Acceptance : The formal process of accepting delivery of a product or deliverable.
Acceptance Criteria : Performance requirements and essential conditions that have to be achieved before project deliverables are accepted.
Accountability : The obligation to report on one’s actions.
Activity : Actions taken or work performed through which inputs, such as funds, technical assistance and other types of resources are mobilized to produce specific outputs.
Activity Duration Activity duration specifies the length of time (hours, days, weeks, months) that it takes to complete an activity. This
information is optional in the data entry of an activity.
Actual Dates Actual dates are entered as the project progresses. These are the dates that activities really started and finished as
opposed to planned or projected dates.
Actuals The cost or effort incurred in the performance of tasks. Also, the dates tasks have been started or completed and
the dates milestones have been reached.
Alternatives A number of different solutions and approaches that must be evaluated and chosen to attain the objectives of a project.
Analogous Estimating Estimating using similar projects or activities as a basis for determining the effort, cost and/or duration of a current
one. Usually used in Top-down Estimating.
Approach Statement A high-level description of how the project will accomplish its goals and objectives.
Assumption Something taken as true without proof. In planning, assumptions regarding staffing, complexity, learning curves
and many other factors are made to create plan scenarios. These provide the basis for estimating. Remember, assumptions are not facts. Make alternative assumptions to