NC Phase F cheat sheet

Project: temporary endeavor with a defined start and end, undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result; operations are ongoing and repetitive.

Program: group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually; portfolio: collection of projects, programs, and operations aligned to strategic objectives.

PMBOK process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing; knowledge areas include Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder.

Triple constraint (iron triangle): scope, schedule, cost; quality is affected by balance among the three; changes to one typically require adjustment to at least one other.

Project life cycle vs. product life cycle: project life cycle spans initiation through closure; product life cycle extends from concept through retirement and may include multiple project life cycles.

Stakeholder: individual, group, or organization that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of the project.

Deliverable: any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that is produced to complete a process, phase, or project.

Baseline: approved version of a work product (scope, schedule, cost) that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison.

WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work; lowest level is a work package, which can be estimated, scheduled, and controlled.

Project charter: document issued by the sponsor that formally authorizes the project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources; contains high-level scope, objectives, success criteria, and sponsor name.

Business case: documented economic feasibility study used to establish validity of benefits; often precedes charter and supports go/no-go decision.

Stakeholder register: identifies stakeholders, their interest, influence, expectations, and classification; created during initiation and updated throughout.

Scope statement: describes product scope and project scope, acceptance criteria, deliverables, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints.

WBS creation rule: 100% rule - WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures all deliverables; decomposition stops when work packages can be estimated and managed (typically 8–80 hours).

Schedule baseline: approved version of the schedule model; developed using critical path method (CPM), which identifies the longest path through the network and determines project duration.

Cost baseline: time-phased budget used to measure and monitor cost performance; includes contingency reserves but excludes management reserves.

Project management plan: integrated document describing how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed; subsidiary plans include scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder plans.

Assumption log: records assumptions and constraints; assumptions are factors considered true without proof and must be validated; constraints are limiting factors such as fixed budget or regulatory deadlines.

Direct and Manage Project Work: process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve objectives.

Earned Value Management (EVM) formulas: EV = % complete × BAC; PV = planned % × BAC; AC = actual cost incurred.

EVM variances: CV = EV − AC (positive = under budget); SV = EV − PV (positive = ahead of schedule).

EVM indices: CPI = EV / AC (>1 = cost efficient); SPI = EV / PV (>1 = schedule efficient).

Forecasting: EAC = BAC / CPI (typical variance); EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) (atypical); ETC = EAC − AC; VAC = BAC − EAC; TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC).

Integrated change control: every change request is evaluated for impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and resources; only approved changes are implemented and baselines updated.

Configuration management: ensures that the description of the project's products and results is accurate and complete; includes identification, control, status accounting, and audit of configuration items.

Performance reviews: variance analysis, trend analysis, and earned value analysis compare actual performance to baseline; results feed into corrective and preventive actions.

Work performance data → work performance information → work performance reports: data are raw observations; information is data analyzed in context; reports are formatted information for decision-making.

Quality planning: identify quality standards relevant to the project and document how the project will demonstrate compliance; outputs include quality management plan and quality metrics.

Quality assurance (manage quality): process of auditing quality requirements and results from quality control measurements to ensure appropriate quality standards are used; preventive in nature.

Quality control: process of monitoring and recording results of executing quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes; includes inspection, testing, and defect repair.

Cost of quality (COQ): total cost of conformance (prevention + appraisal) plus cost of nonconformance (internal + external failure); prevention costs are lowest and external failure costs highest.

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

Pareto principle (80/20 rule): approximately 80% of problems arise from 20% of causes; prioritize the vital few causes shown on a Pareto chart.

Control chart: graphical display of process data over time with control limits (typically ±3 sigma); a process is out of control when a point exceeds a control limit or shows a non-random pattern (seven consecutive points on one side of the mean).

Quality audit: structured, independent review to determine whether project activities comply with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures; identifies best practices and gaps.

Marginal analysis: compares the cost of achieving a given level of quality against the benefit; optimal quality level is where marginal benefit equals marginal cost.

Risk: uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive (opportunity) or negative (threat) effect on one or more project objectives.

Risk management process: plan risk management → identify risks → perform qualitative risk analysis → perform quantitative risk analysis → plan risk responses → implement risk responses → monitor risks.

Risk register: document containing identified risks, causes, potential responses, risk owners, probability, impact, and status; updated throughout the project.

Qualitative risk analysis: prioritizes risks using probability and impact matrix; risk score = probability × impact; high-priority risks receive further analysis or response planning.

Quantitative risk analysis: numerically analyzes effect of identified risks on overall project objectives; techniques include Monte Carlo simulation, decision tree analysis, and expected monetary value (EMV).

EMV = probability × impact (in monetary terms); used to compare risk response alternatives; decision tree branches use EMV to select the path with highest expected value.

Threat response strategies: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept, escalate; opportunity response strategies: exploit, share, enhance, accept, escalate.

Contingency reserve: budget or time allocated for identified risks (known unknowns); management reserve: funds for unidentified risks (unknown unknowns); both are not part of the cost baseline until used.

Risk audit: examination of risk management effectiveness; risk reassessment and risk audits are tools in the Monitor Risks process.

Communication model: sender encodes message → medium → receiver decodes; noise interferes; feedback confirms understanding; effective communication requires the message to be received and understood.

Communication channels formula: n(n − 1) / 2, where n = number of stakeholders; channels grow rapidly with team size.

Communication methods: interactive (meetings, calls), push (email, reports), pull (intranet, shared repositories); choice depends on urgency, audience, and information sensitivity.

Communications management plan: describes who needs what information, when, how, and by whom; includes format, frequency, and escalation paths.

Stakeholder engagement plan: identifies strategies to engage stakeholders based on their needs, interests, and potential impact; includes engagement level (unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading).

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

Active listening, facilitation, and conflict management are interpersonal skills used to build trust and reduce resistance; conflict should be addressed early and privately where possible.

Communication blocker: any barrier such as cultural differences, language, technical jargon, or emotional state that distorts the message; identify and remove blockers to improve effectiveness.

Compliance requirements: laws, regulations, standards, and organizational policies that the project must satisfy; captured as constraints in the scope statement and assumption log.

Regulatory bodies may impose permits, licenses, inspections, and reporting; noncompliance can result in fines, project suspension, or legal liability.

Common regulatory areas: environmental (e.g., permits, emissions), health and safety (e.g., OSHA-type requirements), data privacy (e.g., GDPR-type rules), financial reporting, and industry-specific standards.

Compliance matrix: document mapping each requirement to its source, owner, verification method, and status; used to track and demonstrate compliance.

Quality audits and inspections verify compliance; audit findings may generate change requests or corrective actions.

Procurement contracts must include compliance clauses; seller performance is monitored against contractual and regulatory requirements.

Change control must assess regulatory impact; a change that violates a regulation must be rejected or modified.

Documentation retention: regulatory requirements may specify how long records must be kept and in what format; project closure includes archiving compliant records.

Project documents include charter, stakeholder register, risk register, issue log, change log, lessons learned register, and quality reports; they are living documents updated throughout.

Work performance reports: formatted output of work performance information; examples include status reports, progress reports, dashboards, and variance reports.

Status report: describes where the project stands now (e.g., scope, schedule, cost, quality); progress report: describes accomplishments over a period; trend report: forecasts future performance.

Lessons learned register: captures knowledge gained during the project; should be recorded throughout, not only at closure, and shared with the organization.

Project closure: final product transition, archive project documents, obtain final acceptance, release resources, and update organizational process assets.

Configuration management and change log ensure version control; only approved versions are distributed and used for reporting.

Reporting should be tailored to the audience: executive summaries for sponsors, detailed technical reports for teams, and compliance reports for regulators.

Final report: summarizes project performance against baselines, includes final variance analysis, and documents acceptance and handover.