C

cause-and-effect diagrams (also called Ishikawa diagrams and fishbone diagrams)

These diagrams are used for root cause analysis of what factors are creating the risks within the project. The goal is to identify and treat the root of the problem, not the symptom.

centralized contracting

All contracts for all projects need to be approved through a central contracting unit within the performing organization.

Change Control Board (CCB)

This board determines the validity and need for project change requests and approves or denies them.

Change Control System (CCS)

An internal process the project manager can use to block anyone , including management, from changing the deliverables of a project without proper justification. Change control requires the requestor to have an excellent reason to attempt a change and then it evaluates the proposed change s impact on all facets of the project.

Change Impact Statement

A formal response from the project manager to the originator of a Project Change Request form. It is summary of the project manager s proposed plan to incorporate the changes. Usually this is a listing of the paths and trade-offs the project manager is willing to implement.

chart of accounts

A coding system used by the performing organization s accounting system to account for the project work.

checklists

A list of activities that workers check to ensure the work has been completed consistently. Checklists are used in quality control.

closing

The period when a project or phase moves through formal acceptance to bring the project or phase to an orderly conclusion.

coercive power

The type of power that comes with the authority to discipline the project team members . This is also known as penalty power. It is generally used to describe the power structure when the team is afraid of the project manager.

collective bargaining agreements

These are contractual agreements initiated by employee groups, unions, or other labor organizations. They may act as a constraint on the project.

communication channel formula

A formula to predict the number of communication channels within a project; the formula is N(N “ 1)/2, where N represents the number of stakeholders.

Communications Management Plan

A plan that documents and organizes stakeholder needs for communication. This plan covers the communications system, its documentation, the flow of communication, modalities of communication, schedules for communications, information retrieval, and any other stakeholder requirements for communications.

compromising

A conflict resolution method that requires both parties to give up something. The decision ultimately made is a blend of both sides of the argument. Because neither party completely wins, it is considered a lose-lose solution.

configuration management

Activities focusing on controlling the characteristics of a product or service. A documented process of controlling the features, attributes, and technical configuration of any product or service. It is sometimes considered a rigorous CCS.

constrained optimization methods

These are complex mathematical formulas and algorithms that are used to predict the success of projects, variables within projects, and tendencies to move forward with selected project investments. Examples include linear programming, integer algorithms, and multi- objective programming.

constraint

A boundary or limit based on the relationship between tasks .

consultative decision-making process

The project team meets with the project manager and together they may arrive at several viable solutions. The project manager then can take the proposed solutions and make a decision based on what she thinks is best for the project.

contingency plan

A predetermined decision that will be enacted should the project go awry.

contingency reserve

A time or dollar amount allotted as a response to risk events that may occur within a project.

Continuous Quality Improvement

The theory that all practices within an organization are processes and that processes can be infinitely improved.

contract

A legal, binding agreement, preferably written, between a buyer and seller detailing the requirements and obligations of both parties. It must include an offer, an acceptance, and a consideration.

contract administration

The process of ensuring that the buyer and the seller both perform to the specifications within the contract.

contract Change Control System

A system that defines the procedures for how contracts may be changed. Includes the paperwork, tracking, conditions, dispute resolution procedures, and the procedures for getting the changes approved within the performing organization.

contract closeout

A process for confirming that the obligations of the contract have been met as expected. The project manager, customer, key stakeholder, and, in some instances, seller complete the product verification together to confirm the contract has been completed.

contract file

A complete indexed set of records of the procurement process incorporated into the administrative closure process. These records include financial information as well as information on the performance and acceptance of the procured work.

control account plans

A control tool within the project that represents the integration of the project scope, project schedule, and budget. It allows management to measure the progress of a project.

control charts

These illustrate the performance of a project over time. They map the results of inspections against a chart. Control charts are typically used in projects or operations that have repetitive activities such as manufacturing, test series, or help desk functions. Upper and lower control limits indicate if values are within control or out of control.

controlling

The project is controlled and managed. The project manager controls the project scope and changes, and monitors changes to the project budget, schedule, and scope by comparing plans to actual results and taking corrective action as necessary.

core processes

These processes are common to all projects. The core processes are scope planning, scope definition, activity definition, resource planning, activity sequencing, activity duration estimation, cost estimating, risk management planning, schedule development, cost budgeting, and project plan development.

cost baseline

This shows what the project is expected to spend . It s usually shown in an S -Curve and allows the project manager and management to predict when the project will be spending monies and over what duration. The purpose of the cost baseline is to measure and predict project performance.

cost budgeting

A process of assigning a cost to an individual work package. This process shows costs over time. The cost budget results in an S -Curve that becomes the cost baseline for the project.

Cost Change Control

This is part of the Integrated Change Control System and documents the procedures to request, approve, and incorporate changes to project costs.

cost control

An active process to control causes of cost change, document cost changes, and monitor cost fluctuations within the project. When changes occur, the cost baseline must be updated.

cost estimating

The process of calculating the costs, by category, of the identified resources to complete the project work.

Cost of conformance

The cost of completing the project work to satisfy the project scope and the expected level of quality. Examples include training, safety measures, and quality management activities.

cost of nonconformance

The cost of completing the project work without meeting the quality standards. The biggest issue here is the money lost by having to redo the project work; it s always more cost-effective to do the work right the first time. Other nonconformance costs are loss of sales, loss of customers, downtime, and corrective actions to fix problems caused by the incorrect work.

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

This is a reflection of the amount of actual cumulative dollars spent on a project s work and how closely that value is to the predicted budgeted amount. The formula for the CPI is as follows : CPI = EV/AC.

cost variance

The difference in the amount of budgeted expense and the actual expense. A negative variance means that more money was spent on the service or goods than what was budgeted for it.

crashing

This is the addition of more resources to activities on the critical path in order to complete the project earlier. Crashing results in higher project costs.

critical path

The sequence of events that determine the project completion date.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

The CPM is the most common approach to calculating when a project may finish. It uses a forward and backward path to reveal which activities are considered critical, and which contain float. If activities on the critical path are delayed, the project end date will be delayed.