Introduction | What's New in Version 5.5 | International Recognition
About the Author | Sources and References
Content Index | Order Your V5.5 Copy Here!

Specification Change Notice - to - Stakeholder Expectations

prev

next

Specification Change Notice

A document used to propose and communicate specification changes. [D04241]

Specification Control

A system for assuring that project specifications are prepared in a uniform fashion and only changed with proper authorization. [D01875]

Specify

To name or state explicitly or in detail. To include as an item in a specification. To describe a set of detailed requirements. [D03292]

Speed Reading

A method of reading rapidly by skimming. [D01876]

Spending Estimate

An estimate of how much money will be spent by type of expense. [D02214]

Spending Forecast

An estimate of how much money will be spent by time period. [D02215]

Spending Limit

The limit for project spending. [D02216]

Spending Plan

The total budgeted funds, based on the same subcategories as the cost plan, for a given task area over a given fiscal year. [D01877]

Spending Plan Adjustments Form

A form used to change and authorize a spending plan adjustment during a fiscal year. The form explains why the spending plan and the cost plan do not match. [D01878]

Spent Cost

See Actual Cost of Work Performed [D03613]

SPI

See Scheduled Performance Indicator

See Schedule Performance Index

Spiral

Winding around a center or axis and gradually receding from or approaching it. A helical. Advancing to higher levels through a series of cyclical movements.
Editor's Note: Hence the phrase "Spiraling out of control." [D03293]

Split

Dividing a task into two sequences or tasks. [D01879]

Split Task

A task divided into two or more portions, with time gaps between one portion and another that indicate an interruption in work on the task. [D01880]

Splittable Activity

Activity that can be interrupted in order to allow its resources to be transferred temporarily to another activity. [D04527]

Splitting

In resource scheduling, it is possible to specify that an activity may be split if this results in an earlier scheduled finish date. This means that the specified duration may be divided into two or more pieces, while retaining the specified profile for resource requirements relative to this split duration. [D01881]

Sponsor

The executive who manages, administers, monitors, funds, and is responsible for the overall project delivery. [D03574]

The generic name given to the source of the project manager's authority. The sponsor may be owner, financier, client etc., or their delegate À see Executive Authority. [D01882]

The management person who has oversight for the project. [D02217]

Individual or body for whom the project is undertaken and who is the primary risk taker. [D04528]

SPR

See Scheduled Performance Ratio

SRR

See System Requirements Review

SS

See Scheduled Start

SSD

See Scheduled Start Date

Stability

The ability to withstand force or stress without alteration of position and without material change. Term may apply to an object, system or organization.
Editor's Note: A project organization is neither stable nor unstable because it changes deliberately and progressively throughout the project life cycle. [D03294]

Stabilization

The period of time between continuous operation and normal operation. This period encompasses those activities necessary to establish reliable operation at design conditions of capacity, product quality, and efficiency. [D01883]

Staff

See Line and Staff. [D02961]

Those personnel resources available to the project manager to assist in the execution of the project. Staff personnel can be persons assigned full-time, from matrixed in-house support organizations, and/or from support contractors. [D05211]

Staff Acquisition

A formal process of approaching the market for competent people and inviting selected individuals to join the project. [D03295]

Staff Personnel

Those individuals working in departments that are not directly involved in the organization's mainstream activity, but rather perform advising, counseling and assisting duties for the line/functional departments. [D01884]

Staffing

Identifying competent people suited to the various types of work involved in the project and adding them to the project team. [D03296]

Staffing Effort

An estimate of how much staffing effort (time by internal staff to both produce deliverables and manage the project) will be required to complete the project. [D02225]

Staffing Effort Limit

A limit for the amount of time that internal staff can spend on the project. [D02224]

Stage

A subsection of a project which has its own organizational structure, life span and stage manager. [D03951]

A smaller portion of the project life cycle. Stages may be identifiable by milestone events that are sign-offs or approvals by authorities outside the project team.
For example, stages in the life cycle of a construction project may be identified as:

0. Pre-project studies of needs and opportunities
1. Project concepts and economic studies
2. Feasibility or functional design
3. Engineering, project planning and project brief
4. Working drawings and specifications
5. Tendering and contract award
6. Construction
7. Facility commissioning, start up or hand-over
8. Final project review and close out

Note: Operation of the resulting facility is part of the Facility Life-Cycle, not the Project Life-Cycle. [D01885]

See also Project Stage. [D01886]

A natural high level subsection of a project that has its own organizational structure, life span and manager. [D04529]

Stage Assessment

See End-Stage Assessment and Mid-Stage Assessment. [D01887]

Stage File

A file with the detailed management plans and reports for the stage. [D01888]

Stage Manager

The person responsible for the management and successful completion of the stage. [D01889]

Stage Payment

Payment part way through a project at some predetermined milestone. [D04530]

Stage Resource Plan

A plan with all of the details of the required resources for a stage. [D01890]

Stage Teams

A team built to complete a stage. [D01891]

Stage Technical Plan

A plan that states all of the technical products, activities and quality controls of a stage. [D01892]

Stakeholder

One who has a stake or interest in the outcome of the project. [D01894]

Anyone who has a vested interest in the project. [D02325]

A person or group of people who have a vested interest in the success of an organization and the environment in which the organization operates. [D04531]

An individual who is materially affected by the outcome of the system. [D04775]

Stakeholder Expectations

Those products, functionality, benefits, etc. resulting from the project that stakeholders look forward to with some degree of certainty, rightly or wrongly. Discrepancies between stakeholder needs, specified requirements, expectations and actual results can be a significant source of dissatisfaction with final project results. Hence the importance of good stakeholder communication throughout the project. [D03297]