UPDATE 2026
Agile Project Management (Agile PM) - Answers A family of iterative, incremental
development methods for completing projects.
Program - Answers A group of related projects designed to accomplish a common
goal over an extended period of time
Project - Answers A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product,
service, or result
Project Life Cycle - Answers The stages found in all projects—definition, planning,
execution, and closing.
Project Management Professional (PMP) - Answers An individual who has met
specific education and experience requirements set forth by the Project Management
Institute, has agreed to adhere to a code of professional conduct, and has passed an
examination designed to objectively assess and measure project management
knowledge. In addition, a PMP must satisfy continuing certification requirements or
lose the certification.
Implementation Gap - Answers The lack of consensus between the goals set by top
management and those independently set by lower levels of management. This lack of
consensus leads to confusion and poor allocation of organizational resources.
Net Present Value (NPV) - Answers A minimum desired rate of return discount (e.g.,
15 percent) is used to compute present value of all future cash inflows and outflows.
Organization Politics - Answers Actions by individuals or groups of individuals to
acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to obtain preferred outcomes
when there is uncertainty or disagreement over choices.
Payback - Answers The time it takes to pay back the project investment
(investment/net annual savings). The method does not consider the time value of
money or the life of the investment.
Phase Gate Model - Answers A structured process to review and evaluate each
project phase to determine whether to continue, revise, or cancel the project.
Priority System - Answers The process used to select projects. The system uses
selected criteria for evaluating and selecting projects that are strongly linked to
higher-level strategies and objectives.
Priority Team - Answers The group (sometimes the project office) responsible for
selecting, overseeing, and updating project priority selection criteria.
Project Portfolio - Answers A group of projects that have been selected for
implementation, balanced by project type, risk, and ranking by selected criteria.
Project Sponsor - Answers Typically a high-ranking manager who champions and
supports a project.
Sacred Cow - Answers A project that is a favorite of a powerful management figure,
who is usually the champion for the project.
Strategic Management - Answers The process of assessing "what we are" and
deciding and implementing "what we intend to be and how we are going to get there."
Strategy describes how an organization intends to compete with the resources
available in the existing and perceived future environment.
Balanced Matrix - Answers A matrix structure in which the project manager and
functional managers share roughly equal authority over the project. The project
manager decides what needs to be done; functional managers are concerned with how
it will be accomplished.