| Term |
Definition |
Discussion |
Examples & Illustrations |
| Scope |
A definitive statement about a project’s
boundaries.
|
Principle: A project is scoped if and only if its
outputs are defined.
A project’s scope can be determined only if its
target outcomes have been established.
Refer also setting project scope.
|
|
| Scoping statement |
A scoping statement for a project has three elements:
|
|
|
| Setting (project) scope |
The process of developing a scoping
statement for a project.
|
Refer also defining (project) outputs. |
|
| Sponsor |
See Sponsoring entity. |
|
|
| Sponsoring entity |
The organisational unit (s) appointed by the
funder to assemble the project’s baseline documents—and/or from which the owner will
be appointed to oversee the project.
|
Different sponsoring entities can be appointed
for initiation and execution/outcome realisation.
|
|
| Stage |
One of a series of sequentially-related
projects:
- Where the rationale is to be found in the final stage.
- In which each has its own outcomes
and work
- Where approval depends on the
achievement of the target outcomes of the preceding stage.
|
|
For example: a feasibility study will produce a
report—on which a decision to proceed with
later stages will be based.
|
| Stakeholder |
An individual or entity who is either:
- potentially impacted by the project; or,
- who has a potential impact on the project.
|
Anyone with an interest in the project is, by
definition, a stakeholder in it.
The set of all stakeholders is broken up into an
exhaustive collection of generic classes—related to the nature of their interest. A
stakeholder can be a member of more than
one class.
Refer also stakeholding, generic stakeholder classes.
|
|
| Stakeholder classes |
See generic stakeholder classes. |
|
|
| Stakeholding |
The stakeholding of a stakeholder in a project
is defined by the list of two-way impacts
between stakeholder and project.
|
Refer also stakeholder. |
|
| Statement of objective |
A formal statement about the purpose of the
project.
|
This statement has a number of properties:
- It is short—so that it can be used as a
slogan by project stakeholders.
- It begins with the word “To …”
- It is expressed in outcome terms—possibly qualified with a reference to the primary output.
- It is high-level and general in style.
Of the five criteria for statements of objective
described in the “SMART” characteristics of
pop-management-theory, we require only
that they be outcomes oriented.
A statement of objective is supported with a
set of defined target outcomes
|
|
| Steering committee SC |
The body that is formally charged with
supporting the project owner in discharging
his/her accountabilities. The SC is made up of
a small group of powerful supporters of the
project.
|
A minimal SC is made up of one person—the
project owner.
SC members can come from outside the
sponsoring entity.
Only the SC can approve changes to the
project plan—especially the scoping statement.
Anyone opposed to the project is disqualified
from SC membership because of the resulting
conflict of interest.
The SC operates above-the-line—it is not
involved in the production of project outputs.
The funder will usually treat the SC as
collectively responsible for the project’s
success.
|
|
| Supplier |
A “contracted” entity who provides component-based
inputs or non-salaried labour to the
project manager.
|
Suppliers can be internal or external. |
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