safety plan
the standards and methods which minimise to an acceptable level the likelihood of accident or damage to people or equipment

schedule
the timetable for a project. It shows how project tasks and milestones are planned out over a period of time.

schedule control
controlling schedule changes.

schedule dates
start and finish dates calculated with regard to resource or external constraints as well as project logic.

schedule performance index (SPI)
ratio of work accomplished versus work planned, for a specified time period. The SPI is an efficiency rating for work accomplishment, comparing work accomplished to what should have been accomplished.

schedule variance (cost)
the difference between the budgeted cost of work performed and the budgeted cost of work scheduled at any point in time.

scheduled finish
the earliest date on which an activity can finish, having regard to resource or external constraints as well as project logic.

scheduled start
the earliest date on which an activity can start, having regard to resource or external constraints as well as project logic.

scheduling
scheduling is the process of determining when project activities will take place depending on defined durations and precedent activities. Schedule constraints specify when an activity should start or end based on duration, predecessors, external predecessor relationships, resource availability, or target dates.

scope
the scope is the sum of work content of a project.

scope change
any change in a project scope that requires a change in the project's cost or schedule.

scope change control
controlling changes to the scope.

scope verification
ensuring all identified project deliverables have been completed satisfactorily.

scope of work
a description of the work to be accomplished or resources to be supplied.

secondary risk
the risk that may occur as a result of invoking a risk response or fall-back plan.

secondment matrix
an organisational structure whereby team members are seconded to the project from their respective departments to the project and are responsible to the project manager

S-Curve
A display of cumulative costs, labour hours, or other quantities plotted against time.

sequence
sequence is the order in which activities will occur with respect to one another.

slack*
calculated time span during which an event has to occur within the logical and imposed constraints of the network, without affecting the total project duration.
Note 1: it may be made negative by an imposed date.
Note 2. the term slack is used as referring only to an event.

slip chart
a pictorial representation of the predicted completion dates of milestones (also referred to as trend chart)

slippage
the amount of slack or float time used up by the current activity due to a delayed start or increased duration.

soft project
a project that is intended to bring about change and does not have a physical end product.

soft skills
soft skills include team building, conflict management and negotiation.

source selection
choosing from potential contractors.

splittable activity*
activity that can be interrupted in order to allow its resources to be transferred temporarily to another activity.

sponsor*
individual or body for whom the project is undertaken and who is the primary risk taker.

stage
a natural high level subsection of a project that has its own organisational structure, lifespan and
manager.

stage payment*
payment part way through a project at some predetermined milestone.

stakeholder*
a person or group of people who have a vested interest in the success of an organisation and the environment in which the organisation operates. (Project stakeholders are people or organisations who have a vested interest in the environment, performance and/or outcome of the project.)

start event of a project*
event with succeeding, but no preceding activities.
Note: there may be more than one start event.

start-to-start lag
start-to-start lag is the minimum amount of time that must pass between the start of one activity and the start of its successor(s). This may be expressed in terms of duration or percentage.

starting activity
a starting activity has no predecessors. It does not have to wait for any other activity to start.

statement of work*
a document stating the requirements for a given project task.

status reports
written reports given to both the project team and to the person responsible for the outcomes of the project on a regular basis detailing the status of an activity, work package, or whole project. Status reports should be used to control the project and to keep management informed of project status.

steering group
a body established to monitor the project and give guidance to the project sponsor or project manager.

subcontract
a contractual document which legally transfers the responsibility and effort of providing goods, services, data, or other hardware, from one firm to another.

subcontractor
an organisation that supplies goods or services to a supplier.

subnet or subnetwork
a division of a project network diagram representing a subproject.

subproject
a group of activities represented as a single activity within a higher level of the overall project.

success criteria
criteria to be used for judging if the project is successful.

success factors
critical factors that will ensure achievement of success criteria.

successor
a successor is an activity whose start or finish depends on the start or finish of a predecessor activity.

sunk costs
unavoidable costs (even if the project were to be terminated)

super-critical activity
an activity that is behind schedule is considered to be super-critical. If it has been delayed to a point where its float is calculated to be a negative value.

supplier
includes contractors, consultants and any organisation that supplies services or goods to the customer.

system
the complete technical output of the project including technical products.

systems and procedures
Ssstems and procedure detail the standard methods, practices, and procedures of handling frequently occurring events within the project.

systems management
management that includes the prime activities of systems analysis, systems design and engineering and systems development.