Springboard (Level 2) cheat sheet

A project is a temporary endeavor producing a unique product, service, or result; operations are ongoing and repetitive.

Project vs. program vs. portfolio: a program is a group of related projects managed together; a portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, and operations aligned to strategic objectives.

Project life cycle phases are sequential and defined by deliverables; project management processes are iterative and overlapping.

Stakeholder: any individual, group, or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome.

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

Baseline: an approved version of a plan (scope, schedule, cost) against which performance is measured; changes require formal change control.

Constraint: a limiting factor (scope, time, cost, quality, resources, risk) that affects project execution; the 'iron triangle' links scope, time, and cost.

Assumption: a factor considered true for planning purposes without proof; must be validated and logged in the assumption log.

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

Predictive (waterfall) approach: scope is defined early, changes controlled; iterative/incremental delivers in repeated cycles; agile is adaptive and value-driven.

PMBOK Guide 7th edition centers on 12 principles (e.g., stewardship, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, value focus, systems thinking, tailoring, quality, complexity, risk, adaptability, change) and 8 performance domains.

The 8 performance domains: stakeholders, team, development approach and life cycle, planning, project work, delivery, measurement, and uncertainty.

PRINCE2 principles: continued business justification, learn from experience, defined roles and responsibilities, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, tailor to the project environment.

Agile Manifesto values: individuals and interactions over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive documentation; customer collaboration over contract negotiation; responding to change over following a plan.

Scrum framework: three roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers), five events (Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective), and three artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment).

Kanban core practices: visualize the workflow, limit work in progress (WIP), manage flow, make policies explicit, implement feedback loops, improve collaboratively.

Tailoring: adapting processes, governance, and tools to the project's size, complexity, risk, and delivery approach; hybrid approaches combine predictive and adaptive elements.

Scope baseline = scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary; the WBS uses 100% rule and decomposes deliverables into work packages.

Critical path method: longest path through the network; determines minimum project duration; critical path has zero total float.

Total float = LS − ES or LF − EF; free float = ES of successor − EF of current activity.

Earned Value formulas: CV = EV − AC; SV = EV − PV; CPI = EV/AC; SPI = EV/PV; EAC = BAC/CPI (typical variance); ETC = EAC − AC; VAC = BAC − EAC; TCPI = (BAC − EV)/(BAC − AC).

Change control procedure: request → log → assess impact → decide (approve/reject/defer) → update plans and baselines → communicate → implement.

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

Quality control uses tools such as cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagrams, control charts, Pareto charts, checksheets, and scatter diagrams to detect defects.

Procurement: fixed-price contracts shift cost risk to the seller; cost-reimbursable contracts shift cost risk to the buyer; time-and-materials is a hybrid.

Lessons learned are captured throughout the project and stored in the organizational process assets (OPA) for future projects.

Root cause analysis techniques: 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, and fault tree analysis; distinguish symptoms from causes.

Pareto principle (80/20): roughly 80% of problems come from 20% of causes; prioritize the vital few using a Pareto chart.

Decision-making techniques: multi-criteria decision analysis (weighted scoring), decision trees with expected monetary value (EMV = probability × impact), and force-field analysis.

Expected monetary value for a risk = probability of occurrence × monetary impact; sum EMVs for a contingency reserve.

Monte Carlo simulation models combined uncertainty in cost and schedule to produce probabilistic ranges (e.g., P50, P80, P90).

Variance analysis compares planned vs. actual performance (cost, schedule, quality) and triggers corrective action when thresholds are exceeded.

SWOT analysis identifies internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats to inform strategy and risk identification.

Sensitivity analysis (tornado diagram) ranks risks by their potential impact on objectives, showing which variables matter most.

Work breakdown structure (WBS) decomposes scope into manageable work packages; it is deliverable-oriented, not activity-oriented.

Gantt charts show schedule bars over time; network diagrams (PERT/CPM) show dependencies and calculate float.

PERT estimate = (O + 4M + P)/6, where O = optimistic, M = most likely, P = pessimistic; standard deviation ≈ (P − O)/6.

Affinity diagrams group ideas by natural relationships; brainstorming generates ideas; nominal group technique ranks them by voting.

Control charts monitor process stability using upper and lower control limits (±3 sigma); points outside limits or non-random patterns signal special-cause variation.

Burndown charts track remaining work vs. time in agile; burnup charts track completed work and scope changes.

Velocity = average story points completed per sprint; used for release forecasting, not for comparing teams.

Definition of Done is a shared checklist of quality criteria that an increment must meet; Definition of Ready describes when a backlog item is ready for a sprint.

Governance defines decision rights, accountability, and oversight; it is distinct from management, which executes the work.

A project charter authorizes the project, names the project manager, and links the project to organizational strategy; it is issued by the sponsor.

Stage gates (phase gates) are governance checkpoints where continuation, modification, or termination is decided.

Risk appetite is the amount of risk an organization is willing to accept; risk tolerance is the acceptable variation around objectives; risk threshold is the level at which action is required.

Risk response strategies for threats: avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept, escalate; for opportunities: exploit, enhance, share, accept, escalate.

Compliance obligations include legal, regulatory, contractual, and organizational policy requirements; noncompliance can trigger audits, penalties, or project termination.

Issue log records and tracks issues (risks that have occurred) through resolution; risk register records identified risks and their responses.

Contingency reserve covers known-unknowns (identified risks); management reserve covers unknown-unknowns and is controlled by management.

Communication model: sender encodes → message → medium → receiver decodes → feedback; noise interferes at any stage.

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

Stakeholder 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.

Communication methods: interactive (meetings), push (email, reports), and pull (intranet, repositories); choose based on urgency, audience, and complexity.

Communication management plan defines who receives what information, when, in what format, and through which channel.

Stakeholder engagement plan describes strategies to engage stakeholders based on their needs, interests, and influence.

Active listening, paraphrasing, and confirming understanding reduce miscommunication; cultural and language differences are common barriers.

Status reports are typically periodic and formal; progress meetings are interactive; escalation paths define how issues reach decision-makers.

Core ethical values commonly cited in project management codes: responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty.

Responsibility: own decisions and outcomes, report errors promptly, and avoid conflicts of interest.

Respect: treat stakeholders with dignity, listen to diverse views, and avoid discriminatory or demeaning behavior.

Fairness: make decisions impartially, disclose potential conflicts, and avoid favoritism in procurement and hiring.

Honesty: provide accurate information, do not misrepresent status or qualifications, and do not plagiarize or falsify data.

Ethical decision test: Is it legal? Is it balanced/fair to all stakeholders? How would it feel if made public (sunlight test)?

Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed; recusal is appropriate when impartiality cannot be maintained.

Whistleblowing and escalation: report unethical conduct through appropriate channels; retaliation against reporters is prohibited.

Professional standards require maintaining competence through continuing education and adhering to the code of the certifying body.