ICDL Project Planning (ICDL) cheat sheet

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

Triple constraint: scope, time, and cost are interdependent; a change to one forces adjustment in at least one other.

Project life cycle phases typically run: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, closing.

A project manager's authority is usually weak-to-balanced in a matrix organization and full in a projectized one.

A program is a group of related projects managed together; a portfolio is the full set of projects aligned to strategy.

Stakeholder register records name, role, interest, influence, and engagement strategy for each stakeholder.

Progressive elaboration: plans are refined in iterations as more detail becomes known; detail rises as the project nears execution.

A project charter formally authorizes the project and names the project manager; it precedes detailed planning.

Scope statement defines deliverables, acceptance criteria, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints.

WBS decomposes deliverables into work packages; the 100% rule states the WBS captures all scope and nothing more.

A work package is the lowest WBS level; it is estimable, assignable, and short enough to control (commonly 8-80 hours).

Decomposition levels: project > deliverable > sub-deliverable > work package; typically 3-6 levels deep.

WBS dictionary documents each work package's description, acceptance criteria, owner, and dependencies.

Scope creep is uncontrolled addition of work without change control; gold plating is adding unrequested features.

A WBS is deliverable-oriented; an activity list is action-oriented and derived from work packages.

Verify Scope / Validate Scope confirms completed deliverables are formally accepted by the customer.

Finish-to-Start (FS): successor cannot begin until predecessor finishes; the most common dependency.

Start-to-Start (SS): successor cannot start until predecessor starts; often paired with a lag.

Finish-to-Finish (FF): successor cannot finish until predecessor finishes. Start-to-Finish (SF): successor cannot finish until predecessor starts; rarely used.

Mandatory (hard) dependencies are contract- or law-driven; discretionary (soft) dependencies are preferred sequencing.

External dependencies involve work outside the project team; internal dependencies are within the team's control.

Lead accelerates a successor (negative lag); lag delays a successor (positive lag).

A network diagram shows logical relationships; the precedence diagramming method (PDM) uses the four dependency types.

Sequencing precedes duration estimating; the activity list and attributes feed the network diagram.

Analogous estimating uses historical similar projects; fast but least accurate, useful early.

Parametric estimating uses a unit rate (e.g., hours per module) times quantity; accuracy depends on data quality.

Three-point (PERT) estimate: (O + 4M + P) / 6, where O=optimistic, M=most likely, P=pessimistic.

Triangular estimate: (O + M + P) / 3; less weighted toward the most likely than PERT.

Bottom-up estimating sums estimates from work packages; most accurate but most time-consuming.

PERT standard deviation: (P - O) / 6; variance is the square of that value.

Duration = work effort / number of resources (adjusted for availability and productivity).

Reserve analysis: contingency reserves cover known risks; management reserves cover unknown risks, controlled by sponsor.

Critical path is the longest path through the network; it determines the shortest possible project duration.

Total float (slack) = LS - ES = LF - EF; critical path activities have zero total float.

Forward pass computes earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF); backward pass computes LS and LF.

EF = ES + duration - 1 (inclusive day convention) or ES + duration (continuous-time convention); be consistent.

Free float = ES of successor - EF of current activity; float available without delaying any successor.

A near-critical path has very low total float and can become critical with small delays.

Fast tracking overlaps activities in parallel; crashing adds resources to shorten duration, usually raising cost.

Milestones have zero duration and mark significant points; they appear on the schedule but consume no effort.

Resource histogram plots resource demand over time; peaks reveal overallocation.

Resource leveling adjusts start/finish dates to resolve overallocation; it may extend the critical path.

Resource smoothing (time-constrained) uses float to balance demand without changing the critical path or end date.

Resource calendar defines working days, shifts, and availability per resource.

Assigning more resources does not always halve duration (Brooks's law / diminishing returns).

A resource-constrained schedule is limited by resource availability; a time-constrained schedule fixes the end date.

Overallocation occurs when assigned work exceeds a resource's available capacity in a period.

RACI matrix maps roles: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed; exactly one Accountable per task.

Earned Value metrics: PV (planned value), EV (earned value), AC (actual cost).

Schedule Variance SV = EV - PV; negative means behind schedule.

Cost Variance CV = EV - AC; negative means over budget.

Schedule Performance Index SPI = EV / PV; less than 1 means behind schedule.

Cost Performance Index CPI = EV / AC; less than 1 means over budget.

Percent complete = EV / BAC, where BAC is Budget at Completion.

Estimate at Completion EAC = BAC / CPI (typical variance) or AC + ETC (atypical).

Variance analysis compares planned vs actual; trend analysis projects future performance from history.

A tracking method must be objective; percent-complete by 0/100, 50/50, or weighted milestones reduces bias.

A baseline is the approved version of scope, schedule, and cost against which performance is measured.

Baselines are set at the end of planning and changed only through formal integrated change control.

Cost baseline = total approved budget excluding management reserves; it is the S-curve reference.

Performance reports compare actual vs baseline and include variances, SPI/CPI, and forecasts.

Change control board (CCB) reviews and approves/rejects baseline changes.

Re-baselining resets the reference; it should be rare and formally approved.

A status report covers current period; a progress report covers overall project progress to date.

Forecast reports use EAC and ETC to project final cost and schedule outcomes.