement, and verify.

Root cause analysis tools: 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, and Pareto analysis (80/20 rule) to prioritize the most significant causes.

Decision-making techniques include voting, multicriteria decision analysis, and consensus; the Delphi technique gathers expert opinions anonymously.

The nominal group technique generates and ranks ideas through silent generation and round-robin sharing.

Group decision-making can be affected by groupthink; techniques like devil's advocate and brainstorming with independent idea generation reduce it.

Expected monetary value (EMV) = probability × impact; used in decision tree analysis to compare alternatives under uncertainty.

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative forgone when making a decision.

Escalation is appropriate when a problem exceeds the project manager's authority or requires sponsor or steering committee involvement.

Communication model: sender encodes, message travels through a medium, receiver decodes, and feedback confirms understanding; noise interferes.

Communication channels formula: n(n-1)/2, where n is the number of stakeholders; channels grow rapidly with team size.

Communication methods: interactive (meetings), push (emails, reports), and pull (intranet, knowledge repositories); choice depends on urgency and audience.

Stakeholder analysis classifies by power, interest, influence, and impact; the power/interest grid guides engagement strategy.

Stakeholder engagement levels: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading; the plan aims to move stakeholders toward support.

Effective communication is timely, clear, complete, and tailored to the audience; cultural and language differences must be considered.

Manage stakeholder engagement involves monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies to keep them engaged.

Conflict is inevitable; the project manager should address it early and focus on interests, not positions.