PKMC Module I cheat sheet

Project: temporary endeavor producing a unique product, service, or result; operations are ongoing and repetitive. Temporary means the endeavor has a defined start and end, not that the deliverable is short-lived.

Project life cycle vs. product life cycle: the project life cycle spans initiation through closure; the product life cycle continues through operation, growth, and retirement after the project ends.

Organizational structures: functional (PM authority low, staff in one department), weak matrix (PM limited), balanced matrix (shared authority), strong matrix (PM moderate-to-high, dedicated project staff), projectized (PM near-total authority, staff co-located).

PMO types: supportive (templates, training, low control), controlling (compliance with frameworks, moderate control), directive (PMs report to PMO, high control over projects).

Project vs. program vs. portfolio: a program is a group of related projects managed together for synergistic benefit; a portfolio is projects, programs, and operations grouped to meet strategic objectives.

Project and product life cycles may be predictive (plan-driven, single delivery), iterative (repeated cycles refining scope), incremental (deliveries adding functionality), or agile (adaptive, value-driven).

Enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) are conditions not under team control (culture, market, regulations, IT systems); organizational process assets (OPAs) are internal assets the team can use or update (templates, lessons learned, procedures).

Business case documents the economic justification (cost-benefit, ROI, payback) for the project; benefits management plan defines how and when benefits will be measured and realized.

Project charter is issued by the sponsor, formally authorizes the project, names the project manager, and typically records high-level scope, objectives, success criteria, milestones, budget, and key risks; it does not contain a detailed schedule or WBS.

The charter gives the PM authority to apply organizational resources; without it, the PM has no formal mandate to plan or execute.

Project statement of work (SOW) describes the products or services to be delivered; for external projects it is derived from the contract.

Stakeholder register records identification information, assessment information (interest, influence, expectations), and classification; it is a living document updated throughout the project.

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

Stakeholder analysis also uses power/influence, impact/influence, and salience models (power, legitimacy, urgency) to prioritize engagement.

Assumption log captures assumptions (believed true but unproven) and constraints (limits such as fixed budget, date, or regulatory requirements).

Scope management plan defines how scope will be defined, validated, and controlled, including the process for accepting deliverables and handling change requests.

Requirements categories include business, stakeholder, solution, functional, and nonfunctional requirements; requirements traceability matrix links each requirement to its source and to WBS deliverables.

Project scope statement includes product scope description, deliverables, acceptance criteria, exclusions, constraints, and assumptions; exclusions prevent scope creep by documenting what is out of scope.

WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of total project scope into work packages, the lowest level at which cost and duration can be reliably estimated and managed.

WBS rules: 100% rule (children sum to the parent's full scope), mutually exclusive branches, 8-80 rule (work packages typically 8 to 80 hours), and no work package spanning more than one reporting period.

Work package vs. activity: a work package is a WBS deliverable element; activities are schedule components that decompose work packages for estimating and scheduling.

Scope baseline = project scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary; it is the reference for measuring scope performance and evaluating change requests.

Scope creep is uncontrolled expansion of scope without approved changes; gold plating is adding unrequested functionality. Both are controlled through integrated change control and formal scope validation.

Critical path is the longest path through the network; it determines the shortest possible project duration. Total float on the critical path is zero (or negative if the project is behind).

Float formulas: total float = LS − ES = LF − EF; free float = ES of successor − EF of current activity.

Forward pass computes earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF = ES + duration); backward pass computes latest finish (LF) and latest start (LS = LF − duration).

Total float is the amount an activity can slip without delaying the project finish; free float is the amount it can slip without delaying any successor's early start.

Dependencies: mandatory (hard, contract/technical), discretionary (soft, preferred practice), external (outside project control), internal (within project control).

Leads and lags: a lag is a waiting time added between activities (e.g., finish-to-start + 5 days cure time); a lead is an overlap (negative lag) allowing a successor to start before its predecessor finishes.

Schedule compression: crashing adds resources to critical-path activities to shorten duration, usually increasing cost and risk; fast tracking overlaps activities, usually increasing rework risk.

Resource leveling changes start/finish dates to resolve resource over-allocation and may extend the critical path; resource smoothing adjusts activities only within their float and does not change the critical path.

Estimate types by accuracy: rough order of magnitude (−25% to +75%), budgetary (−10% to +25%), definitive (−5% to +10%); accuracy improves as the project progresses.

Cost estimating techniques: analogous (top-down, based on similar past projects, fast but less accurate), parametric (statistical relationship such as cost per unit), bottom-up (detailed, most accurate, most time-consuming), and three-point (PERT).

PERT three-point estimate: expected value = (O + 4M + P) / 6; standard deviation = (P − O) / 6; variance = ((P − O) / 6)².

Cost baseline = approved time-phased budget excluding management reserves; it is used to measure cost performance.

Contingency reserve covers identified risks (known-unknowns) and is part of the cost baseline; management reserve covers unidentified risks (unknown-unknowns) and is outside the baseline but inside the project budget.

Earned value core formulas: CV = EV − AC; SV = EV − PV; CPI = EV / AC; SPI = EV / PV. Negative CV or SV means over budget or behind schedule.

Forecast formulas: EAC = BAC / CPI (typical variance continues); EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) (atypical variance); EAC = AC + bottom-up ETC; ETC = EAC − AC; VAC = BAC − EAC.

TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC) for the remaining work to meet BAC; TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (EAC − AC) when management approves a new EAC.

To-complete performance index and variance analysis: a TCPI greater than 1 means remaining work must be performed more efficiently than planned; a CPI or SPI of 1.0 means exactly on plan.

Quality management plan defines quality standards, objectives, roles, and the processes for quality assurance and control; it is a subsidiary of the project management plan.

Prevention over inspection: quality is planned and built in; inspection detects defects after the fact and is generally more costly than prevention.

Cost of quality: cost of conformance (prevention: training, process design; appraisal: testing, inspections) vs. cost of nonconformance (internal failure: rework, scrap; external failure: warranty, liability, lost business).

Quality assurance (manage quality) is process-focused: audits and process analysis verify that the team is following the defined processes; quality control is product-focused: inspection and testing verify deliverables meet requirements.

Control chart: monitors process stability over time; a process is out of control when a point exceeds a control limit or shows a nonrandom pattern (seven consecutive points on one side of the mean).

Pareto chart: 80/20 principle - a small number of causes produce most defects; used to prioritize corrective action.

Cause-and-effect (fishbone/Ishikawa) diagram identifies root causes across categories such as people, process, equipment, materials, and environment.

Seven basic quality tools: cause-and-effect diagram, flowchart, check sheet, Pareto chart, histogram, control chart, and scatter diagram.

Quality vs. grade: quality is the degree to which requirements are fulfilled; grade is a category of technical characteristics. Low grade can be acceptable; low quality is always a problem.

Tuckman ladder of team development: forming (orientation, dependence), storming (conflict over roles), norming (cohesion and agreed norms), performing (high productivity), adjourning (disbanding).

Motivation theories: Maslow's hierarchy (physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization); Herzberg's two-factor (hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction; motivators drive satisfaction); McGregor's Theory X (authoritarian) vs. Theory Y (participative).

Acquiring resources uses pre-assignment, negotiation with functional managers, virtual teams, and multi-criteria decision analysis; resource calendars show availability.

RACI matrix: Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome, exactly one per task), Consulted (two-way input), Informed (one-way updates).

Conflict resolution methods ranked by durability: collaborating/problem solving (win-win, best), compromising (lose-lose), smoothing/accommodating (temporary), forcing (win-lose, short-term), withdrawing/avoiding (retreat).

Sources of conflict are typically schedule, priorities, resources, technical opinions, and administrative procedures; schedule is often cited as the most common.

Servant leadership (agile) shifts focus to removing impediments and enabling the team; situational leadership adapts style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to team maturity.

Team performance assessment and recognition: recognition should be based on specific, verifiable performance, and rewards should be within the team's control to avoid demotivation.

Communication model: sender encodes → message travels through a medium → receiver decodes → feedback confirms understanding; noise is any interference that distorts the message.

Channels formula: number of communication channels = n(n − 1) / 2, where n is the number of stakeholders; adding one stakeholder adds n channels.

Communication methods: interactive (meetings, calls - most effective for complex topics), push (email, reports - one-way), pull (intranet, repositories - recipient retrieves).

Communication dimensions: formal vs. informal, internal vs. external, vertical vs. horizontal, official vs. unofficial, and written vs. oral.

Communication management plan specifies who needs what information, when, in what format, via which channel, and who is responsible for sending it.

Stakeholder engagement plan describes strategies to promote productive involvement; engagement levels are unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, and leading.

Communication blockers and effective listening: active listening, paraphrasing, and confirming understanding reduce miscommunication; nonverbal cues carry significant meaning in face-to-face interaction.

Information management systems and reporting: work performance data (raw) → work performance information (analyzed) → work performance reports (formatted for stakeholders).

Risk is an uncertain event that, if it occurs, has a positive (opportunity) or negative (threat) effect on project objectives; a risk has a cause, an event, and an effect.

Risk management plan defines methodology, roles, risk appetite and thresholds, and the probability/impact scales; it does not list individual risks.

Risk identification tools: brainstorming, Delphi (anonymous expert consensus), interviews, root-cause analysis, assumption analysis, SWOT, and prompt lists (e.g., risk breakdown structure).

Qualitative analysis: probability/impact matrix, risk data quality assessment, urgency, and risk categorization; it prioritizes risks for further analysis.

Quantitative analysis: expected monetary value (EMV = probability × impact), decision tree analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and sensitivity analysis (tornado diagram).

Risk register records identified risks, causes, triggers, owners, probability, impact, response strategies, and status; it is updated throughout the project.

Threat responses: escalate (outside project authority), avoid (eliminate the cause), transfer (shift financial impact, e.g., insurance, fixed-price contract), mitigate (reduce probability or impact), accept (active: reserve; passive: acknowledge).

Opportunity responses: escalate, exploit (ensure the opportunity occurs), share (allocate to a third party), enhance (increase probability or impact), accept.

Residual risk is what remains after responses are applied; secondary risk is a new risk created by a response. Contingency reserves cover residual risks; management reserves cover unknown-unknowns.

Make-or-buy analysis determines whether to produce internally or procure externally; it weighs direct and indirect costs, capacity, and strategic factors.

Fixed-price contracts (FP, FFP, FP-EPA) place cost risk mainly on the seller and are suitable when scope is well defined; FP-EPA adjusts for economic price changes.

Cost-reimbursable contracts (CPFF, CPIF, CPAF) place cost risk mainly on the buyer and suit evolving scope; CPIF shares savings/overruns through a formula.

Time and materials (T&M) contracts pay per hour and materials, often with a not-to-exceed cap; they are suited to small, well-bounded, or staff-augmentation work.

Contract types by risk to buyer (lowest to highest): FFP, FP-EPA, FP, T&M, CPIF, CPFF, CPAF; the seller's risk runs in the reverse order.

Procurement documents include RFP (request for proposal), RFQ (request for quotation), and IFB (invitation for bid); the SOW is a key input to all of them.

Source selection uses weighted scoring, screening, and seller rating systems; negotiation typically covers price, schedule, scope, and terms, aiming for a fair and reasonable outcome.

Control procurements: contract change control system, procurement performance reviews, inspections and audits, and claims administration; the buyer manages seller performance against the contract.

Close procurements: verify all deliverables are accepted, settle claims, and formally close the contract; procurement audits and negotiated settlements may be used. Records are archived for lessons learned.