In the UMA , an activity is a breakdown element which supports the nesting and logical grouping of related process elements such as descriptor and sub-activities, thus forming breakdown structures.

Describes the blueprint for software development, frequently represented using a number of architectural views. It also contains the rationale, assumptions, explanations and implications of the decisions that were made in forming the architecture as well as the global mapping between views.

A UMA construct that specifies a process as the hierarchical composition of breakdown elements.

A special type of process used to define a stereotypical way of performing work related to a particular subject.  Capability Patterns are often used as course grained building blocks to assemble delivery processes.

An encapsulated part of the system that is nontrivial, nearly independent, and replaceable and that fulfils a clear function in the context of well-defined architecture. A component conforms to and provides the realization of a set of interfaces.

A specialized type of work prodcut used to define the primary outputs that represent value, material or otherwise, to the client, customer or other stakeholders.  These are typically the result of packaging other work products for sign-off and delivery.

Primary categorization mechanism for organizing tasks that define a major 'area of concern' and/or cooperation of work effort.

Primary catgorization mechanism for organizing work products that have an affinity to each other based on resources, timing, relationships or general subject area.

The number of labor units required to complete an activity or other project element. Usually expressed as staff hours, staff days, or staff weeks. Should not be confused with duration.

A specialized type of  guidance used to include typical samples of the items to be produced, may often only be a partial sample that is intended as further guidance rather than something to be reused.

General term referring to all types of material that provide additional detail on other types of elements.

A grouping of repeatable activities based on a set period of time that produces an expected set of results that has value.  These results may be further refined in successive iterations.

Defines the primary reusable building blocks or reference materials of the method framework that exist outside of any predefined lifecycle. The basic content elements are: roles, tasks, work products and guidance.

A significant event in the project or sub-project, such as a major decision, completion of a deliverable, or meeting of a major dependency (like completion of a phase).

Specialized type of work products used to descibe intangible items such as the completion of some set of activities, a result or state. A key differentiator for outcomes against artifacts is that outcomes are not candidates for harvesting as reusable assets. Outcomes can not have associated templates or examples and are not possible to reuse as assets on other projects.

A specialized type of activity that represents a significant period in a project normally ending with a decision checkpoint, major milestones, or a set of deliverables.  Phases typically have well defined objectives and provide the basis for how the project work will be structured.

Describes the assembly of method content in a sequence or workflow that defines how the work will be executed. There are two types of processes:  capability patterns and delivery processes.

1. A capability needed by the user to solve a problem [in order to] to achieve an objective
2. A capability that must be met or possessed by a system or system component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed documentation [THA00]
   

A potential event or future situation that can potentially affect, prevent, or limit a project's success. Project risks may be seen as threats or opportunities.

Describes a standard set of responsibilities and corresponding skills necessary to perform a task or create a work product.  A Role is not a job description the same person may execute several roles simultaneously or during the course of a project and a role may likewise be defined to represent a group such as a review board.

The boundaries for inclusions and exclusions that define the depth and breadth of the project. Example of areas for consideration are included functionality, affected organizations, lifecycle phases performed, included and excluded deliverables, involved geographic areas, and so on.

Defines a unit of work that needs to be done in order to transfrom inputs into outputs through a series of steps performed by one or more roles independent of a particular work breakdown structure (WBS).

A specialized type of guidance for externally published papers that can be read and understood in isolation of other content elements.

A hierarchical structured list of all the project activities, in which the work of the project is broken down into smaller work units to achieve an appropriate level of granularity that ensures that the full scope of work to be performed is understood.

Used to define and describe the items needed as input or created as output of one or more tasks that are the responsibility of a single role.  See: artifact, deliverable, outcome.