Much of the responsibility of the project management team and or the project management team leader falls in the course and tasks to determine exactly how the project should proceed, what specific activities should take place, and how they should take place. Essentially, working in an affirmative forward thinking manner. However, from time to time there is the chance that the project management team and or project management team leader may have to work in a situation in which there is an act or acts that may take place which could actually have a detrimental or negative effect on the project as a whole. In such cases, it may be determined by the project management team and or project management team leader that preventive action is to be employed. Preventive action refers specifically to any action or any act in which the project management team and or project management team leader provides documented direction as to perform an activity that is meant to reduce the probability of negative consequence as associated with project risk
This term is defined in the 3rd and the 4th edition of the PMBOK.