---
ref_id: TT-REGISTRY
ref_name: "Tools and Techniques Master Registry"
version: "1.0.0"
status: Complete
authority: PMBOK8 Primary
pmbok8_source: "PMBOK8 Guide §2 · Process Groups: A Practice Guide §2"
file_path: "reference/tools-techniques/tools-techniques-registry.md"
migrated_from: "C6-TT-Taxonomy/TT-Taxonomy-Index.md"
migration_date: "2026-06-02"
migration_phase: "Phase 4 — C6"
---

# Tools & Techniques Master Registry

**Ref ID:** TT-REGISTRY  
**Type:** Registry  
**PMBOK8 Source:** PMBOK 8 Performance Domains · Process Groups: A Practice Guide §4–§12  
**Version:** 1.0.0  
**Status:** Complete  

---

## Purpose

This registry serves as the **authoritative, deduplicated taxonomy** of all Tools and Techniques (T&T) referenced across the 41 PMBOK process records (`reference/processes/`). Each tool and technique is categorized, defined, and mapped directly to the active process records (**PR01–PR41**) where it is applied.

---

## Category Structure

The taxonomy is organized into 11 logical categories:

| ID | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expert Judgment | Domain knowledge applied to make decisions, analyze dependencies, or estimate. |
| 2 | Data Gathering | Techniques for collecting information, opinions, or requirements. |
| 3 | Data Analysis | Analytical methods for evaluating data, variances, trends, and risk metrics. |
| 4 | Data Representation | Visual tools and matrices for structuring, plotting, and presenting data. |
| 5 | Decision Making | Structured criteria-based voting or ranking methods to reach consensus. |
| 6 | Interpersonal & Team Skills | Facilitation, active listening, negotiation, and conflict management techniques. |
| 7 | Communication | Methods, technology models, and platforms for information exchange. |
| 8 | Estimating | Mathematical or comparative techniques for quantifying duration, cost, or resources. |
| 9 | Planning & Scheduling Tools | Scheduling network tools, optimization, and PMIS configurations. |
| 10 | Specialized Techniques | Process-specific, highly technical methods (e.g., decomposition, audits, inspections). |
| 11 | Meetings | Structured group interactions for reviews, planning, and coordination. |

---

## T&T Categorized Catalog

### Category 1 — Expert Judgment
Domain-specific knowledge or guidance from specialized practitioners.

* **Expert Judgment**
  * *Definition:* Judgment provided by individuals or teams with specialized education, skill, or historical project experience. Applied globally to establish plans, analyze baselines, and resolve issues.
  * *Processes:* Applied in all 41 processes (PR01–PR41).
  * *Frequency:* 41/41 processes (universal).

---

### Category 2 — Data Gathering
Eliciting and collecting qualitative and quantitative information from project stakeholders.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Brainstorming** | Facilitated group discussion to generate a high volume of ideas without immediate filtering. | PR02, PR03, PR05, PR22 |
| **Interviews** | Structured or informal Q&A sessions with targeted stakeholders or experts. | PR02, PR05, PR18, PR21, PR22 |
| **Focus Groups** | Facilitated interactive workshops with a targeted demographic or stakeholder segment. | PR03, PR05 |
| **Questionnaires & Surveys** | Standardized sets of questions designed to collect data from a broad stakeholder base. | PR02, PR05 |
| **Checklists** | Structured reference lists used to ensure compliance or verification of activities. | PR17, PR22 |
| **Benchmarking** | Comparing current practices or metrics to similar internal or industry standards. | PR05, PR17, PR18 |
| **Market Research** | Analyzing commercial or industry capabilities to source external vendor services. | PR26 |
| **Document Analysis** | Reviewing historical reports, contracts, or schedules to extract key parameters. | PR02, PR05, PR22 |

---

### Category 3 — Data Analysis
Evaluating and analyzing project variables, variances, and risks.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Alternatives Analysis** | Evaluating multiple options to select the most efficient project approach. | PR03, PR04, PR11, PR12, PR15, PR16, PR19, PR30, PR31, PR33, PR34, PR35, PR38 |
| **Cost-Benefit Analysis** | Comparing expected implementation costs against expected benefits to justify decisions. | PR15, PR17, PR25, PR30, PR38 |
| **Stakeholder Analysis** | Assessing stakeholder interests, impact, power, and engagement strategies. | PR02, PR27 |
| **Root Cause Analysis** | Probing underlying triggers of defects, variances, or project issues. | PR29, PR30, PR35, PR37 |
| **Assumption & Constraint Analysis**| Testing the validity and constraints of logged project assumptions. | PR22 |
| **SWOT Analysis** | Evaluating internal Strengths/Weaknesses and external Opportunities/Threats. | PR22 |
| **Earned Value Analysis (EVA)** | Measuring cost, schedule, and scope performance against a PMB baseline. | PR30, PR34, PR35 |
| **Trend Analysis** | Monitoring project performance over time to forecast future milestones. | PR30, PR34, PR35, PR38, PR41 |
| **Variance Analysis** | Analyzing deviations between planned baselines and actual results. | PR30, PR33, PR34, PR35, PR37, PR38 |
| **Reserve Analysis** | Evaluating the usage and adequacy of contingency or management reserves. | PR11, PR16, PR35, PR39 |
| **Make-or-Buy Analysis** | Evaluating whether to produce deliverables internally or outsource to vendors. | PR26 |
| **Claims Administration** | Processing, resolving, and negotiating contested changes or vendor disputes. | PR41 |
| **Regression Analysis** | Analyzing variable dependencies during closing to optimize future performance. | PR40 |
| **Technical Performance Analysis** | Comparing actual technical milestones achieved to planned specifications. | PR39 |

---

### Category 4 — Data Representation
Visual and structural diagrams to display project dependencies, mappings, and matrixes.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Stakeholder Mapping** | Visualizing stakeholder influence and interests (e.g., Power-Interest Grid). | PR02, PR27 |
| **Stakeholder Assessment Matrix** | Mapping current vs. desired stakeholder engagement levels. | PR27 |
| **Affinity Diagrams** | Sorting high-volume requirements or ideas into logical clusters. | PR05 |
| **Mind Mapping** | Hierarchical brainstorming diagrams displaying connections to a core concept. | PR05 |
| **Probability & Impact Matrix** | Prioritization grid plotting risk likelihood against severity levels. | PR21, PR23 |
| **RBS / WBS Hierarchical Charts**| Graphical representations of risk categories (RBS) or scope packages (WBS). | PR07, PR21 |
| **Responsibility Matrix (RAM)** | Structural grid mapping project roles to work packages (e.g., RACI matrix). | PR18 |
| **Cause-and-Effect Diagrams** | Ishikawa / fishbone diagrams depicting potential sources of quality issues. | PR37 |
| **Flowcharts** | Process sequence diagrams showing decision logic and operations flow. | PR17, PR37 |
| **Control Charts** | Statistical diagrams showing process stability boundaries and control limits. | PR37 |
| **Scatter Diagrams** | Plotting correlations between two dependent performance variables. | PR37 |
| **Histograms** | Bar charts representing frequency distributions of quality data. | PR37 |

---

### Category 5 — Decision Making
Methods to select among alternative strategies, estimates, or paths.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Voting** | Consensus-building methods including majority, plurality, or unanimity. | PR05, PR25, PR31 |
| **Multicriteria Decision Analysis** | Weighted scoring matrices evaluating options against defined criteria. | PR05, PR19, PR23, PR25, PR26, PR31, PR38 |
| **Prioritization / Ranking** | Sequential stacking of items by cost, impact, urgency, or risk. | PR05, PR23 |

---

### Category 6 — Interpersonal & Team Skills
Facilitating collaboration, communication, alignment, and dispute resolution.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Facilitation** | Managing group workshops to maintain focus, consensus, and alignment. | PR01, PR02, PR03, PR04, PR05, PR06, PR08, PR14, PR17, PR18, PR20, PR21, PR27 |
| **Conflict Management** | Directing strategies to resolve stakeholder or team disagreements. | PR18, PR31 |
| **Active Listening** | Concentrated focus on message reception, encoding, and comprehension. | PR20, PR27 |
| **Political & Cultural Awareness**| Reading organizational structures and respecting diversity in engagement. | PR18, PR20, PR27 |
| **Negotiation** | Reaching mutually acceptable, contractually compliant agreements. | PR03, PR18, PR26, PR41 |
| **Meeting Management** | Structuring agendas, timeboxing, and facilitating targeted review groups. | PR05 |

---

### Category 7 — Communication
Structured models and channels for distributing data and receiving feedback.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Communications Analysis** | Auditing and mapping stakeholder communication needs and frequency. | PR20 |
| **Communication Methods** | Choosing interactive, push (emails/reports), or pull (wikis) channels. | PR20 |
| **Communication Models** | Standard sender-receiver models containing encoding and feedback loops. | PR20 |
| **Feedback Loops** | Strategic processes to verify information was received and decoded correctly. | PR20, PR36 |

---

### Category 8 — Estimating
Techniques for estimating scope effort, baseline costs, and timing parameters.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Analogous Estimating** | Using metrics from similar historical projects as the baseline for estimates. | PR11, PR15, PR19 |
| **Parametric Estimating** | Applying mathematical algorithms based on statistical unit parameters. | PR11, PR15, PR19 |
| **Bottom-Up Estimating** | Compiling lowest-level details and WBS packages upwards to aggregate totals. | PR11, PR15, PR19 |
| **Three-Point Estimating** | Calculating weighted values based on Optimistic, Pessimistic, and Likely inputs. | PR11, PR15 |
| **Cost of Quality (COQ)** | Calculating prevention, appraisal, and failure costs to inform estimates. | PR15, PR17 |

---

### Category 9 — Planning & Scheduling Tools
Methods and platforms to model, baseline, and track schedule performance.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **PMIS** | Software platforms for configuration, document management, and scheduling. | PR03, PR10, PR12, PR13, PR16, PR28, PR30, PR34, PR35, PR36, PR38, PR41 |
| **Critical Path Method (CPM)** | Calculating the longest sequence of dependent tasks to determine duration. | PR10, PR12, PR34 |
| **Resource Leveling & Smoothing**| Adjusting scheduling bounds to optimize supply, demand, and resource limits. | PR12, PR34, PR38 |
| **Schedule Compression** | Applying crashing (adding resources) or fast-tracking (parallel work) to schedules. | PR12, PR34 |
| **What-If Scenario Analysis** | Running risk scenarios to model schedule network adjustments. | PR12, PR34 |
| **Rolling Wave Planning** | Progressive elaboration where near-term work is detailed first. | PR09 |

---

### Category 10 — Specialized Techniques
Narrow-focus, process-specific tools and compliance reviews.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Decomposition** | Dividing WBS scope packages or activities into smaller manageable units. | PR07, PR09 |
| **Context Diagram** | Scope visual modeling boundaries, user interactions, and external interfaces. | PR05 |
| **Inspection** | Structural reviews verifying that deliverables match requirements. | PR32, PR37 |
| **Audits** | Independent, structured compliance reviews of project plans or vendors. | PR29, PR37, PR41 |
| **Make-or-Buy Analysis** | Evaluating the financial feasibility of outsourcing vs. internal production. | PR26 |
| **Funding Limit Reconciliation** | Aligning cost expenditure peaks to specified project funding limits. | PR16 |

---

### Category 11 — Meetings
Structured, collaborative group interactions to monitor or plan work.

| Tool / Technique | Definition | Processes Using It |
|---|---|---|
| **Meetings** | Collaborative planning sessions, review boards, daily standups, or closures. | PR01, PR02, PR03, PR04, PR05, PR06, PR07, PR08, PR09, PR10, PR11, PR12, PR13, PR14, PR15, PR16, PR17, PR18, PR19, PR20, PR21, PR22, PR23, PR24, PR25, PR26, PR27, PR28, PR29, PR30, PR31, PR32, PR33, PR34, PR35, PR36, PR37, PR38, PR39, PR40, PR41 |

---

## Master T&T Usage Frequency

Ranked by the number of active process records utilizing each technique.

| Rank | Tool / Technique | Processes | Primary Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Expert Judgment** | 41 | Expert Judgment |
| 2 | **Meetings** | 41 | Meetings |
| 3 | **Alternatives Analysis** | 13 | Data Analysis |
| 4 | **Facilitation** | 13 | Interpersonal Skills |
| 5 | **PMIS** | 12 | Scheduling Tools |
| 6 | **Variance Analysis** | 6 | Data Analysis |
| 7 | **Multicriteria Decision Analysis**| 7 | Decision Making |
| 8 | **Trend Analysis** | 5 | Data Analysis |
| 9 | **Cost-Benefit Analysis** | 5 | Data Analysis |
| 10 | **Active Listening** | 3 | Interpersonal Skills |
| 11 | **Negotiation** | 4 | Interpersonal Skills |
| 12 | **Decomposition** | 2 | Specialized Techniques |

---

## Count by Category

Summary of unique techniques classified within each domain category:

| Category | Unique Techniques |
|---|---|
| 1. Expert Judgment | 1 |
| 2. Data Gathering | 8 |
| 3. Data Analysis | 14 |
| 4. Data Representation | 12 |
| 5. Decision Making | 3 |
| 6. Interpersonal & Team Skills | 6 |
| 7. Communication | 4 |
| 8. Estimating | 5 |
| 9. Planning & Scheduling Tools | 6 |
| 10. Specialized Techniques | 6 |
| 11. Meetings | 1 |
| **Total Deduplicated T&T** | **66** |

---

*Authority: PMBOK8 Guide §2 · Process Groups Practice Guide §4–§12*
