Wideman Comparative Glossary of Project Management Terms v5.5

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Wideman Comparative Wideman Comparative Glossary of Common Project Management Terms v5.5 is copyright © R. Max Wideman, 2000-2017.

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Last updated 12-22-17

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Master Glossary

PCA - to - Period of Performance

	Term Definition Editor's Choice	Cat	Source
	PCA See Physical Configuration Audit	JN HM
	PDD See Project Data Document	GJN
	PDLS See Project Development Life Span	JN
	PDM See Precedence Diagram Method	JN
	PDM Finish to Finish Relationship This relationship restricts the finish of the work activity until some specified duration following the finish of another work activity. [D01154]	JN	PMK87
	PDM Finish to Start Relationship The relationship where the work activity may start just as soon as another work activity is finished. [D01155]	JN	PMK87
	PDM Start to Finish Relationship The relationship restricts the finish of the work activity until some duration following the start of another work activity. [D01156]	JN	PMK87
Index of all terms Top of Page	PDM Start to Start Relationship This relationship restricts the start of the work activity until some specified duration following the start of the preceding work activity. [D01157]	JN	PMK87
	PDS See Program Definition Statement	GJ
	Pedigree A register recording a line of ancestors, an ancestral line, lineage. A distinguished ancestry. The origin and history of something. [D03130]	N	Webster
	Peer Review An objective evaluation by peers with relevant knowledge. [D05402]	JN	RMW
	A review of your work by another with similar knowledge or experience in the same or a closely related field. [D05035]	N	SU
	A review of products or services, following defined procedures, by peers for the purpose of identifying deficiencies and improvements. [D05196]	N	SA-CMM
	Peer reviews are specific reviews of a project or any of its products where personnel from within the organization and/or from other organizations carry out an independent assessment of the project. Peer reviews can be done at any point within a project but are often used at stage-end points. [D05403]	JN	PRNC2 2002
	A review of a project or phase of a project by individuals with equivalent knowledge and background who are not currently members of the project team and have not participated in the development of the project. [D06084]	JN	PMTWG
Index of all terms Top of Page	Penalties Sums to be forfeited to which the organization has agreed to be subjected in case of non-fulfillment of requirements. Typically, sums forfeited under contract for late delivery or non-performance or both. [D03131]	GJN CHMT	RMW
	Penalty Power The ability (of a project manager) to gain support because project personnel perceive the project manager as capable of directly or indirectly dispensing penalties that they wish to avoid, i.e. the antithesis of reward power. [D02890]	N	PMDT
	Percent Complete ("PC") The amount a project, component or task is complete as measured by the ratio of work done to total work required. [D05404]	GJN CHMT	SU
	One measure of completion used to determine the remaining duration of a partially completed activity. [D01159]	N	WST
	An estimate, expressed as a percent, of the amount of work which has been completed on an activity or group of activities. [D01160]	N	PMK96
	A ratio comparison of the completion status to the current projection of total work. [D01158]	N	PMK87
	Percent Defective The percent defective of any given quantity of units of product is one hundred times the number of defective units of product contained therein divided by the total number of units of product, i.e.: Percent Defective = Number of Defectives x 100 divided by Number of Units Inspected. [D01161]	N	MIL-STD 105 QMPP
	Percentage Complete A percentage number representing the estimated amount of work in an activity that is finished. Editor's Note: The implication of this percentage complete (PC) number is that the remaining work or time is represented by 100% less the PC number. In fact Percentage Complete rarely bears a firm relationship to work or time remaining and hence is a very poor measure of progress. [D03882]	GJN CHMT	PNG
Index of all terms Top of Page	Percentage Completion An assessment of how far along a task has progressed as a percentage of its total duration. As the assessment is very often subjective, it should not be relied upon as a firm basis for quantitative analysis of a project's progress. A better approach is the use of Earned Value Analysis. [D03603]	N	PMST
	Performance How fast the product responds to input. [D05405]	JN	064
	The calculation of achievement used to measure and manage project quality. [D01162]	N	PMK87
	Performance Bond A type of contract bond that protects against loss due to the inability or refusal of a contractor to perform its contract. Such bonds are normally required on public construction projects. [D05812]	GJ CH	087
	A bond that secures performance and fulfillment of the contractor’s obligations under the contract. [D03542]	J	GAT
	Performance Control Control of work during contract execution. [D01163]	J CHM	PMK87
	Performance Evaluation The formal system by which managers evaluate and rate the quality of subordinates' performance over a given period of time. [D01164]	N	PMK87
	Performance Factor A measure of cost performance expressed as a ratio. [D01165]	JN	CPMUSC p176-8
Index of all terms Top of Page	Performance Goal A motivational target set by a team in terms of cost and time. [D02219]	N	016
	Performance Management A disciplined approach to the improvement of performance in organizational activities. [D03132]	N	RMW
	Performance Measurement A method used to relate physical progress achieved to cost status. The method identifies whether cost variances are due to differences in the value of the work being performed, i.e. too expensive or under budget. From this, it is possible to assess whether a project is ahead, on or behind budget and whether the trend is likely to continue. [D03884]	JN C	PNG
	See also Earned Value Analysis. [D03883]	JN C	PNG
	Performance Measurement Baseline An approved plan against which deviations are compared for management control. Editor's Note: Such a plan should integrate Scope, Quality, Time and Cost. [D06350]	JN	PMK00
	The time-phased budget plan against which project performance is measured. It is formed by the budgets assigned to scheduled cost accounts and the applicable indirect budgets. For future effort, not planned to the cost account level, the Performance Measurement Baseline also includes budgets assigned to higher-level CWBS elements. The PMB does not include any management or contingency reserves, which are isolated above the PMB. [D01166]	JN	WST
	Performance Measurement System A project planning and status system that periodically measures variances (usually cost and schedule) and requires documented corrective action to eliminate the variances that exceed predetermined thresholds. [D04171]	JN	CSM
	Performance Measurement Techniques ("PMT") The methods used to estimate earned value. Different methods are appropriate to different work packages, either due to the nature of the work or to the planned duration of the work package. Another term for Performance Measurement Techniques is Earned Value Methods. [D01167]	JN	WST
Index of all terms Top of Page	Performance Measurement Threshold The point of unacceptable deviation from the authorized plan, a management by exception concept used in Earned Value. [D06085]	JN	QWF p141
	Performance Objectives Standards used to measure the accomplishment of predetermined goals. [D06468]	JN	asae
	Performance Reporting The collection of project performance information and its distribution. [D01168]	GJN	RMW
	Performance Reports See Progress Reports. [D05683]	GJ CHMT
	Performance Specification Specification of required output or function. [D01169]	N	NPMT
	Performance Standards A baseline level of achievement. Commonly defined in the literature as "A standard indicates performance is satisfactory when … (etc.)" Meeting a standard performance is the basic requirement for maintaining a position. Extra rewards should be bestowed only when the standard is exceeded. [D01170]	GJ	TML p215
	Performing The fourth stage of Team Building where the emphasis is on the work at hand. [D03885]	JN	PNG
	A team building stage where the emphasis is on the work currently being performed. [D01171]	N	WST
Index of all terms Top of Page	Performing Organization The organizational unit responsible for the performance and management of resources to accomplish a task. [D01172]	GJ	WST
	Period The completion of a cycle, a series of events, or a single action. Editor's Note: Also a broad term that may be applied collectively to several parts of the project life span. [D03133]	N	Webster
	Period of Performance The time interval of contract performance that includes the effort required to achieve all significant contractual schedule milestones. [D01173]	N	WST
	Definitions for page P01: 50

Introduction | What's New in Version 5.5 | Sources and References International Recognition | About the Author Content Index

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Introduction | What's New in Version 5.5 | Sources and References
International Recognition | About the Author
Content Index

Home | Issacons | PM Glossary | Papers & Books | Max's Musings
Guest Articles | Contact Info | Top of Page