IPMA Level C flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Power/interest grid

A stakeholder classification tool plotting influence (power) against concern (interest). It sets engagement strategy: manage closely, keep satisfied, keep informed, or monitor.

Stakeholder salience model

Classifies stakeholders by power, legitimacy and urgency. One attribute gives a latent stakeholder, two an expectant one, all three a definitive stakeholder owed immediate attention.

Project governance

The framework of decision rights, accountability, policies and escalation paths that aligns a project with organisational strategy and defines who decides what, when and how.

Compliance in projects

Conformance to mandatory external requirements such as law, regulation and standards, plus internal requirements such as policies, procedures and contractual obligations, throughout the project life cycle.

Cultural layers

Culture shows as visible artefacts, espoused values and underlying assumptions. Assumptions are invisible, hardest to change, and most strongly drive behaviour in projects and organisations.

PESTLE analysis

A context-scanning technique covering political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors. It identifies external influences that may affect project objectives and risk exposure.

Strategy alignment

The traceability of project objectives and deliverables to organisational goals. A project lacking a clear strategic justification should be challenged at the governance level.

Tuckman team stages

Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Conflict typically peaks in storming; the project manager's style should shift from directing to delegating as the team matures.

Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes

Five conflict-handling styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating. Collaborating suits high-stakes issues where both task outcome and relationship matter.

BATNA

Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement: the fallback if no deal is reached. A proposed agreement is acceptable only if it is better than the BATNA.

ZOPA

Zone Of Possible Agreement: the overlap between each party's reservation point. If the zones do not overlap, no mutually acceptable deal exists without changing the scope.

Situational leadership

Adapting style to follower maturity: directing, coaching, supporting, delegating. Low-competence, low-commitment followers need direction; high-maturity followers need delegation.

Emotional intelligence

The set of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Self-awareness is the foundation, enabling a project manager to manage reactions and read others accurately.

Communication feedback loop

Effective communication requires sender, encoding, medium, decoding, receiver and feedback. Without feedback and attention to noise, the sender cannot confirm the message was understood.

Personal integrity

Consistency between stated values and actual behaviour. Decisions that could not withstand public scrutiny indicate an integrity gap that damages stakeholder trust.

Critical path

The longest path through the project network. It determines minimum project duration and has zero total float, so any delay on it delays the project completion date.

Cost variance (CV)

CV = EV − AC. A negative value means the project has spent more than the value earned to date; a positive value means it is under budget.

Schedule performance index

SPI = EV / PV. A value below 1.0 indicates work is progressing slower than planned; above 1.0 indicates it is ahead of the plan.

Estimate at completion

EAC = BAC / CPI when current cost performance is expected to continue. ETC = EAC − AC gives the remaining cost; VAC = BAC − EAC gives expected over/underspend.

Scope baseline

The approved scope statement, work breakdown structure and WBS dictionary. Changes to any of these components must pass through integrated change control before implementation.

Threat response strategies

Avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept or escalate. Choice depends on risk exposure, cost of response and who is best positioned to own the risk.

Quality assurance vs control

Assurance is preventive and process-focused, confirming the right processes are used. Control is detective and product-focused, verifying deliverables meet acceptance criteria.

Requirements traceability

Each requirement links to a business need and to verification evidence. A requirement that cannot be tested or traced to a need should be rejected or clarified.

Fixed-price vs reimbursable

Under fixed-price contracts the seller bears cost risk; under cost-reimbursable contracts the buyer does. Select based on requirement clarity and risk appetite.

Integrated change control

The process of reviewing change requests for impact on scope, time, cost, quality and risk, then approving, rejecting and recording decisions before any baseline is updated.

IPMA 4-L-C levels

Four certification levels: A (portfolio/director), B (senior project or programme manager), C (project manager), D (project management associate). Complexity and responsibility rise from D to A.

Level C requirements

Level C certification requires a written knowledge exam plus a competence-based assessment of demonstrated experience, typically interview or assessment centre, not knowledge alone.

ICB4 competence rating scale

Competences are rated from 0 (not applied) to 10 (innovates and teaches others). Assessors look for demonstrated behaviour and evidence, not recited definitions.

Evidence-based competence claim

A claim supported by a concrete situation, the actions the candidate personally took, and the outcome. Generic statements without specific examples score poorly in assessment.

Assessment centre exercises

Simulations such as presentations, role-plays, interviews and case exercises. Each targets different competences and is scored against ICB4 behavioural indicators.

Self-assessment before certification

Candidates map their own experience against ICB4 competences and indicators, identifying strengths and gaps, to prepare evidence for the formal competence assessment.

Assessor feedback

Post-assessment feedback references specific ICB4 competence indicators, stating which were demonstrated and which need development, rather than giving a single overall pass or fail comment.