From Agile to WBS: 80 Key Project Management Terms You Should Know

Project management is the backbone of getting things done, whether you’re coding a new app or overseeing a construction project. To do it well, you need to understand the language that keeps teams aligned and projects on track.

This article, From Agile to WBS: 80 Key Project Management Terms You Should Know, is your go-to resource for learning the 80 most common terminologies in project management. Written for everyone from newbies to experienced PMs, it lists terms alphabetically with clear explanations. From Agile’s flexible approach to the structured Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), these terms will help you plan, manage, and deliver projects effectively. Let’s dive in and build your project management vocabulary!

What are Project Management Terms?

Project management terms are the words and phrases that define the concepts, processes, tools, and roles used to plan, execute, and complete projects. They’re the shared language that helps project managers, teams, and stakeholders communicate clearly and stay on the same page. These terms cover everything from methodologies like Scrum to tools like Gantt Charts and processes like Risk Management. Knowing them is essential for running projects smoothly, solving problems, and meeting goals on time and within budget.

80 Common Project Management Terms (A-Z)

Below is a comprehensive list of 80 common project management terminologies, arranged alphabetically, with detailed yet clear explanations to help you understand their role in managing projects effectively.

1. Agile 

Agile is a way of managing projects that focuses on flexibility and teamwork. Instead of doing everything at once, Agile breaks work into small chunks called sprints (usually 1–4 weeks), so teams can adjust based on feedback or changes. It’s popular in software development but works for many projects.

Related: Agile Project Management for Beginners

2. Backlog

A to-do list for an Agile projects, containing tasks, features, or user stories prioritized by importance. The Product Owner updates it regularly as new needs arise or priorities shift, guiding what the team works on next.

3. Baseline

The original plan for your project’s scope (what’s included), schedule (when things happen), or budget (how much it costs). You use it to check if the project is on track. For example, if your baseline says the project should be done in 6 months, but you’re behind at month 3, you know you need to adjust. 

Related: Discover what Project baseline is, key components, and best practices for managing baseline.

4. Burn-down Chart

 A visual tool in Agile that graphs the amount of work remaining in a sprint or project against time. The chart’s downward slope shows progress, helping teams predict whether they’ll meet deadlines. For example, a burn-down chart might show 50 story points left at the start of a sprint, dropping to 10 by the end.

5. Bottleneck

In project management, a bottleneck refers to any point in the project where the flow of work is slowed down or restricted due to a limitation in resources, processes, or capacity. This creates delays and inefficiencies, impacting the overall project timeline and delivery.

• A bottleneck can occur at any stage of a project, such as:
• Resource limitations (e.g., not enough team members or equipment)
• Inefficient processes (e.g., a slow approval process)
• Overloaded tasks (e.g., too many dependencies on one task or individual)
• Technical constraints (e.g., outdated software or systems)

Identifying and addressing bottlenecks is crucial for improving project flow, reducing delays, and ensuring timely delivery.

6. Change Management

Change management is the process of planning, implementing, and managing changes within an organization or project. It involves preparing and supporting people, teams, and systems to adapt to new processes, tools, or ways of working. The goal is to minimize disruption, ensure a smooth transition, and help individuals embrace change successfully.

7. Communication Plan

A document detailing how project information is shared, including who receives updates, the frequency (e.g., weekly reports), and the medium (e.g., email, meetings). For example, a plan might specify what stakeholders receive.

8. Contingency

A backup plan with extra time, money, or resources set aside for unexpected problems, such as delays, technical failures, or cost increases. Contingency planning involves estimating potential risks during the planning phase and setting aside reserves (e.g., 10% of the budget) to mitigate disruptions, ensuring the project remains on track despite uncertainties.

9. Critical Path Method (CPM)

Critical Path Method is a scheduling technique that identifies the longest sequence of dependent tasks, known as the critical path, which determines the project’s shortest possible duration. Tasks on the critical path have no float, meaning delays directly extend the project timeline. CPM uses network diagrams and calculations to optimize schedules and prioritize resources.

Related: Critical Path Method in Project Management

10. Cost Management

Cost management is the process of planning, estimating, and tracking project expenses to stay within budget. This includes forecasting costs, monitoring spending, and addressing any overruns before they spiral.

Related: Project Cost Management 101 - Beginner Guide to Budgeting and Control

11. Daily Stand-up

A  brief (typically 15-minute) daily meeting in Scrum where team members share recent progress, planned tasks for the day, and any obstacles hindering their work. Conducted standings to encourage brevity, and stand-ups promoted team alignment, rapid problem-solving, and accountability, ensuring the sprint stays on course.

12. Deliverable

A specific, measurable output produced during a project, such as a document, software feature, or physical product. Deliverables are linked to milestones, must meet predefined acceptance criteria, and are critical to achieving project objectives, serving as tangible evidence of progress.

13. Dependency

A relationship between tasks where one task’s start or completion depends on another. Common types include finish-to-start (task B starts after task A finishes) and start-to-start (task B starts after task A starts). Dependencies are mapped in scheduling tools to ensure accurate timelines.

14. Decision Matrix

Decision Matrix is a tool for evaluating and prioritizing options by assigning weighted scores to criteria such as cost, time, quality, or risk. The matrix organizes data in a grid, enabling objective comparisons to support informed decision-making, particularly when selecting vendors, tools, or project approaches.

15. Earned Value Management (EVM)

A performance measurement technique that compares planned progress (budgeted cost of work scheduled) to actual progress (earned value) and costs incurred (actual cost). EVM uses metrics like Cost Variance (CV) and Schedule Variance (SV) to assess project health and forecast completion, aiding proactive decision-making.

16. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is software that integrates core business processes, such as finance, human resources, and supply chain, often used in project management to track budgets, allocate resources, and monitor schedules. ERP systems like SAP or Oracle provide real-time data for informed decision-making across projects.

17. Enterprise Project Management (EPM)

Enterprise Project Management (EPM) is a strategic approach to managing multiple projects across an organization, aligning them with business objectives. EPM coordinates resources, schedules, and priorities using portfolio management software, ensuring projects collectively support long-term goals like revenue growth or innovation.

18. Float

The amount of time a task can be delayed without impacting the project’s overall completion date. Tasks on the critical path have zero float, while non-critical tasks have slack, providing scheduling flexibility that project managers can leverage to optimize resources.

19. Forward Pass Project Management

A scheduling technique that calculates the earliest start and finish times for each task by moving forward through the project timeline. It establishes the project’s duration and identifies the critical path, guiding resource allocation and deadline setting.

20. Finish-To-Start

Finish-to-start is the most common dependency type, where one task must finish before another can start, ensuring a logical sequence in the project schedule, such as completing design before development.

21. Finish-To-Finish

Finish-to-finish is a dependency requiring one task to finish before another can finish, ensuring sequential completion of related activities, often used in projects with tightly coupled tasks like testing and development.

22. Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that shows tasks or activities over time. It uses horizontal bars to represent the start and end dates of each task, helping teams track progress and deadlines at a glance.

Related: Gantt Chart 101 - Definition, Key Features, and How to Use It for Project Management

23. Gate Review

A formal checkpoint at key project stages, such as the end of planning or execution, to evaluate progress, risks, deliverables, and alignment with objectives. Stakeholders decide whether to proceed, adjust plans, or terminate the project, ensuring accountability and strategic alignment.

24. Goal

The overarching purpose or desired outcome of a project guides all activities and decisions. Goals are broad, such as “enhance operational efficiency,” and are broken into specific, measurable objectives to provide direction and focus for the project team.

25. Governance

The framework of policies, roles, processes, and decision-making structures ensures that a project aligns with organizational objectives. Governance defines authority levels, accountability, and oversight mechanisms, such as a steering committee approving major changes, to maintain project control.

Related: Project governance

26. Graphic Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT)

A network modeling method for projects with complex, probabilistic dependencies, allowing loops and conditional branching. Unlike CPM, GERT is suited for research or innovative projects with uncertain task outcomes, providing flexibility in planning and analysis.

27. Human Resource Management 

The process of planning, recruiting, training, and managing team members to ensure the project has the necessary skills, capacity, and motivation. It includes role assignments, conflict resolution, and performance monitoring to foster collaboration and productivity.

Related: Human Resource Planning - Strategies 2025

28. Hierarchy Structure

A visual representation of a project’s organization, roles, or tasks, such as an organizational chart for team reporting lines or a Work Breakdown Structure for task decomposition. It clarifies relationships, responsibilities, and the project’s structural framework.

29. Hybrid Methodology 

A project management approach blending elements of different methodologies, such as Agile’s iterative cycles and Waterfall’s structured phases, to balance flexibility and predictability. Hybrid approaches are tailored to a project’s complexity, requirements, and organizational context.

30. Issue Log 

A document tracking problems that arise during a project, detailing their description, impact, owner, resolution status, and deadlines. The issue log ensures systematic management, preventing unresolved issues from escalating and derailing project progress.

31. Indirect Costs

Expenses not directly attributable to a specific project task, such as utilities, office rent, or administrative salaries. These costs are allocated across projects based on factors like time or resource usage, requiring careful tracking to ensure accurate budgeting.

32. Impact Matrix

A risk assessment tool that maps risks on a grid based on their likelihood and potential impact, enabling prioritization of mitigation efforts. High-likelihood, high-impact risks receive immediate attention to minimize their effect on project success.

33. Kanban

A visual workflow management method using boards and cards to track tasks through stages like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” Kanban emphasizes continuous delivery, limits work in progress, and helps teams identify bottlenecks to optimize efficiency.

Related: Gantt Chart vs Kanban: Which one is better for your Team's Workflow

34. Key Stakeholder

A key stakeholder is an individual or group with significant influence on or interest in the project, such as a sponsor, client, or executive. Their needs and decisions shape the project. For example, a client might dictate a product’s core features.

35. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 

Measurable metrics that evaluate a project’s success or progress, such as budget adherence, task completion rate, or customer satisfaction. For example, a KPI for a construction project might be “percentage of tasks completed on time.”

36. Lag/Lead Time

Lag is a deliberate delay between tasks, such as waiting for materials to arrive, while lead is an overlap, allowing tasks to start before predecessors are fully complete. Both are used to fine-tune schedules for efficiency and resource optimization.

37. Lean 

A methodology focused on delivering maximum value to the customer by eliminating waste, such as redundant processes, excess inventory, or idle time. Lean emphasizes efficiency, continuous improvement, and streamlined workflows to optimize project outcomes.

38. Late Finish (LF)

The latest time a task can finish without delaying the project’s overall completion, calculated during backward pass scheduling. LF helps identify scheduling flexibility and informs resource allocation to avoid delays.

39. Milestone

A significant event or achievement in the project timeline, such as completing a phase, delivering a key output, or obtaining stakeholder approval. Milestones mark progress, trigger reviews, and provide checkpoints for assessing project health.

Related: 10 Examples of Milestones in Project Management and How to Track Them

40. Methodology

A structured set of principles, processes, and practices guiding project management, tailored to project needs. Common methodologies include Agile (iterative), Waterfall (linear), Scrum (team-focused), and PRINCE2 (process-driven), each offering distinct approaches to planning and execution.

41. MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

A basic version of a product with essential features, released to test with users and gather feedback for iterative development. MVPs minimize initial investment while validating concepts and informing future enhancements.

42. OKR (Objectives and Key Results)

 A goal-setting framework defines qualitative objectives (what to achieve) and quantitative key results (how to measure success). OKRs align teams with project and organizational goals, fostering focus and accountability.

43. Organizational Project Management

A strategic approach to aligning projects, programs, and portfolios with an organization’s objectives, ensuring resources, priorities, and outcomes support long-term business goals like profitability or market expansion.

44. Project Management

The discipline of planning, organizing, and overseeing resources to achieve a project’s goals within constraints like scope, time, budget, and quality. It involves coordinating tasks, teams, and stakeholders to deliver defined outcomes.

Related: Project Management 101 - A Beginner’s Comprehensive Guide 2025

45. Program Management

The coordinated management of multiple related projects to achieve strategic objectives that individual projects cannot accomplish alone. It focuses on interdependencies, resource sharing, and alignment with organizational goals.

46. Project Portfolio

A collection of projects grouped to achieve strategic business objectives, such as innovation or cost reduction. Portfolios are managed collectively to optimize resource allocation and align with organizational priorities.

47. Project Lifecycle

The sequence of phases a project undergoes: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure - each with specific tasks, deliverables, and objectives. The lifecycle provides a structured framework for managing projects from start to finish.

Related: Project Lifecycle - How Agile & Waterfall Teams Approach Each Stage

48. PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a project management tool used to plan and schedule complex projects. It focuses on analyzing the time needed to complete each task and identifying the minimum time required to finish the entire project.

• Uses three time estimates for tasks:

  • Optimistic (O) – best-case scenario
  • Pessimistic (P) – worst-case scenario
  • Most Likely (M) – realistic estimate
  • Expected Time (TE) = (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6

• Helps identify the critical path and manage project uncertainty

Related: PERT Chart vs Gantt Chart – Key Differences & When to Use Each

49. Portfolio, Program, and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3)

 A framework for assessing and improving an organization’s project management capabilities across processes, skills, tools, and governance. P3M3 helps organizations progress from ad-hoc to optimized practices, enhancing efficiency and success rates.

50. PRINCE2 

A structured methodology (Projects IN Controlled Environments) emphasizing defined processes, clear roles, and governance. PRINCE2 divides projects into manageable stages with detailed documentation and control points, ideal for complex, high-stakes projects requiring rigorous oversight.

51. Project Portfolio Management

The centralized management of a project portfolio to prioritizing projects, allocating resources, and ensuring alignment with organizational strategy. It involves balancing risks, costs, and benefits to maximize value across projects.

Explore: Project Portfolio Management solution with TaskFord

52. Quality Assurance (QA)

Processes like audits, reviews, and standards checks are used to ensure deliverables meet predefined requirements and stakeholder expectations before delivery. QA focuses on preventing defects through proactive measures during project execution.

53. Quality Control

Inspections, tests, or measurements to verify that deliverables are defect-free and meet quality standards, typically conducted during or after task completion to ensure compliance with specifications.

54. RACI Chart Method

 A matrix assigning roles - Responsible (performs the task), Accountable (owns the outcome), Consulted (provides input), Informed (receives updates) for each project task, clarifying responsibilities and preventing overlaps or gaps.

55. Resource Management

Resource management is the process of planning, allocating, and monitoring the use of resources such as people, equipment, money, and materials, to ensure they are used efficiently and effectively throughout a project or operation. It helps avoid overuse, underuse, or conflicts, and supports better decision-making and project success.

Related: Crafting a Resource Management Plan: A Project Manager's Handbook

56. Resource Allocation 

The process of assigning specific resources, such as personnel, equipment, or budget, to project tasks based on availability, skills, and project requirements, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently.

Related: Unlocking Success with the Right Resource Allocation Software

57. Resource Planning

Resource planning is the process of determining the type, quantity, and timing of resources needed for a project. It ensures that the right resources are available when required, helping to prevent delays, minimize shortages, reduce costs, and maximize efficiency.

58. Retrospective

A retrospective is a meeting held at the end of a project, sprint, or milestone where a team reflects on what went well, what didn’t, and how to improve moving forward. It’s a key part of agile project management, promoting continuous learning and team growth.

59. Resource Breakdown Structure

A hierarchical chart categorizing resources (e.g., personnel, equipment, materials) needed for a project, facilitating planning, allocation, and tracking of resource usage across tasks.

Related: Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing a Resource Breakdown Structure in Your Project

60. Risk Management

The process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and mitigating risks to minimize their impact on project success, documented in a risk register with mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

61. Stakeholder

Any individual or group with an interest in or influence on the project’s outcome, including clients, team members, sponsors, or end users, requires active engagement to manage expectations.

62. Scrum 

Scrum is an Agile framework using fixed-length sprints, daily stand-ups, and defined roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner, team) to deliver work incrementally, ideal for projects with evolving requirements like software or product development.

63. Scrum Master

The Scrum role is responsible for facilitating the team, removing obstacles, and ensuring adherence to Agile practices, acting as a coach to promote collaboration and efficiency.

64. Sprint

A fixed, short period (typically 1–4 weeks) in Scrum during which a team completes a set of tasks from the backlog, delivering a usable product increment to stakeholders for review.

65. SMART Goals

Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound provide clarity and focus to guide project activities and ensure measurable outcomes.

66. SWOT Analysis

A strategic planning tool evaluating a project’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to inform decision-making, risk management, and resource allocation.

67. Task Management

Task Management is the process of creating, organizing, prioritizing, assigning, tracking, and completing individual work items (tasks) to achieve project or business objectives.

• Creation & Planning: Defining each task’s scope, owner, and deadlines
• Prioritization: Ordering tasks by importance or urgency
• Assignment & Collaboration: Allocating tasks to team members and facilitating communication
• Tracking & Reporting: Monitoring progress, updating statuses, and identifying bottlenecks
• Closure: Verifying completion criteria and recording outcomes for future improvement

Related: Track and Manage Your Tasks in One Place with TaskFord

68. Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how you spend your time to work more efficiently and productively.

It involves setting priorities, scheduling tasks, minimizing distractions, and meeting deadlines to achieve personal or professional goals.

Related: Proper time tracking on tasks project management lead better results

69. Task Dependency

The relationship between tasks where one task’s start or completion depends on another, such as finish-to-start or start-to-finish, is critical for accurate scheduling and resource planning.

Related: 4 Types of Task Dependencies & When to Use Them

70. User Stories

User Stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature or requirement written from the end user’s perspective, used in Agile to define functionality and guide development, typically following the format “As a [user], I want [function] so that [benefit]

71. Utilization Rate

Utilization rate is the percentage of available time that a person or resource is actively working on productive tasks, often billable work.

It’s calculated as:

(Actual productive time ÷ Total available time) × 100

This metric helps assess efficiency and optimize resource allocation.

72. Velocity 

Velocity is a key metric in Agile project management that measures the amount of work a team completes during a sprint or iteration. It is typically expressed in units like story points, user stories, or tasks, depending on how the team estimates work. Velocity is calculated by adding up the total number of story points or tasks completed during the sprint.

73. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) is a hierarchical decomposition of a project’s total scope into smaller, more manageable components (deliverables and work packages).

• Hierarchical: Breaks the project into levels, from high-level deliverables down to individual tasks.
• Deliverable-oriented: Focuses on what needs to be delivered rather than how it’s done.
• Foundation for planning: Serves as the basis for estimating costs, assigning resources, scheduling, and tracking progress.

Related: What is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in Project Management? Definition, Key Elements & Types.

74. Work Package

A work package is a small, manageable unit of work within a project, typically defined in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). It represents a specific deliverable or task that can be assigned to a team or individual. Work packages are often used to break down larger project tasks into more detailed and actionable parts, making it easier to estimate time, resources, and costs.

Work packages are usually:

• Clearly defined with specific goals and outcomes
• Measurable and trackable
• Assigned to a responsible team or individual
• A key element for effective project planning and control

75. Waterfall Model 

A linear methodology where each project phase (e.g., requirements, design, execution) is completed before the next begins, suited for projects with fixed requirements and minimal expected changes.

76. Wireframe

A wireframe is a visual blueprint or skeletal layout of a website, application, or system. It represents the basic structure and functionality of a page, focusing on elements like navigation, content placement, and user interface (UI) components. Wireframes are usually simple and lack detailed design elements like colors or images, serving as a tool to plan the user experience (UX) and ensure the layout meets functional requirements before development begins.

77. What-if scenario analysis

A technique that tests different project scenarios, such as delays or budget cuts, to evaluate potential outcomes and develop contingency plans, enhancing preparedness for uncertainties.

78. X-Bar Control Charts

Statistical tools used in quality control to monitor process stability by tracking the average (X-bar) of a sample over time, identifying variations that may affect deliverable quality.

79. Yield Rate

The percentage of outputs meeting quality standards in a project process, used to assess efficiency and quality performance, particularly in manufacturing or production projects.

80. Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB)

A budgeting method requiring every expense to be justified from scratch for each project phase, ensuring costs align with current priorities, and eliminating unnecessary expenditures.

Conclusion

Grasping these 80 project management terms gives you a clear foundation for navigating the complexities of any project. From the flexibility of Agile to the detailed organization of a Work Breakdown Structure, each term helps you understand the processes, tools, and roles that drive successful outcomes. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your knowledge, this shared language makes it easier to collaborate with teams, address challenges, and keep projects on track. Use this guide as a reference to better understand the concepts behind effective project management and apply them to your work with confidence.