IPMA Level D flashcards
IPMA Level D · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- PESTLE analysis
- A macro-environment scan of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors used to identify external opportunities and threats that may affect a project or organization.
- SWOT analysis
- A structured comparison of internal Strengths and Weaknesses with external Opportunities and Threats; it supports strategy formulation when paired with TOWS matching.
- Project governance
- The framework of authority, decision rights, policies and stage gates through which sponsors and steering groups direct a project and hold the project manager accountable for delivery within agreed tolerances.
- Benefits realization
- The process of ensuring that project outputs are used to produce planned outcomes and measurable benefits; benefits are tracked after delivery, not assumed from completion.
- Triple bottom line
- A sustainability framework evaluating performance against three dimensions: economic profit, social equity and environmental quality, often summarized as profit, people and planet.
- Compliance hierarchy
- A precedence rule in which mandatory law and regulation outrank contracts, which outrank organizational policy, which outranks project plans; lower-level documents cannot override higher-level obligations.
- Power-interest grid
- A stakeholder classification mapping influence against interest; high power and high interest stakeholders require close management, while low power and low interest require only monitoring.
- Stage gate
- A governance decision point at which a project board reviews progress, business case and risk before authorizing the next phase, pausing, or terminating the project.
- Change curve
- A model of reactions to change often described as denial, resistance, exploration and commitment; communication and participation can reduce resistance and speed transition.
- Business case
- The documented justification for a project, covering expected benefits, costs, risks and strategic fit; it should be reviewed at stage gates and updated when assumptions change.
- Tuckman stages
- A team development sequence of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning; teams typically need to resolve conflict before achieving stable high performance.
- Situational leadership
- A leadership approach that varies style-directing, coaching, supporting or delegating-according to a follower's competence and commitment for a specific task.
- Thomas-Kilmann modes
- Five conflict-handling approaches: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating; the appropriate mode depends on importance, time and relationship stakes.
- SMART goals
- A goal-setting checklist meaning Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound; it makes objectives verifiable and supports progress tracking.
- BATNA
- The best alternative to a negotiated agreement; it is the fallback option if talks fail, and a stronger BATNA improves a negotiator's leverage.
- Emotional intelligence
- The ability to recognize and regulate one's own emotions and to perceive and influence others' emotions, often described through self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.
- Herzberg two-factor theory
- A motivation model separating hygiene factors such as pay and working conditions, which prevent dissatisfaction, from motivators such as achievement and recognition, which create satisfaction.
- SBI feedback
- A feedback structure describing the Situation, the observed Behavior and its Impact; it focuses on specific evidence rather than personality judgments.
- Delegation accountability
- A principle stating that a manager may delegate authority and tasks but retains accountability for the outcome; the delegate is responsible for completing the work.
- Maslow hierarchy
- A needs model ordered as physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization; lower-level needs are treated as dominant until reasonably satisfied.
- Active listening
- A communication technique of attending fully, paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions and summarizing to confirm understanding rather than preparing a reply.
- Earned value
- A performance measurement method comparing planned value, earned value and actual cost; it integrates scope, schedule and cost to forecast project performance.
- Cost performance index
- CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost; a value below 1.0 indicates cost overrun, while above 1.0 indicates cost efficiency.
- Schedule performance index
- SPI equals earned value divided by planned value; a value below 1.0 indicates the project is behind schedule relative to the baseline.
- Estimate at completion
- EAC forecasts total project cost; when current cost performance continues, EAC equals budget at completion divided by CPI.
- PERT estimate
- A weighted duration estimate equal to (optimistic + 4 x most likely + pessimistic) divided by 6; it reduces bias from single-point estimates.
- Critical path
- The longest sequence of dependent activities through a schedule; it has zero total float, and delay on it delays the project finish date.
- Total float
- The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish; it equals late start minus early start or late finish minus early finish.
- Risk score
- A prioritization value calculated as probability multiplied by impact; higher scores indicate risks that should be addressed before lower-scoring risks.
- Change control
- A formal process for requesting, assessing, approving or rejecting changes to baselines; approved changes update plans, logs and stakeholder communication.
- WBS 100% rule
- A work breakdown structure principle stating that the sum of child elements must equal 100 percent of the parent scope, with no work omitted or added.
- Cost of quality
- The total cost of conformance, including prevention and appraisal, plus nonconformance, including internal and external failure; prevention usually costs less than failure.