IPMA Level D cheat sheet

IPMA ICB4 Perspective competences link projects to strategy, governance, structures and processes, compliance and standards, culture and values, and change.

PESTLE scans Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental external factors; it is used to assess the macro-environment.

SWOT pairs internal Strengths and Weaknesses with external Opportunities and Threats; TOWS converts these pairs into strategy options.

Governance decision rule: the sponsor or steering group approves baselines, stage gates and tolerance breaches; the project manager delivers within agreed tolerances.

Stakeholder power-interest grid: high power/high interest = manage closely; high power/low interest = keep satisfied; low power/high interest = keep informed; low/low = monitor.

Compliance hierarchy: law and regulation outrank contract, contract outranks organizational policy, and policy outranks the project plan.

Benefits realization distinguishes outputs from outcomes: benefits are measured after deliverables are used, not when deliverables are completed.

Change curve stages are commonly denial, resistance, exploration and commitment; communication and participation reduce resistance.

Triple bottom line assesses economic, social and environmental performance, often summarized as profit, people and planet.

Tuckman team stages are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning; conflict is typically resolved during storming before stable performance.

Situational leadership styles are directing, coaching, supporting and delegating; the choice depends on follower competence and commitment for the specific task.

Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes are competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating; collaborating suits win-win issues with time and trust.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Communication channel count for n people is n(n - 1) / 2; channels grow quadratically as the number of participants increases.

SBI feedback describes the Situation, the observed Behavior and its Impact; it focuses on evidence rather than personality.

Herzberg separates hygiene factors such as pay and conditions, which prevent dissatisfaction, from motivators such as achievement and recognition, which create satisfaction.

BATNA is the best alternative to a negotiated agreement; a stronger BATNA increases a negotiator's leverage.

Delegation rule: authority and tasks may be delegated, but accountability for the outcome remains with the delegating manager.

Earned value formulas: CV = EV - AC; SV = EV - PV; CPI = EV / AC; SPI = EV / PV. CPI below 1 means cost overrun; SPI below 1 means schedule delay.

EAC = BAC / CPI when current cost performance continues; ETC = EAC - AC.

PERT expected duration = (O + 4M + P) / 6; activity standard deviation = (P - O) / 6.

Critical path is the longest dependent path through the schedule; it has zero total float, and delay on it delays project completion.

Total float = LS - ES = LF - EF; it is the time an activity can slip without delaying the project finish.

Risk score = probability x impact; threat responses are avoid, mitigate, transfer and accept; opportunity responses are exploit, enhance, share and accept.

Change control requires a request, impact assessment across scope, time, cost, risk and quality, approval decision, then baseline and log updates.

Cost of quality includes conformance costs (prevention and appraisal) and nonconformance costs (internal and external failure); prevention is generally cheaper than failure.

WBS 100% rule: the sum of child elements must equal 100% of parent scope, with no work omitted or added.