GLOSSARY - Updated December 26, 2005

This post is a continuously updated list of definitions, TLAs, and other jargon I use in my writings.

JDI - "Just Do It" - refers to line managers, project sponsors, or major stakeholders who ignore, deliberately or otherwise, the constraints imposed on projects by time, project scope, and available resources. A JDI typically ignores constraints when requesting scope changes to projects, or believes a project can be executed within a certain timeframe or at a specific cost arbitrarily without analysis or other thought processes before proceeding. Successful project managers either educate JDIs on project management (to the extent possible) or avoid working with or for them because unchecked JDIs have shown to be primary drivers of project failures.

PMBOK - Project Management Body of Knowledge published by the Project Management Institute. The definitive manual for process-based (or "traditional") project management. If one desires a PMP certification from PMI, they need to know this work verbetim.

PM - Project Management or Project Manager, depending on context

PMI - Project Management Institute. The professional organization for project management and project managers. Further information here.

PMP - Project Management Professional. A certification conferred by the Project Management Institute obtained by a combination of experience, continuing education, and the passing of an examination.

REP - Registered Education Provider. An academic insitution or for-profit training firm that is authorized by PMI to offer PM courses that count as continuing education credit for PMP certification or to maintain the certification.

TLA - Three Letter Acronym

TWO-DIMENSIONAL COSTING - Knowing (or coming to the realization) that some project costs are multi-dimensional, such as labor (hours X hourly rate). Only treating these costs as single-dimension is usually an error that leaves one over-budget during project execution.

UNFUNDED MANDATE - Projects (and work on such projects) that are not officially recognized, much less formally funded by an organization. Actually, this definition is a misnomer because if one performs work on projects that are 'unfunded,' you theoretically should not be paid. Since nobody works for free in most cases, the unfunded mandate is, in reality, funded - secretly from the budgets of projects recognized and formally budgeted by an organization.