Definitions 3 min read

140 Most Common Project Management Acronyms

Last Updated January 3, 2022 10:14 am

The world of project management is full of abbreviations and acronyms, and it’s important to understand what they mean. We’ve rounded up some of the most common acronyms you might encounter while managing a project—some may have alternative meanings in different contexts, so double check how they’re used if they don’t make sense.

Project management acronyms

Number	Acronym	Meaning
1	AC	Actual Cost
2	ACWP	Actual Cost of Work Performed
3	AD	Activity Description
4	ADM	Arrow Diagramming Method
5	ADR	Alternative Dispute Resolution
6	AE	Apportioned Effort
7	AOA	Activity-On-Arrow
8	AON	Activity-On-Node
9	ARMA	Auto-Regressive Moving Average
10	BAC	Budget At Completion
11	BARF	Bought-into, Approved, Realistic, Formal
12	BCR	Benefit Cost Ratio
13	BCWP	Budgeted Cost of Work Performed
14	BCWS	Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled
15	BOM	Bill of Materials
16	CA	Control Account
17	CBA	Cost Benefit Analysis
18	CBR	Cost Benefit Ratio
19	CBT	Computer-Based Test
20	CCB	Change Control Board
21	CCS	Change Control System
22	CH	Contact Hours
23	CISD	Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
24	CMM	Capability Maturity Model
25	CMMI	Capability Maturity Model Integrated
26	CM	Configuration Management
27	COC	Cost of Conformance
28	CONC	Cost of Non-Conformance
29	COQ	Cost of Quality
30	CPAF	Cost Plus Award Fee
31	CPF	Cost Plus Fee
32	CPFF	Cost Plus Fixed Fee
33	CPI	Cost Performance Index
34	CPIF	Cost Plus Incentive Fee
35	CPM	Critical Path Methodology
36	CCPC	Cost Plus Percentage of Cost
37	CR	Change Request
38	CSIA	Cost/Schedule Impact Analysis
39	CV	Cost Variance
40	CWBS	Contract Work Breakdown Structure
41	DD	Data Date
42	DFD	Data Flow Diagram
43	DOE	Design of Experiments
44	DU/DUR	Duration
45	EAC	Estimate at Completion
46	EEF	Enterprise Environmental Factors
47	EF	Early Finish
48	EMV	Expected Monetary Value
49	EMU	Enhancement, Maintenance, Upgrade
50	EPV	Expected Present Value
51	ES	Early Start
52	ETC	Estimate to Complete
53	EV	Earned Value
54	EVA	Earned Value Analysis/Economic Value Add
55	EVM	Earned Value Management
56	EVT	Earned Value Technique
57	FF	Finish-to-Finish/Free Float
58	FFP	Firm Fixed Price
59	FMEA	Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
60	FPIF	Fixed Price Incentive Fee
61	FS	Finish-to-Start
62	FV	Future Value
63	GERT	Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique
64	HR	Human Resource
65	IFB	Invitation for Bid
66	IO	Inputs and Outputs
67	IMP	Integrated Master Plan
68	IMS	Integrated Master Schedule
69	IRR	Internal Rate of Run
70	ISO	International Organization for Standardization
71	ITTO	Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs
72	JAD	Joint Application Development/Design
73	JIT	Just In Time
74	JIC	Just In Case
75	KA	Knowledge Area
76	KPI	Key Performance Indicator
77	LF	Late Finish
78	LL	Lessons Learned
79	LOE	Level of Effort
80	LS	Late Start
81	MS	Management Science
82	NLM	Nonlinear Management
83	NPV	Net Present Value
84	OBS	Organizational Breakdown Structure
85	OPA	Organizational Process Assets
86	OPM3	Organizational Project Management Maturity Model
87	PBS	Product Breakdown Structure
88	PC	Percent Complete
89	PCM	Project Cost Management
90	PDCA	Plan Do Check Act
91	PDM	Precedence Diagramming Model
92	PERT	Program Evolution and Review Technique
93	PF	Planned Finish
94	PIER	Post Implementation Evaluation Report
95	PM	Project Manager/Project Management
96	PMB	Performance Measurement Baseline
97	PMBOK	Project Management Body of Knowledge
98	PMI	Project Management Institute
99	PMIS	Project Management Information System
100	PMO	Project/Program Management Office
101	PMP	Project Management Professional
102	PPM	Project Portfolio Management
103	PS	Planned Start
104	PTA	Point of Total Assumption
105	PV	Planned Value/Present Value
106	QA	Quality Assurance
107	QC	Quality Control
108	QCD	Quality, Cost, Delivery
109	QFD	Quality Function Deployment
110	QP	Quality Planning
111	RACI	Responsible, Accountable, Consult, Inform
112	RAID	Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies
113	RAM	Responsibility Assignment Matrix
114	RBS	Risk/Resource Breakdown Structure
115	RD	Remaining Duration
116	RFI	Request for Information
117	RFP	Request for Proposal
118	RFQ	Request for Quotation
119	ROI	Return on Investment
120	ROM	Rough Order of Magnitude
121	SF	Start-to-Finish/Scheduled Finish
122	SLA	Service Level Agreement
123	SME	Subject Matter Expert
124	SOW	Statement of Work
125	SPI	Schedule Performance Index
126	SS	Start-to-Start/Schedule Start
127	SV	Schedule Variance
128	SWOT	Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
129	TC	Target Completion
130	TCPI	To-Complete Performance Index
131	TF	Target Finish/Total Float
132	TQM	Total Quality Management
133	TS	Target Start
134	TT	Tools and Techniques
135	VAC	Variance at Completion
136	VE	Value Engineering
137	VOC	Voice of the Customer
138	WAS	Work Authorization System
139	WBS	Work Breakdown Structure
140	WPI	Work Performance Indicator

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Kaiti Norton

Kaiti Norton is a Nashville-based Content Writer for TechnologyAdvice, a full-service B2B media company. She is passionate about helping brands build genuine connections with their customers through relatable, research-based content. When she's not writing about technology, she's sharing her musings about fashion, cats, books, and skincare on her blog.