PMP Exam

Tolerances

The limits in which the product will meet product acceptance

Project Resilience

Ability to handle risk that was not known. Ability to handle unknowable-unknowns.

Accountability vs. Responsibility

Accountability - the condition of being answerable for an outcome. Accountability is not shared. Responsibility - the condition of being obligated to do or fulfill something. Responsibility can be shared. Ex: PM is accountable for completion of project, but 2 other team members are all responsible for completion

Technical Debt

Backlog of work caused by not doing regular cleanup. If not done, will lead to an increased cost of development and make it harder to implement changes (cost of change is greater as the project goes on). Refactoring is the solution.

What is an adaptive cycle? (life cycle)

Changes are always coming in, people are changing scope, cost, time, product, etc. Adapt to need for stakeholder Changes are welcome, sometimes build product in increments *Iterative, Incremental, Adaptive Good for building software Falls into agile

Types of PMOs

PMO = Project Management Office 1. Directive PMO: office takes control of the project by managing the projects and assigning the project manager 2. Controlling PMO: controls the way the project is done by providing templates and frameworks 3. Supporting PMO: has a low degree of control on the project

Pair Programming

Pair Programming: an XP Practice -In XP, production code is written by two developers working as a pair to write and provide real-time reviews of the software as it emerges. -Working in pairs also helps spread knowledge about the system through the team.

Stakeholder Analysis

Part of Data Analysis Tool for Identify Stakeholders Analyzes who your stakeholders are and how they feel about the project. What would be the stakeholder's role such as team member, sponsor, functional manager, etc.? How would the project affect them, either in a positive or negative way? Would they be active stakeholders, such as team members who work on the deliverable, or passive, such as customers who watch the project work get done? What is their power authority, such as sponsors who will be paying for the project?

Hierarchical Chart

Part of Data Representation Tool for Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Bubble chart - looks at probability, impact and size of the bubble A bubble represents a risk, the bigger the bubble, the more important the risk is to the project

Value Engineering

Part of Project Cost Management Knowledge Area Also known as value analysis. Finding a less costly way of doing work. It will look like how to achieve a goal/scope the less costly way

Critical Path Method

Part of Schedule Management Knowledge Area Network Diagram Start to finish, with boxes in between each representing an activity Calculate Critical Path: Path is defined as something that goes from start to finish The critical path is the longest path, tells you the longest end date out of all of the paths, the maximum time for the entire project completion

Product Increment

Part of the product that is done after each sprint. Done to get feedback after each sprint. The product owner and team needs to agree upon the "definition of done" before the team starts working on the product.

The Deming Cycle

Plan, Do, Check, Act W. Edwards Deming - advocated plan-do-check-act as the basis for quality management

Plan Stakeholder Engagement

Planning process in Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area Developing methods to involve project stakeholders. Centered on their needs, expectations, interests and potential impact on the project. It creates an actionable plan to interact effectively with stakeholders.

Optimize the Whole

Principle in Lean Software Development We aim to see the system as more than the sum of its parts

Principles

Principles serve as foundational guidelines for strategy, decision making, and problem solving Professional standards and methodologies are often based on principles Principles for project management provide guidance for the behavior of people involved in projects Principals can, but do not necessarily, reflect morals

Dot Voting or Multi-Voting

Prioritization Technique (for Customer to execute) Each person gets a certain number of dots to distribute to the requirements

Initiating

Process Group 13% of questions on the exam 2 Processes: Develop Project Charter & Identify Stakeholders -Identifying needs of the project -Creating a feasibility study -Creating a product description -Creating a Project Charter

Planning

Process Group 24% of questions on the exam 24 Processes (read the chart) Creating a scope statement Recruiting the project team Creating the Work Breakdown Structure Completing risk assessment Creating network diagram Completing estimates Creating project schedule Completing budget Creating a quality management plan Completing stakeholder analysis Creating a communications plan Completing the project plan

Monitoring and Controlling

Process Group 25% of questions on exam 12 processes (look at chart) Ensuring quality control Providing scope verification Implementing scope change control Managing cost control Enforcing schedule control Monitoring risk response Ensuring performance reporting Getting the deliverables verified and accepted Double checking project work

Executing

Process Group 31% of questions on the exam 10 processes (look at chart) Authorizing the project work Beginning vendor solicitation Determining vendor source Quality assurance Ensuring team development Start working

Closing

Process Group 7% of the questions on exam 1 Process: Close Project or Phase Closing vendor contracts Closing administrative duties Transition the deliverables to the sponsors or customers updating and archiving project records, lessons learned Reassigning the project team members

Develop Project Charter

Process, Project Integration Management The process of developing a document that formally authorizes a project or a phase and documenting initial requirements that satisfy the stakeholder's needs and expectations. The approved project charter formally initiates the project. Authority of the PM is outlined in the project charter.

Monitor and Control Project Work

Process, Project Integration Management, Executing Process of tracking, reviewing, and recording the progress to meet the performance defined in the PM plan. Ensures the plan is working, identifies any areas in which changes to the plan are required, and initiates the corresponding changes. Takes all the Work Performance Information and creates the Work Performance Reports.

Accounting on Agile Projects

Refers to how the different economic models of agile works. Agile accounting is different than traditional accounting. Agile looks to deliver value as quickly as possible. Uses minimal viable product (MVP). This leads to more opportunity for incremental funding.

Develop Project Charter - Output

Project Charter - assigns PM and authorizes project, will include prelim budget and schedule, purpose or justification for project Assumption Log - a list of things you perceive to be true (assumptions) and things that might constrain the project

One of the main goals of communications management is to...? Prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications Selections of the communications method Determine which message to send Collect the stakeholders requirements

Project communications management is about preventing misunderstandings and miscommunications. This is done through the careful selection of methods and the messages that are being sent by the project manager.

Definable vs. Uncertainty

Project work can range from definable to high uncertainty. (hybrid project management) Definable: -clear procedures -proved successful on similar projects -car production or electrical appliance Uncertainty: -not done before -high rates of change, complexity and risk -software development, designing a house

Cost estimates for activities generally include the cost for labor, materials, equipment, services, and facilities. Which of the following statements is false regarding costs estimates? Cost estimates are progressively elaborated Cost estimates are best done by the project team Cost estimates also includes the operational cost of the product Cost estimates also include the contingency costs

Cost estimates for project activities should not include the operational costs of the product, since those costs cover operations and not a project. All other choices are true.

Organizational Structures

Deals with who has power or control over resources 1. Functional Organizations 2. Matrix Organizations 3. Project Oriented Organizations (Projectized) 4. Hybrid Least to most PM power: Functional Weak Matrix Balanced Matrix Strong Matrix Projectized

Controlling PMO

Determines the framework or methodology and use of specific forms You do not report to them

Herzberg's Theory of Motivation

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team Hygiene agents (what factors influence satisfaction at work, such as a paycheck or good relationship with a boss) are expected by and can only be demotivated if they are not present. Motivating agents provide opportunity to exceed and advance.

Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Diagram used to categorize risks Note: it doesn't have risk on it, but it has categories of risk, it's the roadmap (risk register and risk report are the ones that actually list out the risks listed out)

Gold Plating

Doing extra work not in the scope (tends to come at the end of the project, when you may have extra time or money)

Decomposing Requirements

Epics > Features > Stories > Tasks

Implement Risk Responses

Executing Phase in Project Risk Management in Knowledge Area Executes risk response plans when risk has taken place. Minimizes the project threats and maximizes the project opportunities.

Direct Cost

Expenses billed directly to the project, i.e. materials used to construct a building

Plan Risk Responses

Fifth process in Planning phase of Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Developing options, selecting strategies, and agreeing on ways to address risk on the project. Will allocate resources needed to respond to risk if they happen. Will address all risk on the project. Look at the risk register, refer to full team. Do not do this process if you have not done the other four processes first.

Plan Cost Management

First Process in Planning Phase in Cost Management Knowledge Area Defining how the project costs will be estimated, budgeted, managed, monitored and controlled. It provides guidance and direction on how the project costs will be managed throughout the project.

Six Sigma

Focus on achieving very high levels of quality by controlling the process and reducing defects About prevention and stopping defects If your company operates at 6 sigma, 99.99% of your products are defect-free (likely don't need to memorize these percentages) 1 sigma - 68.26 percent 2 sigma - 95.46 percent 3 sigma - 99.73 percent

Estimate to Completion

Formula for EVM ETC = EAC - AC Forecasting the amount that will be needed to complete the current project based on the current performance. How much more money needed to complete the project. Value is in currency.

Earned Value

Formula for EVM EV = Actual % Complete x BAC Amount of money worth of work you actually did on the project. Note: a lot of the other formulas rely on this, so make sure you have it correct! Value is in currency.

Variance at Completion

Formula for EVM VAC = BAC - EAC The difference between the original budget and new forecasted budget. This value should be positive for projects that may end at or under budget. Value is in currency.

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis

Fourth process in Planning phase of Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Numerically analyzing the effect of individual project risks on the overall project objectives. Assigns a value to the risk that have been ranked by qualitative risk analysis. Usually requires specific risk software and knowledge in the development and interpretation of risk models.

What document(s) have the actual risks listed out?

Risk register and risk report

Event Risk

Future possible events - most identified risk

Kickoff Meeting

Generally done at the end of planning and sometimes at the end of the project's initiated sections in order to start the next section.

Change Control Board

Group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, deferring, or rejecting changes to the project and for recording and communicating such decisions Part of Perform Integrated Change Control

Lead Time

How long something takes to go through the entire process

Plan Quality Management

Identifying quality requirements and/or standards for the project and its deliverables and documenting how the project will demonstrate compliance with quality requirements/standards. Guidance and direction on how quality will be managed and verified throughout the project. Identifies what the quality specifications are for this project and how these specifications will be met.

Hybrid structure

In a hybrid structure, the company uses multiple types of structures, such as functional and project-oriented.

Identify Stakeholders

Initiating Process for Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area Identifying project stakeholders regularly. Analyzing and recording relevant information regarding their interests and involvement. It enables the project team to identify the appropriate focus for engagement of each stakeholder or group of stakeholders.

Plan Risk Management - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Project management plan (all components) -Project documents (stakeholder register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis (stakeholder analysis) -Meetings Output: -Risk management plan

Implement Risk Responses - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (risk management plan) -Project documents (lessons learned register, risk register, risk report) -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Interpersonal and Team skills (influencing) -PMIS Output: -Change requests -Project document updates (issue log, lessons learned register, project team assignments, risk register, risk report)

What does ITTO stand for?

Inputs, Tools and Techniques, Outputs

Processes

Inputs, outputs and tools/techniques combined to execute a specific purpose on the project

Continuous Improvement - Kaizen

Japanese Management term, a philosophy of continuous improvement by all parties, no matter how small the change

Organic structure

Organic/simple structure The owner controls the budget, and there are few to no resources. Ex: project coordinator needs company owner's approval for budget matters, and small company = few resources

What is Agile

Originally developed for software projects, but is now a methodology that can be used on all project types. Agile is an umbrella term that is used to refer to different types of iterative development. Scrum is the most common method of agile. There are others such as extreme programming (XP), lean development and Kanban.

Closed Procurements

Output for Control Procurements The buyer provides the seller with formal written notice that the contract has been completed. No outstanding claims or invoices, all final payments should have been made. Project team should approve all deliverables before closure of an agreement.

Source Selection Criteria

Output for Plan Procurement Management The following needs to be determined before seller is selected: cost, location, license, certification, reference, warranty or experience

Bid Documents

Output for Plan Procurement Management Used to solicit proposals from potential sellers. RFI - request for information IFB - invitation for bid RFP - request for proposal RFQ - request for quote

Schedule Management Plan

Output for Plan Schedule Management (first Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group) How the project schedule will be planned, developed, managed, executed and controlled throughout the phase or project. Becomes part of the project management plan. It may establish the following: -Levels of accuracy -Rules of performance measurement -Reporting formats -Release and iteration length -Project schedule model development

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Output for Plan Stakeholder Engagement How will the team keep the stakeholders engaged on the project. What type of strategies or approaches will be used for engagement. Comms plan has more info on the comms for the project specifically. This plan is done to meet the needs and expectations of the stakeholders.

Project Schedule Network Diagram

Output for Sequence Activities Process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area System-wide drawings which show the entire project work packages/activities from start to finish. It shows logical relationships as well. ex: Start -> A -> B -> C - > Finish -> D - > E ->

Risk Management Plan

Output of Plan Risk Management, Roadmap to 6 other risk processes Used to determine: -how risks will be categorized/identified -how quantitative/qualitative analysis will be completed -how risk response planning will happen -how will the risk response be implemented -how risks will be monitored -how ongoing risk management activities will happen throughout the project life cycle -roles and responsibilities for the project team -stakeholders risk appetite, helps to determine what is acceptable risk vs. non acceptable -risk breakdown structure (RBS) is used to categorize risks

Three-Point Estimate (PERT)

PERT = Program/Project Evaluation and Review Technique -Three-point estimate -A scheduling tool that uses a weighted average formula to predict the length of activities and the project Beta Distribution -Specifically, the PERT formula is (O+R(4)+P)/6 Optimistic Estimate + (4xRealistic) + Pessimistic Estimate / 6 Note: if they do not specify a formula on the exam, use only this one Standard Deviation (variance of the Beta Distribution estimate) (P-O)/6 Triangle Distribution -The triangle distribution formula is (O+R+P)/3 Optimistic Estimate + Realistic + Pessimistic Estimate / 3

Servant Leader Leadership Style

PM focuses on removing obstacles from the team and giving the team what is needed in order to complete the work. This is mostly used in agile projects.

Collect Requirements - Tools and Techniques

Second Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area These tools are important: -Expert judgment -Data gathering -Brainstorming, interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and surveys, *benchmarking* -Data analysis -Analyzing documents, agreements, policies, proposals, or business plans -Decision making -Voting, autocratic, multicriteria decision analysis -Data representation -affinity diagrams -mind mapping -Interpersonal + team skills -Context diagram - used to visually show how a business process, other systems and people interact -Prototypes

Define Activities

Second Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group Process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables. Decomposes work packages into schedule activities that provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling the project work. Activity is the lowest breakdown/decomposition of a task. Activities = specific actions that need to be performed.

Develop Team

Second process in Executing phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area Process of improving abilities, team member communication, and the overall team atmosphere. Critical factor for the project success. Focuses on building a sense of team and improving its performance. PM primarily responsible for brining together multiple personalities into one working group. Tuckman's Ladder (set of stages a team goes through from when it is created to dissolved) 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning

Release

Several sprints worth of work directed to operations for possible rollout and testing. Agile term. A combination of sprints. May take a few sprints before this is available.

Risk Report

Sources of overall project risk and summary information on identified individual risk.

Set the Stage in a Retrospective

Start of the retrospective Help people to get focused Encourage participation to ensure everyone starts talking early Outlining the approach and topics for discussion Get people in the mood for contributing information Activities include: -Check-in -Focus on/Focus off (should and should not focus on) -ESVP: people identify if they are in an explorer, shopper, vacationer or prisoner

Input (in the context of process)

Starting point for the process, the raw materials to begin the execution -Could be the output of a previous process

Project Oriented Organization (Projectized)

Structure where the PM has the greatest amount of authority. The project team is assigned to the project on a full-time basis. When the project is complete, the project team members moves on to other assignments within the organization (or released). PM has all the power, all resources report to you Note: often on exam, default is not projectized organization

Knowledge Area: Integration

Summary of all the other knowledge areas

Supportive PMO

Supports the project manager, such as providing templates, training or lessons learned from other projects

Sustainable Pace

Sustainable Pace: an XP Practice -While periods of overtime might be necessary, repeated long hours of work are unsustainable and counterproductive -The practice of maintaining a sustainable pace of development optimizes the delivery of long-term value

Leading Effectively (Agile)

Tap into people's intrinsic motivations -Discover why team members want to do something and what motivates and then align that to the project goals Management vs. Leadership -Management --> mechanical focus -Leadership --> humanistic focus (on people and purpose) Management focus: tasks/things, control, command Leadership focus: people, empowerment, communication *Servant Leadership

Test-Driven Development (TDD)

Test-Driven Development (TDD): an XP Practice -The team writes tests prior to developing the new code. -If the tests are working correctly, the initial code that is entered will fail the tests. Basically, writing the test, then writing the code. Like when you look at the practice questions before reading the chapter. -The code will pass the test once it is written correctly.

Charismatic Leadership Style

The PM has high energy and is very enthusiastic, influences people around them

Scrum Activities

The Scrum methodology refers to several different types of activities: 1. Sprint planning meeting 2. Sprints -Daily stand up meeting 3. Sprint review meeting 4. Sprint retrospectives

The project manager has met with the project team to define the activities on the project. Which of the following components of the project management plan will the team not use to define the activities?

The WBS, WBS dictionary, and scope statement are part of the scope baseline, which is an input to the process of define activities. The activity list is the output of the process, not an input.

Tools and Techniques (in the context of process)

The actions or methods that are used to transform the raw materials into the output

While planning a project's quality, the project team has identified certain costs that would need to be included in the project budget, such as testing, inspections, and having the right equipment to do the job. What best describes these costs? Cost of conformance Cost of nonconformance Cost of poor quality Cost of great quality

The cost of quality includes the cost of conformance, which usually includes prevention costs, such as training, equipment, appraisal costs, testing, and inspections. The nonconformance cost includes reworking, scrapping, and the loss of business. All other choices are made-up terms.

Quality

The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements

Overall Project Risk

The effect of uncertainty on the project as a whole, arising from all sources of uncertainty including individual risks, representing the exposure of stakeholders to the implications of variations in project outcome, both positive and negative. Made up of the sum of individual project risks plus other sources of uncertainty.

A phase of a long software development project has been completed. The phase was considered very successful: the team was able to complete the deliverables in about half the time and under budget. The deliverables were successfully transferred to the next phase of the project. What should the project manager do next for this phase?

The final report is an output of the close project or phase process that will document what happened on the project. While you can initiate or plan another phase on a project, the question does state "for this phase." "Update project management plan" is not an output of close project or phase.

Defects

The longer defects are left, the more expensive they are to fix More work may have been built on top of a bad design, resulting in more work to be undone. Later in the development cycle, the more stakeholders have been impacted by defect and it is more expensive to fix.

While conducting the process of define activities, a few of the team members has decided to use the lesson learned repository from previous projects. Which of the following input describes this lesson learned repository?

The organizational process assets include but are not limited to the lesson learned repository from previous projects and templates. The other choices do not include the lesson learned repository. (Other choices were Project Management Plan, Project Documents, EEF)

Which of the following methods is used to construct a schedule in which activities are represented by nodes and are graphically linked?

The precedence diagramming method is used to construct a schedule in which the activities are represented graphically using nodes and are linked based on their relationship. The critical path method is used to find the critical path for a network diagram. "Scheduling method" and "diagramming method" are made-up terms.

The project manager and the team have determined that they will procure the installation and configuration of the telephone systems for the new computer network. They have determined that the type of agreement they will use is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. What project document will specify the type of contract that will be used? Procurement management plan Procurement strategy Statement of work Bid documents

The procurement strategy will outline how the procured section of the project should be delivered. It will also outline the contract types and procurement phases.

Who on an agile project is responsible for prioritizing the product backlog?

The product owner is responsible for prioritizing the product backlog. The product owner represents the customers.

Determine Budget

Third Process in Planning Phase in Cost Management Knowledge Area The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline. It determines the cost baseline against which project performance can be monitored and controlled.

Time and Material Contract

Time and material contract is when the buyer pays for both labor and material. The buyer takes all the risk of cost overrun for both the labor and materials. Should only be used when the scope is high-level.

The project team has alerted the agile project manager that the impact of the risks who cost the project approximately $10,000 and the probability of it occurring is 10%. What should the agile project manager calculate the expected value of this risks? $10,000 $100,000 $1,000 $100

To calculate the expected monetary value, you must multiply impact X probability. In this scenario it would be $100,000 multiply 10% = $1,000.

Precedence Diagramming Method

Tool + Technique in Sequence Activities Process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area (PDM) Graphical representation of all work that is needed to be performed on a project. A -> B -> C -> D Relationships: -Finish to Start (most commonly used): the start of the successor's activity depends upon completion of its predecessor activity -Finish to Finish: the completion of the successor activity depends on the completion of the predecessor activity; don't have to start at the same time, but have to finish at the same time -Start to Start: the start of the successor's activity depends upon the start of its predecessor activity; finish date is not "important", but start is (ex: takes me 5 days to do my part, but takes you 2 days, and we can both start on the same day) -Start to Finish: the completion of the successor activity depends upon the start of its predecessor activity

Agile Mindset

Welcoming change Working in small value increments Using build and feedback loops Learning through discovery Value-driven development Failing fast with learning Continuous delivery Continuous improvement

Monte Carlo Scenarios

What If Scenarios, simulations run. Form of data analysis. Ex: what happens if the timeline looks like this vs. this vs. this

When does a phase finish/complete?

When a deliverable is done, formally accepted by a customer or sponsor for the phase

Variance

Variance measures how far apart things are (or vary)

The company has started to work on a new accounting software that would allow the company to better manage their expenses. After they have created the scope statement, they then start to learn more about each deliverable and the efforts needed to produce them. What process best describes this?

"Create WBS" is generally done after the scope statement is created and decomposes the deliverables into work packages.

The project sponsor has indicated to the project manager that he is not happy with the current project schedule. He would like the project to be completed at least 3 months earlier than its scheduled completion date. What technique can the project manager use to decrease the schedule while minimizing cost?

"Fast tracking" the schedule is a compression technique in which activities are generally done in parallel. This technique generally increases the risk on the project but may not increase costs. "Crashing" is adding more resources to the project to finish it faster, and will increase costs.

Assessing Value - Financial Metrics

(Agile) Return on Investment (ROI) -The ratio of the benefits received from an investment to the money invested. Usually a percentage. Internal rate of return (IRR) -Interest rate you will need to get in today's money to receive a certain amount of money in the future -The higher the IRR, the better and larger return Present value/Net present value (NPV) -Value of future money in today's terms Earned Value Managment -Formulas that monitor the value of the project as its progressing

Agreements

(Contracts) Should clearly outline the deliverables and results anticipated, including any knowledge transfer from the seller to the buyer. Know the laws and regulations from the local country that could affect the contract. Generally considered a legally binding document between buyers and sellers. Should outline: Formal written document Scope of work to be performed Roles and responsibilities How to perform the work, including locations and times Terms and conditions Warranties and penalties Payment terms Termination clauses Change request process Incentives Insurance and performance bonds

Control Scope

(First) Process in Monitoring & Controlling Process Group in Project Scope Management Knowledge Area Process of monitoring the status of the project and product scope and managing changes to the scope baseline. The uncontrolled expansion to product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost and resources is referred to as scope creep. Determines if a scope change has happened. When changes are made and approved, the project baselines will need to be adjusted to reflect these changes.

Four Life Cycles

(Hybrid project management) Some projects may follow the life cycle for the duration, or may switch between them. Agile leverages both aspects of Iterative and Incremental 1. Predictive - fixed requirements, performed once for the entire project, single delivery, goal is to manage cost ex: building a 50 story building; once the designs are made and the permit is received, goal is to just build it, not necessarily changing anything about the design, only build each floor once 2. Iterative - dynamic requirements, repeated until correct, single delivery, goal is correctness of solution ex: building a compliance software, delivered all at the same time, but will show client beforehand and may need to change requirements 3. Incremental - dynamic requirements, performed once for a given increment, frequent smaller deliveries, goal is speed 4. Agile - dynamic requirements, repeated until correct, frequent small deliveries, goal is customer value via frequent deliveries and feedback

Validate Scope

(Second) Process in Monitoring & Controlling Process Group in Project Scope Management Knowledge Area Formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables. The verified deliverables obtained from the Control Quality process are reviewed with the customer or sponsor to ensure they are completely satisfactory and have received formal acceptance of the deliverables by the customer or sponsor. Done at the same time or immediately after Quality Control (this is an output of Control Quality, input here to this process). Close Project or Phase may start upon completion of this process. Concerned with correctness of the deliverable.

Total Quality Management

(TQM) is an approach to quality that aims to involve all employees in the quality improvement process Everyone in the company is responsible for quality, looks at the underlying process of how a product is made.

Why should you engage the team to solve problems?

(agile) Team usually produces the best, practical solutions. They are the experts. Benefits: -Get consensus from all members -Gets a broad knowledge base -Solutions are practical -When asked, people work hard to produce good ideas -Asking someone for help shows confidence Usage and Cautions: -Solve real problems -Poor team cohesion -Team and project changes -Follow-through

Product Owner/Customer

(agile) -Prioritizes the product features -Manages the product backlog ensuring its accurate and up to date -Ensures the team has a shared understanding of the backlog items -Defines the acceptance criteria -Provides the due dates for the releases -Attends planning meetings, reviews, and the retrospective

Critical Soft Skills

(agile) Emotional intelligence Negotiation Active listening Facilitation Conflict resolution Participatory Decision Models

Conflict Resolution

(agile) All projects will have conflicts. While some level of conflicts are good, we need to ensure they don't become a "world war" where people are trying to destroy each other. Levels of Conflict: Level 1: Problem to solve - sharing info Level 2: Disagreement - personal protection Level 3: Contest - must win, starting to be more personal and no longer about the good of the project Level 4: Crusade - protecting one's group Level 5: World War - must destroy the other

Principles of Agile Planning

(don't necessarily need to memorize) 1. Plan at multiple levels 2. Engage the team and customer in planning 3. Manage expectations by frequently demonstrating progress and extrapolating velocity 4. Tailor processes to the project's characteristics 5. Update the plan based on the project's priorities 6. Ensure encompassing estimates that account for risks, distractions, and team availability 7. Use appropriate estimate ranges to reflect the level of uncertainty in the estimate 8. Base projects on completion rates 9. Factor in diversions and outside work Team members create iteration plans, not managers. i.e. Team members accept user stories into the sprint.

Twelve Principles of Project Management

(may not need to specifically memorize these, just know the principals and keep them in the back of your mind) 1. Stewardship - be a diligent, respectful and caring steward 2. Team - create a collaborative project team environment; teams have their own culture and defined processes 3. Stakeholders - effectively engage with stakeholders 4. Value - focus on value, continually evaluate and adjust project alignment to business objectives and intended benefits and value; ultimate indicator of project success, can be realized at any point of the project 5. Systems Thinking - recognize, evaluate and respond to system interactions; understand dynamic circumstances/interdependencies; holistic view 6. Leadership - demonstrate leadership behaviors, able to keep team motivated 7. Tailoring - tailor based on context, each project is unique; iterative and continuous process 8. Quality - build quality into processes and deliverables; meeting the acceptance criteria for deliverables 9. Complexity - navigate complexity; complexity is the outcome of human behavior, system interactions, uncertainty and ambiguity; complexity can be introduced by events or conditions 10. Risk - optimize risk responses; risks can be positive (opportunities) or negative (threats) 11. Adaptability and Resiliency - embrace adaptability (ability to respond to changing conditions) and resiliency (ability to absorb impacts and recover quickly from a setback or failure) 12. Change - enable change to achieve the envisioned future state

Close Project or Phase - ITTO

(note: you will not be here if the final product has not been formally accepted by customer/stakeholder) Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan -Project documents Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis -Meetings Outputs: -Project document updates -Final product, services, or result transition (formally transitioning the final product over to the customer or stakeholder) -Final report, noting any variations in the baselines -Organizational process assets updates

Project Management Process Group Flow

**Each phase of a process (which results in a deliverable) has all of the processes outlined in the process group/knowledge area table in it, 49 processes** Enter Phase/Start Project > Monitoring & Controlling Processes (in a circle: initiating processes, planning processes, executing processes, closing processes) > Exis Phase/End Project Not linear, there is a flow to it, iterations When the exam asks what's next, it's really based off of that specific scenario

Perform Integrated Change Control

*Very hot topic Review all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, project documents, and the project management plan. Communicating the decisions to stakeholders. Process where you assess the change's impact on the project. DO NOT take any action without an assessment. PM is ultimately responsible for all changes. Any stakeholder may request a change, should be submitted in written form. Change Control Board

Value Stream Map

*important for exam A complex flowchart documenting processes and flows to help a manager determine which processes add value and which do not. Optimize the flow of information or materials to complete a process. Reduce waste (waiting times) or unnecessary work. Steps to creating: -Identify the product or service -Create a value stream map (ex: shows the steps and amount of time to get from each one) -Review to find waste -Create a new map with the desire of improvement -Develop a roadmap to implement the fixes -Plan to revisit it again

Program Management

-A group of related projects managed in a coordinate way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. -Focuses on the project interdependencies and helps to determine the optimal approach for managing them

Agile Project Manager (Scrum Master/Coach)

-Act as a servant leader -Help the team self-organize and direct themselves -Be a facilitator -Ensure the team plan is visible and the progress is known to the stakeholders -Act as a mentor and a coach -Work with the product owner to manage the product backlog -Facilitate meetings -Ensure issues are solved

Success Strategies/Modes

-Balance discipline with tolerance -Start with something concrete and tangible -Copy and alter -Watch and listen -Support both concentration and communication -Match work assignment with the person -Retain the best talent -Use rewards that preserve joy and combine rewards -Get feedback Probably don't need to memorize for exam

Common Outputs (ITTO)

-Change request -Work performance data -Work performance information -Work performance reports -Updates *don't need to memorize, just understand. these are common ones

Agile Benefits

-Customer is involved throughout the life cycle, constant feedback -Greater customer interaction with all stakeholders -Constant feedback is required to stay current and successful -Greater value up front (don't wait to just get value in the end) -Change is welcomed by all stakeholders

Steps to follow for compromise/interpersonal and team skills

-Define the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms -Analyze the problem (cause and effect diagram) -Identify solutions -Implement the selected solution -Review the solution -Confirm the solution solved the problem

Direct Management Project Work - Outputs

-Deliverables -Work performance data -Issue log: a record of all the issues/problems you have encountered on the project. All issues are described, assigned, prioritized and addressed -Change requests --> corrective action, preventative action, defect repair -Project management plan updates -Project document updates -Organizational process assets updates

Common Inputs (ITTO)

-Enterprise Environmental Factors -Organization Process Audits -Project Documents -Project Management Plan *don't need to memorize, just understand. these are common ones

Common Tools + Techniques (ITTO)

-Expert judgement -Data gathering -Data analysis -Decision making -Data representation -Interpersonal and team skills -Meeting -Project management information system *don't need to memorize, just understand. these are common ones

Manage Project Knowledge - Tools and Techniques

-Expert judgement -Interpersonal and team skills *Two unique to this process: -Knowledge Management: the sharing of knowledge between stakeholders on a project. Used to foster project interaction, such as networking, workshops, meetings -Information Management: the collection, storage, dissemination, archiving of information) (output = lessons learned register)

Pitfalls associated with measurement includes:

-Hawthorne effect: when you measure something too much, people only do that (ex: try to rush product out the door bc you are constantly measuring time) -Vanity metric -results reflect on team -Demoralization -Misusing the metrics -Confirmation bias

Ways to measure performance (Measurement Performance Domain)

-Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): 1. Leading indicators - predict changes or trends in the project 2. Lagging indicators - measure project deliverables or events. Provide information after the fact -Effective Metrics Use of SMART criteria: specific, meaningful, achievable, relevant, timely

Manage Project Knowledge - Outputs

-Lessons learned register: gathered throughout the project, not just at the end; updated whenever new knowledge within the project is discovered by any stakeholder -Project Management Plan updates -OPA updates

Factors that contribute to a high-performing team

-Open communication -Shared understanding -Shared ownership -Trust -Collaboration -Adaptability -Resilience -Empowerment -Recognition

Scrum Artifacts

-Product Increment (part of the product that is complete after each sprint) -Product Backlog (prioritized list of valuable items to deliver) -Sprint Backlog (list of committed items to be addressed within Sprint)

Develop Project Management Plan - Input

-Project Charter -Outputs from other planning processes ex: Outputs such as baselines and subsidiary management plans from the scope, time, cost, quality, risk, human resource, communication, procurement, and stakeholder planning processes are consolidated to create the Project Management Plan -Enterprise environmental factors -Organizational process assets

Direct Management Project Work - Inputs

-Project management plan -Project documents -Approved change requests --> if you have this, you will execute a change, which is why it is an input here, because it is brought to this process to get it executed -Enterprise environmental factors -Organizational process assets

Professional Responsibilities and Ethics

-Truth: always tell the truth, no matter the outcome -Laws: follow the laws of the country you are in. Always stay respectful of another country's culture or customs -Gifts and Donations: gifts and donations are not to be accepted unless it is a custom or law of the country. While getting a gift at the start or end of a project may sound good, it may cause you to lose your integrity if you decide to receive the gift. (exception: if bribery is actually lawful/custom in a country, then accept the bribe) -Permission: if you feel you might need to get permission to use something, get it, or don't use it. Don't use copyright works without permission. -PMI: any misrepresentation of PMI (project management institute) must be reported to PMI. Any time you feel someone is doing something that could harm PMI, you need to report him/her to PMI.

Common aspects of team development includes:

-Vision and objectives -Roles and responsibilities -Project team operations -Guidance -Growth

"Coarse-Grained" Requirements

-keep requirements "coarse" then progressively refine them over time/throughout the project -keeps the overall design balanced -delays decision on implementation details until the "last responsible moment"

Ways to Track Team Performance

1. Burn Charts (*important for test) -Burnup: Showcases work that has been done over each iteration -Burndown: Showcases work that remains to be done 2. Velocity Charts: shows how the team is performing, bar chart; you can eventually get the average points of work per iteration, which is the velocity Ex: If a team has completed 3 iterations with the average velocity of 18 points per iteration, how many iterations would it take to complete 250 points of work? =250/18 = about 14 more iterations

Approaches to project management

1. Charismatic: inspirational 2. Transactional: focuses on goals and feedback 3. Laissez-faire: hands-off style, team make own decisions and goals 3. Transformational: encourages innovation

XP Roles

1. Coach: act as a mentor, guiding the process and helping the team stay on track. A facilitation helping the team become effective. Equivalent to Scrum Master. 2. Customers: business representative who provides the requirements, priorities, and drives the business direction for the project. Equivalent to Product Owner in Scrum. 3. Programmers: developers who build the project. Writes the codes. 4. Testers: helps the customer define and write the acceptance tests for the user stories.

Tuckman's Five Stages of Team Development

1. Forming: team comes together and starts to get to know each other. There is not much conflict or communication. 2. Storming: team members start to have conflicts with each other. They start to learn of each other's ideas and may not agree with them. Most conflicts take place in this stage. 3. Norming: the team members begin to agree with each other on the best methods to build the deliverables. Generally, everyone is coming to a consensus. 4. Performing: the team is performing well and its working without conflict. 5. Adjourning: the project is completed in this stage and the team is reassigned

5 Process Groups

1. Initiation (2) 2. Planning (24) 3. Execution (10) 4. Monitor & Control (12) 5. Closing (1) Parentheses are the number of processes in each one

10 Knowledge Areas

1. Integration Management (7) 2. Scope Management (6) 3. Schedule Management (6) 4. Cost Management (4) 5. Project Quality Management (3) 6. Resources Management (6) 7. Communications Management (3) 8. Risk Management (7) 9. Procurement Management (3) 10. Stakeholder Management (4) Parentheses are the number of processes in each one

Twelve Principles for Leading Agile PRojects

1. Learn the team members' needs 2. Learn the project requirements 3. Act for the simultaneous welfare of the team and project 4. Create an environment of functional accountability 5. Have a vision of the completed project 6. Use the project vision to drive your own behavior 7. Serve as the central figure in successful project team development 8. Recognize team conflict as a positive step 9. Manage with an eye towards ethics 10. Remember that ethics is not an afterthought, but an integral part of our thinking 11. Take time to reflect on the project 12. Develop the trick of thinking backwards

Change Models

1. Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide - an iterative model that is founded on common elements across a range of change management models. 2. ADKAR Model - focuses on five sequential steps that individuals endure when adapting to change 3. 8-Step Process for Leading Change: Top-down approach where the change originates at the top levels of the organization, and then is promoted down through the organization. 4. Virginia Satir Change Model: A model of how people experience and cope with change. 5. William Bridges Transition Model: Transition Model delivers and understanding of what happens to individuals psychologically when an organization change takes place. The model identifies three stages of transition associated with change.

Agile Guiding Principles

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early & continuous delivery of valuable software. 2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage. 3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. 4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. 5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, & trust them to get the job done. (Servant leadership) 6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. (low tech, high touch) 7. Working software is the primary measure of progress. 8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. (you want a predictable, sustainable way of doing work) 9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. 10. Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential. 11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. 12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Seven Wastes of Lean

1. Partially done work 2. Extra processes 3. Extra features 4. Task switching 5. Waiting 6. Motion (ex: having everyone fly in to join a meeting that could have happened online) 7. Defects

6 Plans created in Project Management Plan

1. Process Improvement Plan: Defines how processes that are used on the project will be evaluated and improved 2. Change Management Plan: Defines how change requests will be managed, controlled and formally authorized 3. Configuration Management Plan: Defines how documentation changes concerning the project's deliverables and processes will be managed 4. Performance Measurement Baseline: This is a record of what the project had planned, scheduled, and budgeted in terms of scope, schedule and cost performance 5. Project Life Cycle: A representation of the generally sequential and sometimes overlapping project phases that a project typically goes through 6. Management Review: A review by the project manager, stakeholders and management to evaluate whether the project has the expected performance or there is a necessity to take preventative or corrective actions

Procurement Documents (and the differences between them)

1. Procurement management plan - part of the project management plan, describes how the project manager will conduct the other two procurements, type of constraints and assumptions about procurements 2. Procurement strategy - describes what type of agreement to use and how the project would like delivery to take place 3. Procurement statement of work - describes what will be precured for the project, outlines the specifications and quality requirements for a particular part of the project and if any warranties are needed 4. Bid documents - used in order to get a response from potential sellers, generally include an RFP, RFQ or RFI

Collect Requirements - Outputs

1. Requirement Documentation: How individual requirements are to be performed and why each requirement is important to the project. Components may include: -Stakeholder and business requirements -Acceptance criteria (when project is done, what does it take to accept) -Quality requirements - these are stored in the quality documentation -Project objectives -Organizational impacts -Legal or ethical compliance -Requirements assumptions and constraints 2. Requirement Traceability Matrix: Once a requirement is created, a table is created that will link the requirement back to its source. This is used to help manage changes to the project scope. The table is created to track the below, but not limited to: -Who is the original stakeholder that provided the requirement -Why was the requirement added -Description of the requirement -Current status of the requirement, completed, in progress, delayed, cancelled, etc.

Project Constraints

1. Scope 2. Schedule 3. Cost 4. Risk (ex: a new regulation may pass that affects the project, or a hurricane is coming when you are going to build a house) 5. Quality 6. Resources

Create WBS - Outputs

1. Scope Baseline (3 Components) -Project Scope Statement (created in previous process, define scope) -WBS -WBS Dictionary 2. Project Documents Updates -Assumption Log -Requirements Documentation

Plan Scope Management - Outputs

1. Scope management plan: How the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled and verified -Process for preparing and maintaining Scope Statement, WBS -How changes request to the scope statement will be processed -Becomes an input/part of the project management plan 2. Requirements management plan: How the requirements will be analyzed, documented and managed -Traceability structure to reflect which requirements need to be captured on the traceability matrix (traces where a requirement came from)

Models of Team Development (agile)

1. Shu-Ha-Ri Model of Skill Mastery: -Shu: Obey (follow whatever others/books tell you) -Ha: Moving away (start to try new things) -Ri: finding individual paths (find your own path) 2. Dreyfus Model of Adult Skill Acquisition: -Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, Expert

XP Core Values

1. Simplicity: reduce complexity, extra features and waste. find the simplest thing that could possibly work. 2. Communication: team members know what is expected of them and what other people are working on. Daily stand-up meeting is a key communication component. 3. Feedback: get impressions of correctness early. Failing fast allows for faster improvement. 4. Courage: allow our work to be entirely visible to others, be editable. 5. Respect: people work together as a team and everyone is accountable for the success or failure of the project. Recognize people work differently and respect those differences. Note: this is a difference with traditional, where there is only one person held accountable. Here, the team is a unit.

Eight Performance Domains

1. Stakeholder Performance Domain 2. Team Performance Domain 3. Development Approach Life Cycle Performance Domain 4. Planning Performance Domain 5. Work Performance Domain 6. Delivery Performance Domain 7. Measurement Performance Domain 8. Uncertainty Performance Domain

PMI Talent Triangle

1. Technical Project Management: Skills to apply project management knowledge. Ex: managing schedule, cost, risk; tailoring the different tools and processes 2. Leadership: Ability to guide, motivate and direct a team. Skills include: negotiation, communications, problem solving and interpersonal skills 3. Strategic and Business Management: High-level of organization, working knowledge of business functions like IT or finance, product and industry expertise, seek knowledge from functional managers, have an understanding of company mission, goals, competition

Three ways to run projects

1. Traditional 2. Agile 3. Hybrid

How Agile Plans differ from Traditional Plans

1. Trial and demonstration uncover true requirements, which then require re-planning 2. Agile planning is less of an upfront effort, and instead is done more throughout the project 3. Midcourse adjustments are the norm

Five Core Principles of Kanban

1. Visualize the workflow: software projects, by definition, manipulate knowledge, which is intangible and invisible 2. Limit WIP: Keeping the amount of work in progress low increases the visibility of issues and bottlenecks. Little's Law 3. Manage flow: By tracking the flow of work through a system, issues can be identified and changes can be measured for effectiveness. Pull system. 4. Make process policies explicit: It is important to clearly explain how things work so the team can have open discussions about improvements 5. Improve collaboration: Through scientific measurement and experimentation, the team should collectively own and improve the processes it uses.

Sensitivity Analysis: Tornado Chart

A Data Analysis Tool in Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis A quantitative risk analysis and modeling technique used to help determine which risks have the most potential impact on the project. It examines the extent to which the uncertainty of each project element affects the objective being examined when all other uncertain elements are held at their baseline values. The typical display of results is in the form of a tornado diagram/chart.

Influence Diagram

A Data Analysis Tool in Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Graphical aids to decision making under uncertainty. Looks like flow chart/cause and effect, helps to make decisions.

Sensitivity Analysis: Decision Tree Analysis

A Data Analysis Tool in Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Make or buy analysis. EMV = Expected Monetary Value EMV = Risk * Probability Take a look at this portion of the class again. Ex: Deciding to construct new house or remodel older house Initial Cost Risk Cost Probability of the risk happening EMV Total

Control Schedule

A Process in Monitoring and Controlling in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Monitoring the status of the project to update the project schedule and manage changes to the schedule baseline. The schedule baseline is maintained throughout the project. Compare the work results to the plan to see if they line up. What is the status of the project, how did it reach this point?

Rolling Wave Planning

A Tool + Technique in Defining Activities process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area A form of Progressive Elaboration. Near-term work packages are able to be defined in a much greater detail. Long-term work packages may not be able to be defined in any detail, a place holder may be created for later detail. As the project moves along to completion, long term place holders will be removed and then allowed to be decomposed into work packages as more details become available. This planning must always be revisited throughout the lifecycle of the project when long term work packages cannot be clearly defined. Can sometimes lead to an output of a change request.

Funding Limit Reconciliation

A Tool and Technique for Determine Budget process in Plan Cost Management Knowledge Area The process of comparing the planned expenditure of project funds against any limits on the commitment of funds for the project to identify any variances between the funding limits and the planned expenditures. Project's current run rate vs. what was planned over the life cycle of the project. Sections of the project may need to be rescheduled due to budget limitations.

Claims Administration

A Tool for Control Procurements How disputed changes can be settled when the buyer and the seller cannot reach an understanding. Negotiation is the preferred method. For the exam, whenever there is a dispute between a buyer and seller, send to Claims Administration to make sure it is dealt with.

Schedule Compression

A Tool for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area 1. Crashing (adding resources to a project activity) -Always adds cost -May add additional risk 2. Fast Tracking (activities performed in parallel) -May not always add cost -May increase risk due to project rework

Critical Chain Method

A Tool for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area A technique that adjusts the project schedule, accounting for limited project resources. Once resources are allocated, a possible altered critical path may be determined. A method of planning and managing projects that puts more emphasis on the resources required to execute project tasks developed.

Resource Optimization Techniques

A Tool for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area A technique that is used to adjust the start and finish dates of activities that adjust planned resource use to be equal to or less than resource availability. Flatten the schedule when resources are over allocated or allocated unevenly. -Resource Leveling: start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand for resources. May/will change the critical path. -Resource Smoothing: adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirements for resources on the project do not exceed certain predefined resource limits. May not change the critical path.

Agile Release Planning

A Tool for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area The schedule will be broken up into smaller iterations, versus to a traditional project where the schedule is for the entire product release. Smaller increments allows the customers an opportunity to give feedback on the product with a quicker turnaround.

Schedule Network Analysis

A Tool for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area The technique of identifying early and late start dates, as well as early and late finish dates, for the uncompleted portions of project schedule activities. See also backward pass, critical path method, critical chain method, and resource leveling.

Parametric Estimate

A Tool for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area A technique that uses a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables (ex: square footage in construction, lines of code in software development) to calculate an estimate for activity parameters, such as scope, cost, budget and duration. Ex: each square foot takes 1 hours to pain, 200 sq. ft. project will take estimated 200 hours

Three-Point Estimate

A Tool for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Calculates an expected duration using a weighted average of 3 estimated: optimistic, pessimistic, most likely

Bottom-Up Estimating

A Tool for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Opposite of top-down estimating. The work has to be very detailed for this type of estimation to take place. Takes a very long time to complete, but is highly accurate. You break down the work to the lowest levels and then aggregate the work back up to find an overall duration

Analogous Estimating

A Tool for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Top-down estimating This relies on historical information to predict estimates (time, budget, difficulty) for current projects. Often used when there is limited amount of information available. Cost list in time and money to use, but it gives the least accuracy when it comes to estimating.

Reserve Analysis

A Tool for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area, part of Data Analysis Often called Slack Time, or Contingency Reserve, Time Reserves, Buffer May be a percentage or a set determined time allowance. Usually added because of Risk Factors.

Risk Categorization

A Tool for Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis Sources of Risk - internal, external (can use Risk Breakdown Structure for this) Grouped by root cause

Interpersonal and Team Skills for Plan Communication Management

A Tool for Plan Communication Management -Communication styles assessment: technique to determine the ideal communication method, format and substance for planned communication -Political awareness: achieved through a good perception of strategies, hidden agendas and power structure and relationship within and around the project -Cultural awareness: understanding the differences among individuals, groups and the organizations and adjusting the project's communication to these differences

Communication Methods

A Tool for Plan Communication Management -Informal Written: email, memorandums -Formal Written: contracts, project documents, legal notices -Informal Verbal: phone calls, random discussions -Formal Verbal: presentations, speeches -Push: Email Black -Pull: Download information -Interactive: Join discussions

Communication Requirements Analysis

A Tool for Plan Communication Management Analyzing the communications needs of stakeholders. Lack of communication leads to failure. Communications Channels- Channels = n(n-1)/2 N = the number of people on the project 4 team members = 6 lines of communication 4(4-1)/2=x x=6

Communication Technology

A Tool for Plan Communication Management Method of communication -determine level of urgency, ease of use, sensitivity and confidentiality of the information -Ex: technology, email, phone, fax, web page, in-person

Communication Models

A Tool for Plan Communication Management Sender: The person or group sending the message to the receiver Encoder: The device or technology that encodes the message to travel over the medium Decoder: This is the inverse of the encoder Receiver: This is the recipient of the message Paralingual: How the pitch, tone and inflections in the sender's voice affect the message being sent Nonverbal: Things like facial expressions, hand gestures Communication Blocker: Anything that stops the flow of comms (ex: too much noise)

Source Selection Analysis

A Tool for Plan Procurement Management When selecting a vendor, make sure you understand: Work Risk Cost Past Performance References Production ability Warranty

Contingent Response Strategies

A Tool for Plan Risk Responses May undertake certain risk events, if certain conditions apply

Strategies for Overall Project Risk

A Tool for Plan Risk Responses, know these well for the exam Avoid Exploit Transfer/Share Mitigate/Enhance Accept

Strategies for Negative Risk or Threats

A Tool for Plan Risk Responses, know these well for the exam Escalate - outside the project team level Avoid - eliminate the risk entirely (but, you may get new risk on the other path you're going to take) Transfer - transfer ownership to a 3rd party Mitigate - reduce the probability of the risk event Accept - deal with the risk at hand, you don't do anything

Strategies for Opportunities (Positive Risk)

A Tool for Plan Risk Responses, know these well for the exam Escalate - outside the project team level Exploit - remove any and all uncertainty Share - some or all ownership to a 3rd party Enhance - increase the probability of the event happening Accept - take advantage of the opportunity, but not seek it

Bidder Conferences

A Tool in Conduct Procurements Also known as contractor, vendor or pre-bid conferences. Meeting(s) between buyer and sellers. Explaining to everyone in one shot.

Representation of Uncertainty

A Tool in Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis Probability distribution, looking at the probability of risks actually taking place. Triangular or beta distributions.

Stakeholders Mapping Representation

A Tool under Data Representation for Identify Stakeholders Method to categorize stakeholders: -Power/interest grid, power/influence grid, or impact/influence grid -Stakeholder cube: a three-dimensional methodology to support the mapping of a stakeholder's interest, power and influence -Salience model: Power: level of authority Urgency: immediate attention Legitimacy: How appropriate is their involvement -Directions of Influence Upward: senior management Downward: team members Outward: vendors, government, public, end-users Sideward: peers such as other project managers -Prioritization

The risk report is generally created with the risk register or after the risk register. It includes information on the sources of overall project risks and a summary of information on the identified individual project risks.

A bubble chart is part of the tool data representation. It is used to display three dimensions of data. All other choices may only displays two dimensions.

Risk Burndown Chart

A chart that depicts cumulative project risk severity over time. The likelihood of the various risks are plotted on top of each other to show cumulative risk on the y-axis. The initial identification and evaluation of risks and the creation of the Risk Burndown Chart are done early in the project. *know this for the exam

Phase

A collection of logically related project activities that culminates in the completion of one or more deliverables. Number of phases depends on the industry type and size and the complexity of the project

Product Analysis

A common Tool and Technique, noted in Define Scope process Detailed understanding of the project's product, service, or result, with the commitment to improve the team's focus, it's knowledge base, the correct interpretation of requirements. Some tools used are: -Product breakdown -System analysis -System requirements

Idea/Mind Mapping

A common Tool and Technique, under Collect Requirements Ideas gathered through brainstorming are mapped together to discover new considerations and concept variations, often coming out of a brainstorm

After meeting with several sellers, a project manager feels that the best contract for the project would be one in which the project team purchases all of the materials to redesign the network and pays the seller a flat fee. What contract would best fit this scenario? Cost reimbursable Fixed price Time and material Fixed price with materials

A cost-reimbursable contract has two subtypes, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee contracts. The contract described in the question is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, in which the project team will purchase all the project materials and then pay the seller a flat fee for their profits.

Who accepts a deliverable?

A customer or a sponsor for the phase

Crystal

A customized methodologies that are coded by color names. Other agile method. Likely not important for test

WBS Dictionary

A document that details the contents of the WBS. Provides detailed information on each node of the WBS. Captures additional qualities about each Work Package in a separate document. Should include team member assigned to it, time estimate, cost estimate, account information, work package ID, quality requirements, contract information, scheduled milestones, plus detail overall task at hand.

The project team would like to document the sequence of steps that the process should follow to ensure that the deliverables are being made with the correct quality requirements. What tool can best help the team show the sequence of steps and whether there's any room for improvement in a given process?

A flowchart is sometimes called a process diagram, which can display the sequence of steps a given process will follow. Process charts and process improvement charts are made-up terms. The cost of quality examines the conformance and nonconformance cost of quality.

Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix

A form of Data Representation Tool for Plan Stakeholder Engagement 5 levels of engagement: Unaware Resistant Neutral Supportive Leading Table can note the current and desired level of engagement per stakeholder

The builders have completed the foundation for the large office building. Upon completion, they have filed a permit, and are told by the permit office that they will have to wait about 3 weeks for inspection. How should these 3 weeks be represented in the project schedule?

A lag is a delay between activities. Although "delay" is a somewhat correct answer, using the term "lag" is more appropriate for a PMP exam. A lead is an overlap of work on a project.

While installing the servers and workstations on a project, the team has decided that they do not have to wait for all the servers to be installed before they start installing the workstations. They have decided to install just a few of the main servers, and then they can start installing the workstations. What best describes what they're doing on the schedule?

A lead is an overlap between activities, in which one activity can start before the other activity is done. Although "overlap" would be a good choice, the term "lead" is a better answer for a PMP question. A lag is a delay between activities.

Leads and Lags

A lead is the amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity A lag directs the delay in the successor work package or activity. Lengthens schedule.

Feature-Driven Development

A lightweight agile software development method driven from the perspective of features valued by clients. Team will first develop an overall model for the product then build a list, and plan the work. Likely not important for test

Sprint Backlog

A list of tasks that defines a Scrum team's work for a sprint. Each task identifies those responsible for doing the work and the estimated amount of work remaining on the task on any given day during the sprint. This list comes from the Product Backlog, selected for a specific sprint. The sprint backlog is accompanied by a plan of how to achieve the sprint goal, so it serves as the development team's forecast for the functionality that will be part of the sprint. It is a highly visible view of the work being undertaken and may only be updated by the development team.

Mary has just completed one of the most important deliverables of the project. She meets with the organization's senior management, and they have not determined if the project should continue or not, as the current deliverable may be all they need. What would best describe this review? Phase gate Kickoff meeting Project review meeting Project closure review

A phase gate is done at the end of a phase, deciding whether to continue to the next phase or not. A kickoff meeting is generally done at the end of planning and sometimes at the end of the project's initiated sections in order to start the next section. Answers C and D do not exist.

What does a portfolio help do?

A portfolio achieves the organization's strategic objectives. While projects and programs may help complete a portfolio, they may not always achieve strategic objectives in themselves.

Portfolio Management

A portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives. Used to accomplish the long-term goal of an organization

As the project manager is getting ready to send out the request for proposals for the project, he contacts the PMO for a list of properly vetted sellers. What is the name of this list? Qualified seller list Prequalified seller list Preapproved seller list Approved seller list

A preapproved seller lists is a list of sellers that have been properly vetted by the organization and can be used as potential sellers on a project. All other choices are made-up terms.

Predictive Lifecycle

A predictive life cycle is when the project scope is known early in the project. No continuous customer feedback. Will have gathered the scope in its entirety before executing the project.

Control Quality

A process in Monitoring + Controlling phase in Project Quality Management Knowledge Area Assess performance and ensure the project outputs are complete, correct and meet customer expectations. Verifying that project deliverables and work meet the requirements specified by key stakeholders for final acceptance. Each deliverable is inspected, measured and tested. You are looking at the deliverable itself.

What is a program?

A program is a group of related projects that are managed in coordination to obtain the benefits of not managing them individually. Different from a portfolio in that a portfolio is a collection of projects, programs and other portfolios. Different from a project, which is a single temporary endeavor to create a unique product, service or other result. Ex: company is creating a new product, a very complex software that will take years to create and have different groups of people. broke project up into smaller subprojects and managed individually

Due to the complex nature of the construction project, the project manager has decided that the project is best done outside normal working hours, generally overnight. Where should the project manager document this information?

A project calendar identifies the working days and shifts that the project will follow.

Daily Stand Up Meeting/Scrum

A quick meeting each day to discuss project statuses, led by the Scrum Master. Usually 15 minutes, time-boxed activity. Should be held at the same time and place each day. Questions asked/answered by each team member: 1. What did you do yesterday? 2. What do you plan to do today? 3. Do you have any problems you need help with?

What do you call multiple sprints that result in a shippable product?

A release is a series of sprints (aka scrum) that results in a product the customers can start using.

Project Life Cycle

A representation of the phases that a project typically goes through from start to finish Can be either predictive or adaptive

The project team would like to investigate whether this new software can help reduce bugs in a new coded language. What should the project team do? Conduct an iteration Conduct an architectural spike Conduct a risk-based spike Informed the stakeholders

A risk-based spike is when the team investigates whether a new method, process, or tool will reduce or eliminate risks.

Sprint

A short iteration where the project teams work to complete the work in the sprint backlog, typically 1-4 weeks. Agile term. ***Also known as an iteration A sprint is a timeboxed (time-limited) iteration of 1-4 weeks to build a potentially releasable product. Each sprint includes a sprint planning meeting, daily Scrum, the actual work, a sprint review meeting and the sprint retrospectives. *During the sprint, no changes are made that would affect the sprint. The development team members are kept the same throughout the sprint (in order to maintain the velocity on the sprint).

Extreme Programming (XP)

A software development centric agile method. Focus on software development good practices, vs. Scrum at the project management level focuses on prioritizing work and getting feedback.

Design the Product Box

A system for decomposition, breaking down valuable features Have users make front of box, what is the most valuable thing you are putting on the front of the box, versus the additional value on the back of the box

Project

A temporary endeavor that produces a unique product, service or result *Temporary in nature and has a definite beginning and ending Unique, Temporary, Progressively elaborated

Reserve Analysis

A tool for data analysis for Monitor Risks process Compares the amount of contingency to the remaining amount of risk left on the project

Co-Location (Tight Matrix)

A tool/technique for Develop Team process in Plan Resource Management Knowledge Area. Know for exam. Moving the entire team into one physical location, war room. May be temporary or long term. In theory, can solve problems faster.

Prompt Lists

A tool/technique for Identify Risk A predetermined list of risk categories. Risk Breakdown Structure/RBS can be used to identify both individual and overall risk.

Problem Solving

A tool/technique for data representation in Manage Quality Finding solutions to problems. Identifying the problem, determining what's causing it, looking at possible solutions, selecting a solution, implementing a solution and verifying that it solves the problem.

Scatter Diagram

A tool/technique for data representation in Manage Quality Shows trends in relation to different variables

Control Chart

A tool/technique in Data Representation for Control Quality process Tells you if a process is "in control" or not. It measures something (like tolerance, upper and lower control limit). Anything above or below the control limit is a defect. Identify the rule of seven - when you have seven consecutive data points on one side of the average mark/mean. This means that something may be off. If you have the rule of seven, you inspect the process. ** If it's above or below the limit, fix the process. This is typically a common question on the exam.

Plan Quality Management - Data Gathering

A tool/technique in Plan Quality Management -Brainstorming -Benchmarking** (looking at industry standards, other projects to see how yours should be performing) -Interviews

Cost of Quality (COQ)

A tool/technique of Data Analysis in Plan Quality Management All costs incurred over the life of the product ensuring it meets quality of the product. Conformance, prevention costs, appraisal costs - ensuring we meet the requirements Non-conformance, internal and external failure costs - scrapping or reworking

Cost Benefit Analysis

A tool/technique of Data Analysis in Plan Quality Management Does the activities, work packages performed cost more than the expected results. The benefits must out weigh their costs.

Flowcharts

A tool/technique of Data Representation in Plan Quality Management A graphical representation of the process and any room for improvements Ex: Collect requirements -> Determine database fields -> Organize into tables -> Determine field types -> Create database -> Create tables

Logical Data Model

A tool/technique of Data Representation in Plan Quality Management A visual representation of the data you can then use to identify the best methods to sort and organize it. Often a lot of tables.

Matrix Diagram

A tool/technique of Data Representation in Plan Quality Management The relationship between two or more groups within the project

Mind Mapping

A tool/technique of Data Representation in Plan Quality Management Visually organized data

Pareto Diagram

A type of histogram/bar chart, use the Pareto principle of 80/20 Specifies that 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes, asserting an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs. This principle serves as a general reminder that the relationship between inputs and outputs is not balanced.

Information Radiators

A way to communicate with stakeholders on agile projects. Things that are highly visible, like a whiteboard or Kanban board. Used to display information. Usually includes charts, graphs and boards.

Knowledge Sharing

A way to communicate with stakeholders on agile projects. Agile teams work closely with each other such as with pair-programming. Using Kanban boards or wireframes are ways to share information. Use of low-tech tools like a whiteboard will allow all to see the work and understand it. We must encourage it.

OSCAR Model

About coaching or leadership styles to support individuals .achieve their goals. Outcome: an outcome identifies the goal, future state Situation: assess current skills, abilities, and knowledge level of the project team member, and how that impacts the individual's performance and peer relationships, current state Choices/consequences: choice and/or consequences identify all the potential avenues for attaining the desired outcome and the consequences of each choice Actions: an action commits to specific movement by focusing on immediate and attainable targets Review: doing regular meetings offers support and helps to ensure that individuals remain motivated and on track

Uncertainty Performance Domain

Addresses activities and functions associated with risk and uncertainty. Effective execution of this domain results in: -An awareness of the environment in which projects occur -Proactively explore and respond to uncertainty -Awareness of interdependence of multiple variables on the project -Capacity to anticipate threats AND opportunities -Cost and schedule reserves are utilized Volatility exists in an environment that is subject to rapid and unpredictable change.

Stakeholder Performance Domain

Addresses activities and functions associated with stakeholders. A productive working relationship with stakeholders throughout the project. Stakeholder agreement with project objectives. Define and share a clear vision at the start of the program to enable good relationships and alignment throughout the project.

Planning Poker

Advantages of Wideband Delphi Fast, collaborative process Uses cards with Fibonacci sequence Go with the highest point value once everyone puts down their cards

What should the project team do after creating the first value stream map? Develop a plan to implement fixes Create a new map with the desired improvement Display the stakeholders Review to find waste

After the project team has created the first value stream map they should then analyze it fine waste in the current process. Then they can create a new map with the desired improvements.

Verifying and Validating Value

Agile "Gulf of Evaluation" -What one person describes is often different from how another interprets it -To solve this, you do frequent evaluation Resolve problems as soon as possible - Planning/Feedback Loops Don't let little problems grow over time

Product Owner

Agile Term Designated person that represents the customer on the project. *This is the person who prioritizes the product backlog (and what is worked on in each sprint, identified in sprint planning meeting).

Sprint Planning Meeting

Agile Term Meeting done by all the agile team to determine what features will be done in the next sprint

Product Backlog

Agile Term Project requirements from the stakeholders. Prioritized list of all work that needs to be done to complete the product. List is dynamic, it evolves as more work is added and prioritized. Items in it is prioritized by the product owner and is sorted by value. Most valuable items are listed first. Constantly being refined, team and product owner will "groom the backlog" to stay up to date with changes and make sure the items are still prioritized by value.

Agile Declaration of Interdependence (DOI)

Agile and adaptive approaches for linking people, projects and value. We are a community of project leaders that are highly successful at delivering results. To achieve these results: We increase return on investment by making continuous flow of value our focus. We deliver reliable results by engaging customers in frequent interactions and shared ownership. We expect uncertainty and manage for it through iterations, anticipation and adaptation. We unleash creativity and innovation by recognizing that individuals are the ultimate source of value, and creating an environment where they can make a difference. We boost performance through group accountability for results and shared responsibility for team effectiveness. We improve effectiveness and reliability through situationally specific strategies, processes and practices. Don't need to memorize, but be familiar with.

Early Value Delivery

Agile concept Agile projects promote early and often delivery. Aim to deliver highest value early in the project. -Deliver as many high-value components as soon as possible, reduces risk -Stakeholder satisfaction --> project success Shows understanding of stakeholders' needs, stakeholders are engaged, builds confidence of stakeholders in team

Value-Driven Delivery

Agile concept Projects undertaken to generate business value -Produce benefit -Improve service -Market demand -Safety compliance -Regulatory compliance

Minimal Viable Product (MVP)

Agile concept Refers to a set of functionality that is complete to be useful, but small enough not to be an entire project. Usually a module in a software. Allows customer to see value throughout the project, since these are delivered throughout and not just at the end.

Team Spaces

Agile projects -Co-located Teams: all team members work together in the same location, allows for face-to-face time and interaction, USUALLY the answer on exams where comms are the issue with the team, should be within 33 feet of each other, no physical barriers, sometimes a virtual co-location -Team Spaces: low-tech, high-touch (whiteboards, sticky notes, round table, no barriers to face-to-face comms) -Caves and Common: caves = space team members can retreat to individually, common = space team members can work as a group -Osmotic Communication: Information flows that occur as part of everyday conversations and questions, 33 feet -Tacit Knowledge: information that is not written down; supported through collective group knowledge -Global and Cultural Diversity: time zones, cultures, native languages, styles of communication -Distributed Teams: at least one team member working off-site, need to find ways to replicate co-location team benefits

Adaptive Planning

Agile projects Planning is an ongoing process Multiple mechanisms to proactively update plan Focus on value delivery and minimize nonvalue-adding work Uncertainty drives need to replan Frequently discover issues and experience high rates of change; fail fast

Training, Coaching and Mentoring

Agile projects Training - Teaching of a skill or knowledge through practice and instruction Coaching - Helps the person being coached to develop and improve their performance Mentoring / Advising - Once you step away from the daily role of teacher or coach you become Mentor/Advisor. Professional relationship. The mentor can be a sounding board for tackling issues on an as-needed basis. The Mentee owns the agenda. Someone who you bounce ideas off of from time to time and ask for advise.

The software development team has completed a small module of the accounting software. They have released it to the customers. The module has very little features but is useful to the customers. This module represents: Fully functional product Minimum viable product Small usable product Should not have been released

Agile promotes the use of a minimal viable product. It refers to a set of functionalities that is complete to be useful but small enough not to be an entire project.

Agile Contracting

Agile's flexibility creates difficulty in outlining contract acceptance criteria. -Agile attempts to fix resources and time (cost) and vary functionality "Customer collaboration over contract negotiation" -Close cooperation -Active participation -Timely and often feedback Money for nothing and change for free Graduated Fixed Price Contract -Buyer/seller share in risks and rewards -Different hourly rates based on: finish early, finish on time, finish late Fixed Price Work Packages -Mitigate risks of under/over estimating -Assign a cost per each individual feature

User Story Backlog

Aka Product Backlog Prioritize requirements, refining (grooming) backlog - keeping the backlog updated and accurately prioritized Note: take items from product backlog and put it in the sprint backlog, which is used to review what will happen in the next sprint. Product/user story backlog has all of the work for the project

Collaboration Games (agile)

All are low-tech, high-touch Remember the future: Ask stakeholders to imagine that an upcoming release was successful and to look back at it. Gets a better understanding of how a stakeholder would define success. Outlines how we can accomplish that success for them. Prune the product tree: Draw a tree and ask stakeholders to add their features to it. Use sticky notes to have them place new features on the tree. Group the features on the trunk. Features that are depending on other features would be higher up on the tree. Lets everyone understand the priorities of development. Speedboat (Sailboat): Draw a waterline and a boat moving. Explain that the boat is moving toward the goals of the project. Ask them to use sticky notes to show what can make the boat move (wind) and what can stop it (anchors). Allows stakeholders to identify threats and opportunities.

Drexler Sibbet Team Model

Allan Drexler and David Sibbet developed a team performance model with seven steps. Steps 1-4 describe the stages in creating a project team, and steps 5-7 cover project team sustainability and performance. Step 1: Orientation - why Step 2: Trust building - who Step 3: Goal clarification - what Step 4: Commitment - how, define the plan Step 5: Implementation - starts working Step 6: High performance - reach a high level Step 7: Renewal - working through changes

Phase Gate

Also known as a phase review A phase gate is done at the end of a phase, deciding whether or continue to the next phase or not. You should not start a phase if you have not reviewed the previously finished phase.

The project team has determined they will use an outside consultant to configure the network routers on the network upgrade project. They're not sure what type of configuration they should put in the routers or how it should be done. They will depend on the expertise of the consultant. They would also like to keep the risks as low as possible. What contract best fits this project? Firm fixed price Time and material Cost plus fixed fee Cost plus incentive

Although the question states that they would like to keep risks low, and a time and material contract has the highest risk, the project team does not have a detailed project scope. Without a detailed project scope, you cannot use firm fixed-price or even cost-reimbursable contracts, such as cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts.

Solving Problems

Always have the team solve the problem - this is a tip for the test, always select the answer that engages the team Problem solving as continuous improvement, engage the team Some problems can't be solved

What kind of risk is about uncertainties that exist regarding what might happen in the future and cannot be predicted currently, such as regulatory frameworks or the future development of technology? Ambiguity risks Variability risks Project resilience Positive risks

Ambiguity risks describe the uncertainty that exists about what might happen in the future and are very difficult to predict, such as future regulations or changes in technology.

Process Tailoring

Amend agile methodologies to better fit the project environment. Change things for good reason, not just for the sake of change. Develop a hybrid.

Risk Appetite

Amount of risk you are willing to take for a reward

Risk Tolerance

Amount of volume of risk you are willing to take

The project team is having a very difficult time identifying some of the main things causing the deliverables to have many quality defects. What tool can best help the project team identify the reasons for these defects? Ishikawa diagrams Histogram Matrix diagram Scatter diagram

An Ishikawa diagram, also known as a fishbone diagram or cause-and-effect diagram, is used to help identify the causes of problems. Histograms are bar charts that can show frequencies, and a matrix diagram will help show a relationship in a process. A scatter diagram will show the relationship between two variables.

Cost Baseline

An Outcome for Determine Budget process in Plan Cost Management Knowledge Area Includes the cost of all the activities that are aggregated to work packages. The work packages and the contingency reserves are aggregated into control account (which is the top layer of the WBS). The sum of all control accounts is the cost baseline. Typically displayed in a S-Curve graph. The cost baseline represents the project cost, which INCLUDES the contingency reserves. The project budget is the cost baseline + management reserves.

Project Calendar

An Output for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Identifies project shifts and work days

Project Schedule

An Output for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Project start and end date. Each activity start and end date. The project schedule may be a high level document, or have details like having each activity's resources assigned to it. Most often showed as a graphical presentation. -Project Network Diagrams -Bar Charts - horizontal bars on a horizontal axis that represents the calendar -Milestone chart - a list of only key dates in the project, very high level detail of status of project Not part of the project management plan. You don't need a change order for a chart.

Schedule Data

An Output for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area The collection of information for describing and controlling the schedule. Schedule templates that the team used to calculate durations, assumptions, constraints or resource requirements.

Schedule Baseline

An Output for Develop Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area The original approved project schedule, which is agreed by project stakeholders before the project starts Part of the project management plan. Meaning, if there are changes, you need a change request.

Basis of Estimates

An Output for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area How the estimates were developed and their ranges. It can also include all assumptions and constraints made to create the estimate.

Duration Estimates

An Output for Estimate Activity Durations process in in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area The likely number of work periods required to complete an activity or a work package. It does not have any leads or lags assigned to it. It is just a number. i.e. Painting room 6 will take at least 36 man hours, with a max of 42 man hours May include some indication of the range of possible results

Activity List

An Output in Defining Activities process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area A complete list of all scheduled activities that is required to be performed on the project. Should include a sufficient work description as well as an activity identifier. This is recommended so all stakeholders have better understanding of all work that is needed to be performed on the project. Work packages are scope-determined and deliverable based, while activities are focused on the work that needs to be executed in the work packages. These are schedule-focused, not WBS-focused. Each activity should map back to one and only one work package (work packages can have many activities)

Cost Estimates

An Output of Estimate Costs process in Cost Management Knowledge Area Costs associated with each activity. This includes labor, materials, equipment, facilities, inflation, services, etc.

Basis of Estimates

An Output of Estimate Costs process in Cost Management Knowledge Area Range of possible estimates. Confidence level of estimates. How estimates were developed and by whom.

The project manager has selected a seller to work on a contract that requires insurance and performance bonds. The insurance and performance bonds must be of a certain amount in order for the seller to meet the buyer's compliance requirements. Where should the project manager include the insurance and performance bonds? Procurement statement of work Procurement management plan Agreement Request for proposal

An agreement can contain elements such as pricing and payment terms, inspections, warranties, incentives and penalties, and insurance and performance bonds.

Wideband Delphi

An expert-based test estimation technique that aims at making an accurate estimation using the collective wisdom of the team members. Group-based estimation approach Panel of experts, anonymously Used to prevent: -bandwagon effect -groupthink -HIPPO decision making (highest-paid person's opinion) Helpful when you bring the group together to start assigning points out to features/user stories

Sprint Review

An inspection done at the end of the sprint by the customers. Designed to gather feedback from stakeholders on what the team has completed in the sprint. Team demonstrates work that was completed during the sprint. To create a conversation between the team and the stakeholders about how to make the product better. Should be time boxed to no more than an hour per week of Sprint.

While working on an agile project, what can the project manager do in order to track the work that remains to be completed on the project?

An iteration burndown chart shows the work that remains to be completed in the iteration backlog. "Earned value analysis" is a series of formulas that will tell you the status update on the project. Expert judgment is about using subject matter experts, and trend analysis is to see whether the project is staying on or off schedule.

Verified Deliverables

An output for Control Quality process in Project Quality Management Knowledge Area. The results of the activities done in the control quality process to determine if the quality standards or policies were met.

Quality Control Measurements

An output for Control Quality process in Project Quality Management Knowledge Area. An input to Validate Scope (next process). Needed for formal acceptance.

Test and Evaluation Documents

An output for Manage Quality Documents generally take the form of a checklist that can be used when checking the quality of the deliverables.

Quality Report

An output for Manage Quality Report generally includes information about quality issues on the project and recommendations on how to improve the processes begin used.

Quality Metrics

An output for Plan Quality Management process. Specifications on how quality will be measured during the control quality process. Such as, error per line of code.

While estimating the duration of activities on the project, the project team has decided to base most of their estimates on historical data from a project they completed a few months ago that is very similar to the current project. This would allow them to complete the estimate fairly quickly. What technique best illustrates this scenario?

Analogous estimating is based on historical information, generally from previous projects that were very similar. This technique would lead to a quick estimate, but may not be very accurate. Expert judgment is using subject matter experts in order to estimate the duration, and bottom-up estimation is done by aggregating the work in order to come up with the duration. Parametric estimating is usually a mathematical model based on historical information.

Generate Insights in a Retrospective

Analyze the data. Helps to understand what was found. Activities include: -Brainstorming -Five Whys: asking why five times -Fishbone analysis -Prioritize with dots: use a dot voting technique

Process Groups and Knowledge Areas Chart

Andrew says we need to be able to write this entire process chart in under 5 minutes, memorize Print this chart out Section 4 of online class

The activity lists and WBS are used to help create the scope baseline and the schedule baseline. Which of the following statements is true regarding these two documents? 1. The WBS is not part of the project management plan while the activity list is 2. Activity lists are part of the schedule baseline, and the WBS is part of the scope baseline 3. The activity lists and WBS are part of the schedule baseline 4. The activity lists and the WBS can be developed either sequentially or concurrently

Answer: #4 The activity list, WBS, and WBS dictionary can be developed either sequentially or concurrently. The WBS is part of the scope baseline, while the activity list is not part of the schedule baseline, only considered a project document.

Deliverable

Any unique and verifiable product, service or result May be tangible or intangible Must be accepted by the customer or sponsor for the phase

Spikes

Architectural Spike: period of time dedicated to proof of concept; before a team starts an iteration, a team may conduct this to see if the method will work Risk-Based Spike: team investigates to reduce or eliminate risk; before iteration starts, test out theory to move past the risk (ex: a system may fail, but we can use another one to keep going)

Progressively Elaborated

As time is progressing, things become more elaborative One of the elements of a project You may not know much as you start a project, but as you work, you start to know more as the project progresses. You get more information from stakeholders, estimates become more precise, etc.

Value-Base Analysis and Decomposition

Assessing and prioritizing the business value of work items, and then plan accordingly. Consider payback frequency and dependencies. Value-based decomposition -Breaks down requirements and prioritizes them -design the product box

BCR

Benefit Cost Ratio Compares the gains to the cost of a project. Any number higher than 1 is good, the higher BCR in the question would return the company more money.

One of the key stakeholders on the agile project has asked to be shown what work has been completed on the project. What agile tool would best display this to the key stakeholder? Burndown chart Velocity chart Burnup chart Work chart

Burnup chart will visually display work that has been completed on the project.

Grade

Category assigned to deliverables having the same functional use but different technical characteristics There are a lot of additional characteristics. All products should be high quality, but not all are high grade.

Virginia Satir Change Model

Change Model A model of how people experience and cope with change. Help project team members understand what they are feeling and enable them to move through change more efficiently. -Late status quo - business as usual, people are feeling fine, the previous status quo -The foreign element - shifting from status quo to new status quo -Chaos - feeling uncomfortable -The transforming idea - this is the new environment, learning to work in it -Practice and integration - start to try new behaviors and implement new processes -New status quo

Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide

Change Model An iterative model that is founded on common elements across a range of change management models. -Formulate change -Plan change -Implement change -Manage transition -Sustain change

8-Step Process for Leading Change

Change Model Top-down approach where the change originates at the top levels of the organization, and then is promoted down through the organization. The eight steps are: Step 1: Create urgency Step 2: Form a powerful coalition Step 3: Create a vision for change Step 4: Communicate the vision Step 5: Remove obstacles Step 6: Create short-term wins Step 7: Build on the change Step 8: Anchor the changes in corporate culture

William Bridges Transition Model

Change Model Transition Model delivers and understanding of what happens to individuals psychologically when an organization change takes place. The model identifies three stages of transition associated with change: -Ending, losing and letting go -The neutral zone -The new beginning

ADKAR Model

Change Model Focuses on five sequential steps that individuals endure when adapting to change: Step 1: Awareness: identify why the change Step 2: Desire: desire to support the change Step 3: Knowledge: how to change Step 4: Ability: hands-on practice of change Step 5: Reinforcement: rewards

Code Standards

Code Standards: an XP Practice -Follow consistent coding standard -Code looks as if it has been written by a single, knowledgeable programmer

What is related to morals?

Code of ethics Principles can, but do not necessarily, reflect morals A code of ethics for a profession can be adopted by an individual or profession to establish expectations for moral conduct.

Collective Code Ownership

Collective Code Ownership: an XP Practice -Any pair of developers can improve or amend any code -Multiple people work on all code, which results in increased visibility and knowledge of code base -Leads to a higher level of quality; with more people looking at the code, there is a greater chance defects will be discovered -Less risk of programmer leaves, since knowledge is shared

Interactional Leadership Style

Combination of transactional, transformational, and charismatic

Hybrid Method 2

Combined agile and predictive approaches used simultaneously Design, Develop, Test, Rollout: both agile and predictive One team, likely transitioning from traditional to agile approach ex: using more customer feedback, agile meetings, still have budgets and schedules

ITTOs for Develop Project Charter

Common ITTOs for this process, don't need to memorize but should know common options. Inputs: -Business Documents (business case, benefits management plan) -Agreements (Service Level Agreements, Letters of intent, contract between internal and external customer) -Enterprise Environmental Factors -Organizational Process Assets Tools and Techniques: -Expert Judgement -Data Gathering (brainstorming, focus groups, interview) -Interpersonal and Team Skills (conflict mgmt, facilitation, meeting mgmt) -Meetings (kickoff meeting) Outputs: -Project Charter -Assumption Log

Organization Process Assets

Common Input, ITTO -Organizations have assets such as information, policies, procedures, documents or knowledge bases which are called Organizational Process Assets (OPA) to help them in achieving their objectives -Kept in some central repository to that they can be used when required -Project team members update and add to OPA throughout project Ex: -Project templates -Software tool -Historical info -Project closure guidelines -Risk control procedures

Project Documents

Common Input, ITTO Any documents related to the project Project documents are additional documents that are created and used throughout the 49 processes *that are not part of the project management plan* "Included but not limited to"

Project Management Plan

Common Input, ITTO Defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed 18 components, 14 plans and 4 baselines "included but not limited to"

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Common Input, ITTO Internal EEF and External EEF -Things that impact the project -Influence the organization, the project and its outcome -Can enhance or constrain project management options and may have negative or positive influences on the outcomes Ex: Internal: company's organizational structure/governance/culture, appetite for risk, resource availability External: regulation/laws for drug approval, political climate, legal restrictions, financial considerations

Updates

Common Output, ITTO Catchall term, can include updating project documents, project management plan, OPA and EFF updates

Change Request

Common Output, ITTO Proposal to change a document, deliverable or baseline. Can include a request to add or remove work from the scope, finish the project faster or complete the project more cheaply Implements: -Corrective action: taken to ensure the project gets back on track -Preventive action: put in place to ensure the project stays on track -Defect repair is done to fix a broken component on a project, such as if network switch memory fails on a network upgrade project

Work Performance Data, Info and Reports

Common Output, ITTO Work performance data (Executing) --> Work performance information (monitoring and controlling) --> work performance report (monitoring and controlling) Work performance data is raw data, not useful by itself; usually outputs of executing processes Work performance information is info of work performed compared to the plan, gives you actual status of the deliverables. Usually the output of most monitoring and controlling processes. Work performance report is all of the work performance info.

Project Management Information System

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO (PMIS) Automated system that is used to help the project manager optimize the schedule or keep track of all the documents and deliverables Usually a computer system that a given organization uses to manage its projects Should include all software and hardware tools needed to manage project from start to finish. Includes the work authorization system and the configuration management system.

Data Gathering

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO Gather data about a particular process that you're working on. On certain processes, you will need to gather additional data before coming up with an output for that process Methods: -Brainstorming (with stakeholders, facilitated by PM) -Interviews -Focus Groups (with SMEs) -Checklist -Questionnaires and surveys

Data Analysis

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO Gather the data that has been collected Methods: -Alternative analysis: looking at different options or ways to accomplish something -Root cause analysis (RCA): used to identify the main underlying reason for a particular event -Variance analysis: find the exact differences between difference things -Trend analysis: looking at data over a period of time to see if a particular trend is forming

Data Representation

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO Illustrate different ways that a data could be shown to stakeholders Methods generally include charts, matrixes, diagrams Histogram = bar chart

Interpersonal and Team Skills and Meeting

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO Methods: Active listening Conflict management Facilitation Meeting management Meetings - have an agenda, send before meeting, time the meeting, make sure appropriate stakeholders are there, keep meeting on topic, send out minutes afterwards

Expert Judgement

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO One of the most common tools in the planning process. Includes hiring an expert or subject matter expert (SME) to help you plan a process or conduct a process. People with specialized knowledge or training in a particular process, industry or technology

Decision Making

Common Tools + Techniques, ITTO What to do with data Methods: Voting Multicriteria decision analysis: make a table (matrix) that lists different types of criteria, then evaluate an idea based on those criteria (ex: director gets 3 votes, coordinator gets 1) Autocratic decision making: one person decides for entire team

While working on the network upgrade project, team members Bill and Mark have an issue regarding how to upgrade the routers and firewalls. Bill says both devices should have a certain configuration, while Mark says both devices need another set of configurations. The project manager has met with both of them, and after analyzing the issue, the only solution they came up with was to have Mark configure the router and bill configure the firewall. What conflict resolution best illustrates this solution? Withdrawal Compromise Forcing Collaborating

Compromise is determining a solution in which both sides generally give up something to temporarily or partially resolve the conflict. This is known as a lose-lose situation.

Low-tech, high-touch Tools

Concept for collaboration in agile. Low-tech, high-touch over computer models. Use charts, whiteboards, walls. Promotes communication and collaboration. Skip using a computer Gantt chart to a Kanban board.

COCOMO

Constructive Cost Model (agile) To determine correlation between project input variables and final cost to use to estimate future projects. People factors has a score of 33...11 times more significant than tools and processes.

Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration: an XP Practice -Integration involves brining the code together and making sure it all compiles and works together. -This practice is critical, because it brings problems to the surface before more code is built on top of faulty or incompatible designs.

The project manager of a large multinational project knows that the stakeholder engagement will be key to a successful project. What should the project manager do to ensure all stakeholders are engaged? Identify the stakeholders early Document stakeholder requirements early Communicate continuously Identify risk early

Continuous communication is the main aspect of stakeholders' engagement. Continuous communication will lead to early identification of stakeholders and understanding how to engage them.

Manage quality is a process that is done to increase the probability of meeting a project's quality requirements. From what other process does manage quality get the data needed to improve quality management? Validate scope Control scope Plan quality management Control quality

Control Quality The manage quality process uses the data and results from the control quality process to ensure that the quality is being improved and met.

The deliverables of the project have been completed, and the project team has decided to inspect the product to ensure that it has met the quality requirements. What process will the team use to inspect the deliverable for quality requirements? Plan quality management Manage quality Control quality Perform quality assurance

Control quality ensures that the deliverables have met the quality requirements by inspecting them. Manage quality ensures that the quality management processes are being met and improved on. Plan quality management creates the quality management plan and describes the quality metrics. Perform quality assurance is not a PMBOK process.

Directive PMO

Controls the project. PM will be assigned and report to the PMO

Indirect Cost

Costs that are shared and allocated among several or all projects, i.e. a manager's salary

Sunk Cost

Costs that have been invested into or expended upon the project. Sunk costs are like spilt milk. Money already spent.

Fixed Cost

Costs that stay the same throughout the life of a project, i.e. a bulldozer

Variable Cost

Costs that vary on a project, i.e. hourly labor, fuel for bulldozer

Gather Data in a Retrospective

Create a picture of what happened during the sprint. Start to collect information to be used for improvement. Activities: -Timeline -Triple Nickels: break the team into 5 groups to spend 5 minutes collecting 5 ideas, 5 times -Mad, Sad, Glad: what was the team emotion as the sprint was taking place

Agile Manifesto

Created in 2001, 4 values, 12 guiding principles Exam tests these pretty in depth, but don't need to necessarily memorize them, just need to understand them and how they effect a scenario 4 Values: 1. Individuals + interactions over processes + tools 2. Working software over comprehensive documentation 3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation 4. Responding to change over following a plan Note: while there is value in the items on the right, agile values items on the left more. Uncovering better ways of a project by doing it and helping others do it.

Customer Tests

Customer Tests: an XP Practice -Customer describes one or more tests to show software is working -Team builds automated tests to prove software is working

Partial Completed Product

Customers Demo the product and provides feedback. This feedback adjust the next Sprint priorities. Agile term. May take a few sprints before this is available.

Agile Process

Customers/Product Owner --> Product Backlog --> Sprint Planning Meeting --> Sprint Backlog --> Sprint/Iteration + Daily Standup Meeting (both repeated) --> Sprint Review Meeting --> Sprint Retrospective --> Potentially Shippable Product Increment

When developing the cost management plan, what tool or technique includes reviewing the different funding options that can be used to fund the project? Meetings Data Analysis Expert Judgment External Funding

Data analysis includes alternative analysis, which includes reviewing strategic funding options. Meetings and expert judgment do not examine different funding options. External funding is not a valid tool.

In developing the schedule management plan which of the following tools will the project manager use?

Data analysis is a tool that is used in plan schedule management to create the schedule management plan. The other choices are not tools in this process.

Measurement Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated with assessing project performance and taking appropriate actions to maintain acceptable performance. Involves measuring project performance and implementing appropriate responses to keep the project on track. This domain evaluates the amount to which the work is done in the Delivery Performance Domain is meeting the metrics identified in the Planning Performance Domain. Identify thresholds for your measures (ex: delivery date +/- a week) Outcomes include: -A reliable understanding of the status of the project. -Actionable data to enable decision making -Timely and appropriate actions to keep the project on track -Achieving targets and generating business value

Work Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated with establishing project processes, managing physical resources, and fostering a learning environment. Project work is connected with establishing the processes and performing the work done by the project team to deliver the expected deliverables and outcomes. Project work keeps the project team dedicated and project activities running correctly. Project manager and project team establish and periodically review the processes the project team is using to conduct work. Outcomes include: -Efficient and effective project performance -Project processes are suitable for the project and environment -Efficient management of physical resources and procurement -Appropriate comms with stakeholders -Improved team capability due to continuous learning and process adjustments

Development Approach Life Cycle Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated with the development approach, cadence, and life cycle phases of the project. Delivery cadence refers to the timing and frequency of project deliverables. Projects can have a single delivery, multiple deliveries or periodic deliveries . A development approach is the means used to create and evolve the product, service or result during the project lifecycle. Outcomes include: -Correct development approaches -A project lifecycle that connects the delivery of business and stakeholder value from the beginning to the end of the project -A project life cycle consisting of phases that facilitate the delivery cadence and development approach required to produce the project deliverables

Planning Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated with the initial, ongoing and evolving organization and coordination necessary for delivering project deliverables and outcomes. The purpose of planning is to proactively develop an approach to create the project deliverables. When planning, things to consider will be: -Delivery - what is the scope -Estimating - scope, schedule, budget, resources -Schedules -Budget Outcomes include: -Project moves in an organized, coordinated and deliberate manner -There is a holistic approach to providing the project outcomes -Evolving information is elaborated -There is a process for adaptation of plans

Team Performance Domain

Deals with activities and functions associated with the people who are responsible for creating project deliverables that realize business outcomes. Outcomes includes: -Shared ownership -A high-performing team -Appropriate leadership and other interpersonal skills This domain entails establishing the culture and environment that enables a collection of diverse individuals to evolve into a high-performing project team. Terms: -Project Manager: lead -Project Management Team: directly involved in PM activities -Project Team: performing the work Desired outcomes: -Shared ownership -High-performing team -Appropriate leadership and interpersonal skills demonstrated by all team members

Delivery Performance Domain

Deals with the activities and functions associated with delivering the scope and quality that the project was undertaken to achieve. Project delivery is about meeting requirements, scope, and quality expectations to produce the expected deliverable. Some projects deliver value throughout, others deliver the bulk at the end. PM will need to understand how the deliverable is able to deliver value to the stakeholder. Need to gather requirements, evolve them, manage them, maybe adjust the scope. Outcomes include: -Projects contribute to business objectives -Projects realize the outcomes -Project benefits are realized in the time frame -Project team has an understanding of requirements -Stakeholders accept and are satisfied with project deliverables

Operations Management

Deals with the ongoing production of goods and/or services Considers the acquisition, development, and utilization of resources that firms need to deliver the goods and services *Different from a project in that it is ongoing, not temporary Ex: something like sales; this is not a project, it is ongoing

Decide What to Do in a Retrospective

Decide what do do about the problems that were found. How can we improve for the next iteration. Activities: -Short Subjects: team decides what actions to take in the next iteration: start doing, stop doing, do more of, do less of -SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely

Escaped Defects

Defects that make it to the customer

Theory Z

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team Increased loyalty at the workplace. Theory emphasizes the well-being of employees, both at work and outside of work, and encourages steady employment. Japanese theory.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team Maslow's hierarchy of needs: (people won't be motivated until they get to 4/5) 1. Physiological: the necessities to live: air, water, food, clothing, shelter 2. Safety: people need safety and security; this can include stability in life, work and culture 3. Social: people are social creatures and need love, approval and friends 4. Esteem: people strive for the respect, appreciation, and approval of others 5. Self-actualization: at the pinnacle of needs, people seek personal growth, knowledge and fulfillment

Expectancy Theory

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team People behave based on what they expect as a result of their behavior. Ex: will do a good job because they are expecting a bonus at the end of a project.

Forms of Power

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team Reward power - ability to give rewards Expert power - SME -Legitimate (formal power) -Referent - respect/personality of the manager -Punishment - punish associates when they fail (least desirable)

McGregor's Theory X and Y

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team Theory X - bad. These people think others need to be watched all the time, micromanaged and distrusted. People who avoid work, responsibility and have no ability to achieve. Theory Y - good. These people are self-led, motivated, and can accomplish new tasks proactively.

McClelland's Theory of Needs

Develop Team Theories, Under Recognition and Rewards tool/technique for Develop Team You need to have all of the following to be motivated: 1. Achievement 2. Power 3. Affiliation

Agile Modeling

Different modeling techniques that are used to help establish shared vision. They should be lightweight or "barely sufficient", nothing too complex -use case diagrams - visually shows how many users would use an application -data models - how the data are structured in tables and their relationships -screen design - simple screenshots -wireframes - quick mock-up of product, "low-fidelity prototyping", clarifies what "done" looks like, validate approach prior to execution

Hybrid Method 1

Do a part of the project in an agile approach and part in a predictive approach. Design, Develop, Test = Agile (servant leader, meetings, backlog, sprints) Rollout = Predictive (once all of the releases are done. Used when process is already well defined ex: software installers have been doing this for a long time and know how to install to 200 computers, not much customer feedback required) Agile development followed by a predictive rollout

The project team is currently doing data analysis to help identify which risks can affect the project. What data analysis technique can they use to help determine if there are certain risks in the procurement agreement that can affect the project? Root cause analysis Assumption and constrain analysis SWOT analysis Document analysis

Document analysis is a structured review of the different project documents that could include contracts, agreements, and different parts of the project plan.

Which of the following drives the need to re-plan agile projects? Uncertainty Lack of team understanding Lack of team commitment Lack of stakeholder commitment

Due to the uncertainty of the scope on an agile project and constant changes agile projects will be in a constant state of re-planning.

When conducting the process of manage communication what does the project manager circulate to the stakeholders throughout the process? Work Performance Data Work Performance Information Work Performance Reports Communication Management Plan

During the process of manage communications, the project manager will circulate the work performance report as specified in the communication management plan. Work performance reports are sometimes known as status reports or progress reports.

Earned Value Management

EVM = a series of formulas to calculate the cost and schedule progression on the project. Will be done during monitoring and controlling. Compares what has gotten done to the plan (plan vs. actual work). Will be on the exam, likely 2-4 questions. 12 formulas we should know.

User Stories - INVEST

Effective user stories should be: -Independent: should be independent so it can be reprioritized if needed -Negotiable: Should allow for trade-offs based on cost and function -Valuable: Should clearly state the value of it -Estimable: Should be able to estimate how long to complete -Small: Stories should be between 4-40 hours of work -Testable: Should be testable to ensure it will be accepted once completed

Participatory Decision Models

Engage stakeholders in decision making process (agile) -Simple voting - vote for or against it -Thumbs up/down/sideways - people can hold their thumbs in a way of support or not. Sideways is if they cannot make up their mind -Fist of five - people hold up their finger based on how much they support an idea, 1 finger = total support, 5 finger = stop against it

Communication Management

Ensures that the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met. Makes sure that everybody gets the right message at the right time. Develops a consistent approach to communications management, adheres to it, and regularly monitors and controls it. A PM spends 90% of their time on comms. 3 Processes: 1. Plan Communications Management (Planning process group) 2. Manage Communications (Executing process group) 3. Control Communications (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Fibonacci Sequence

Estimates should be relative A way to assign numbers to user stories Fibonacci Sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 (to get the next number, add the previous two) A relative numbering system that if a feature is 21 points of work, it's as much as both a 13 and 8; 2 is double the work of 1

Project Management Process Groups, with definitions

Exam will be based on process groups, not knowledge areas (can have multiple knowledge areas in one process group) 1. Initiating - the project is authorized 2. Planning - project objectives are determined 3. Executing - project is executed utilizing acquired resources 4. Monitoring + Controlling - project performance is monitored and measured to ensure the project plan is being implemented to design specifications and requirements 5. Closing - project and its various phases are brought to a formal end

Manage Stakeholders Engagement

Executing Process in Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area Communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations. Addressing issues and getting them involved. Clarify roles, issues, changes etc. with stakeholders.

Conduct Procurements

Executing phase of Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area The process of obtaining a seller response, selecting a seller, and awarding a contract. It selects a qualified seller and implements the legal agreement for delivery.

Project manager Mark has been assigned to the software development project. Mark has more than 20 years of experience as a software developer, and all of the team members are very happy that he is currently leading the team. They go to him for technical and management-related issues on the project. What form of power best describes Mark's power on the project? Expert Power Subject Matter Expert Power Technical Power Technical Management Power

Expert powers is when the project manager is considered to be an expert in the field in which the project is taking place. The other choices are made-up forms of power.

When communicating with stakeholders, what can the project manager use to ensure the stakeholders receive the information and understand it? Active listening Presentation skills Soft skills Feedback

Feedback is used to ensure that the information provided to stakeholders is received and understood.

Develop Schedule

Fifth Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group Analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create a schedule model for project execution and monitoring and controlling. It generates a schedule model with planned dates for completing project activities. Entering the activities, durations and resources into the scheduling tool will generate a schedule with planned dates for completing the project activities.

Plan Schedule Management

First Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group Establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing and controlling the project schedule. Provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project.

Acquire Resources

First process in Executing phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area Getting the staff and physical resources needed to build the deliverables on the project. Done continuously throughout the project or phase. Both internal and external resources.

Plan Resource Management

First process in Planning phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area Describing how to estimate, acquire, manage and use team and physical resources. Team resources are the people working on the project to build the deliverables. Physical resources such as supplies, materials, services, facilities, and equipment will be measured, acquired, managed and used in the project.

Plan Risk Management

First process in Planning phase of Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project. Planning how to identify, assess, respond, implement responses and monitor risks. Risk management is a proactive approach and should be done early in the project.

Plan Scope Management

First process in Project Scope Management knowledge area Process of creating a scope management plan that documents how the project and product scope will be defined, validated and controlled. Guidance and direction on how scope will be managed through the project.

Float/Slack

Float, slack, total float all mean the same thing In Critical Path Method Amount of time you can delay an activity without delaying the project end/delivery date. Any delays on the Critical Path activities will delay the final project date. Therefore, they have no slack/float.

Hybrid Method 4

Following a complete agile project, but you have a small predictive component There is a portion that is non-negotiable, can't change scope. Often third party.

Actual Cost

Formula for EVM AC = just the amount of money already spent on the project, no formula Value is in currency.

Budget at Completion

Formula for EVM BAC = original budget of the project No formula for this one, it's just the original budget. Value is in currency.

Cost Performance Index

Formula for EVM CPI = EV/ AC The rate of how we are spending to actually earning on the project. This value should be 1 and over for projects under budget. Ex: if CPI is 1.07, for every dollar of work, you get a value of 1.07. You are 7% under budget as well. One of the most used formulas, likely popular on the test. Value is an index, not in currency but a percentage

Cost Variance

Formula for EVM CV = EV - AC The difference between the work done and money spent. This value should be positive for under budget. Negative values indicate over budget. Value is in currency.

Estimate at Completion

Formula for EVM EAC = BAC/CPI Forecasting the total cost of the project at the end based on the current spending rate of the project. Value is in currency.

Planned Value

Formula for EVM PV = Planned % Complete x BAC Amount of money worth of work that should have been done on the project. The planned % may not always be a percentage - ex: if a project is 5 days long and 3 are completed, it would be (3/5) x BAC Value is in currency.

Schedule Performance Index

Formula for EVM SPI = EV/PV The rate of how we are meeting the project schedule. This value should be 1 and over for a project to be ahead of schedule. If SPI = 1, you are on schedule; if SPI = 1.25, you are 25% ahead of schedule; is SPI = .75, you are 25% behind schedule Another commonly used formula on the test. Value is an index, not in currency but a percentage

Schedule Variance

Formula for EVM SV = EV - PV The difference between the amount of work we should have done vs. the amount actually done. This value should be positive for ahead of schedule. Negative values indicate behind schedule. Ex: if SV = -60, they are $60 worth of work behind schedule If SV = 200, you are $200 worth of work ahead of schedule Value is in currency.

To-Complete Performance Index

Formula for EVM TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC) Level of effort needed to finish project on budget. ex: TCPI = 0.83, you are currently under budget and do not need to "put in 100%" to come in on budget. You need to put in only 83% effort. Value is an index, not in currency but a percentage

Create WBS - Tools and Techniques

Fourth Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area 1. Expert Judgement 2. Decomposition: It comprises of breaking down each of the project deliverables into smaller components/work packages. The basic work package should be able to estimate its basic time, cost and effort.

Create WBS

Fourth Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area WBS = Work Breakdown Structure Subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components. Breakdown of the project deliverables from the scope statement. Sometimes in the form of a flowchart

Estimate Activity Duration

Fourth Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group Estimating the number of work periods needed to complete individual activities with estimated resources. It provides the amount of time each activity will take to complete. It should be calculated by the individual most familiar with the nature of work in the specific activity. Uses information from the scope of work, required resource types or skill levels, estimated resource quantities, and resource calendars.

Project Governance

Framework, functions, and processes that guide project management activities in order to create a unique product, service, or result to meet a company goal -All companies have a different framework -Should be tailored to the business

Three C's of User Stories

Have the users write the stories on index cards. Not much detail, it's used to help create a conversation. 3 C's: 1. Card (index card) 2. Conversation 3. Confirmation (of value requirements)

Personas

Helpful in agile projects Quick guides or reminders of key stakeholders and interests. Help team focus on valuable features to users. -Provide description of users -Be grounded in reality -Be goal-oriented, specific and relevant -Be tangible and actionable -Generate focus Consider making a persona for every user of the product/feature. How they see value in it and how they will use it.

Control Limits

Helps diagnose issues before issues occur. Provide guidelines to operate within. Ex: average points per iteration - iteration is set at 15, because limit is between 12 and 18, average is 15

Story Maps

High-level planning tool. Stakeholders map out what the project priorities are early in the planning process. Serves as the "product roadmap". Shows when features will be delivered (in which release) and what is included in each release.

Cycle Time

How long something takes to go through a part of the process. Part of lead time. Long cycle times lead to increased amounts of WIP -Measure of how long it takes to get things done -Closely related to work in progress (WIP) -excessive WIP is associated with several problems: represents money invested with no return on investment yet; hides bottlenecks in processes and masks efficiency issues; represents risk in form of potential rework

Effective Quality

How to ensure effective quality management - It always costs more if the customer finds the defects. Prevent defects from going to customers. Build quality into the planning and design of a project. Build a culture in the organization that wants to produce quality work.

Hybrid Fit for Purpose

Hybrid life cycle as Fit-For-Purpose, based on project risk. Use a combination of any methods to deliver value. Taking a look at the 4 hybrid methods, and seeing which will be most valuable for your project, but you then sort of create your own hybrid method to deliver the most value.

The project manager has calculated the EV of the project to be $14,000 and the PV to be $16,000. The BAC is currently at $22,000. Which statement best describes this project? The project is ahead of schedule The project is on budget The project is over budget The project is behind schedule

If you are to calculate this project's SV, you would have gotten a negative number. To calculate the SV, subtract PV from EV, which is $14,000-$16,000 = -$2,000. This project is behind schedule by $2,000 worth of work.

The project manager has met with the project team to determine when to do the inspections on the project. The project manager would like to do minimal inspections but still have a high-quality product. Which of the following actions would lead to fewer inspections but higher quality?

Implement more preventative actions Quality is about prevention. The more a defect is prevented, the fewer inspections will be needed. For example, hiring a well-trained programmer would require fewer code inspections.

Inverting the Triangle

Important concept for agile mindset Traditional: complete scope within time and cost (scope is at the top, time and cost are at the bottom, scope is fixed); finish the work is the priority (may be over schedule and over budget, but the work is done) Agile: keep the time and cost the same as determined, create as much work as possible within certain time and cost Time and cost are at the top, fixed, and scope is at the bottom, variable

Definition of "Done"

Important for agile projects, needs to be consistently revisited and agreed upon Creating a shared vision of what "done" looks like with Customer Should be done for: User stories Releases Final project deliverables

Set a Shared Vision

Important for agile projects. Ensure customers and agile project team has the same vision. Methods include: -Agile charter -Definition of "done" -Agile Modeling: use case diagrams, data models, screen design -Wireframes -Personas

Conflict Management

Important for exam A tool for Manage Team Greatest project conflict occurs between project managers and functional managers. Disagreements over schedules, priorities and resources. Types of Conflict Resolution: 1. Problem Solving (confronting) - people put head together to find the best solution, win-win 2. Forcing - one side wins and other looses, Bob has priority so we go with his opinion, win-lose 3. Compromising - take a look at both sides of the argument and create a mix solution, lose-lose 4. Smoothing - saying it's not that big of a problem considered lose-lose 5. Withdrawal - one party leaves, conflict is not resolved so considered a yield-lose solution

Delivering Value Incrementally

In Agile Incremental delivery is about deploying working parts of a product over the life of the project. In software development, its first delivered to a testing environment then to production. This will reduce the amount of rework by discovering issues early and fixing them. There is a graph for this. Cost of Change is Y axis, Time is X axis. Cost of change increases drastically over time.

How to Conduct a Workshop

In Agile Projects, a meeting where work gets done. Retrospectives are a type of workshop. Ways to make them more effective: -Diverse groups has a larger perspective -Use methods such as round-robin to ensure no one dominates -Try to get everyone to participate in the first few minutes (can include an ice breaker) User story workshops are where we write the user stories and keep stakeholders engaged.

Virtual structure

In a virtual structure, project management can be full- or part-time, and everyone works at their own computer. Note: no such thing as Online structure

Adaptive Leadership

In agile, concept of adapting how we lead teams based on specific circumstances and how mature the team is in formation. (based on Tuckman's 5 stages of development) Forming --> Directing Storming --> Coaching Norming --> Supporting Performing --> Delegating Adjourning

The organization has decided to use agile methods on their next project. How will the organization describe an agile project team? Self-organizing Project manager led Organization led PMO led

In an agile project the team is self-organizing and the project manager will provide a supporting environment and trust that the team will do the job correctly.

Direct and Manage Project Work

In executing process group in integrated project management Performing the work defined in the project management plan Involves managing people and keeping them engaged, improving the processes, requesting changes, and implementing approved changes Summary of all other executing processes (all under it in the chart)

The project manager has just been told by the project sponsor that, due to a current recession in the stock market, the company will not be able to allocate all of the funds that the project will need for completion. What should the project manager do with this funding limit? Implemented change requests Reschedule the project work Close the project Seek external funding

In the process of determining budget, the funding limit reconciliation tool is handled by rescheduling work. Implementing a change request may not help, since the organization will not have the money; closing the project will not resolve the funding problems; and seeking external funding may not be an option.

Scope Management

Includes the process required to ensure that the project includes all the work required and only the work required to complete the project successfully. Managing the project scope is primarily concerned with defining and controlling what is and what is not included in the project. 6 Processes: 1. Plan Scope Management 2. Collect Requirements 3. Define Scope 4. Create WBS 5. Validate Scope 6. Control Scope

Integration Management

Includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the Project Management Process Groups. Will get a lot of questions on this on the exam. The summary knowledge area, combines other knowledge areas. Need other 9 knowledge areas to integrate. You do all of the processes under the Project Integration Management column in the chart for each of the process groups (ex: to develop project management plan, you need to do all of the things below like plan scope management, collect requirements, etc.) Made up of 7 Processes: (Process Name > Process Group) 1. Develop project charter > Initiating 2. Develop project management plan > Planning 3. Direct and manage project work > Executing 4. Manage project knowledge > Executing 5. Monitor and control project work > Monitoring and Controlling 6. Perform integrated change control > Monitoring and Controlling 7. Close Project > Closing

Stakeholders

Individuals, group or organization that may affect, be affected or perceive to be affected by the project In exam, stakeholder means ANYONE affected by the project

ITTO

Input --> Process --> Output ^ Tools and techniques (under/into Process) At the end of this process, you will have a process charter

Business Documents

Input for Develop Project Charter Contain specific information as to why a project should be initiated. There are two of them: 1. Business Case - Necessary information that determines whether or not the project is worth the required investment -market demand, customer request, organizational need, legal requirement 2. Project Benefits Management Plan - Describes the main benefits that the project will produce once it is completed AND how to measure the benefits. The project benefit could be the product, service or result -may be created by doing a cost-benefit analysis on a project

Project Selection Methods

Input of Develop Project Charter process (may not get a ton of questions on this on exam) Economic methods used when selecting a project, in particular, money methods Ex: -Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) - ratio of benefits to cost -Economic Value Add (EVA) - how much value a project has created for its stakeholders -Internal Rate of Return (IRR) - the project's return as an interest rate, % -Opportunity Cost (smaller is better) - cost of lost opportunities -Payback period (quicker is better) -Present value and Net present value -ROI

Plan Schedule Management - ITTOs

Input: -Project Charter -Project Management Plan -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis -Meetings Outputs: -Schedule management plan

Identify Stakeholders - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Business documents (business case, benefits management plan) -Project management plan -Project documents (change log, issue log, requirements documentation) -Agreements -EEF -OPA Tools and Technique: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (questionnaires and surveys, brainstorming) -Data analysis (stakeholder analysis, document analysis) -Data representation (stakeholder mapping/representation) -Meetings Output: -Stakeholder register -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Plan Procurement Management - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Business documents (business case, benefits management plan) -Project management plan (scope management plan, quality management plan, resource management plan, scope baseline) -Project documents -EEF -OPA (contract types) Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (market research) -Data analysis (make-or-buy analysis) -Source selection analysis -Meetings Output: -Procurement management plan -Procurement strategy -Bid documents -Procurement SOW -Source selection criteria -Make-or-buy decisions -Independent cost estimates -Change requests -Project document updates -OPA updates

Plan Stakeholder Engagement - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Project management plan (resource management plan, communication management plan, risk management plan) -Project documents (assumption log, change log, issue log, project schedule, risk register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (benchmarking) -Data analysis (assumption and constraint analysis, root cause analysis) -Decision making (prioritization/ranking) -Data representation (mind mapping, stakeholder engagement assessment matrix) -Meetings Output: -Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Plan Resource Management - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Project management plan (scope baseline, quality management plan) -Project documents (project schedule, requirements documentation, risk register, stakeholder register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data representation (organization charts and position descriptions, 3 types of charts: hierarchical, matrix-based and text-oriented format) -Organizational Theory (how the organization manages its resources, incl. management of people) -Meetings Output: -Resource management plan -Team charter -Project document updates

Control Procurement - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan -Project documents -Agreements -Procurement documentation -Approved change requests -Work performance data -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Claims administration -Data analysis (performance reviews, earned value analysis, trend analysis) -Inspection -Audits Output: -Closed procurements -Work performance information -Procurement documentation updates -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates -OPA updates

Determine Budget - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan -Project documents -Business documents -Agreements -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Cost aggregation (details on what each schedule activity is scheduled to cost. These will be rolled up to each parent work package to determine total cost and budgetary requirements) -Data analysis (Reserve analysis) -Historical information review -Funding limit reconciliation -Financing (acquiring money for the project from an external source) Output: -Cost baseline -Project funding requirements -Project document updates

Conduct Procurements - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan -Project documents -Procurement documentation (bid documents, procurement statement of work, independent cost estimates, source selection criteria) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Advertising (some contracts may be required to be advertised, i.e. government contracts) -Bidder conferences -Data analysis (proposal evaluation) -Interpersonal and team skills (negotiation) Output: -Selected sellers (final approval may be needed by company senior management) -Agreements -Change requests -Project management plan updates -OPA updates

Control Scope - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan -Project documents -Work performance data -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Variance Analysis -Trend Analysis Output: -Work performance information (planned vs. actual performance) -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Manage Communication - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (communication management plan, resource management plan) -Project documents (stakeholder register, risk reports, quality report, issue log, change log) -Work performance reports (note: you want the report, not the raw data) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Comm technology -Comm methods -Comm skills (communication competence, feedback, nonverbal, presentations) -Proj management info systems -Project reporting (collecting and distributing project information) -Interpersonal and team skills (active listening, conflict management, cultural awareness, meeting management, networking, political awareness) -Meetings Output: -Project communications (performance reports, deliverables status, baseline reporting) -Project management plan updates -Project document updates -OPA updates

Control Cost - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (cost management plan, cost baseline, performance measurement baseline) -Project documents (lessons learned register) -Project funding requirements -Work performance data -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis (earned value analysis, variance analysis, trend analysis, reserve analysis) -To-Complete performance index (TCPI) -PMIS Output: -Work performance information -Cost forecasts (Uses the EAC EVM formula) -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Estimate Costs - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (cost management plan, scope baseline, quality management plan) -Project documents (project schedule, risk register, lessons learned register, resource requirements) -EEF Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Analogous estimating (top down, past projects, not very detailed) -Parametric estimating (statistical relationships between historical data and variables ex: 1 hour work period, paint 32 sq. ft.) -Bottom-up estimating (separate estimate for each activity and aggregate up to summary nodes on WBS, highly accurate and labor intensive) -Three-Point estimating/PERT -Data analysis (reserve analysis set aside for risk, cost of quality - failure or success) -PMIS -Decision making (voting) Output: -Cost estimates -Basis of estimates -Project documents updates (assumption log, lessons learned register, risk register)

Identify Risks - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (many components) -Project documents (many components) -Agreements -Procurement documentation -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (brainstorming, checklists, interviews) -Data analysis (documentation analysis, assumptions and constraints analysis, root cause analysis, SWOT analysis) -Interpersonal and team skills (facilitation) -Prompt lists -Meetings Output: -Risk register -Risk report -Project document updates

Control Resources - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan) -Project documents (issue log, lessons learned register, physical resource assignments, project schedule, resource breakdown structure, resource requirements, risk register) -Work performance data -Agreements -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Data analysis (alternative analysis, trend analysis, cost benefit analysis, performance reviews) -Problem solving -Interpersonal Team Skills (negotiation and influencing) -PMIS Output: -Work performance information -Change requests -Project management plan updates (resource management plan, schedule baseline, cost baseline) -Project document updates (assumptions log, issue log, physical resource assignments, resource breakdown structure)

Develop Team- ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan) -Project documents (resource calendars, resource requirements, project schedule, lessons learned register, project team assignments, team charter) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Colocation -Virtual teams -Communication technology -Interpersonal and team skills (soft skills) -Recognition and rewards (rewarding good behavior, only desirable behavior should be rewarded, used to increase morale) -Training -Individual and team assessments -Meetings Output: -Team performance assessments (evaluation of the team) -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates -EEF Updates -OPA Updates

Monitor Stakeholder Engagement - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan, communication management plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project documents (issue log, lesson learned register, project communications, risk register, stakeholder register) -Work performance data -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Data analysis (alternatives analysis, root cause analysis, stakeholder analysis) -Decision making (multicriteria decision analysis, voting) -Data representation (stakeholder engagement assessment matrix) -Communication skills (feedback, presentations) -Interpersonal and team skills -Meetings Output: -Work performance information -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project documents updates

Monitor Communications - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan, communications management plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project documents (project communications, issue log, lessons learned register) -Work performance data -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Project management info systems -Data representation -Interpersonal and team skills -Meetings Output: -Work performance information -Change requests -Project management plan updates (communications management plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project documents updates (issue log, lessons learned register, stakeholder register)

Acquire Resources - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan, procurement management plan) -Project documents (project schedule, resource calendars, resource requirements, stakeholder register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Decision making (multi-criteria decision analysis) -Interpersonal and team skills (negotiation) -Pre-assignment -Virtual teams Output: -Physical resource assignments -Project team assignments -Resource calendars (shows working shifts for resources, availability) -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project documents updates -EEF updates -OPA updates

Plan Risk Responses - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan, risk management plan, cost baseline) -Project documents (lessons learned register, risk report, project schedule, stakeholder register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Technology: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (interviews) -Interpersonal and team skills (facilitation) -Strategies for threats -Strategies for opportunities -Contingent response strategies -Strategies for overall project risk -Data analysis (alternatives analysis, cost-benefit analysis) -Decision making (multicriteria decision analysis) Output: -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Monitor Risk - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (risk management plan) -Project documents (lessons learned register, risk report, project schedule, stakeholder register) -Work performance data -Work performance reports Tools and Techniques: -Data analysis (technical performance analysis, reserve analysis) -Audits (done to determine the effectiveness of the risk management process) -Meetings Output: -Work performance information -Change requests -Project management plan updates (any component) -Project document updates -OPA updates

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (risk management plan) -Project documents (stakeholder register, assumption log, risk register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (interview) -Data analysis (urgency, proximity, manageability, detectability, etc.) -Interpersonal and team skills (facilitation) -Risk categorization -Data representation -Meetings Output: -Project document updates (risk register- go and rank risks, risk report, issue log, assumption log)

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (risk management plan, scope baseline, schedule baseline, cost baseline) -Project documents -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering (interviews) -Interpersonal and team skills (facilitation) -Representations of uncertainty -Data analysis (simulations, sensitivity analysis, decision tree analysis, influence diagram) Output: -Project document updates (risk report)

Sequence Activities - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (schedule management plan, scope baseline) -Project documents (activity attributes, activity list, assumption log, milestone list) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Precedence diagramming method -Dependency determination and integration -Leads and lags -PMIS (info system) Outputs: -Project schedule network diagrams -Project document updates

Estimate Activity Resources - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (scope baseline, resource management plan) -Project documents (activity attributes, activity list, assumption log, cost estimates, resource calendars, risk register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Bottom-up estimating -Analogous estimating -Parametric Estimating -Data analysis (alternatives analysis) -PMIS -Meetings Output: -Resource requirements (will document the number and types of resources needed to complete each activity, should be very detailed) -Basis of estimates -Resource breakdown structure (hierarchical breakdown of resources by their categories and types ex: consumables, equipment, HR) -Project documents updates (activity attributes, assumption log, lessons learned register)

Manage Stakeholders Engagement - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (stakeholder engagement plan, communication management plan, risk management plan) -Project documents (change log, issue log, lessons learned register) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Communication skills (feedback) -Interpersonal and team skills (conflict management, cultural awareness, observation/conversations, negotiation, political awareness) -Ground rules (defined in the team charter for team members and stakeholders) -Meetings Output: -Change requests -Project management plan updates (communications management plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project document updates

Plan Communication Management - ITTOs

Input: -Project charter -Project management plan (resource management plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project documents (stakeholder register, requirements documentations) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Communication requirements analysis -Communication tech -Comm Models -Interpersonal and Team Skills -Data representation (stakeholder engagement assessment matrix) -Meetings Output: -Comms Management Plan -Project Management Plan Updates -Project Documents Updates

Manage Quality - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (quality management plan) -Project documents (quality control measurements, risk report, lesson learned register) -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Data gathering (checklist) -Data analysis (alternatives analysis, document analysis, process analysis, root cause analysis) -Decision making (multicriteria decision analysis) -Data representation (affinity diagrams, matrix diagrams, cause and effect diagrams/fishbone/Ishikawa diagram, flowchart, histograms/bar charts) -Audits -Design for X (used by engineers in order to design a particular aspect of a product) -Problem solving -Quality improvement methods Output: -Quality reports -Test and Evaluation documents -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Control Quality - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (quality management plan) -Project documents (quality metrics, test and evaluation documents, lesson learned register) -Approved change requests -Deliverables (output from direct and manage project work) -Work performance data -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Data gathering (checklists, check sheets, statistical sampling, questionnaires and surveys) -Data analysis (performance review or root cause analysis) -Inspection (often referred to as audits, walk-throughs or peer reviews, used to validate defect repairs) -Testing/Product evals (e.g. unit testing, integration testing) -Data representation (cause and effect diagrams, scatter diagrams, histogram/pareto diagrams, control chart) -Meetings Output: -Quality control measurements -Verified deliverables -Work performance info -Change requests -Proj plan updates -Proj document updates

Manage Team - ITTOs

Input: -Project management plan (resource management plan) -Project documents (issue log, lessons learned register, project team assignments, team charter) -Work performance reports -Team performance assessments -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Interpersonal and team skills (conflict management, decision making, emotional intelligence, leadership) -PMIS Output: -Change requests (mostly staffing changes) -Project management plan updates -Project document updates -EEF Updates -OPA Updates

Perform Integrated Change Control - ITTO

Inputs: -Project Management Plan -Project Documents -Risk Report -Work Performance Reports -Change Requests -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Change control tools -Data analysis -Decision making -Meetings Outputs: -Approved change requests -Project management plan updates -Project documents updates

Define Activities - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project Management Plan (schedule management plan, scope baseline) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Decomposition -Rolling wave planning -Meetings Outputs: -Activity list -Activity attributes -Milestone list -Change requests -Project management plan updates

Plan Quality Management - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan -Project documents (stakeholder register, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data gathering -Data analysis -Decision making (multicriteria decision analysis) -Data representation -Test and inspection planning (PM and team determine how to test or inspect the project output to ensure it meets the stakeholder needs and expectations) -Meetings Outputs: -Quality management plan -Quality metrics -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Plan Cost Management - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan (schedule management plan, risk management plan) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis (reviewing strategic funding such as self-funding or funding with equity) -Meetings Outputs: -Cost management plan

Define Scope - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan (scope management plan) -Project documents (requirements documentation from previous process, collect requirements; risk register; assumption log) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement** -Data analysis -Decision making -Interpersonal and team skills -Product analysis Outputs: -Project scope statement -Project documents updates (assumption log, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, stakeholder register)

Plan Scope Management - ITTO

Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan: quality management plan, project life cycle description, development approach -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert Judgement -Data Analysis/Alternatives Analysis -Meetings Outputs: -Scope management plan -Requirements management plan

Direct and Manage Project Work - ITTO

Inputs: -Project management plan -Project documents -Approved change requests -Enterprise Environmental Factors -Organizational Process Assets Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Project management information system -Meetings Outputs: -Deliverables -Work performance data -Issue log -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Manage Project Knowledge - ITTO

Inputs: -Project management plan -Project documents -Deliverables -Enterprise environmental factors -Organizational process assets Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Knowledge management -Information management -Interpersonal and team skills - active listening, facilitation, leadership, networking, political awareness Outputs: -Lessons learned register** -Project management plan updates -Organizational process assets updates

Control Schedule - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project management plan (schedule management plan, schedule baseline, scope baseline, performance measurement baseline) -Project documents (lessons learned register, project calendars, project schedule, schedule date) -Work performance data -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Data analysis (performance reviews, earned value analysis, what-if scenarios, iteration burndown chart) -Critical path method -PMIS -Resource optimization -Leads and lags -Schedule compression (fast track or crash) Outputs: -Work performance information -Schedule forecasts -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Develop Schedule - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project management plan (schedule management plan, scope baseline) -Project documents (a ton...activity list, assumption log, basis of estimates, milestone list, project team assignments, resources calendar, lessons learned register, etc.) -Agreements -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Schedule network analysis -Critical path method -Resource optimization -Data analysis -Leads and lags -Schedule compression -Project management information system -Agile release planning Outputs: -Schedule baseline -Project schedule -Schedule data -Project calendars -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Validate Scope - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project management plan (scope baseline) -Project documents -Verified deliverables (created during the Perform Quality Control Process) -Work performance data Tools and Techniques: -Inspection (aka product review, audit, walkthrough) -Decision making (voting) Outputs: -Accepted deliverables -Work performance information -Change requests (deliverables that have not met the acceptance criteria are dealt with via Perform Integrated Change Control process) -Project document updates

Create WBS - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project management plan (scope management plan) -Project documents (project scope statement, requirements documentation) -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Decomposition -Expert judgement Outputs: -Scope baseline (includes WBS in it) -Project documents updates (assumption log, requirements documentation)

Monitor and Control Project Work - ITTO

Inputs: -Project management plan -Project documents -Work performance information -Agreements -Enterprise environmental factors Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Data analysis -Decision making -Meetings Outputs: -Work performance reports -Change requests -Project management plan updates -Project document updates

Estimate Activity Duration - ITTOs

Inputs: -Project management plan (schedule management plan, scope baseline) -Project documents -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgement -Analogous Estimating -Parametric Estimating -Three-Point Estimates -Bottom-Up Estimating -Data analysis (alternatives analysis, reserve analysis) -Decision making -Meeting Outputs: -Duration estimates -Basis of estimates -Project document updates

Mark was assigned a new project to install a new phone system. He feels he can learn more about the customer's requirements if he watches them use their current analog system. What tool or technique best describes his approach?

Interpersonal and team skills Job shadowing is an example of the observation/conversation part of interpersonal and team skills.

Just in Time Inventory

Inventory levels as near zero as possible to not have excessive waste

Individual Project Risk

Is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives.

Types of Iterations

Iteration 0: sets the stage for development efforts. Doesn't build anything. Team gets familiar with what they need to do, approach to project. Development Iteration: build the product increment. Iteration H: (hardening sprint or release) done at the end to clean up codes or producing documentation Iteration 0 --> Dev Iteration --> Dev Iteration --> Dev Iteration --> Dev Iteration --> Iteration H

Iteration Planning

Iteration Planning: an XP Practice -Short development cycles within a release (Scrum calls it sprints) -Conducted at the start of every iteration, or every two weeks -Customer explains functionality they would like in iteration -Developers break functionality into tasks and estimate work -Based on estimates and amount of work accomplished in previous iteration Meeting run by the delivery team. Discuss the user stories in the backlog. Select the user stories for the iteration. Define the acceptance criteria. Break down the user stories into tasks. Estimate the task.

Kaizen

Kaizen is a process for continuous improvement, named after the Japanese word Focus on the team to implement small incremental improvement Usually follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PCDA) cycle by Edwards Deming (this may not be on exam) (agile)

Kanban Development

Kanban development is derived from the lean production system used at Toyota. "Kanban" is a Japanese word meaning "signboard". Limits work in progress and items in testing. It's a visual representation of work. Ex: Items, In Progress, Testing, Done Cards in each column, with a total of the cards on the bottom

Pull System

Kanban is known as a pull system. Data is being pulled from one to the next. Ex: In progress - you can have a max. of 6 items in "in progress", so you can start on one more item. Or, you are testing 3 of 4 things in testing phase, so can move a former in progress item to testing phase. Opposite of pull system is push system. Meaning, once the work is done, it is pushed to the next phase regardless of if the next phase is ready. Creates bottlenecks.

Little's Law

Kanban: Limit Work in Progress Cycle times are proportional to queue lengths. We can predict completion times based on queue size. Often in a chart X = Queue duration (time) Y = Queue length (units) Green, yellow and red. Red is work to be done, green is complete, yellow is how long. Eventually, all red becomes green. This was confusing to me, look this up, may be a question on the exam.

What prioritization technique will have stakeholders categorize the features based on satisfiers and dissatisfiers? Kano analysis Dot Voting Simple scheme MoSCow

Kano analysis will help to understand the customer's level of satisfaction. They will classify the features based on their level of satisfaction such as the exciter's, satisfiers, dissatisfiers, and indifferent.

Project Risk Management

Knowledge Area Conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis, response planning, response implementation, and monitoring risk on a project. Risk is negative or positive. Negative risks are threats and positive risks are opportunities. Increase the probability and/or impact of positive risks and to decrease the probability and/or impact of negative risks. 7 Processes: 1. Plan Risk Management (Planning process group) 2. Identify Risks (Planning process group) 3. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis (Planning process group) 4. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis (Planning process group) 5. Plan Risks Response (Planning process group) 6. Implement Risk Responses (Executing process group) 7. Monitor Risks (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Project Cost Management

Knowledge Area Includes the processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget. Primarily concerned with the cost of the resources needed to complete project activities. 4 Processes: 1. Plan Cost Management (Planning process group) 2. Estimate Cost (Planning process group) 3. Determine Budget (Planning process group) 4. Control Costs (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Project Resource Management

Knowledge Area Process to identify, obtain and manage the resources needed for the successful completion of the project. Management of both physical and team resources. Physical resources include equipment, materials, facilities and infrastructure. Team resources or personnel refer to the human resources. 6 Processes: 1. Plan Resource Management (Planning process group) 2. Estimate Activity Resources (Planning process group) 3. Acquire Resources (Executing process group) 4. Develop Team (Executing process group) 5. Manage Team (Executing process group) 6. Control Resources (Monitor and Control process group)

Project Stakeholder Management

Knowledge Area Processes to identify the people, groups or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project. Analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the project. Develop management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution. 4 Processes: 1. Identify Stakeholders (Initiating process group) --> Stakeholder register 2. Plan Stakeholder Engagement (Planning process group) --> Stakeholder engagement plan 3. Managing Stakeholder Engagement (Executing process group) --> Change request 4. Monitor Stakeholder Engagement (Monitoring and Controlling process group) --> Work performance information, change request

Project Schedule Management

Knowledge Area Schedule Management includes the processes required to manage the timely completion of the project. Processes: Plan Schedule Management (Planning process group) Define Activities (Planning process group) Sequence Activities (Planning process group) Estimate Activity Durations (Planning process group) Develop Schedule (Planning process group) Control Schedule (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Project Quality Management

Knowledge Area Includes the processes for incorporating the organization's quality policy regarding planning, managing and controlling project and product quality requirements in order to meet stakeholders' objectives. 3 processes: 1. Plan Quality Management (Planning process group) 2. Manage Quality (Executing process group) 3. Control Quality (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Project Procurement Management

Knowledge Area Processes needed to purchase or acquire products, services or results needed from outside the project team. Includes the management and control processes required to develop and administer agreements such as contracts, purchase orders, memoranda of agreements (MOAs) or internal service level agreements (SLAs). Note: we are buyers, not sellers from the exam's perspective. 3 Processes: 1. Plan Procurement Management (Planning process group) 2. Conduct Procurements (Executing process group) 3. Control Procurements (Monitoring and Controlling process group)

Agile Estimation

Knowledge of agile estimation theory and ability to perform simple agile estimating techniques Why do we estimate?: Determining which piece of the work can be done within a release or iteration How are estimates created? By progressing through the stages of planning. How should estimates be stated? Should be stated in ranges (not just one number) When do we estimate? Throughout the project. More detail will be available in the later parts of the project. Who estimates? Team members will do their own estimates.

________ time is how long something takes to go through the entire process.

Lead time is how long something takes to go through the entire process.

Leadership vs. Management

Leadership - guide, influence, develop, focus on long-range goals, challenge status quo Management - directing, maintain, focus on near-term goals, accept status quo

The project manager has just joined the project, as the previous project manager was not getting along with the project team. The project manager's first action is to inspire the team to complete the project work. What interpersonal and team skills is the project manager using? Conflict management Decision-making Influencing Leadership

Leadership is the ability to lead a team and inspire members to do their jobs well. Conflict management is used to resolve issues between team members. Decision making is used to make decisions about what should come next on a project. Influencing is the ability to persuade individuals to take a position on something.

Lean Development

Lean was started by Toyota as a manufacturing method that was applied to software development. Principles: -Using visual management tools -Identifying customer-defined value -Building in learning and continuous improvement -Eliminate waste -Empower the team -Deliver fast -Optimize the Whole -Build quality in -Defer decisions -Amplify learning

Active Listening

Level 1: Internal - how is it going to affect me Level 2: Focused - put ourselves in the mind of the speaker Level 3: Global - builds on level with body language

Risk Register

List of identified risks, list of potential responses. Considers risk events, risk categories, risk owners, risk triggers, risk responses, risk appetites. Provides a list of all identified risks on the project, what reactions to this risk are, what the root causes are and what categories the risks fall into.

Cycle Time Formula

Long cycle times lead to increased amounts of WIP Cycle Time = WIP/Throughput Throughput - amount of work that can be done in a time period *Memorize for exam

Stakeholder Stewardship

Looking after everyone involved on the project. Ensuring everyone has everything they need to complete the project successfully. Starts with identifying the stakeholders. Agile

Fixed Price Contract

Lump sum contract When the buyer pays one flat price (lump sum) for all work in the contract. This would include all labor and materials. Use when the scope is well-defined and understood. All risk is with the seller. 3 Types: -Firm Fixed Price (FFP): this contract is when the price is fixed and cannot be changed -Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF): this contract is when the fixed price includes an additional fee for meeting a target set forth in the contract -Fixed Price Economic Price Adjustment (FP-EPA): this contract is used to adjust the fixed cost over the life of the contract because of economic conditions

The project manager is working on a multinational project and has met with the company's senior management during a private meeting to discuss the project's performance. They have indicated that they are very happy with the progress and would like the meetings to be shorter next time. What process best describes this scenario? Plan Communications Management Manage Communications Control Communications Monitor Communications

Manage communications is the process to ensure the timely and appropriate collection, creation, management, and disposition of project information. The project manager is currently updating the stakeholders on the progress of the project.

Integrated Risk Management

Manage risk at the appropriate level

While working on a product redesign project, the project manager has met with the company's senior management to inform them that they need to provide adequate resources to ensure the product's quality. Which of the following statements is true about management's responsibility regarding quality? Management is not responsible for quality on a project. Management is only responsible for quality in operations. Management is responsible for quality throughout the organization. Only the project team is responsible for quality on a project.

Management is responsible for quality throughout the organization in operations and project management.

Agile Project Manager/Scrum Master

Manages the agile project

Regulatory Compliance

Mandated requirements usually by government agencies. Must be implemented into the project work as regular development work. Incorporate them into the regular work. You could also do it after the project work is done.

While working on the network installation project the project team has determined that they must finish the router configurations before they can set up the workstations. The workstations cannot be set up until the router configurations are done. What kind of dependency does this best describes?

Mandatory dependencies are dependencies in which one activity must be done in order for another activity to start. Discretionary dependencies are when the sequence of activities does not necessarily have to be done in that particular order, but is usually at the discretion of the person doing the work. "Physical dependency" is a made-up term.

Mary has just been awarded the new office relocation project, and she has met a few of the stakeholders to help determine how she can best communicate with them. What process group best describes her current actions? Initiating Planning Executing Closing

Mary is currently in the planning process group because she's documenting how to conduct project communications. If someone has been awarded the opportunity to manage a project, then the "initiating" would require initial steps of the project be completed. "Executing" is when the project manager acquires project resources and completes project work, and "closing" is when the project manager reviews the project and transitions the deliverables to the customer or sponsor.

Attribute and Variable Sampling

Measuring some characteristics of the sample. Attribute is about if it conforms/works or not. Variable is about how well it conforms based on a scale.

Retrospective

Meeting done to determine what went wrong during the sprint and what went right. Lessons learned for the sprint. Agile term. Comes at the end of a sprint.

Metaphor

Metaphor: an XP Practice -XP uses metaphors and similes to explain designs and create a shared technical vision. -These descriptions establish comparisons that all the stakeholders can understand to help explain how the system should work. -For example, "the invoicing module is like an Accounts receivable personnel who makes sure money is collected from our customers"

The project sponsor is examining the project schedule and has noticed a few activities with a duration of zero. What best describes these activities?

Milestones have zero duration because they represent a significant point or event on the project. All other choices are made-up terms.

Monitor Risk

Monitoring and Control Process in Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Monitoring the implementation risk response plans. Tracking identified risks to see if they change. Identifying and analyzing new risks (Note: new risk = add to risk register, analyze risk (qualitative and quantitative), create risk response, update risk register with response). Evaluating risk process effectiveness throughout the project. 24/7/365

Monitor Stakeholder Engagement

Monitoring and Controlling Process for Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area Monitoring stakeholder relationships. Engaging stakeholders through modification of engagement strategies and plans. Increases the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement.

Control Procurement

Monitoring and Controlling Process in Project Procurement Management The process of managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance. Closing out contracts. It confirms that both the sellers and buyers meet the project's requirements according to the terms of the legal agreement.

Which of the following statements would be considered false about a project that has an SPI of 1.2 and the CPI of .7? The project is being crashed to be completed faster. The project is being fast track to completed faster The project is ahead of schedule and over budget. A change request may be needed to correct the budget.

Of the choices, the only answer that maybe correct would be that the project is being fast track, , since fast tracking generally results in a shorter schedule but does not affect costs. All other choices are 100% true, since the project is over budget but ahead of schedule.

Over the course of one iteration, the agile project manager has noticed an issue that may affect the product. What should the agile project manager do? Research methods to resolve the issue immediately Ask the project team for help Analyze the product to understand the potential impact Ask the stakeholders to remove that feature

On an agile project, problems should be solved by engaging the project team as their solutions are more practical.

What is critical on an agile project for it to be successful? Being a servant leader Stakeholder satisfaction Very thorough change control process Having a well-defined project management plan

On an agile project, the aim is to have as much stakeholder engagement as possible which will lead to more satisfied stakeholders.

Company XYZ has been executing a new business development project for the last 4 months. A few stakeholders have requested changes to the scope and have gotten them approved. When a change is approved, what is the next best step to conduct on a project?

Once a change request has been approved in the perform integrated change control process, the project manager will then execute the change in the direct and manage project work process. Approved change request is not an input into the processes of monitor and control project work, validate scope, and close project or phase.

Benchmarking

One form of data gathering, a common Tool and Technique Comparing to other projects or industry standards. Ex: setting a limit on reaction time to be as good or better as competition

Prototype

One form of data representation, a common Tool and Technique A working model of a product that stakeholders can interact with and provide feedback how they might want to change it to better meet their requirements. This gives the stakeholders a great view and feel of what the final product will be when the project is finished

Affinity Diagram

One form of data representation, a common Tool and Technique Large ideas that are grouped and sorted together for further review and analysis

Stewardship

One of the 12 Principles of PM The act of taking care of or managing something. Stewards act sensibly to carry out actions with integrity, care and trustworthiness while keeping compliance with internal and external guidelines. Considers financial, social, technical and sustainable environmental awareness. Includes: Integrity Care Trustworthiness Compliance

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

One of the Four Agile Manifesto Values Be flexible and accommodating, instead of fixed and uncooperative. Manage change, don't suppress change. Shared definition of "done". Requires a trusting relationship.

Working software over comprehensive documentation

One of the Four Agile Manifesto Values Focus on the delivering value vs. paperwork. Agile documents should be barely sufficient. Done just in time, done just because. Delivering software that does what is should comes first, before creating documentation. Agile drastically simplifies the administrative paperwork relating to time, cost and scope control.

Responding to change over following a plan

One of the Four Agile Manifesto Values Spend effort and energy responding to changes. Software projects tend to have high rates of change.

Individuals + Interactions over Processes + Tools

One of the Four Agile Manifesto Values While processes and tools will likely be necessary on our projects, we should focus on the team's attention on the individuals and interactions involved. Make sure your team is not siloed. Projects are undertaken by people, not tools. Problems get solved by people, not processes. Projects are ultimately about people.

Iteration Burndown Chart

One of the Tools under Data Analysis for Control Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area A tool that tracks the work which remains to be completed; and is used to analyze and predict likely variance at completion. Generally used on agile projects to track the work that remains to be completed. The Y axis of the chart generally shows the amount of work that needs to get completed, and the X axis shows the duration. As the project progresses, the chart would show you how much work is left to be done.

Performance Review

One of the Tools under Data Analysis for Control Schedule process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Measuring the actual start/finish dates vs. planned start/finish dates. If negative variance is in place, identify if the project is in jeopardy.

Project Scope Statement

One of the outputs of Define Scope process Describes in detail the project deliverables, and the work that is required to produce those deliverables. The greater the detail level of the scope allows the team a better understanding on how to reach the end state of the project successfully. The less detail of the scope statement creates a great chance of project risk, as well as offering the possibility of greater scope creep. Details should include, but are not limited to: -Product description, goals of the project -Identified risks -Project/product acceptance criteria -Project constraints/exclusions

Close the Retrospective in a Retrospective

Opportunity to reflect on what happened during the reflective. Activities: -Plus/Delta: make two columns of what the team will do more of and what to do less of

Matrix Organizations

Organizational Structure There are three matrix structures: weak, balanced and strong. The different structures are reflective of the project manager's authority in relation to the functional manager's authority Weak = a bit more power to functional manager, balanced = good mix between PM and FM, strong = PM has more power Note: often on exam, organization will be strong matrix (PM has moderate to high say, moderate to high resources, PM is full time, there is a functional manager you need to get resources from but then you sort of own them, staff that comes in is full time, PM controls budget)

Hybrid Organization

Organizational Structure, blended type of Functional, Matrix and Project Oriented (Projectized) Organizations

ISO 9000

Organizational for International standards to ensure the companies document what they do and execute what they document Certification for a business, ensure they have a well-defined process

Functional Organizations

Organizational structure that groups staff members according to their areas of expertise (sales, marketing, construction, etc.). Functional structures require the project team members to report directly to the functional manager PM has little power over resources in functional organizations; functional managers have the power

Communications Management Plan

Output for Plan Communication Management Do this for each group of stakeholders: Who should receive project communications What communications they should receive Who should send the communication How the communication will be sent How often it will be updated Definitions so that everyone has a common understanding of terms

Cost management plan

Output for Plan Cost Management How costs will be planned, structured and controlled. Units of measure, level of accuracy, reporting formats, control thresholds

Procurement Strategy

Output for Plan Procurement Management Determine how to deliver the deliverables, types of contracts to use, what phases will be used to complete procurements.

Procurement Statement of Work

Output for Plan Procurement Management Developed from the Scope Baseline, lists the needs of the buyer. Allows prospective sellers to determine if they can meet the requirements set forth by the buyer.

Procurement Management Plan

Output for Plan Procurement Management Outlines the activities to be undertaken during the procurement processes. May contain a prequalified sellers list.

Stakeholder Register

Output of Identify Stakeholders Excel sheet, should contain: Contact info Role on project (sponsor, functional manager, etc.) Communication requirements Expectations of the project How they are affected by the project Power influence level on the project

Project Charter

Output of Initiating Process Group -Project charters authorize. Authority for the project manager -The first step

Team Charter

Output of Plan Resource Management Document that outlines what will be acceptable behavior within the project. Should include things like the general rules of conduct for meetings, decision-making, and one-on-one conversations

Resource Management Plan

Output of Plan Resource Management Part of the project management plan and is used to manage both physical and team resources. It will guide the remaining five resource management processes. Contains the roles and responsibilities, the organization chart, and project team resource management.

Transactional Leadership Style

PM is more focused on the goals of the project and how to reward team members

Transformational Leadership Style

PM tries to empower the project team, and motivates and inspires them

Process Groups and Knowledge Areas Table

PMBOK at a glance Reference this printout Know what each process is about and their main ITTOs Should be able to look at a process and let him know what you do in that process Write this out in 5 minutes, before starting exam

What are the four values PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is based on?

PMI is based on four values: 1. Responsibility 2. Respect 3. Fairness 4. Honesty

Forward Pass

Part of Calculating Critical Path First, need to put in all of the ES and EF dates for all activities in the paths Always start on day 1 ex: Activity A (3 day duration) --> Activity B (2 day duration) ES for A: 1 EF for A: 3 ES for B: 4 EF for B: 5 EF = ES + Duration - 1 (you subtract 1 because you are starting on day 1)

Backward Pass

Part of Calculating Critical Path First, need to put in all of the LS and LF dates for all activities in the paths in the lower corners of the boxes. Start at the end of the diagram, with the final number in the critical path. Think of Friday to Monday, not Monday to Friday like in Forward Pass LF - Duration + 1 = LS When you go backwards, you need to select the smallest number if you ever have two options, and minus one from that.

Risk Data Quality Assessment

Part of Data Analysis Tool for Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis The degree of which the risk is understood and the accuracy, quality, reliability and integrity of the data

Risk Probability and Impact Assessment

Part of Data Analysis Tool for Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis The likelihood that each specific risk will occur, level of probability Investigate the potential effect on the project: cost, schedule, quality, performance, positive or negative

Reserve Analysis Contingencies

Part of Data Analysis Tools and Techniques for Determine Budget process in Plan Cost Management Knowledge Area 1. Contingency Reserves: the PM determines, manages and controls the contingency reserves, which will address the cost impact of the remaining known/unknown risks; you will not need a change request 2. Management Reserve: the management determines the funds to cover the known/unknown risks to the project; if the PM wants access to the reserve, will need a change request

Probability and Impact Matrix

Part of Data Representation Tool for Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis A grid for mapping the probability of each risk occurrence and its impact on project objectives if that risk occurs. Sorted by high risk, medium risk, low risk.

Effective Stakeholder Engagement

Part of the stakeholder performance domain When managing stakeholders, you want to: Identify (who are your stakeholders) > Understand > Analyze > Prioritize > Engage > Monitor > Identify.... You want a productive working relationship with the stakeholders throughout the project, stakeholder agreement with the project objectives and stakeholders who are project recipients to be supportive and satisfied/stakeholders opposed to the project do not negatively impact project results

3 Forms of Estimating

Part of tools and techniques for Estimate Activity Resources 1. Bottom-Up Estimating: break down the activities in more detail until you can assign the resources. You can then aggregate them back up to the full activity. 2. Analogous Estimating: Also known as top-down estimation. Analogous estimation relies on historical information to assign the current duration to the activities. It is based on a limited amount of information. 3. Parametric Estimating: Uses a math algorithm to calculate cost or duration.

The project manager has met with the team, and they are currently deciding whether they should develop internal software to meet the needs of the project sponsor or purchase external commercial software. What process are they currently engaged in? Plan procurement management Conduct procurement Control procurement Make-or-buy decisions

Plan procurement management is the process of determining what the project team should procure, if anything, and how it should be done.

Plan Procurement Management

Planning process in Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area Determines whether to obtain goods and services from outside the project and, if so, what to acquire as well as how and when to acquire it. -What procurements are needed for the project -Detailing the approach -Defining selection criteria to identify potential sellers -Putting together a Procurement management plan

Three common development approaches

Predictive approach Adaptive approach, including both iterative and incremental Hybrid approach

Hybrid Method 3

Predominately a predictive approach, with some agile ex: an organization owns a large building and is updating the roof; they are not sure which material to use, so use agile for the small portion to trial materials and install a small part of the roof, have a product backlog, install and make sure it works well; then continue with predictive (a lot of construction projects, since you can't really change the requirements mid project)

Prevention vs. Inspection

Prevention is about keeping the errors out of the process and inspection is about keeping the errors out of the customers' hands. More prevention you do, less inspection you do. Quality is prevention-driven. Cheaper to prevent/fix defects before going to customer hands/inspection.

How are principals and performance domains connected?

Principals guide our behavior, within the 8 domains Performance domains are the things you do working on the project

Defer Decisions

Principle in Lean Software Development Balance early planning with making decisions and committing to things as late as possible

Build Quality In

Principle in Lean Software Development Build quality into the product and continually assure quality throughout the development process; rigorous testing

Deliver Fast

Principle in Lean Software Development Quickly delivering valuable software and iterating through designs

Empower the Team

Principle in Lean Software Development Rather than taking a micro-managing approach, we should respect team member's superior knowledge of the technical steps required on the project and let them use it

Amplify Learning

Principle in Lean Software Development This concept involves facilitating communication early and often, getting feedback as soon as possible, and building on what we learn

Eliminate Waste

Principle in Lean Software Development To maximize value, we must minimize waste. For software systems, waste can take the form of partially done work, delays, handoffs, unnecessary features.

100-point Method

Prioritization Technique (for Customer to execute) Each person is given 100 points. They then use that to distribute to individual requirements.

Monopoly Money

Prioritization Technique (for Customer to execute) Give everyone equal monopoly money, they then distribute the funds to what they value most

MoSCoW Prioritization

Prioritization Technique (for Customer to execute) Must have Should have Could have Would like to have, but not at this time

Simple Scheme

Prioritization Technique (for Customer to execute) Priority 1, Priority 2, Priority 3 etc. Could be problematic as many items might become the first priority

Kano Analysis

Prioritization Technique for Agile Helps to understand the customers satisfaction. -Delighters/Exciters -Satisfiers -Dissatisfiers -Indifferent Chart with 4 quadrants

Change Control Process

Process for making and managing changes, part of Perform Integrated Change Control 1. A stakeholder needs to identify a need for a change request 2. A written change request is submitted to the project manager 3. The PM assesses the change and looks for any other options for the change request. Looks at the impact of the change request. 4. The change request is submitted to the Change Control Board. 5. The change request is either approved or rejected by the Change Control Board. 6. If approved, PM will adjust Project Management Plan, then manage the project to the new plan. 7. If it is not approved, the team goes back to the issue and develops a new change request, repeat step 1

Manage Communication

Process in Executing for Project Communications Management Knowledge Area Ensuring timely and suitable gathering, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management and monitoring of project communications. Follow the communication management plan.

Manage Quality

Process in Executing process of Project Quality Management Knowledge Area Translating the quality management plan into executable quality activities. It increases the probability of meeting the quality objectives as well as identifying ineffective processes and causes of poor quality. Implementations of the plans the project manager, project team and management does to ensure the deliverables meets the quality specifications in he project management plan. Used to be called Quality Assurance. Confirm the quality processes used are meeting the quality objectives.

Control Cost

Process in Monitoring and Controlling Phase in Cost Management Knowledge Area Monitoring the status of the project to update the project costs and managing changes to the cost baseline. Primarily concerned with cost variance. Any increase to the authorized budget can only be approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

Monitor Communications

Process in Monitoring and Controlling for Project Communications Management Knowledge Area Ensuring the communications requirements of the project and its stakeholders are met. Ensures that the communications management plan is being followed. Difference between this process, and previous executing process of Manage Communication: manage communications execute PM plan/comm management plan (so, actually sending out the report on Friday), vs. ensuring the plan was followed (confirming the report was sent on Friday)

Control Resources

Process in Monitoring and Controlling phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area How to correctly manage the physical resources on the project as the project is progressing. This process does not look at the HR resources which was covered in the previous process (manage team). Project manager will have to ensure that the physical resources are being used correctly and efficiently.

Plan Communication Management

Process in Planning for Project Communications Management Knowledge Area The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder's information needs and requirements and available organizational assets. Documented approach to effectively and efficiently engage stakeholders.

Close Project or Phase

Process, Project Integration Management, Closing You cannot do this process if the deliverables have not yet been accepted by stakeholders. Finalizing all activities for the project, phase or contract. Making certain that all documents and deliverables are up-to-date and that all issues are resolved. Confirming the delivery and formal acceptance of deliverables by the customer. Closing project accounts, reassigning personnel Confirming the formal acceptance of the seller's work and finalizing open claims. Audit project success or failure. Identify lessons learned, and archive project information for future use by the organization. Transfer the project's products, services or results to the next phase or to production and/or operations. Investigate and document the reasons for actions taken if the project is terminated before completion. **NOTE: this is important for the exam, when a project is shut down mid way, move to the closing phase and formally close the project.

Manage Project Knowledge

Process, Project Integration Management, Executing Using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge. Contribute to organizational learning. Knowledge created by the project will be made available to support organizational operations and future projects or phases. Commonly split into explicit (things you learn by reading a book) and tacit (knowledge you gain from experience, insights, beliefs).

Develop Project Management Plan

Process, Project Integration Management, eventually an output Process of defining, preparing and coordinating all plan components and consolidating them into an integrated project management plan. Comprehensive document that outlines the basis of all project work and how the work will be performed. Either summary or detailed, contains baselines and plans

Scrum Roles + Responsibilities

Product Owner: -Owns product vision -Defines features, decides on release date and content -Responsible for market success -Prioritizes product backlog/features according to market value -Can change features and priorities every sprint/iteration Scrum Master: -Responsible for facilitating process (the PM) -Focuses team and protects them from external interruption -Looks for ways to enhance productivity -Assists product owner in leveraging scrum Development Team: -Small group containing all necessary project skills -Focuses on steady delivery of high quality features -Generates options for delivery -Manages own work within Sprints (while the Scrum Master manages the process, gets them the tools needed to succeed, minimize conflict)

PMO

Project Management Office Organizational Structure that standardizes the processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools and techniques There to help PMs when they need a resource, don't know where to turn, etc. 3 Types: Supportive Controlling Directive

Project Roles

Project Manager (what you will always be in the exam): -Empowered to lead the project -Authorized to make decisions -Responsible for the success of failure of the project Project Coordinator: -Weaker than PM -May be authorized to make decisions Project Expeditor: -Weakest role of the PM world -Very limited decision ability

Examples of Key Stakeholders

Project Manager - manages the project Customer - uses the project deliverable; potentially most important stakeholder Project Team - the collection of individuals completing the project work Project Sponsor - provides resources and support Functional Manager - departmental manager, i.e. manager of engineering, VP of marketing, Director of IT. Generally controls resources

Develop Project Management Plan - Output

Project management plan -Outlines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed -4 Baselines: Scope, Schedule, Cost, Performance Measurement -14 subsidiary plans, 6 of which are created in this step -Approved by either PM, sponsor, functional manager, program manager, or senior management -Provides guidance on project execution -Formal written piece of communication -Only changed when a change request is generated and approved by change control board

Laissez-Faire Leadership Style

Project manager is hands-off, allowing the team to make their own decisions

Project-oriented projects requires...

Project managers to be full-time and to have control over resources

The project manager has collected many of the work performance data and has created the work performance report. The project manager distributes this status report according to the communication management plan. What tool best describes this? Project Information Distribution Project Report Distribution Project Reporting Project Data Distribution

Project reporting is a tool that is used to manage communication to collect and distribute project information. All other choices are not valid tools.

Quality Management Plan

Quality standards that will be used by the project. An output of Plan Quality Management process. Quality control and management activities for the project, quality tools used, how to continually improve our processes

Brainstorming Facilitation (agile)

Quiet Writing - give people about 5 minutes to write down their ideas Round Robin - pass a token around to ensure everyone will speak Free-for-all - people shout out their thought. May only work in a supportive environment

Green Zone and Red Zone

Red Zone: -Blame others for everything -Respond defensively -Feels threatened -Triggers defensiveness -Doesn't let go or forgive -Uses shame and blame -Focus on short-term advantage -Doesn't seek or value feedback -Sees conflict as a battle and only seeks to win -Does not listen effectively Green Zone: -Takes responsibility -Seeks to respond nondefensively -Is not easily threatened psychologically -Attempts to build success -Uses persuasion rather than force -Thinks both short and long term -Welcomes feedback -Sees conflict as a natural part of life -Seeks excellence rather than victory -Listens well

Refactoring

Refactoring: An XP Practice -Remove redundancy, eliminate unused functionality, and rejuvenate obsolete designs. -Refactoring throughout the entire project life cycle saves time and increases quality. -Code is kept clean and concise so it is easier to understand, modify and extend

Ideal Time

Refers to the time it would take to complete a given task assuming zero interruptions or unplanned problems (no risk, breaks, lunches etc.) Used in agile estimation to review items in backlog

Release Planning

Release Planning: an XP Practice -Push of new functionality all the way to the production user -Customer outlines the functionality required -Developers estimate difficulty of build Meeting with all stakeholders to determine which stories will be done in which iterations for the upcoming release. Selecting the user stories for the release. -Using velocity - points per iteration Slicing the stories. -Breaking down stories that are too large to be completed in one iteration

The agile project manager has met one of the key stakeholders to understand how that stakeholder would define the success of the release. What collaboration game can best be played? Speedboat Prune the product tree Information success gathered Remembered the future

Remembered the future is a collaboration game that acts stakeholders to imagine that an upcoming release was successful and to look back on what made it a success. This will allow stakeholder to define the success criteria for the release.

RACI Chart

Responsibility Assignment Matrix Ex: RAM (Responsibility Assignment Matrix) RACI = Responsible (one doing the work) Accountable (who is accountable) Consulted (SME) Informed (needs to know status of work) Tasks are along the left column, across the top is all of the players *Rule = every row, there has to be at least one A (only one) held accountable Important for exam

Process Analysis

Review and diagnose issues. Look for tailoring possibilities.

Calculate Float or Slack

Review this portion of the class to see his diagram ES = early start, earliest you can start EF = early finish LS = late start, latest you can start without delaying entire project LF = late finish, latest you can finish without delaying entire project Float = LS - ES OR LF - EF Note: when calculating, they do count the actual date as "one" Ex: if the duration of an activity is 3 days, the ES is 6, and the EF is 8 (day 6, day 7, day 8 = 3 days)

Risk Management (Agile)

Risk Adjusted Backlog -Adjusting the backlog for risk -Done after risk response Expected Monetary Value = Impact ($) x Profitability (%) Risk Severity -Risk Probability x Risk Impact -Use a scale of numbers (ex: 1-5)

Risk Management in Agile Projects

Risk is closely related to value. Considered as anti-value. Usually has the potential to remove, erode or reduce value with threats. Tools to manage risk: Risk-adjusted backlog - looking at the backlog and reprioritizing or removing items for risk Risk burndown chart - showing how risk evolves throughout the project

The team is conducting a brainstorming session in which their paths in a token around and who has the token can speak. What brainstorming method is this? Quiet writing Round Robin Free-for-all Token passing

Round Robin brainstorming is done when you pass a token around to ensure everyone will have a chance to speak

Estimate Costs

Second Process in Planning Phase in Cost Management Knowledge Area Developing an approximation of the cost of resources needed to complete project work. Usually expressed in some form of currency. Accuracy of a project estimate will increase as the project progresses through the project life cycle. Costs are estimated for all resources that will be charged to the project including but not limited to labor, materials, equipment, services and facilities, as well as special categories such as inflation allowance, cost of financing or contingency costs.

Collect Requirements

Second Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area -Process of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and requirements to meet objectives. Note: ALL stakeholders, not just the project owner/boss. Also the customer, etc. -Process plays a significant role in the success of the overall project since project schedule, budget, risk factors, quality specifications and resource planning are closely linked to the requirements

Collect Requirements - ITTOs

Second Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area Inputs: -Project charter -Project management plan (scope management plan, requirements plan, stakeholder engagement plan) -Project documents (assumption log, lessons learned register, stakeholder register) -Business documents (business case) -Agreements -EEF -OPA Tools and Techniques: -Expert judgment -Data gathering -Data analysis -Decision making -Data representation (affinity diagrams, mind mapping) -Interpersonal + team skills -Context diagram -Prototypes Outputs: -Requirements Documentation -Requirements Traceability Matrix

Estimate Activity Resources

Second process in Planning phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area Where you look at each individual activity and determine what and how many resources are needed to accomplish that activity. Resources are not just people, but also include equipment, machines, and different types of supplies needed to finish the activity.

Identify Risks

Second process in Planning phase of Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Identifying individual project risks as well as sources of overall project risk, and documenting them in the risk register and risk report. All personnel should be encouraged to identify risks. Should be done throughout the project, risks change daily. Identify both positive and negative risk.

Building Agile Teams

Self-Organizing Self-Directing Small teams with fewer than 12 members Has a Servant Leader Facilitator -Generalizing Specialists: have members that can do different tasks, members skilled in more than one area, share work to reduce bottleneck Have a shared vision, realist goals, fewer than 12 members, a sense of team identity, provide strong leadership Welcome constructive disagreement, create a safe space

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is a method of leadership that is based on the understanding and addressing the needs and development of project team members. Important agile term. Being a servant to your team, building the right environment for them, getting them resources Servant leaders place emphasis on developing project team by focusing on addressing questions like: are project team members growing as individuals? becoming healthier/wiser/autonomous? Servant leadership behaviors include: -Obstacle removal -Diversion shield -Encouragement and development opportunities -(Re)communicate project vision -Carry food and water

Tuckman's Ladder

Set of stages a team goes through from when it is created to dissolved. Part of Develop Team process. 1. Forming - team comes together, getting to know each other, not much communication yet 2. Storming - start to communicate, may be a bit of conflict, disagreement 3. Norming - come to an agreement on how it is going to get done 4. Performing - getting the work done 5. Adjourning - work is done, team separates

Scrum

Set of team guidance practices, roles, events, artifacts and rules. Based on the three pillars: 1. Transparency: visibility to those responsible for the outcome 2. Inspection: timely checks on how well a project is progressing towards goals, looks for problematic deviations or differences from goals 3. Adaptation: adjusting a process to minimize further issues if an inspection shows a problem or undesirable trend

Timeboxing

Short, fixed-duration periods of time in which activities or work are undertaken -If work is not completed within the time period, move it to another timebox Daily Stand-up: 15 min Retrospectives: 2 hrs Sprints: 1-4 weeks Beware of Parkinson's Law -Work tends to expand to fill the time given

Product Roadmap

Shows when features will be delivered and what is included in each release. Can convert the story map into a product roadmap.

Simple Design

Simple Design: An XP Practice -Code is always testable, browsable, understandable and explainable -Do the simplest thing that could possibly work next. Complex design is replaced with simpler design. -The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

Funding on agile projects differ from traditional projects because agile projects are: Funded incrementally Funded at the end Funded at the beginning Funded by external stakeholders

Since agile projects deliver the product in increments, it is funded in increments. Traditional projects are generally funded at the beginning.

Small Releases

Small Releases: an XP Practice -Frequent, small releases to test environments -Demonstrate progress and increase visibility for the customer -Quality is maintained: rigorous testing or continuous integration

What is a predictive cycle? (life cycle)

Sometimes referred to as waterfall Very traditional Plan-Driven/Predictive/Traditional Set scope, cost, schedule, etc. Not much customer interaction Good for building a building

Retrospectives

Special meeting that takes place after each iteration. Inspect and improve methods and team work. Offers immediate value. Should have a 2-hour time limit: 1. Set the Stage - 6 min 2. Gather Data (from sprint) - 40 min 3. Generate Insights - 25 min 4. Decide what to do - 20 min 5. Close retrospective - 20 min

Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs)

Stack graphs that show how work is progressing. Ex: ready, development, testing phase, deployed Bottlenecks and Theory of Constraints - watch this section back The bottleneck activity is the one that comes right after the widening on the graph.

Pre-Mortem

Team meeting that looks at possible things that can cause failure during a project before they take place. Steps include: -Think what the failures might be -Create a list of reasons that can cause the failures -Review the project plan to determine what can be done to reduce or remove the reasons for failure

Guidelines for Using User Story Points

Team should own the definition of their story points Story point estimates should be all-inclusive Point sizes should be relative to the work Complexity, work effort and risk should all be included in the estimate Affinity Estimating: group estimates into categories or collections T-Shirt Sizing: place stories in sizes of t-shirts - this is just another categorization option from Fibonacci, more high level

After six iteration there is a big backlog of cold and work that needs cleanup. What is this often referred to as? Bad coding practice Technical debt Coding debt Refactoring

Technical debt is backlog of work caused by not doing regular cleanup of codes.

While working on a large building development project the team has identified a particular warehouse they would use to fabricate the steel beams. Where would the team store this information?

The activity attributes can be used to identify the place where the work is to be performed. The activity list is just a list of all activities on the project. The milestone list will identify all milestones on the project. The project schedule network diagram will not show the location of work, just the sequence thereof.

In the agile improvement process what comes after develop? Learn Plan Evaluate Do

The agile improvement process is plan, develop, evaluate, and learn.

Free Float

The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any successor or violating a schedule constraint. This focuses on the NEXT activity, while total float focuses on the entire project. Free Float = ES of next activity - EF of current activity - 1 A free float of 0 means that that activity has no float.

Project Management

The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to satisfy project requirements Ex: -Preparing a business case to justify the investment -Estimating resources and times -Developing and implementing a management plan for the project -Leading and motivating the project delivery team -Managing the risks, issues, and changes on the project -Monitoring progress against plan -Closing the project in a controlled fashion when appropriate

The project team has completed all duration estimates for the activities on the project and has indicated that their estimates should be with in a -10 to +10% range. Where should the project team store this range? Schedule baseline Schedule management plan Basis of estimates Activity lists

The basis of estimates would generally indicate the range of possible estimates. The schedule baseline and schedule management plan will not indicate the possible range of the estimates, while the activity list is simply a list of activities that will take place on the project.

The project manager has worked with an expert project team to estimate the project's cost. The project manager is very confident that the project will end at that budget. Where should the project manager document his or her confidence level of the cost estimate? Cost baseline Cost management plan Risk register Basis of estimates

The basis of the estimates will have an indication of the confidence level of the final estimate. No other choice will document the confidence level of an estimate.

The project manager has completed the process of determining budget. He has created the cost baseline, which will be added to the project management plan. The project manager is also aware of the project budget. What is the difference between the project budget and cost baseline? The cost baseline includes the contingency and management reserves The cost baseline only includes the management reserves The cost baseline includes the contingency reserves and the project budget includes the management reserves The cost baseline includes the management reserves and the project budget includes the contingency reserves

The cost baseline includes the cost of all activities, plus the contingency reserves, and the management reserves includes the cost baseline, plus the management reserves.

According to the cost constructive model, the people factor is how many more times costly than tools and processes? 10 11 12 3

The cost constructive model has the people factor score of 33 and a tools and processes score of three. It scores people 11 times more than tools and processes.

While working on a multinational project, the project manager has decided to represent the project budget in American dollars, even though the project will span nine different countries. This will make the budget uniform and easier for the stakeholders to understand. Where will the project manager document the units of measurement for the budget? Cost management plan Funding management plan Units of measurement plan Currency format plan

The cost management plan can establish the units of measurement which would include the currency format. All other choices are fake plans.

Output (in the context of process)

The end result of our efforts. The raw materials into a polished stone -Maybe the input into another process

Product Scope

The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result.

When should the project manager conduct the process of identifying stakeholders?

The process of identify stakeholders should be done throughout the project, not just when it initiates.

While preparing different documents to procure work for the project, the project manager creates the procurement statement of work and the procurement management plan. What is the difference between the two documents?

The procurement management plan is part of the project management plan, while the procurement statement of work is a project document. The procurement management plan contains the activities necessary to conduct the procurement processes. The procurement statement of work outlines what components of the project will be obtained from an outside source.

The project sponsor is very concerned about the quality of the project work. He has asked the project manager to ensure that the sellers perform a high-quality job; if not, the customers may request refunds on the product. Where should the project manager include the desired quantity levels and performance for the outsourced section of the project? Procurement management plan Procurement statement of work Bid documents Procurement strategy

The procurement statement of work outlines what, from the scope baseline, will be outsourced. It also contains information such as specifications, desired quality, and quality levels.

the seller will need to complete. In what document should the project manager include the procurement phases? Procurement management plan Procurement statement of work Bid documents Procurement strategy

The procurement strategy documents delivery methods, types of agreements, and the procurement phases of the project.

A company has plans to improve one their products. They have started to work with Mary to get this project authorized by the board of directors. What is the output of this process?

The project charter is used to authorize a project. The project management plan and stakeholder register come after the charter is created. The business documents are an input to create project charters.

Who is generally the boss of you/the project manager?

The project sponsor is typically the boss, they will give you approvals on changes, etc.

What can the agile project manager use in the agile charter as a brief way to describe the goals of the project? Project description Iteration description Deliverable description Project tweet

The project tweet will describe the project goal in 140 characters or less.

The project manager has spoken with the customers about what quality requirements there are looking for on the office renovation project. They have specifically said they want to use good quality materials that will last very long. Where would be best for the project manager to store this request?

The quality requirements are stored in the Requirements Documentation, which is an output of collect requirements.

While working on a large systems upgrade project, the project team has decided that they can install the servers and the workstations at the same time. The activities will all start at the same time but the workstation installations will take a bit longer to finish. What relationship best describes this scenario?

The relationship of "start to start" is when a successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity has started. This means that they both generally started the same time, but they may not finish at the same time.

The project team has met with the project manager to develop the quality management plan and the quality metrics. What project documents contain the product quality requirements that the team would use to create quality metrics?

The requirements documentation includes the project and the product quality requirements. The requirements management plan will document how to manage the project requirements, and the traceability matrix will show the origin of the requirements .

The project manager, Peter, is collecting requirements for the project. He is not sure of the best step to take in order to correctly collect them from the company's senior management. What document would Peter best refer to?

The requirements management plan will outline all the steps the project will take to collect, measure, test, and verify requirements.

Senior management and the project sponsor will hold a meeting about the current project in 2 days. They have requested a breakdown of the different resources that the project will use. What document should the project manager show during the meeting to display the resources by type? Resource requirements Basis of estimates Resource breakdown structure WBS

The resource breakdown structure is a hierarchical representation of resources by category and type. The basis of estimate would show supporting details for why a particular resource was assigned to an activity. Resource requirements will describe want and how many resources are needed for each activity on the project.

Senior management within the organization has requested a brief overview of how the project conducts risk management. They would like to see the different categories of risk that can affect the project. What should the project manager show them? The risk breakdown structure The work breakdown structure The resource breakdown structure The risk register

The risk breakdown structure is part of the risk management plan, and it shows the different categories of risk on a project.

While discussing risk management with a team member, what should the project manager say about the different risk levels? There are two levels: individual project risks and overall project risks. There is only one level of risk: individual project risks. There is only one level of risk: overall project risks. There two levels: project risks and operations risks.

The risk management process in the PMBOK lists two levels of project risks: individual and overall project risks.

The project team members have finished identifying risks up to this point in the project. They have created the risk register, which lists all of the individual project risks. What should the team create next? The risk management plan The risk response plan The risk report The risk implementation plan

The risk report is generally created with the risk register or after the risk register. It includes information on the sources of overall project risks and a summary of information on the identified individual project risks.

The project manager has decided to classify the stakeholders based on their power level and influence on the project. What model does this best describe? Stakeholder cube model Stakeholder power grid model Salience model Influence model

The salience model is used to describe stakeholders based on their power level, influence, urgency, or legitimacy.

The project manager has met with the company PMO to ask for guidance about creating a scope statement for the project. The PMO had given him all the steps he should follow when creating a scope statement. What document would the project manager best store these steps in?

The scope management plan will outline all the steps the project manager will follow to conduct the scope processes, including defining the scope and creating the WBS.

The team is getting ready to break down the deliverables on the scope statement. They are not sure how to conduct this process. What document would best help them?

The scope management plan will outline the steps the project will take to conduct all scope processes, including the "create WBS" processes.

The project manager is set to start the process of conduct procurement. What should the project manager have received before starting this process? Procurement management plan Bid documents Procurement statement of work Seller proposals

The seller proposals should be acquired before the project manager can negotiate and select the seller. All other choices are documents created by the project manager and the project team.

The team has completed the sprint planning meeting. What will be the output of that meeting?

The sprint backlog is the output of the sprint planning meeting.

What document will be created once the stakeholder management process has been completed in the planning process group of the project? Stakeholder management plan Stakeholder engagement plan Communication management plan Stakeholder register

The stakeholder management process is conducted during planning to plan stakeholder engagement. The output is the stakeholder engagement plan.

Project Scope

The work performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.

Agile Methods

There are over 12 agile methodologies. The below are the most popular: Scrum Extreme Programming (XP) Note: Scrum and XP are similar, so sometimes the terms are interchangeable Kanban Development Lean Software Development

Define Scope

Third Process in Planning Process Group of Project Scope Management Knowledge Area Developing a detailed description of the project and product. A detailed project scope statement is critical to project success and builds upon the major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints that are documented during project initiation.

Sequence Activities

Third Process in Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area, in Planning process group The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. Defines the logical sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given all project constraints. Taking the activity list defined earlier and arranging the activities in the order they must be performed. Sequencing can be performed by using project management software or by using manual or automated techniques.

Manage Team

Third process in Executing phase of Project Resource Management Knowledge Area The process of tracing team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes. Team management involves a combination of skills with special emphasis on communication, conflict management, negotiation and leadership.

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis

Third process in Planning phase of Project Risk Management Knowledge Area Prioritizing individual project risks by assessing their probability of occurrence and impact as well as other characteristics. Done in order to determine which risks are the highest priority on the project. Creates a ranking (of risk register), performed throughout the project

Development/Delivery Team

This is the group that builds and tests the increments of the product. -Build the product in increments -Update information radiators -Self organize and directing -Share progress by doing daily stand-up meetings -Write acceptance tests -Demo the completed product increments -Holds retrospectives at the end of sprints -Does release and sprint planning and estimations

The project manager is currently evaluating how well the project is meeting the project budget. What earned value formula will be needed to determine if a project is on or over budget? PV AC SV SPI

To determine if a project is on or over budget, you will need to calculate the CV or CPI, both of which use the AC value.

While working on a multinational project with a budget of $90,000, the team has completed the design aspect of the project. You have calculated that the AC is $30,000 and the EV is $32,000. What is the EAC of this project? $89,000 $92,804 $89,807 $84,906

To find out the EAC, you will need the BAC and CPI. You currently have the BAC, which is $90,000. The CPI is equal to EV/AC = $32,000/$30,000 = $1.06. So, the EAC is equal to $90,000/$1.06 = $84,906.

The project manager has reviewed the stakeholder register and has concluded that there are 17 stakeholders on the project. After speaking with a few of them, he added four more stakeholders. How many communication channels are there currently on the project? 200 420 210 21

To get the answer correct, you will need to use the communications formula, which is N(N-1)/2. Replacing N with 21 stakeholders currently will give you 21(21-1)/2 = 210.

Dependency Determination and Integration

Tool + Technique in Sequence Activities Process in Plan Schedule Management Knowledge Area Mandatory Dependencies (Hard Logic) -One activity MUST be completed prior to the subsequent activity beginning. Discretionary Dependencies (Soft Logic) -Activities that are tied together, but do not have physical limitations (ex: designing package of computer game while it is in final testing stage) External Dependencies -Non-project activities are usually outside the control of the project team. Internal Dependencies -Project activities are within control of the team.

3 types of charts for Data Representation in Plan Resource Management

Tools/Techniques 1. Hierarchical: Graphic, top-down formal, similar format to WBS (org chart) 2. Matrix-Based Chart: responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), RACI Charts 3. Text-Oriented Format: detail description of roles, qualifications, responsibilities, etc.

The company has informed all company employees that they must pay careful attention to the work that they are doing to ensure the company delivers a quality product . What quality management theory best illustrates this scenario? Continuous improvement Just in time ISO 9000 Total quality management

Total quality management (TQM) is when everyone in the company is responsible for quality in the underlying process of how a product is made.

Agile vs. Traditional Project Management

Traditional: value is only when the project is done Agile: builds products in increments vs. as a whole. Agile does planning throughout vs. done all at once. Delivers products over time vs. all at once (and deliver in releases to customer so they can start gaining value quicker). Customers see value faster vs. at the end. Agile wants changes/feedback vs. discouraging changes

Trend Analysis

Trend Analysis is a measure that provides insight into future issues. -Lagging metrics provides information on something that has already happened -Leading Metrics provides information on what is or is about to occur

Progressive Elaboration

True to traditional and agile projects Adding more detail as information emerges, project becomes more detailed as it progresses Includes: -Plans -Estimates -Designs -Test scenarios Rolling wave planning: Planning at multiple points in time as data becomes available

Mutual Exclusivity

Two events cannot occur at the same time

Estimate Costs - Types

Types of Estimates Definitive Estimates: -5% to +10%, more precise, typically later in the project Budget Estimates: -10% to +25% Rough Order of Magnitude Estimates: -25% to +75%, more common in initial stages of planning

Scope Creep

Unauthorized work added to the scope

Key Performance Indicators for Agile Projects

Used as a way to measure the project progress -Rate of progress: how many points have been completed -Remaining work: how much work is yet to be done from the backlog -Likely completion date -Likely cost remaining

Sprint planning meeting

Used to determine what work will be done in that sprint and how the work will be achieved. The development team predicts what can be delivered based on estimates, projected capacity and past performance to define the sprint goal. The development team then determines how this functionality will be built and how the team will organize to deliver the sprint goal. Output of this will be the sprint backlog. The work to get done in the next sprint.

Team Self-Assesment

Used to evaluate the team as a whole (agile projects). Things to evaluate can include: -self-organization -empowered to make decisions -committed team -trust each other -constructive disagreement

User Stories

User stories/backlogs -Business functionality within a feature that involves 1-3 days of work -Acts as an agreement between customers and development team -Every requirement is a user story -Every story, including technical stories, has value -Common structure of a user story (user type, goal, value): As a <user type>, I <want to/need, etc.> goal so that <value>.

Hybrid Project Management

Uses a combination of traditional (waterfall) methods with agile. Can be implemented in a number of ways.

Dynamic Systems Development

Utilization of all systems to accomplish task (as psychological systems develop so do motor). Do not forget cardiopulmonary, posture... Life is more complex = we increase ability to adapt = more efficient function Based on feedback One of the first agile methods and follows eight principles. Likely not important for test

The project team has completed the new security alarm system for the building and has informed the project manager. The project manager inspected it and verified that it works according to all building and safety regulations. What would be the next process the project manager should conduct?

Validate Scope Since the work has been completed and the project manager has checked the deliverable to ensure it meets the quality requirements, the next process would be to get the sponsors or customers to give a formal acceptance in the validate scope process before closing the project or phase.

Value Prioritization

Value based prioritization is one of the core practices in agile planning. Features are prioritized on the basis of business value, risk and dependencies. Some of the prioritization techniques used, conducted by the customers (not the PM/Scrum Master/Coach): -Simple scheme -MoSCoW prioritization -Monopoly Money -100-point method -Dot voting or multi-voting -Kano analysis -Requirements prioritization model

Non-Event Risks

Variability Risk: some aspect of a planned task or situation is uncertain. e.g. productivity targets, error during testing, weather patterns Ambiguity Risk: uncertainties arising from a lack of knowledge or understanding. e.g. use of a new technology, future regulations

Agile Chartering

What allows you to start the project. High-level, uses five Ws Agreement Authority to proceed Focuses on HOW the project will be conducted, not necessarily the requirements in depth -allows for flexibility and ability to deal with change Project specific processes outlined May use project Tweet - describes project goal in 140 characters or less

One phase of the project has been completed, and the stakeholders are very happy with the transition of the project deliverable. What would be the next best step on this project? Kickoff meeting Start a new phase Archive project records Conduct a phase review

When a project is completed, the project stakeholders should conduct a phase gate or phase review to determine whether to continue the project or end it. You should not start a phase if you have not reviewed the previously finished phase. Archive project records would have been done in the phase that was just completed. A kickoff meeting is used at the end of the planning or initiating a section of the project in order to start the next section.

When decomposing requirements epics are decomposed to? Tasks Stories Work Features

When decomposing requirements epics are decomposed to features, features are decomposed to stories, and stories are decomposed to tasks.

Cost-Reimbursable Contract

When the buyer pays for the work expenses and then pays the seller a fee for his profit. The risk is with the buyer because the cost overrun of work expense is covered by the buyer. 3 Types: -Cost plus fixed fee (CPFF): this contract is when the buyer pays the work expense and then a fixed fee to the seller for profit -Cost plus incentive fee (CPIF): this contract is when the buyer pays the work expense and an additional fee, if a target is met, such as finishing two weeks earlier -Cost plus award fee (CPAF): this contract is when the buyer pays the work expense and pays an award fee that is based on satisfaction of work

The project team has decided to implement Kanban. What should the team be most concerned about when using the Kanban methodology? Limit the work in progress Try to keep it on a computer Ensure everyone gets the updated Ensure only authorized updates

When using Kanban, the project team should ensure that they limit the work in progress on the Kanban board.

Failure Modes

Why do people fail: 1. making mistakes 2. preferring to fail conservatively 3. inventing rather than researching 4. being creatures of habit 5. being inconsistent Probably don't need to memorize for exam

Contract Types

Will likely be a lot of questions on exam on this (when to use and what are their risks) 1. Fixed-Price: firm fixed price, fixed price incentive fee, fixed price with economic price adjustments 2. Cost-Reimbursable: cost plus fixed fee, cost plus incentive fee, cost plus award fee 3. Time and Material

WBS

Work Breakdown Structure Essential to the success of the project. If it is not in the WBS, it is not part of the project. Defines responsibilities of the team, a communication tool. Based on project deliverables, not the tasks needed to create those deliverables. Created by PM, SMEs, Project Team; good team building tool. A deliverable-oriented, ranked decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team. It is used to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables, with each descending level representing an increasing level of detail of the project work. Each node must have a unique identifying number. This is used to help locate and arrange each node. There cannot be any gaps or overlap of work packages. Nothing is eliminated and nothing is duplicated.

Risks can be...

known-knowns, known-unknowns, unknown-unknowns