PMPA cheat sheet

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result; temporary means it has a defined start and end, not necessarily short duration.

Operations are ongoing and repetitive; projects are temporary and unique. A program is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

A portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, and subsidiary portfolios managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives; portfolio management aligns projects with organizational strategy.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements; it involves balancing competing demands among scope, time, cost, quality, resources, and risk.

The project life cycle is the series of phases a project passes through from initiation to closure; phases are sequential, overlapping, or iterative depending on the development approach (predictive, adaptive, hybrid).

A phase gate (stage gate) is a review at the end of a phase to authorize the start of the next phase; it can kill, hold, or continue the project.

Organizational project management (OPM) is a framework that aligns project, program, and portfolio management with organizational strategy to improve performance.

Project governance is the framework, functions, and processes that guide project management activities to create a unique product or service; it includes decision-making, oversight, and control.

The project environment includes internal factors (organizational culture, structure, processes) and external factors (market conditions, regulations, technology); these are often captured in enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) and organizational process assets (OPAs).

A project charter is a document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

The business case documents the business need and the cost-benefit analysis to justify the project; it is often used to create the project charter.

A stakeholder is an individual, group, or organization that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.

Stakeholder analysis identifies stakeholders, their interests, influence, and potential impact; a common tool is the power/interest grid (manage closely, keep satisfied, keep informed, monitor).

The stakeholder register is a project document that records identified stakeholders, their roles, interests, expectations, influence, and engagement strategy.

The stakeholder engagement plan is a component of the project management plan that identifies strategies to engage stakeholders effectively; it is updated as stakeholder needs change.

Engagement levels can be categorized as unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, and leading; the goal is to move stakeholders to the desired level of engagement.

The project manager should identify stakeholders as early as possible and engage them throughout the project life cycle to ensure their needs are met and expectations managed.

The project management plan is the document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled; it integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines.

Scope management includes processes to ensure the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.

The scope management plan describes how scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and verified.

Requirements management includes collecting, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet project objectives; a requirements traceability matrix links requirements to deliverables and tests.

Project scope statement describes the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints; it provides a documented basis for making future project decisions.

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team; the lowest level is a work package.

A WBS dictionary provides detailed information about each WBS component, including description of work, milestones, and acceptance criteria.

Scope baseline consists of the approved project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary; it is used to compare actual performance against planned scope.

Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion of project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources; it is managed through integrated change control.

The critical path is the longest path through the project network diagram and determines the shortest possible project duration; it has zero total float (slack).

Total float (slack) is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date; free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of its successor.

Schedule compression techniques: crashing adds resources to critical path activities to shorten duration, often increasing cost; fast tracking overlaps activities, often increasing risk.

Earned value management (EVM) integrates scope, schedule, and cost to assess project performance and progress; key metrics include PV (planned value), EV (earned value), and AC (actual cost).

Schedule variance (SV) = EV - PV; schedule performance index (SPI) = EV / PV; SPI < 1 means behind schedule, SPI > 1 means ahead of schedule.

Cost variance (CV) = EV - AC; cost performance index (CPI) = EV / AC; CPI < 1 means over budget, CPI > 1 means under budget.

Estimate at completion (EAC) can be calculated as BAC / CPI (if current performance continues); estimate to complete (ETC) = EAC - AC; variance at completion (VAC) = BAC - EAC.

Budget at completion (BAC) is the sum of all budgets established for the work to be performed; it is the total planned value for the project.

Cost baseline is the approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding management reserves; it is used to measure and monitor cost performance.

Quality management ensures the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken; it includes quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control.

Quality assurance is the process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure appropriate quality standards are used; it is prevention-driven.

Quality control is the process of monitoring and recording results of executing quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes; it is inspection-driven.

A quality audit is a structured, independent process to determine if project activities comply with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.

The cost of quality (COQ) includes cost of conformance (prevention and appraisal) and cost of nonconformance (internal and external failure).

Resource management includes planning, estimating, acquiring, developing, managing, and controlling resources (team and physical) to complete the project.

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) maps work to people; a RACI chart uses Responsible, Accountable, Consult, and Inform roles.

Communications management includes planning, managing, and monitoring communications to ensure stakeholder information needs are met; the communications management plan documents who needs what, when, and how.

Communication channels formula: n(n-1)/2, where n is the number of stakeholders; it helps determine the complexity of communication.

Risk management includes planning, identifying, analyzing, planning responses, implementing responses, and monitoring risks.

A risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives; positive risks are opportunities, negative risks are threats.

Risk identification uses tools such as brainstorming, interviews, Delphi technique, and SWOT analysis; the output is the risk register.

Qualitative risk analysis prioritizes risks by assessing probability and impact; it uses a probability and impact matrix.

Quantitative risk analysis numerically analyzes the effect of identified risks on overall project objectives; techniques include Monte Carlo simulation and decision tree analysis.

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

A risk register documents identified risks, their causes, probability, impact, responses, owners, and status.

Procurement management includes planning, conducting, and controlling procurement; a make-or-buy analysis determines whether to produce in-house or purchase.

Contract types: fixed-price (risk to seller), cost-reimbursable (risk to buyer), time and materials (hybrid); the choice depends on scope clarity and risk tolerance.

Direct and manage project work is the process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve project objectives.

Monitor and control project work is the process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting overall progress to meet performance objectives defined in the project management plan.

Integrated change control is the process of reviewing all change requests, approving changes, and managing changes to deliverables, project documents, and the project management plan.

A change control board (CCB) is a formal group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project; decisions are recorded and communicated.

Configuration management ensures that the description of the project product and its components are correct and complete; it includes configuration identification, status accounting, and verification.

Performance reviews include variance analysis, trend analysis, and earned value analysis to compare actual performance with the performance measurement baseline.

Issue logs record and monitor issues (risks that have occurred) and their resolution; they are updated throughout the project.

Work performance information is the comparison of actual performance to planned performance; work performance reports are the physical or electronic representation of work performance information.

Lessons learned are captured during the project and at closure to improve future project performance; they are stored in the organizational process assets.

Close project or phase is the process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract; it includes confirming completion of deliverables and archiving project documents.

Project closure includes obtaining final acceptance from the customer, transferring deliverables, releasing resources, and documenting lessons learned.

Administrative closure involves collecting and archiving project records, verifying project success, and documenting lessons learned.

Contract closure involves verifying that all contractual obligations have been met and closing each contract; it may occur before project closure.

A final project report summarizes project performance, outcomes, and lessons learned; it is part of organizational process assets.

Professional responsibility includes adhering to ethical standards, such as honesty, fairness, and respecting confidentiality; PMI members must comply with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct includes four core values: responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty.

Responsibility means accepting ownership for decisions and actions; respect means showing high regard for self, others, and the resources entrusted to us.

Fairness means making decisions and acting impartially and objectively; honesty means understanding the truth and acting truthfully in communications and conduct.