Project Terminology | Projects & Implementation

Assumption	Factors that, for planning purposes, are considered to be true or certain. Example - Banner is NMU's ERP.
Constraint	Typically a limit or restriction that will impact the facilitation or completion of the project. Examples include: timeline, staff resources, financial resources.
Data Classification	NMU's data classification policy explains how NMU data is classified. NMU’s Data Classification Policy.
Dependency	A requirement for the use of a tool or product. Example: access to MyNMU is dependent upon entry of a valid user ID and password.
Functional vs. Technical Tasks	An example of a technical task is loading a file in to a system. Related functional tasks would be to provide the business rules for when the file is loaded, what the file contains, etc.
Functional Lead	A critical member of the project team. they are responsible for providing the business rules and operational details necessary for successful implementation. They need to be present and actively participate in all project meetings.
HIPAA	The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information form being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. The Project Manager works with the vendor and NMU's Committee on Information Security Operations to conduct appropriate review of data and security protocols.
MSA	Master Service Agreement - provided by vendor, the master legal document that governs the business relationship. This must be reviewed and approved by NMU's legal counsel
PCI	Payment Card Industry data security standard. Relevant to implementations that include credit card or payment processing. The Project Manager works with the vendor and NMU's Committee on Information Security Operations to conduct appropriate review. This is done prior to any MSA or SLA being sent to legal counsel.
PO	Purchase Order - this is submitted to purchasing by the department selected to purchase/pay for the software. This is done in the project’s fulfillment phase, prior to implementation.
Product Owner	Typically the functional lead from the project. The day to day user of the product, and primary contact for change requests or enhancements.

Project	A project is generally defined as a unique endeavor, temporary in nature, defined by deliverables, completed by a temporary team, facilitated by a project manager, scoped to specific goals/objectives and tasks, and concluded when objectives have been met. 40+ hours of project team work.
Project Manager	The staff member assigned to facilitate and coordinate the delivery of the project. Project Managers wear multiple hats - schedule meetings, liaison with vendors, coordinate appropriate technical resources for project tasks, maintain notes of project progress, address and resolve issues, communicate project progress, etc.
Project Sponsor	The project requester or their director/dean.
RFP	Request for Proposal - typically, if a software or service costs more than $10,000 annually, the NMU Purchasing Department requires that the work is sent out to bid. This involves the creation of a requirements document. We compile a list of vendors and then send them our requirements. They respond, and we choose the vendor that best meets our requirements for features, cost, integrations, etc.
Scope	Phrases that describe boundaries and the deliverables of a project - what will, and will not, be produced as a result of the project work.
SLA	Service level Agreement - interchangeable terminology for Master Service Agreement
Sole Source Justification	In lieu of a formal bid process - project requesters must complete the sole source justification document and submit to purchasing. The Project Manager assists with information gathering and submission of this document.
SOW	Statement of Work - this typically accompanies the MSA/SLA and outlines the scope of the work and responsibilities for the engagement. What are we purchasing? Timelines? What are the deliverables for the project? Accountability and expectations for vendor and NMU project team members.
Technical Lead	A critical member of any implementation. they work with the Project Manager and the functional lead to configure technical deliverables. Their role is to facilitate technical processes, not to define the functional or operational rules that technical tasks support.
Use Case	Guiding examples of desired functionality. Example: We want users to be able to use this system to email students.
VPA	Any time we enter an agreement with a software vendor, we assess the scope of data that the vendor will access. In all cases we ask the vendor to sign our Vendor privacy agreement. It can be reviewed here.