Concepts Β· Definitions Β· Diagrams Β· Connections
A colourful, exam-focused website covering the concepts, definitions, classifications, diagrams and connections most likely to matter: lifecycle, planning, PM role, stakeholders, risk, change, Agile/Scrum, scheduling, PMBOK, PRINCE2, IPMA and Brandenburg Airport.
First memorize the short definitions: project, project management, stakeholder, risk, WBS, baseline, change request, Scrum roles and artifacts.
Then connect each diagram to a use case: fishbone for root causes, power-interest matrix for stakeholders, Gantt/network for scheduling, Scrum for Agile delivery.
Finally apply every concept to BER Airport: planning failure, risk failure, scope creep, change control failure, weak governance, poor stakeholder communication.
The minimum vocabulary: what a project is, how project management differs from operations, and why constraints must be negotiated.
A project is a temporary and unique endeavor undertaken to create a specific product, service, result or change. It has a defined beginning and end, objectives, constraints, resources, uncertainty and stakeholders.
| Project | Operations |
|---|---|
| Temporary | Ongoing |
| Unique output | Repeated output |
| Higher uncertainty | More stable process |
| Ends when objective is achieved | Continues as business-as-usual |
Classic PM uses the triple constraint: scope, time and cost. PRINCE2 expands project control to time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits.
Know what happens in each phase. Many exam questions ask you to classify an activity into the correct stage.
Planning is the foundation for control. If there is no plan, there is no baseline; if there is no baseline, there is no meaningful control.
Project charter β initiation. WBS β planning. Status meetings β execution/control. Change request approval β monitoring & control. Lessons learned β closing.
The PM role is people-centered. Technical work is not the same as project management.
| Management | Leadership |
|---|---|
| Plans and organizes | Creates direction and vision |
| Controls progress | Motivates people |
| Uses tools, data and systems | Uses influence, trust and communication |
| Focuses on structure | Focuses on people |
When one person is both full-time technical worker and PM, technical tasks usually win and PM duties such as planning, monitoring, communication and risk management suffer.
A manager does not only wait for instructions. A real PM understands the organizational mission, sees what needs doing, and proactively contributes to organizational goals.
Traditional hierarchy puts executives at the top. Servant leadership reverses the logic: managers support employees, who create value for customers.
PMs often have high responsibility but limited formal authority, especially in matrix organizations. They rely on influence, negotiation, communication and trust.
Planning is not bureaucracy. It is the basis for scope, schedule, budget, risk, communication and control.
A good implementation plan for the wrong strategy only creates efficient failure.
| Area | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Problem / mission / objectives | Why are we doing the project? |
| Scope statement + WBS | What is included and how is work decomposed? |
| Schedule + budget | When and how much? |
| Resources + organization | Who does the work and who decides? |
| Risk + communication plan | What can go wrong and how will information flow? |
| Change control | How will modifications to the baseline be managed? |
WBS translates the project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages.
A Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into smaller deliverables and manageable work packages.
Stakeholder management is about identifying, classifying, engaging and communicating with people who affect or are affected by the project.
A stakeholder is any individual, group or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a project.
Use RACI to avoid confusion over who does, decides, advises and receives information.
| Letter | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| R | Responsible | Does the work |
| A | Accountable | Owns the final decision/result |
| C | Consulted | Gives input before action |
| I | Informed | Receives updates after action |
All three interests must be represented. Business asks: is it worth it? User asks: will it meet needs? Supplier asks: can it be delivered?
Communication is not random emailing. It must be planned by audience, message, medium, owner and frequency.
| Audience | Information | Frequency | Medium | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Status, risks, decisions | Weekly | Email / meeting | PM |
| Team | Tasks, blockers, changes | Daily / weekly | Stand-up / board | PM / Scrum Master |
| Customer | Deliverables, acceptance | Milestones | Review meeting | PM |
| All stakeholders | Major changes | As needed | Update notice | PM |
If there are n people in a project, the number of possible communication channels is:
Example: 5 people = 5Γ4/2 = 10 channels.
Fishbone / Ishikawa diagram is used for root cause analysis: it separates symptoms from underlying causes.
A visual tool used to identify possible root causes of a problem. The problem is placed at the head of the fish; possible causes are grouped into categories along the bones.
Risk is uncertainty that can affect project objectives. Good PMs manage risk before it becomes a crisis.
The trigger point defines when the contingency plan is activated. Too early wastes resources; too late allows full damage.
| Threats | Opportunities |
|---|---|
| Avoid | Exploit |
| Mitigate | Enhance |
| Transfer | Share |
| Accept | Accept |
A living document listing risk ID, description, probability, impact, owner, response, trigger point and status.
A probability Γ impact grid used to prioritize risks. High-probability / high-impact risks need active response planning.
Change control protects the project baseline. Without it, scope, cost and schedule drift without accountability.
Agile is a mindset; Scrum is a framework; Kanban is a visual flow method.
| To Do | In Progress | Review | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task cards waiting | Active work, limited by WIP | Quality / acceptance check | Completed work |
Kanban visualizes workflow, limits work in progress and supports continuous flow.
Scheduling moves from simple visual timelines to dependency-based network analysis.
Gantt shows time. Network diagrams show dependencies. Critical path identifies what controls project duration.
| AON | AOA |
|---|---|
| Activity on Node | Activity on Arrow |
| Boxes are activities | Arrows are activities |
| Common in software | Older / engineering notation |
Forward pass: calculates early start and early finish. Backward pass: calculates late start and late finish. Float = LS β ES or LF β EF.
Control means comparing actual performance to the baseline and taking corrective action.
No corrective action means monitoring, not control.
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BCWS / PV | Planned value: budgeted cost of scheduled work |
| BCWP / EV | Earned value: budgeted cost of completed work |
| ACWP / AC | Actual cost of completed work |
| CV = EV β AC | Cost variance |
| SV = EV β PV | Schedule variance |
These tools help analyze the external and competitive environment around the project or organization.
Even if PMBOK 7 shifted to principles and performance domains, the 10 Knowledge Areas remain useful for classifying project management topics.
| Knowledge Area | Purpose | Linked topics in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Coordinate all project activities | Charter, baseline, change control |
| Scope | Define what is included/excluded | Scope statement, WBS, scope creep |
| Schedule | Manage project timeline | Gantt, network, critical path |
| Cost | Manage budget | Budget, reserves, EVA |
| Quality | Ensure requirements are met | Quality control, acceptance |
| Resource | Manage people and materials | Team, resource leveling |
| Communications | Ensure effective information flow | Communication plan, channels |
| Risk | Identify and respond to uncertainty | Risk register, matrix, responses |
| Procurement | Acquire external goods/services | Vendors, contracts, suppliers |
| Stakeholder | Identify and engage stakeholders | Stakeholder grid, engagement matrix |
Know the logic: PMBOK = body of knowledge / principles, PRINCE2 = method, IPMA = competence baseline.
These are short, high-yield tools that can be used in open-ended answers.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have for now.
80/20 rule: many effects come from a small number of causes.
Adapt methods to project size, uncertainty, culture, risk, industry and stakeholders.
Use the case as an application container. Nearly every concept above can be applied to explain the failure.
| Failure area | PM concept | How to explain in exam |
|---|---|---|
| Unrealistic original plan and budget | Planning / estimation / optimism bias | The baseline was not realistic, so later control became weak. |
| Repeated changes | Change control / scope creep | Changes were not sufficiently controlled and created cascading effects. |
| Technical problems and fire safety issues | Quality / risk management | Critical risks were underestimated and not resolved early. |
| Many actors and political interests | Stakeholder management / governance | Complex stakeholder structure created slow decisions and unclear accountability. |
| Poor coordination among contractors | Integration / procurement / communication | Interfaces were not managed effectively across suppliers. |
| Delayed opening and cost overrun | Schedule / cost control | The project lost control over time and budget. |
Use these patterns when the question asks you to explain, compare, or apply.
Concept means ... Its purpose is ... It is used when ... A project example is ...
A differs from B because ... A is suitable when ... B is suitable when ... The key trade-off is ...
In the Brandenburg case, this concept appears as ... The consequence was ... A better PM response would have been ...