GAQM CPD cheat sheet

Triple constraint: scope, time, cost are interdependent; a change to one forces adjustment in at least one other, with quality and risk as balancing concerns.

Critical path = longest duration path through the network; its length equals the shortest achievable project duration, and its total float is zero.

Total float = LS − ES = LF − EF. Free float = ES(successor) − EF(activity); free float can never exceed total float.

PERT expected duration: TE = (O + 4M + P) / 6; standard deviation = (P − O) / 6; variance = ((P − O) / 6)².

Earned value: CV = EV − AC; SV = EV − PV; CPI = EV / AC; SPI = EV / PV; EAC = BAC / CPI when current performance is expected to continue.

TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC) for budget-to-complete, or (BAC − EV) / (EAC − AC) when a revised budget applies; TCPI > 1 means harder performance is required.

Cost baseline = time-phased authorized budget excluding management reserve; contingency reserve covers identified risks, management reserve covers unidentified scope.

Contract types shift risk: firm-fixed-price places cost risk on the seller; cost-plus places it on the buyer; time-and-materials splits risk with a not-to-exceed cap.

Risk response types: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept for threats; exploit, share, enhance, accept for opportunities; escalate is used when outside project authority.

Process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing) are not phases; they repeat within phases and overlap in time.

Project charter authorizes the project and names the project manager; the project management plan integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines.

Scope baseline = scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary; WBS follows the 100% rule and the lowest level is the work package.

Validate Scope is performed with the customer and produces formal acceptance; Control Quality precedes it and inspects for correctness.

Change control: any change to a baselined item passes a change request, impact analysis, CCB decision, and update to the change log and baselines.

Quality tools by use: cause-and-effect and 5-whys for root cause; Pareto for prioritization; control chart for stability; histogram for frequency distribution.

Tuckman ladder: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning; storming is the stage most likely to require conflict intervention.

Conflict sources rank roughly: schedules, project priorities, resources, technical opinions, administrative procedures, personality; personality clashes are rare and hardest to resolve.

Communications channels = n(n − 1) / 2 for n stakeholders; closing processes archive records, release resources, and obtain final acceptance.