ICDL Project Planning (ICDL) key terms

A temporary effort with a defined start and end, undertaken to create a unique product, service or result within agreed scope, time and cost limits.

The sequence of phases a project passes through from initiation to closure, typically initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closing.

A distinct, manageable segment of a project that groups related work and ends with a checkpoint where progress and deliverables are reviewed before the next stage begins.

A formal review point at the end of a project phase where decision-makers confirm that exit criteria are met and authorise, delay or cancel the next phase.

A document that formally authorises a project, names the project manager, states objectives and high-level scope, and records initial constraints, assumptions and success criteria.

An approved, frozen version of scope, schedule or cost used as the reference against which actual performance and change requests are measured.

The interdependent limits of scope, time and cost that shape a project, where changing one normally requires adjusting at least one of the others; quality is often added as a fourth.

A factor taken as true for planning purposes without proof; assumptions are recorded so they can be validated and their impact managed if they prove false.

A restriction or limitation, such as a fixed budget, deadline, mandated technology or legal rule, that reduces the options available when planning and executing a project.

A document that defines what the project will and will not deliver, including objectives, deliverables, acceptance criteria, boundaries and key assumptions or constraints.

A hierarchical decomposition of total project scope into progressively smaller deliverables and work packages, forming the basis for estimating, scheduling and assigning responsibility.

The lowest level of a work breakdown structure: a defined chunk of work with clear output, cost and duration that can be assigned to an owner and estimated reliably.

A tangible or measurable output, product or service produced by the project, which is formally reviewed and accepted by the customer or sponsor.

Any individual or group with an interest in, influence over, or exposure to the effects of a project, such as the sponsor, team, users and suppliers.

The process of identifying stakeholders and assessing their interest, influence and attitudes so that engagement strategies can be planned and prioritised.

Uncontrolled incremental expansion of project scope without corresponding approval, time or budget adjustments, usually leading to schedule overruns and extra cost.

Pre-agreed, testable conditions that a deliverable must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or sponsor, often recorded with requirements or the scope statement.

A discrete piece of work within a work package that has a defined duration, consumes resources and is scheduled within the project timetable.

A logical relationship in a schedule where one activity's start or finish depends on another's, typically finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish or start-to-finish.

The longest chain of dependent activities through a project network, which determines the shortest possible project duration; any delay on it delays the whole project.

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish (total float) or the start of a following activity (free float).

A bar chart showing scheduled activities against a calendar timeline, with bars representing duration and often links, milestones and progress shown alongside.

A graphical representation of activities and their logical dependencies, used to analyse sequences and calculate the critical path, float and overall project duration.

The process of resolving resource conflicts and overloads by adjusting activity start dates within available float, accepting a possible extension to the schedule.

A significant point or event in the project with zero duration, used to mark completion of a key deliverable, an important decision or a phase boundary.

A prediction of the costs of project resources and activities, produced at varying levels of accuracy as scope becomes clearer and more detail is known.

The approved total of planned expenditure for the project, distributed across cost categories and time periods, against which actual spending is monitored and controlled.

Money set aside within the approved budget to cover identified risks and known uncertainties, released when specific risk events occur and their cost impact is confirmed.

An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, affects one or more project objectives; risks are assessed by their probability of occurrence and potential impact.

A document listing identified risks with their causes, probability, impact, severity, owners and planned responses, kept current throughout the project.

A planned action for handling a risk, such as avoiding, transferring, mitigating or accepting it, chosen according to its severity and the project's risk tolerance.

A technique that estimates the cost or duration of each work package in detail and rolls the figures up to a project total, giving high accuracy at high effort.

A periodic summary comparing actual scope, schedule and cost performance against the baseline, highlighting variances, issues and planned actions for the next period.

A technique that combines scope, schedule and cost data to measure performance: planned value, earned value and actual cost reveal schedule and cost variances.

A formal process for reviewing, approving or rejecting requests to alter scope, schedule or budget, and for updating baselines and documents when a change is approved.

A record of current problems affecting the project, with owner, priority, status and resolution actions, used to track each issue until it is closed.

Knowledge captured during or after a project about what worked, what failed and what should be done differently, used to improve future projects.

The final stage in which deliverables are handed over and accepted, contracts closed, resources released, records archived and a review of performance completed.

An evaluation carried out after the project has been running long enough to show results, comparing actual benefits and outcomes with those stated in the business case.