CompTIA Project+ key terms

A temporary effort with a defined start and end that produces a unique product, service, or result. Projects are progressively elaborated and finish when objectives are met or the effort is terminated.

The sequence of phases a project moves through, from initiation and planning to execution and closure. The number and names of phases vary by organization and project type.

A document issued by the sponsor that formally authorizes the project, states high-level objectives and constraints, and names the project manager with authority to apply organizational resources.

Any person or group who can affect, be affected by, or perceives themselves to be affected by the project. Stakeholders include sponsors, customers, team members, vendors, and regulators.

The executive who funds and champions the project, approves the charter and major changes, and helps remove obstacles that sit beyond the project manager's authority.

The interlinked limits of scope, schedule, and cost, balanced against quality. Changing one typically forces an adjustment in at least one of the others.

An organizational structure where staff report both to a functional manager and to one or more project managers. Authority is shared, so negotiation and clear role definitions matter.

A group that sets and supports project management standards, templates, tools, and governance across an organization. A PMO may also coach project managers, oversee portfolios, or run projects directly.

Any measurable, verifiable output or outcome that must be produced to complete a project or phase, such as a report, a software module, or a completed training session.

A significant point or event in the project with zero duration, used to mark completion of a major deliverable or phase and to track high-level progress.

A review held at the end of a project phase where sponsors or governance decide whether to continue, revise, pause, or cancel the work based on predefined criteria.

Knowledge captured during and after a project about what worked, what failed, and what should change next time. It is documented and stored so future teams can reuse it.

A hierarchical breakdown of total project scope into smaller, manageable components ending in work packages that can be estimated, scheduled, assigned, and controlled.

The approved project scope statement, work breakdown structure, and WBS dictionary. It is the reference used to detect and evaluate proposed scope changes.

Uncontrolled expansion of a project's scope through extra features or unrequested work that is accepted without corresponding approval and adjustments to schedule, budget, and resources.

A graphical view of project activities and their logical dependencies, used to determine sequence, identify the critical path, and calculate float for each activity.

The longest sequence of dependent activities through the network, which determines the shortest possible project duration. Activities on it typically have zero float.

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying a successor or the project finish date. Also called slack; critical path activities have none.

An estimating technique that uses optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic values, often averaged with a weighted formula, to account for uncertainty and produce a more realistic estimate.

Estimating duration or cost for current work by comparing it with similar past projects. It is fast and inexpensive but generally less accurate than detailed estimating techniques.

The approved, time-phased project budget used to measure and monitor cost performance. It excludes management reserve and changes only through formal change control.

Time or money set aside for identified risks that have been analyzed and accepted. It is part of the cost baseline and is controlled by the project manager.

Funds or time held for unforeseen work within project scope, known as unknown unknowns. Using it usually requires sponsor or governance approval, and it sits outside the cost baseline.

A living document listing identified risks with their probability, impact, score, owner, and planned response, updated as risks change throughout the project.

Adjusting start and finish dates to resolve resource over-allocation or to keep resource use within limits. It often extends the schedule and can change the critical path.

A responsibility assignment matrix that marks each person's role for a task as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed, clarifying who does the work and who decides.

The budgeted value of work actually completed at a point in time. It lets you compare planned progress with actual performance in both cost and schedule terms.

Cost performance index, calculated as earned value divided by actual cost. A value above 1.0 means work is costing less than planned; below 1.0 means overspending.

Schedule performance index, calculated as earned value divided by planned value. A result above 1.0 indicates progress ahead of schedule; below 1.0 indicates the work is behind.

A forecast of the project's total cost based on current performance. A common formula divides budget at completion by the cost performance index.

A group of stakeholders authorized to review, approve, reject, or defer change requests and to decide how approved changes will affect project baselines.

A record of current problems affecting the project, including owner, status, and resolution plans. Unlike risks, issues have already happened and need action now.

Planned approaches for handling threats and opportunities: avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept, or escalate for threats, and exploit, enhance, share, or accept for opportunities.

Process-oriented work that evaluates and improves the methods and standards used to build deliverables, aiming to prevent defects before they occur.

Product-oriented work that inspects and tests deliverables against requirements and quality standards, identifying defects so they can be corrected through rework.

The process of formally obtaining customer or sponsor acceptance of completed deliverables, typically through inspection and sign-off, before closing a phase or the project.

The final phase in which deliverables are handed over, contracts are closed, resources are released, final reports and lessons learned are completed, and stakeholder acceptance is confirmed.

The typical progression of a team through forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Leaders adjust their style at each stage to build trust and productivity.