Flashcards: Chapter 2 project life cycle and organization
About these flashcards
Created by:
gaynell on January 11, 2011
Subjects:
Description:
Key definitions for project life cycle and organization structure
Groups:
Antech PMP Study Group, PMP Study Group
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.All 30 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Project Life Cycle | A collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the control needs of the organization(s) involved in the project. A life cycle can be documented with a methodology. |
| Product Life Cycle | A collection of generally sequential, non-overlapping product phases whose name and number are determined by the manufacturing and control needs of the organization. The last phase for a product is generally the product's retirement. Generally, a project life cycle is contained within one or more product life cycles. |
| Project Phases | A collection of logically related project activities, usually culminating in the completion of a major deliverable. Project phases are mainly completed sequentially, but can overlap in some project situations. A project phase is a componenet of a project life cycle. A project phase is not a Project Management Process Group. |
| Phases-to-Phase Relationships | ... |
| Sequential Relationship | Where a phase can only start once the previous phase is complete |
| Overlapping Relationship | Where the phase starts prior to completion of the previous one. It can sometimes be applied as an example of schedule compression technique - fast tracking. |
| Iterative Relationship | Where only one phase is planned at any given time and the planning for the next is carried out as work progresses on the current phase and deliverables. Good in undefined, uncertain or rapidly changing environments such as research. |
| Stakeholders | Persons or organizations (customers, sponsors, performing organization, or public), that is actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by execution or completion of the project. This person may also exert influence over the project and its deliverables. |
| Customers/users | Persons or organization that will use the project's product or service or result. They may be internal and/or external to the performing organization. |
| Sponsors | The person or group that provides the financial resources, in cash or in kind for the project. When the project is first conceived, this person champions the project. |
| Portfolio managers/portfolio review board | Responsible for the high-level governance of a collection of projects or programs, which may or may not be interdependent. |
| Project team | Comprised of the project manager, project management team, and other team members who carry out the work but who are not necessarily involved with management of the project. |
| Seller/business partners | Vendors, suppliers, or contractors, are external companies that enter into contractual agreement to provide components or services necessary for the project. |
| Organizational Cultures and Styles | Also called Cultural Norms. The norms include a common knowledge regarding how to approach getting the work done, what means are considered acceptable for getting the work done, and who is influential in facilitating the work getting done. It is also an EEF |
| Organization Structure | Is an EEF which can affect the availability or resources and influence how projects are conducted. |
| Functional Organization | A hierarchical organization where each employee has one clear superior, and staff are grouped by areas of specialization and managed by a person with expertise in that area. |
| Matrix Organization | Any organizational structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the functional managers for assigning priorities and for directing the work or persons assigned to the project. |
| Weak Matrix organization | Maintains many of the characteristics of a functional organization, and the project manager roles is more of a coordinator or expediter than that of a true project manager. |
| Strong Matrix organization | Has many of characteristics of the projectized organization, and can have full-time project managers with considerable authority and full-time project administrative staff. |
| Balance Matrix organization | recognizes the need for a project manager, it does not provide the project manager with the full authority over the project and project funding. |
| Projectized Organization | Any organizational structure in which the project manager has full authority to assign priorities, apply resources, and direct the work of persons assigned to the project. |
| Organization Process Assets - [Output/Input] | Any or all process related assets, from any or all of the organizations involved in the project that are or can be used to influence the project's success. These process assets include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, and guidelines. The process assets also include the organizations' knowledge bases such as lessons learned and historical information. |
| Phase Exits | When phases are sequential, the close of a phase ends with some form of transfer or handoff of the work project produced as the phase deliverable. Also called milestones, phase gates, decision gates, stage gates, or kill points. - Characteristic of Phases |
| Characteristics of Phases | 1. The work has a distinct focus that differs from any other phase. This often involves different organizations and different skill sets. 2. The primary deliverable or objective of the phase requires and extra degree of control to be successfully achieved. |
| Co-location | project team members are physically located closed to one another in order to improve communication working relations and productivity. |
| Constraints | a restriction or limitation that may force a certain course of action or inaction. |
| Good Practice | a specific activity or application of a skill, tool or technique that has been proven to contribute positively to the execution of a process. |
| Project Management Information system | the collection of tools, methodologies, techniques, standards and resources used to manage a project. These may be formal systems and strategies determined by the organization or informal methods utilized by project managers. |
| Standard | a document that describes rules, guidelines, methods, processes and practices that can be used repeatedly to enhance the chances of success. |
| Subproject | a component of a project. it can be contracted out to an external enterprise or to another functional unit. |