National Academies Press: OpenBook

Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects (2013)

Chapter: ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY

« Previous: 4 USING THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Page 123
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 123
Page 124
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 124
Page 125
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 125
Page 126
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 126
Page 127
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 127
Page 128
Suggested Citation:"ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22755.
×
Page 128

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

121 This alphabetical glossary provides defi nitions for factors that affect project complex- ity. Many of these defi nitions were adapted from other sources. A glossary that is alphabetical for each of the fi ve dimensions follows this one. advance construction. Similar to borrowing against future funding, but it allows states to independently raise the initial capital for a federally approved project and pre- serve their eligibility for future federal-aid reimbursement. automation. The use of automated or robotic equipment for construction. bond funding. The fl oating of bonds that public and private entities may invest in to earn a return on investment on the project. borrowing against future funding. Methods that allow the owner to borrow against future federal funding in order to undertake current projects. carbon credit sales. The carbon stored by trees and plants has a market value calcu- lated as credits that can be sold to help fi nance the project. construction quality. The value of the work that is being put in place by the contractors. contingency usage. The reserve budget or budgets (either allocated or unallocated) that are added to the overall cost estimate to account for unknown risks. contract formation. The development of the contract responsibilities and specifi cations. cordon or congestion pricing. Reorienting traffi c demand to less-congested areas and city centers. Entering the more-congested areas during certain hours requires some type of payment. cost control. All the tools and methods used to control and manage costs throughout the project. ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY

122 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS cultural impacts. The culture or cultures of the area and their possible impact on the project. delivery methods. The type of contracting approach used and how it is set up. demographics. Outline of the distribution of the population within an area. Alignment decisions may affect different demographics. design method. The process and expectations stipulated by the owner for the project and the accuracy and quality required incrementally throughout the design phase. Also refers to considering the entire life of the project and the anticipated mainte- nance requirements over its lifespan. disputes. Disagreements between the parties and how they are to be handled. earned-value analysis. The tracking of scheduled work versus actual work performed. environmental limitations. The type of environmental study that is necessary for the project, or any site-specific factors affecting the design and construction of the venture. estimate formation. All the different kinds of estimates required and the susceptibility to those costs varying from initial to final estimates. existing conditions. Any structural limitations already in place that need to be ac- counted for in the design to satisfy the solution required by the owner. federal funding. Provided by the national government, it is standard across the nation and is derived from the annual transportation bill. financial management software. Any software used for managing the financial aspects of a project. force majeure events. Catastrophic events such as tornado, hurricane, or terrorism. franchising. When private companies are offered the opportunity, they build and op- erate income-producing facilities such as rest areas or fuel stations on the public right-of-way in return for a portion of the profits. global and national economics. National and global economics that may externally affect the project. global and national incidents. Any recent events that have occurred nationally or glob- ally that may have a positive or negative impact on the project. global participation. The ability to take advantage of different procurement and capi- tal project delivery cultures around the world. Each nation has its own set of business practices that create competition for financing of transportation projects. growth inducement. A potential project may spur growth. incentive usage. The use of incentives by the owner for early completion of the project. intelligent transportation systems. Smart traffic systems for transportation projects for which user needs are analyzed and integrated into the implementation of a project.

123 ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY intermodal. More than one mode of transportation, and a factor that must be recog- nized when planning projects that involve or affect other modes of transportation. jurisdictions. An all-encompassing group that includes any local, state, or federal or- ganizations, such as metropolitan planning organizations, the State Historic Pres- ervation Office, or FHWA. These entities may become involved because of regula- tions and limitations encountered on the project. land acquisition. Acquisitions may be hindered by the ability to acquire and the pro- cess of acquiring the portions of land necessary for the project. land use impact. A potential project may alter potential land use or the zoning plan of the area. legislative process. The legal limitations placed on financing methods. local acceptance. The ability, experience, or willingness to use different delivery op- tions if procedural law does not restrict the method by the local parties that are likely to be involved with the project. local economics. Influenced by growth inducement, alterations to land use, rerouting of traffic away from business districts, and creation of jobs, directly or indirectly. local workforce. The skill and ability of the workers and the number of qualified enti- ties that can fulfill the project requirements. maintaining capacity. Planning decisions made by the owner, such as lane closures, detours, and time of construction activities (e.g., nighttime, weekends). marketing. Notification of the public of the project and its progress, particularly the aspects that have a direct impact on the public. material cost issues. The probability of the material costs changing due to market volatility. milestones. Important deadlines during the project life cycle and occurrence of these events in a timely manner. monetization of existing assets. An existing asset (e.g., a road or bridge) will be brought up to some standard of quality; private entities are invited to take it over for a con- cession period, derive revenue from it, and then return it to the original standard before turning it over to the agency or another concessionaire. optimization impact on construction quality. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and quality (e.g., increasing quality requirements may increase costs). optimization impact on project cost. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and quality (e.g., reducing the duration of the project typically comes with a higher cost). optimization impact on project schedule. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and qual- ity (e.g., accelerating the schedule may affect quality). owner. Implements the project based on a need. Owners run and manage the project and have the most to lose or gain from the project’s failure or success.

124 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS owner resource cost allocation. The distribution of costs by the owner internally to make sure each area of project management has adequate finances to perform its operations. owner’s internal structure. How the owner is set up to effectively manage the project (e.g., traditional hierarchy, matrix with project teams). payment restrictions. The ability of the owner to pay for performed work, such as ac- celerated work performed by the contractor. politicians. May be involved during the financing and need stages, and are likely to be involved if the project is not perceived well by the public. prequalification of bidders. The act of identifying and selecting qualified contractors and designers who are most capable of performing the requirements necessary for the project. procedural law. The legal channels and limitations that should be followed for imple- mentation of a transportation project such as permitting, zoning, and land acqui- sition. Procedural law is also the ability of an owner to use alternative delivery methods designated by law such as design-build or construction manager at risk. project manager financial training. The education necessary for project managers to understand financial methods. project scope. The purpose of the project and what is going to be built to satisfy that purpose. public. Directly affected by and has the potential to affect the project from initial con- ception through completion and well after turnover. The transportation project is for the public and its interests. public emergency services. Includes services that may need to be altered, such as emer- gency routes taken by fire and medical personnel. public–private partnerships. Requires both public and private financing. The overall purpose for this category is to gain public access to private capital and create a situation in which the developers’ capital is able to bridge the funding gap in a much-needed piece of infrastructure and thus accelerate the delivery of its service to the traveling public. railroad coordination. The coordination between the railroad agencies and the project. resource availability (context). Availability of materials, labor, and equipment because of external factors (affected not because of cost, but scarcity). resource availability (schedule). The availability and uniformity of resources needed to maintain or alter the schedule. revenue generation. Any type of financing that is paid for by a generation of revenue from the infrastructure over a specified time period. reviews and analysis. Methods for maintaining accuracy and quality of the design that include tools such as value engineering and analysis and constructability reviews.

125 ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY risk analysis (cost). Cost risk associated with a project that cannot be clearly identified and quantified through formal or informal analysis. risk analysis (financing). Formal or informal analysis that the financing methods play on the project. risk analysis (schedule). Schedule risk associated with a project that cannot be clearly identified and quantified through formal or informal methods. safety and health. Maintaining a workplace (by all parties) where workers feel comfortable. schedule control. All the tools and methods used to control and manage the schedule throughout the project. scheduling system and software. The different types of systems and software available and mandated for the project, all with different capabilities. social equity. Maintaining equality between all social classes that use and are affected by the project. state funding. Independently financed through the particular state in which the project is taking place. sustainability goals. Materials or requirements to use environmentally friendly con- struction materials or desires by the owner to use alternative materials or methods. technology usage. The technology specified to be used for project communications, such as specific project management software, building information modeling, and others. timeline requirements. The timeline of the project (e.g., accelerated). transition toward alternative financing sources. The financing of complex projects compared to traditional project financing and the shift in financial planning. typical climate. The typical climate where the project is located and the construction limitations presented by the area’s typical climatic conditions. unexpected weather. Unforeseen conditions that are abnormal to typical conditions and therefore cannot be planned around. uniformity restrictions. The consistency seen between states in legislation and financ- ing techniques. use of commodity-based hedging. The ability to lock in the material price at the earli- est point when the required quantity is known. user costs and benefits. Cost trade-off between the transit user benefits of early com- pletion with the increased construction costs required for accelerated construction of existing infrastructure. utility coordination. All the services necessary that may need to be moved and coordi- nated (e.g., electricity, gas). vehicle miles traveled fees. User fees that charge the driver a specific cost for using the infrastructure.

126 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS warranties. Provided by contractors who ensure the quality and guarantee that pieces of the project will remain adequate for a specified time period. work breakdown structure. The breakdown of the roles and responsibilities delegated to project participants. work zone visualization. Based on maintaining capacity decisions and involves using the appropriate means to alert the public of alterations to normal traffic routes and the presence of construction activity.

Next: GLOSSARY BY DIMENSION »
Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects Get This Book
×
 Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-R10-RW-2: Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects facilitates the application of a five-dimensional management approach for complex projects. The objective of the guide is to identify and communicate the critical factors involved in successfully managing complex transportation design and construction projects. A training course based on the information in the guide was also developed.

In addition, SHRP 2 Renewal Project R10 developed two other reports:

  • Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects, which describes the five-dimensional management approach for complex projects. The goal of the five-dimensional approach is to identify issues that should be planned and managed proactively, rather than retroactively. The five areas of the new project management approach address cost, schedule, engineering requirements, external influences, and financing; and
  • Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects: Case Study Report, which includes case studies of 15 projects in the United States and three international projects that used tools that aid project managers in the delivery of complex projects.

Software Disclaimer: This software is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively "TRB") be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operation of this product. TRB makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages.

READ FREE ONLINE

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!