Strategic Project Management Made Simple, 2nd Edition

Glossary and Usage of Terms

Activities 

The action steps or tasks to be undertaken to produce Outcomes.

Assumptions 

External factors that influence project success over which the project manager has no 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 determine the nature and extent of change caused by the project.

Bottom-up 

Begin at the Input level and use If-Then thinking to logically link Outcomes, Purpose, and Goal. Bottom-up thinking can test the causal logic of a strategy and validate top-down planning.

Chunking 

The process of logically breaking down something large into smaller parts.

Chunking logic 

Criteria chosen for organizing project elements (e.g., phase, function, discipline, process, milestones).

Coupling 

Situations in which one project element affects or depends on an element from another project. These dependencies or impacts can be recognized in the Assumptions column.

Disaggregation 

Breaking down a large or complex Objective into smaller components.

End of project status (EOPS) 

The set of Success Measures that identify achievement of the project's Purpose.

Evaluation 

An orderly examination of progress at each level of Objective using fact-based evidence. Establishes the validity of hypotheses in order to improve the current project and learn lessons for future projects. Evaluation examines the Outcome-Purpose-Goal linkages, while ...