Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams

Glossary and Usage of Terms

Activities The action steps or tasks to be undertaken, and resources necessary to produce Outcomes.

Assumptions External factors that influence project success over which the project manager lacks direct control. Assumptions can be monitored, influenced, and sometimes managed.

Baseline data Data describing the conditions when a project is started. Provides a basis to assess the nature and extent of change caused by the project.

Bottom-up In LogFrame terms, beginning at the Input level and using If-Then thinking to link to Outcomes, Purpose, and Goal. Bottom-up thinking can test the causal logic of a strategy and validate top-down planning.

Chunking The logical grouping of information into “chunks” according to appropriate criteria.

Chunking logic Criteria chosen for organizing project elements, which may include phase, function, discipline, and so on. Be clear about your logic.

Coupling Situations in which one element of a project affects or depends upon an element from another project. Coupling (or dependencies) can be acknowledged by making Assumptions in the LogFrames.

Disaggregation Breaking down a large or complex Objective into smaller components—chunking down.

End of project status (EOPS) The set of success Measures that signals achievement of the project Purpose, and thus the success of the project. Identify and gain agreement on these Measures in advance.

Evaluation An orderly examination of progress at each level of Objective using evidence. ...