Glossary - choose the first letter of the term you wish to see
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Acceptance
the formal process of checking that a Product meets the specification or Product Description from which it was produced.
Acceptance Certificate
a particular type of Record (a Quality Record) which, by signature of two parties, marks the formal recognition of delivery of an Acceptable Product by a Supplier to its intended recipient. Usually this will be a contractual delivery to a Customer by a Supplier. Central to this delivery is agreement that the Product in question meets its Acceptance Criteria.
Acceptance Criteria
the definition in measurable or demonstrable terms of the properties and/or functions that a set of Specialist Products must have to be Acceptable by an End User or Customer. These properties and functions will be defined intially in the Product Brief, and derive from the Requirements and Quality Expectations of the End User or Customer. The rules for Acceptance of a Product. Acceptance Criteria are an important part of an Acceptance Test Plan.
Acceptance Test
an Acceptance procedure that follows an agreed set of determined steps applying Acceptance Criteria, often in the form of an agreed Acceptance Test Plan.
Acceptance Test Plan, (see also Acceptance Criteria)
a document defining for a particular set of Specialist Products the Acceptance Test(s) and the procedure(s) for their conduct.
Accepted
the formal recognition that a Product meets the specification or Product Description from which it was produced. Usually marked by the signature of an Acceptance Certificate.
Activity
the unit of work delegated by a Team Manager to a member of his/her Team. It is the typical scheduling and reporting unit in a Project Plan (and a Team Plan). Every Product is produced by an Activity. However not all Activities will deliver a Product - for example some Activities will deliver a service such as Project Support or be the focus for the discharge of some ongoing Project responsibility (e.g. Project Management or Team Management).
Activity Manager
the person who has responsibility for the conduct of an Activity. An Activity Manager will produce regular Activity Status Reports for his/her Team Manager.
Activity Package
the complete set of documents associated with an Activity including the Activity Record, a Product Description, Product specification(s), Test Plans or Test Schedules and the Product itself.
Activity Record
the Record that specifies an Activity and describes the contents of an Activity Package.
Activity Status Data
raw data about the current situation of an Activity. The data will be held and recorded in Project Control Folders. It will include Time Records charged to the Activity (from a Time Recording System), Quality Events that have occurred, the current estimate of completeness of the Activity, a forecast of the effort required to bring it to completion and so on.
Activity Status Report (ASR)
a routine summary of Activity Status Data provided by a Team Member to his/her Team Manager. As a set these reports are the main input to a Workpackage Status Report. They may be written or verbal. An Activity Status Report is usually presented in an Activity Status Table.
Analysis (of the Impact of an Issue)
working out and quantifying the impact on a Plan of an Issue that implies a Change.
Apply, (Application, Applying, Applied)
to amend a Controlled Item once a Change has been Approved, revising it as required by the Change. The activity that Resolves an Issue.
Approval, (Approved)
Approval indicates that an Item has been subject to Quality Control and is of acceptable quality. It may be Approved by review or by examination of its Quality Control records. The Item in question may be a Management Product, a Specialist Product, a Change or some other document, and it must be signed to show that it has been Approved. It then becomes a Controlled Item.
Approval is usually needed before some other action such as submitting a Proposal, signing a Contract, Authorising a Plan so that work can start, submitting a Product for Acceptance, or Applying a Change to a Plan.
Approval Review
Before a Proposal can be submitted to a client it must be Approved by the Bid Board. This is the purpose of an Approval Review. The course followed by an Approval Review depends upon the Classification of a Bid.
This is connected with the scale and perceived Risk associated with a Bid. A bid classified as medium must be the subject of a Standard Approval Review Meeting, while a large or very large Bid must be reviewed at both Standard and Group Approval Review meetings.
Authorisation, (Authorised)
Authorisation commits an organisation to some commercial action such as expending all or part of a Budget, or doing work for a Customer. Usually the event is marked when an Executive signs a Plan, a Contract, a Controlling Specification, a Supplementary Change or some other Item. Before it can be Authorised an Item must always be Approved.
Avoidance Measure
the action to be taken to avoid the materialisation of a Risk.
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Bid
an offer made to a Customer to deliver some Products to meet some Business Case.
Bid Board
the group of people headed by the Bid Executive and appointed to monitor and direct a Bid. In addition to the Bid Executive, the Bid Board may include a Salesperson or Initiative Manager and a Senior User. The Bid Executive may appoint members with other skills as required (e.g. Legal Assurance). (see Bid Executive).
Bid Budget
see Budget.
Bid Campaign Plan
the document which is used to make a Bid / No-bid Decision. It is the basis for the Bid Plan. It will also be used to evaluate the outcome of a Bid during the Process Step Post-Bid Assessment.
Bid Executive
the single individual appointed by the Sales Director, Operations Director or Corporate Management, and Mandated to take overall responsibility for the direction of a Bid Project.
Bid Facilities
see Facilities.
Bid Manager
the person appointed by the Mandated Bid Executive to take responsibility for the planning, execution and submission of a Bid. A Bid Manager will report to the Bid Executive and the Bid Board.
Bid Project
a Project to propose or Bid for a Delivery Project. A Bid Project is seeking agreement to implement a proposed solution, and the Budget for the work to develop and deliver the solution. A Bid Project may be proposing work for an internal User, or for some external Customer. The key Deliverable(s) of a Bid Project are a Proposal and the Plan(s) for a Delivery Project. (see Project).
Bid Review
the process of checking the commercial soundness and sense of a Bid or Proposal before it is Approved for submission to the Customer.
Board (see Bid Board, Project Board)
the group of people who are appointed to steer a Bid or a Project. For a small Bid or Project the Board may have just a single member - the Bid or Project Executive.
Budget
the total resources and/or expenditure Approved or Authorised to start and complete a Bid or a Project. Depending on commercial decisions taken during Bidding (see Review a Bid), the price for a Delivery Project offered to or agreed with a Customer may not necessarily be equal to the Project Budget.
Business Case
the justification for a Project showing why the gains or benefits anticipated will be worth the forecast expenditure of time and effort.
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Certificate
a document used to record an event such as Acceptance, Approval or Authorisation of a Product. For a Product that is a document, a Certificate may be included within it. Products that are not documents will need a separate Certificate.
Change, Change Record
when used with a capital "C" this is a collective term for Issues of Type "Off Specification" or "Request for Change" ("RFC").
Change Control
managing the capture, prioritisation, analysis and resolution (implementation) of Changes to Controlled Items. Changes are a type of Issue. (see Issue, Issue Record, Issue Management, Request for Change, RFC, Off-specification).
Change Control Board
see Issue Management Meeting.
Change Notice (see Change)
an Approved Change which has been Authorised and attached to the CIs it affects. This is a simple way of Resolving a Change, which avoids or defers the revision of a Controlled Item.
Checkpoint Report (see also Team Report)
the term used in PRINCE2™ for a routine report by a Team Leader/Manager, describing the current status of all the Activities in a live Workpackage delegated to him/her by a Project Manager.
Checkpoint Status Table (see also Workpackage Status Table)
a summary Checkpoint Report.
Classified, Classification
the assignment to a Bid of the measure of Risk it is thought to involve. This will be based on an analysis of the Risks that have been identified. This analysis will include the novelty of the solution, the size of the Bid, prior experience of the End user or Customer, and so on. Classification has an impact on the formality of the Bid Approval process, including the seniority of those who must be involved.
A Change may also be Classified. This will affect the review of the Change in the same way as it affects the review and Approval of a Bid.
Commercial Documents
the set of documents that commit an organisation to a Bid and a Project. A set of Commercial Documents will include: a Bid Plan, a Proposal, one or more Contracts (Contractor Agreement(s) and/or Customer Contract(s)), one or more Contolling Specifications, a PID, a Delivery Project Plan and one or more Delivery Phase/Stage Plans.
Commercial Framework
the set of documents that commit the parties to a Joint Bid. Initially this will be a Joint Bidding Agreement, which will be replaced by a complete set of signed Contractor Agreements.
Commercial Plan
it is derived primarily from the contract and sets out the commercial rules for the Project. These rules will include the delivery schedule, the conduct of Customer Acceptance procedures, when invoices may be issued, how revenue will be recognised and how and when profit will be taken.
Commercial Event
an event, defined in a Project's Commercial Plan, such as delivery of Specialist Products to a Customer, or completing Acceptance testing. The event will trigger some commercial activity such as raising an invoice, recognising revenue or taking profit.
Communication Plan
part of the Project Plan that describes how the Project will communicate with internal and external parties (the Project Sponsor, the Users, the Project Team).
Configuration Folder
the Folder containing the Log and the Configuration Item Records of all a Project's Products.
Configuration Item
a Project Product. Most usually a Specialist Product. Usually a Configuration Item will also be a Controlled Item (CI).
Configuration Item Record
a record of the information about a Product's status. This information may be included on an Activity Record.
Configuration Management
the discipline that gives a Project Manager precise control over the entire set of the Products of a Project. A key feature of this discipline is the maintenance of complete consistency between individual Products.
Configuration Management Plan
the description of how a project will conduct its Configuration Management.
Consortium
a group of individuals and/or organisations who have agreed formally to work together on a Bid and the ensuing Project. Usually a Consortium is led by one (or less often, more than one) Prime Contractor. Members of a Consortium that you are leading will have signed a Contractor Agreement. The members of a Consortium will all be Joint Bidders.
Contingency
an amount of money (and probably time) added to the Budget of a Bid or a Project to cover the Resources and time needed to manage unexpected events. This will include for example the costs of mitigating Risks. As Risks expire, the contingency allowed for their mitigation may be reassigned to newly identified Risks, or even taken as profit.
Contingency Measure
the action to be taken when a Risk materialises.
Contract
a legal relationship between an organisation and some other party to a Bid and/or a Project - usually for the supply of goods and/or services. Characteristic of this relationship is a written legal agreement covering the various rights and obligations of those involved. The organisation may be either a Customer or a Supplier. Note that legally a Contract can exist, even if there is nothing in writing. (see Customer Contract and Contractor Agreement)
Contractor, Sub-Contractor
a party to a Joint Bid and/or a Project. Characteristic of this relationship is a legal agreement covering the various rights and obligations of those involved.
Contractor Agreement
an agreement with a Joint Bidder (a Prime Contractor, a Partner, a Sub-contractor or a Supplier) to collaborate on a Joint Bid and/or a Project for a Customer. Usually a Direct Supplier does not sign a Contractor Agreement. (see Contract)
Contracts Authority
the person or department responsible for the receipt and storage of signed originals of Contracts and Contract Changes.
Contractual Event
see Milestone.
Controlled Item (CI)
a Specialist or Management Product, or some other Item that is under Change Control because it has been signed off, Approved, or Authorised.
Controlled Item Owner (CI Owner)
the person who Authorised, Approved or signed off a Controlled Item.
Controlling Specification
a specification which is an integral part of a Contract. Typically it will be produced by (or for) a Customer (e.g. Customer Request (RFP/ITT). This means that it is unlikely that your organisation would be involved in its Approval or Authorisation. Changes to a Controlling Specification should be treated as Changes to a Contract and must be negotiated with the Customer. A Customer would view any Proposal you submit as part of a Project's Controlling Specification.
Core Process
a Process which is central to the operation of your organisation. The Guidepost describes some of your organisation's Core Processes. It is possible that in time it will describe all of them.
Core Process Area
a grouping of Core Processes having a common theme.
Corporate Management
the Management of a organisation's Division or Business Unit.
Corporate Plan
see Strategic Plan.
Customer
the organisation or persons for whom the Products of a Project are to be delivered. Typically the Project Sponsor is the main representative of the Customer. However certain parts of this role (e.g. Customer Acceptance) may be taken by the Senior User. Your Customers include any Prime Contractors with whom you work.
Customer Acceptance
the process followed after delivery by a Project to a Customer of a Product in checking that the Product meets its defined Quality Criteria. It may involve simple checks of Quality Records or an extensive functional test. The process should be defined and agreed well before delivery.
Customer Contract
an agreement with a Customer for the supply goods and/or services. The services may include the development, supply, and support of Specialist Products. (see Contract)
Customer Invoice
an invoice to a Customer requesting payment due under the terms of a contract for the supply of a Product.
Customer Request(RFP/ITT)
a document specifying the needs of an external Customer. For Salespeople and Bid Managers it is a key document when preparing a Bid and a Proposal for an an external Customer. The needs documented will include technical requirements, functional requirements, operational requirements, and Quality Expectations.
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Daily Log
a diary of significant Project events which are not documented elsewhere.
Deliverables
Specialist Products and other items which a Project is set up to develop and supply to a Customer. Delivery of these items often triggers a Commercial Event.
Delivery Phase (see also Delivery Stage)
a Phase/Stage of a Project which develops Specialised Products.
Delivery Plan
The detailed plan for a Phase or Stage of a Project during which Specialised Products are produced. (see Phase Plan, Stage Plan)
Delivery Project
A Project to develop, deliver and install a solution to a business need. The recipient may be another part of the organisation or some external organisation or Customer. The key Deliverable(s) are Specialised Products - the items, processes and services needed to meet the business need. A Delivery Project will usually be launched as a result of a successful Bid Project.
Delivery Stage (see also Delivery Phase)
a Stage of a Project (running according to the requirements of PRINCE2™) which develops Specialised Products.
Design Authority
the person who has responsibility for the technical integrity of a Solution during Bidding and the ensuing Project should the Bid be successful
Direct Supplier
an organisation which provides standard proprietary products, services or commodities to a Bid or a Project. The key word here is "standard", in a Direct Supply there is usually no tailoring or development to be done. The supply will usually be arranged via a purchase order which may be standard or subject to special conditions. It is possible, but less common, for the supply to be the subject of a Contractor Agreement.
Document Owner
the person who Authorised, Approved or signed off a Document. (see also Controlled Item Owner).
Draft
a Product before it has been Authorised, Approved or signed off.
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End Project Report
a Report prepared by the Project Manager for the Project Board as the Project reaches its end. It will include a Report on the Project's final Status and may conveniently include the Lessons Learned Report and the Follow-up Actions Report.
End Phase Report (see also End Stage Report
a Status Report produced by a Project Manager at the end of a Phase. It records the Project's Status at the end of the Phase and assesses the prospects for meeting the Project's Business Case. A vital purpose of the Report is to carry the Project Manager's Recommendations for continuing with the Project, for making changes (see Exception Report) or even for premature closure.
End Stage Report
see End Phase Report.
End User
(1) a User or Group of Users for whom Specialist Products are developed. (2) an internal Customer to whom an internal Bid will be submitted.
End User Agreement (see Customer Contract)
an agreement made with an internal End User following the acceptance of an internal Proposal or Bid. Although it will not normally be enforceable legally, it will usually be based on a standard Customer Contract.
End User Requirement
a document specifying the needs of an internal Customer - i.e. the needs that an internal initiative is to satisfy. For Initiative Managers and Bid Managers it is a key document when preparing a Bid and a Proposal for an an internal Customer. The needs documented will include technical requirements, functional requirements, operational requirements, and Quality Expectations.
Error
an incorrect or malfuntioning Product. (see Off-specification). A mistake in the way a Project has been or is being managed. (an Error may point to the existence of an Exception Condition).
Exception Condition
a situation where there is (or will be) an actual (or forecast) deviation from the Authorised Tolerance levels previously agreed between two levels of the Project Management Team.
Exception Plan
a plan for corrective action to resolve an Exception Condition. Usually prepared by a Project Manager at the request or direction of the Project Executive. Intended to lead to Authorisation of the work to achieve the planned corrective action.
Exception Report
a Status Report covering an Exception Condition. Usually submitted to the Project Executive or Project Board with a Recommendation for corrective action.
Executive (see Bid Executive, Project Executive)
the person appointed to take overall responsibility for a Bid or a Project. The Executive acts as the leader and agent of the Board. The Executive will usually be appointed by the Sales Director or the Project Sponsor.
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Facilities
the non-personnel Resources of a Bid or Project. These will include the Filing System, offices, IT hardware and Software Tools.
Facilities Manager (see also Facilities)
an individual having management responsibility for non-personnel Resources such as buildings, services, supplies and equipment.
Financial Control
the department(s) in an organisation responsible for Financial Reporting and Accounting activities.
Financial Controller
the head of a Financial Control department in an organisation.
Financial Status Report
a Status Report for limited circulation (and only within an organisation) covering the Project's Financial Status (e.g. budget; expenditure and billings to date; forecast of future costs and billings; contractual issues including Changes etc.).
Folder
a Project Management file which contains all the information about some type of Management Product (e.g. Risk Folder; Issues Folder, Quality Folder).
Follow-up Actions
actions that the Project Management Team has identified during the life of the Project which should be pursued, usually once the Project is complete. However these may be reported and pursued at any time and not only at the Project's end.
Follow-up Actions Report
a Report, produced for the Project Board by the Project Manager on all the Follow-up Actions identified during the life of the Project.
Forecast of Costs to Complete
a Project Manager's estimate of the expenditure needed to complete a Project.
Forecast of Time to Complete
a Project Manager's estimate of the elapsed time needed to complete a Project.
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Gantt Chart
a graphical chart showing the sequence, timing, and dependencies of the work of a Bid/Project. Presented as a series of lines or bars. The level of detail may be limited (e.g showing Phases or Stages only) or extensive (showing all Activities). It may cover the whole of a Bid/Project, or only a part e.g a single Phase or Stage. A way of representing a Schedule.
Generic Sub-process, Generic Process Step
a Core Sub-process or Process Step which is found in Support Work. Each describes a Sub-process or Process Step that meets needs which are common to both Manage a Bid and Manage Projects.
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Highlight Report (see also Phase Status Report)
the term used in PRINCE2™ for a report by a Project Manager, prepared for the Project Board, on the status of the current live Stage of his/her Project.
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Independent Project Review
see Project Audit
Initiative Manager
the person who takes the role of a Salesperson when preparing to Bid for internal initiatives or Projects.(see Opportunity Manager).
Internal Initiative Campaign Plan
an adapted form of a Bid Campaign Plan, used when Bidding for s Budget for internal initiatives.
Issue
a documented point raised in connection with a Bid or a Project which may lead to change in the work to be done. The initial Issue may be raising a Query or a Problem, reporting a fault or non-compliance with a specification (an Off-Specification) or identifying a Risk to which the project might be subject. Alternatively it may be a Request for Change to a Plan or a Product.
Issue Author
the person who first raised an Issue.
Issues Folder
the Folder containing the Issues Log and its associated Issue Records.
Issues Log
See Log.
Issue Management
the process of resolving Issues, managing Changes (often known as Change Control), progressing the resolution of Error Reports, and answering Queries and Problems.
Issue Management Meeting
a meeting of the members of a Bid or Project Management Team for the purpose of resolving Issues, managing Changes, progressing the resolution of Problems and Errors, and answering Queries. At an Issue Management meeting, the members of a Bid or Project Management Team perform the functions of a Change Control Board.
Issue Manager
the person responsible for progressing the resolution of Issues, managing Changes, progressing the resolution of Error Reports and Problems, and answering Queries.
Issue Owner
the person assigned to Resolve an Issue. This may be a simple matter of answering a question or clarifying some point (a Query or a Problem). Alternatively it might require the processing of a Change (a RFC or an Off-Specification).
Issue Record
a Record containing all the required details of an Issue.
Item
a Product. (see Configuration Item, Specialist Product, Management Product).
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Job Description
the formal document provided to each member of the Project Management Team defining the role he/she is to take.
Job Sheet
see Workpackage Record.
Joint Bid
a Bid in which external organisations have an explicit role. Usually this involves an agreement (a Contractor Agreement) to share the costs and Risks of Bidding, with the intention of sharing in the work of the Project if the Bid is successful - see Joint Bidder.
Joint Bidder
a party to a Provisional Bidding Agreement and a Contractor Agreement. A Joint Bidder may be a Prime Contractor, a Partner, a Sub-contractor or a Supplier. It is less common for a Direct Supplier to be a Joint Bidder. The term "Joint Bidder" does not imply equality of rights and parity of influence. The rights and influence that a Joint Bidder may have will vary widely, depending on the particular opportunity and the role that each Joint Bidder has agreed to take in that opportunity.
Joint Bidder Assessment
a report on the assessment of the capability and commercial stability of a prospective Joint Bidder.
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Lessons Learned
the positive and negative experience captured by a Project or Bid for use in subsequent Bids and Projects. This experience is most useful if it can be quantified as metrics.
Lessons Learned Folder
the Folder containing all the information about the lessons a Project has learned to date.
Lessons Learned Log
a log which records the current summary information about a Project's Lessons Learned Records.
Lessons Learned Record
a Record containing all the detail about a particular lesson learned by a Project.
Lessons Learned Report
a form of Status Report usually prepared on Project Closure, which collates and presents what was learned during the life of a Project.
Liquidated Damages
a provision in a Contract for non-performance or breach of obligations by a party to the Contract. Typically the amount to be paid will be a percentage of the Contract Price and will be in full settlement of the non-performance or breach. The amount may be calculated with reference to the duration or seriousness of the breach.
Live
the condition of a Project, Phase, Stage, Workpackage or Activity on which work is currently Authorised and under way.
Log
a list (usually ordered by date first appearance) of Records recording an Event, an Issue or a Risk. In most cases later entries in the Log will record an Event such as a change in the status of an item appearing earlier in the Log (e.g. the expiry of a Risk, or the Authorisation of a Change or a Controlled Item).
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Management Product
a Product needed to manage a Project.
Milestone
a date on which some specific Event - for example completion of a Workpackage or Acceptance of a Product - is planned to occur. Milestones can be set up at any level in a Project Plan but are most frequently used at a high level to provide a way of tracking important contractual events and triggering the issue of Customer Invoices. The achievement of a Milestone may also mark the opportunity for the accounts department to recognise revenue or to take profit. Milestones mentioned in the Customer Contract will be recorded in the Project's Commercial Plan.
Mitigation
the approach to minimising the impact of a Risk should it mature. (see Risk Folder).
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Off-specification
a Product which does not meet its Product Description. A Product which a Project is required to produce but which is missing from the delivery to the Customer. An Off-specification is a type of Issue. (see Change and Error).
Off-specification Record
see Issue Record.
Operations Director
The executive responsible for an organisation's internal workings. Takes responsibility for Authorising internal Initiatives (or Bids) - a similar role to that taken by the Sales Director for external Bids.
Opportunity Manager
the person who identifies, shapes, and Qualifies an Opportunity with an End User or Customer. He/she may be an Initiative Manager, a Salesperson, or an Account Manager.
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Page Template
a Template for a type of Guidepost content. A Page Template is usually a Microsoft Office Document which is protected by a password. It permits Customer Personnel to prepare a source page of The Guidepost (eg a Process Step or a Product Profile) in the required format, for subsequent automatic conversion into its Web or printable form.
Partner
an individual or organisation who has agreed formally to work on a Bid or a Project. This is usually a relationship of equals. The agreement will usually be a Contractor Agreement and a Partner will probably be a Joint Bidder (see Consortium)
Phase (see also Stage)
the unit of Management of a Project which is not being run according to the requirements of PRINCE2™. It is the unit of work for which a Project Board gives Authorisation.
A Phase is a bounded period in a Project's Schedule, usually associated with the achievement of some interim objective. The boundaries of a Phase will be associated directly with the review of progress, and of the continued viability of a Project. This review will include deciding whether to Authorise expenditure on other Phases, or even to abort the whole Project.
A Phase may include one or more Workpackages.
Phases or Stage Budget
the Resources and/or expenditure Authorised by a Project Board for a Project Phase or Stage.
Phase Plan (see also Stage plan)
the detailed and resourced Plan for a Phase. The content of a Phase Plan covers the Products to be produced, internal and external dependencies, the Workpackages and Activities which will produce the Products, the Resources needed, and the timescale in which the work will be done. A Phase Plan may cover one or more Workpackages.
Phase Status Report (see also Highlight Report)
a routine Report prepared by a Project Manager, describing the current status of all the Workpackages in a live Phase of a Project for which he/she is responsible.
Phase Status Table
a summary Phase Status Report.
Plan
the description of how some objective will be achieved. A Plan is a statement of intent, and for all but the simplest Plans it will be a written document.
Plan Owner
the person who Authorised, Approved or signed off a Plan. (see also Controlled Item Owner).
Planning Tool
a software package used to schedule and Resource a Plan.
Prime Contractor
the party leading a joint Bid or Project. A Prime Contractor will be a Joint Bidder.
Problem
a point of concern about an aspect of a Project which may be answered or settled easily, but which could need significant change to resolve. A Problem is a type of Issue.
Procedure
the detailed description of a Process, typically as text. (see Process)
Process
a sequence of actions which if followed correctly will achieve an intended result or set of results. Typically in Volumes of the Guidepost, a Process is defined as a Workflow Diagram or Map. The detailed description (mainly as text) of a Process is a Procedure.(see Procedure)
Process Step
an individual action which is a component of a Process. The basic element of each Core Process in the Guidepost.
Product
an item produced by an Activity which forms an input to or output from a Process Step (see Management Product; Specialist Product).
Product Baseline
a set of Specialist Products which must be internally consistent. An Input Baseline to a Phase or Stage, will be modified during the Phase or Stage. As a result the Output Baseline will be different from the Input Baseline: (1) beause some of its member-Products will have been modified or deleted, and (2) because new member-Products will have been added to the Baseline. A Product Baseline is a key feature of Configuration Management
Product Breakdown
the process of producing a Product Breakdown Structure.
Product Breakdown Structure
the hierarchy of all the Products to be produced during a Project.
Product Checklist
a complete list of all the Specialist Products that a Project has to produce. For ease of use it will generally be ordered by Phase with the Products in each Phase or Stage listed in their planned order of completion. It is derived from the Product Breakdown Structure.
Product Description
text in a Project Plan and/or an Activity Record that describes unambiguously the nature (e.g. structure, content, size, performance) of a Product. It is written during the Identify Objectives Process Step.
Product Flow Diagram
a document showing the sequence of production of, and the dependencies between, the various Products (typically Specialist Products) that a Project exists to produce. It can be seen as a chronological assembly diagram. Because it shows the sequence of production of Products it has a fundamental impact on the scheduling of Workpackages and Activities in a Phase or Stage Plan.
Product Owner
the person who Authorised, Approved or signed off a Product (see also Controlled Item Owner).
Product Profile
A type of page in The Guidepost, that describes for each Product, those features which are of interest in understanding and following the Process Steps which use (Produce and/or Consume) that Product.
Product Template
A Template for a Management Product or a Specialist Product. A Product Template often provides the detail needed to support Process Steps. There may be more than one Template offered for a Management Product or a Specialist Product. This is how The Guidepost supports local variations of Core Processes. (see Template).
Project (see also Bid Project, Delivery Project)
an undertaking or a scheme to implement some sort of objective. A Project is characterised by the creation of a temporary team or framework to undertake it. Once a Project is completed or abandoned, the team will be dispersed or reassigned, and the framework will be dismantled.
A typical objective of your Projects will be to make an investment or a Change within your organisation; or, as a commercial offer to some other organisation or Customer, to effect a Change in that Customer's organisation.
Project Audit, Project Review
a full audit of how a Bid/Project is being managed, including the technical, quality and commercial aspects.
Project-Based Management (PBM)
managing organisational change as a continuing series of Projects. Typically this is applied to the non-routine operations of an organisation. For example an organisation may choose to develop and implement its strategic Programme as a hierarchy of Projects. It is less common for PBM to be applied to routine corporate operations.
Project Board
the group of people headed by the Project Executive and appointed to Direct a Project. In addition to the Project Executive the Project Board may include a Senior Supplier and a Senior User, a Project Board may appoint members with other skills as required (e.g. Project Assurance). (see Project Executive).
Project Budget
see Budget.
Project Control Data
information about a Project captured throughout its life and kept in the Project Control Folders. The information will include data which is largely static, e.g. details of the Project's delivery and payment schedules and the revenue recognition model(s) to be applied (drawn from the Project's Commercial Plan). It will also include data which reflects ongoing project activity e.g. Time Recorded by staff working on the project, details of Acceptance by the Customer of contractual Products, invoices issued at contractual payment points and details of purchases made by the Project.
Project Control Folders
the corporate Folders in which Project Control Data is stored. They include the Time Recording System(s) operated within your organisation. They will be set up for a Project by Financial Control when the Project Executive issues a Project Start-up Confirmation and will be closed when a Project Closure Confirmation is issued.
Project Controls
the Core Processes which describe your organisation's approach to Project Control. These Processes will include Issue Management (& Change Control), Configuration Management, Financial Status Reporting and so on.
Project Event
an Event which should be recorded (probably in the Daily Log) to ensure that the Status of the Project can be clearly understood.
Project Executive
the single individual appointed by the Project Sponsor or Corporate Management to take overall responsibility for implementation of a Project Mandate.
Project Facilities
see Facilities.
Project Initiation Document (PID)
the plan for a Project that is Authorised by the Project Executive or Project Board during Project Startup. It is the foundation of a Project and includes the Project Mandate, the Project Brief, the Business Case the (overall) Project Plan (see Project Plan).
Project Ledger Report
a report showing the financial transactions in a Project's accounts. It covers a period of a calendar month. It is produced by a Division's Financial Control staff and is obtained by processing Project Control Data for a specific Project. Its main purpose is to provide for a Project Manager a statement of the Project's income and expenditure, which he/she uses in the preparation of the Project's Financial Status Report.
Project Log
see Daily Log.
Project Manager
the person appointed by the Mandated Project Executive to take responsibility for the planning, execution and delivery of a Project. A Project Manager will report to the Project Executive and the Project Board.
Project Mandate
the formal basis of a Project. This can take a variety of forms - ranging from a simple letter or email to the File for a successful Bid.
Project Master Plan
the complete set of all a Project's plans including the PID, the Quality Plan, the Commercial Plan and so on.
Project Plan
a Project Plan provides the overall framework for the work a Project has to do. It identifies and schedules the outline of a Project's Phases or Stages, but their detail is included in the Project's Phase or Stage Plans. The Project Plan provides the focus for the Project Manager's reports to the Project Board, and it is the Project Board's basis for their monitoring of the Project's progress and its prospects for successful completion.
Project Planning Tool
an IT system used to automate the planning and monitoring of a Project.
Project Review
see Project Audit.
Project Sponsor
a person or organisation on whose behalf a Project Mandate is produced.
Project Status Report, Project Report
A report by a Project Manager, prepared for the Project Board, on the status of his/her Project.
In the case of a Project being managed according to the requirements of PRINCE2™, a Highlight Report is normally the Project Status Report. This is because PRINCE2™ envisions only one Stage being live at a time.
In the case of a Project which is not subject to the full requirements of PRINCE2™, a Project Status Report will usually include several Phase Status Reports. This is because several Phases may be live at the same time.
Project Support, Project Support Office
the individual or group appointed to set up and operate the Control and Monitoring systems of a Project.
Project Team
all the personnel assigned to manage a Project and to execute its Plan.
Prospect
an End User or Customer who is the object of a Bid.
Provisional Bidding Agreement
an iterim agreement signed by Joint Bidders, pending the negotiation and signature of Contractor Agreements.
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Quality Audit
the process of checking that a Project is adhering to its Quality Plan.
Quality Checks
see Quality Control.
Quality Control
the checks on a Product that are intended to ensure it meets a Project's Quality Criteria. The monitoring of the results of Quality Control is one of the responsibilities of Project Assurance.
Quality Control Records
the records of the checks made by a Bid/Project on each Product that it develops and delivers. These records will include the results of design reviews and walkthoughs, document inspections, and tests including Acceptance Tests. They will be kept in the Quality Folder of the Bid/Project.
Quality Event
an event that formally demonstrates achievement of some Quality Milestone (for example the Acceptance of a Project Product).
Quality Expectations
the level of Quality that an End User or Customer expects of the delivered Products of a Project. These expectations will be documented in End User Requirement of the Customer Request (RFP/ITT).
Quality Folder
the Folder that contains a Project's Quality Log and Quality Control Records.
Quality Log
the Log that records a Project's Quality Events and lists all its Quality Control Records.
Quality Management System (QMS)
the complete set of Processes, Procedures, Standards, Templates and Job Descriptions of your organisation, of one of your organisation's subsidiary companies, or of a particular site or Project of your organisation. The items listed here may come from your organisation, from one of your organisation's customers, from some third party or from each of these sources.
Quality Plan
a document describing the key quality criteria, quality engineering processes, applicable Standards, and Controls that a Project will follow. Your organisation's QMS requires that every one of your Projects has an Authorised Quality Plan.
Quality Review
a technique for checking a Product's adherence to its Product Description, to the your organisation's QMS and to a Project's Quality Plan.
Quality Standards
Standards held in your organisation's Quality Management System.
Query
a question raised about a project usually seeking clarification about some aspect of its Products or conduct. However a Query might lead to significant change in the Project. A Query is a type of Issue.
Quotation Approval Form
the form used to review and Approve a commercial offer.
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Record
an entry in a Log. A document containing all the information about an Issue, a Risk, a Workpackage, an Activity, or a Change (an Off-specification or a Request for Change).
Report
a document prepared by a member of the Bid or Project Management Team to provide information about a Bid or Project (see Project Status Report; Lessons Learned Report; End Project Report, Exception Report, Financial Status Report, Follow-up Actions Report, etc.). Most Reports are produced to keep the Bid or Project Management Team and Bid or Project Sponsor(s) informed about the Bid or Project's progress and its future prospects. Certain Reports may include Recommendations from the Bid Manager or the Project Manager (see Bid / No-bid Form; Independent Review Report; End Phase Report; End Stage Report; Exception Report; End Project Report).
Request for Change (RFC)
an Issue Record giving the details of a change to a Controlled Item such as a Specialist Product or a Management Product. (see Change)
Requirements
the needs a Project is to satisfy. Usually taken to mean End User or Customer Requirements.
Resolve, Resolution (of an Issue)
the action taken to implement the Impact of an Issue which has been fully Analysed. Particularly, the action taken to revise a Plan, and any associated Contract(s) and Controlling Specifications, to accommodate the consequences of a Change. Usually an Issue involving a Change has been Resolved fully when the Plan(s) and Contract(s)that it affects have been revised and Re-Authorised. Formally Resolution does not include the revision of other Products
Resources
the people, services and Facilities needed to manage and execute a Bid Plan or a Project Plan.
Resource Manager
the person who "owns" a Resource and can agree his/her/its assignment to a Project or Bid.
Risk
an Event which, if it occurs. will probably change the course of a Project. Risks are usually negative with the potential to cause delay or increased cost. However some Risks may have a positive side.
Risk Folder
the Folder which contains the Risk Log and its associated Risk Records.
Risk Log
the Log which lists summary information about all of the Risks a Project has identified and to which it is subject.
Risk Manager
the person charged with establishing and maintaining the Risk Folder for a Project or a Bid.
Risk Management, Risk Mitigation
the activities involved in developing and applying (Risk) Avoidance Measures and Contingency Measures.
Risk Record
a Record containing detailed information about a Risk, its mitigation and its current status. A Risk Record is created where the information about a Risk takes more space than is available in the Risk Log.
Risk Register
see Risk Folder.
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Salesperson
a member of a Business Units's sales team. The person having sales responsibility for an opportunity. He/she produces the Bid Campaign Plan for an external sale.
Sales Director
the Senior Manager who has sales responsibility for a Business Unit or Division. He/she takes the Bid / No-bid decision and is a Bid's equivalent of the Project Sponsor.
Sales Executive
the Senior Manager who Approves a Bid Plan, the Proposal, and any decisions, to continue, to withdraw and/or to submit an Approved Proposal. He/she is a Bid's Equivalent of the Project Executive. A Sales Director may appoint him- or herself as Sales Executive.
Schedule
that part of a Project Plan which is concerned with the management and execution of Activities, Milestones, Events and Resources - (see Phase or Stage Plan).
SCR
see Standard Cost Rate.
Senior User
the representative on the Project Board of those who will use the Project's Products.
Solo Bid
a Bid which your organisation undertakes without external assistance. Your organisation may use temporary workers to help either the Bid or the ensuing Project or both. They key factor is that any external assistance is provided on normal commercial terms, and is not provided with the intention of sharing in the Project should the Bid be successful - (see Joint Bid).
Specialist Product
(1) a Product produced by a Project, usually for delivery to a Customer. (2) A Product which is needed to meet a Project's Business Case.
Stage (see also Phase)
the term used in PRINCE2™ for the unit of Management of a Project. It is the unit of work for which a Project Board gives Authorisation.
A Stage is a bounded period in a Project's Schedule, which may be associated with the achievement of some interim objective. The boundaries of a Stage will be associated directly with the review of progress, and of the continued viability of a Project. This review will include deciding whether to Authorise expenditure on the next Stage, or even to abort the whole Project.
It is normal in PRINCE2™ for there to be only one Stage Authorised by the Project Board at any one time. Thus when speaking of Stages, generally only one Stage can be live at a time, and the preceding Stage must be completed before the next one is Authorised and can start.
A Stage may include one or more Workpackages.
Stage Budget (see also Phase Budget)
the Resources and/or expenditure Authorised by a Project Board for a Project Stage.
Stage Plan (see also Phase Plan)
the detailed and resourced Plan for a Stage. The content of a Stage Plan covers the Products to be produced, internal and external dependencies, the Workpackages and Activities which will produce the Products, the Resources needed, and the timescale in which the work will be done. A Stage Plan may cover one or more Workpackages.
Stage Report, Stage Status Report
see Highlight Report.
Standard Cost Rate, SCR
the internal rate charged to a project for a Resource. This Resource may be (1) the work done on the Project by a member of an organisation's permanent staff, (2) one of our organisation's defined services provided to a Project, some of our organisation's Facilities used or occupied by a Project. Typically this rate will include organisational overheads.
Status
the current situation (e.g. progress, quality, expenditure) of a Project, Phase, Stage, Workpackage, Activity, etc.
Status Report, (see also Exception Report, Status Table)
a Report on the Status of a Project, Phase, Stage, Workpackage or Activity, current on the date of production of the Status Report.
Status Table
a summary Status Report on the Status of a Project, Phase, Stage, Workpackage or Activity, current on the date of production of the Status Table. The Guidepost offers a layered set of Status Tables. These are designed to permit a Status Report to be "rolled up" efficiently from one level to the next, thereby reducing the work needed to produce a Status Report.
Strategic Plan
a document describing an organisation's strategic objectives, and outlining how they will realised, implemented, and reviewed. For an internal initiative it will be the source of the End User Requirement, and of the Business Case. A Customer Request (RFP/ITT) will be based on that Customer's Strategic Plan.
Sub-contractor
a subordinate party to a Bid or Project, usually a Supplier. A Sub-contractor may be a Joint Bidder, and will have signed a Contractor Agreement. (see Supplier)
Supplementary Change
a Change (Issue Record) which is prepared by an Issue Owner, for Approval by the Bid or Project Executive, when the costs of processing a Change are not covered by the Bid Budget or the Project Tolerances. Processing such a Change can not start until its Supplementary Change has been Approved and Authorised.
Supplier
a party who has signed a Contractor Agreement to supply goods or services to your organisation. A key feature of the supply is that the goods or services will be non-standard and involve some tailoring or development. The payment for the supply will usually be money, although there may be some payment in kind (e.g. services). Your organisation is a Supplier to your Customers.
Supplier Invoice
an invoice sent by a Supplier or a Direct Supplier to your organisation, requesting payment for goods or services supplied to your organisation.
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Team Manager
a member of the Project Management Team. Usually appointed by a Project Manager or Project Board to take responsibility for all or part of a Phase or Stage Plan.
Team Report (see also Checkpoint Report)
the term used for a routine report by a Team Leader/Manager working in a non-PRINCE2™ Project, describing the current status of all the Activities in a live Workpackage delegated to him/her by a Project Manager.
Technical Architect
the designer of a solution. This person will often take the role of Design Authority.
Template
a standard blank form or document for a Management Product, a Specialist Product, a Report, a Record and other documents needed by a Project. There will be a standard Template for many such documents. However Templates may vary depending on the detailed working practices and needs in the various business units within your organisation.
Time Recording System
a standard Software Tool used within your organisation to capture the Time Records for your organisation's personnel on all the work they do.
Time Records
the records of time spent by your organisation's Staff doing work on Projects, internal Administration, Sales Activities etc.
Tolerance
the (range of) deviation(s) from an Authorised Plan or Job Description permitted by a Project Board which if exceeded require escalation by the Project Manager to the Project Board. The similar areas and value of discretion delegated by a Project Manager to a Team Manager. The parameters may include timescale, budget, Quality Criteria, scope, requirements and Risk.
Transmission, Transmitted
sending a Product or some other item or document to a recipient. It might be accompanied by a Transmission Record.
Transmission Record
a kind of delivery note used to record that a Product or some other item or document has been sent and received.
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User, Users
those who will adopt and/or use a Project's completed Products. Those on whose behalf the Project Sponsor acts.
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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
the hierarchical network of Activities that a Project Plan contains and which forms the basis for resourcing and scheduling the development of Products and the management of the work.
Work In Progress (WIP)
the accumulated sum of unbilled charges in a Project's accounts. WIP will increase when Time Records, Supplier Invoices, and Cross Charges are posted into the Project's accounts. WIP will decrease when Invoices are sent to the Customer.
Workpackage (WP)
the unit of work delegated by a Project Manager to a Team Manager. The possible size of a Workpackage can vary and will depend how the Project Manager has decided to delegate work. It might cover a complete Phase or Stage but typically its size will be chosen to simplify monitoring and control of the delegated work. A Workpackage will comprise one or more Activities.
Workpackage Folder
the complete set of documents defining a Workpackage including the Workpackage Record and its associated Activity Records.
Workpackage Record (WPR)
a document defining and describing a Workpackage. The information it contains can include what the WP is to produce, the Resources allocated, individual Activities to be done, the dates for their start and completion, the Quality Criteria to be met, (including testing), status reporting requirements and so on.
Workpackage Status Report (WSR) (see also Checkpoint Report)
the routine Report prepared by a Team Manager and describing the current status of all the Activities in a live Workpackage delegated to him/her by a Project Manager.
Workpackage Status Table (see Checkpoint Status Table)
a summary Workpackage Status Report.
Work Unit
A piece of work in a Work Breakdown Structure, typically an Activity or a Workpackage.