BUS 395 Midterm Answers

the project scope management knowledge area maps to which process group through the activities of scope validation and scope control?

monitoring and controlling

In which product life cycle the scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed?

predictive

Which goal distinguishes project management and portfolio management?

project management addresses specific, short-term goals whereas portfolio management focuses on long-term goals.

A ___ is an organizational group responsible for coordinating the project management function throughout an organization.

project management office

what document used to coordinate all project planning documents and help guide a project's execution and control?

project management plan

Which information is included in a business case?

project objective, high-level requirements, and time and cost goals

Which process involves developing a working replica of the system or some aspect of the system?

prototyping

a difference between strategic and tactical goals is:

strategic goals are long-term in nature whereas tactical goals are short-term

Which perspective of an organization focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management?

structural frame

Steve, an engineer in a construction company, is at present working on a home construction project. The home is being built for the Robinson family, the owners of the home. Steve is working with his project team and support staff to ensure the project is completed on time. In such a scenario, the project sponsor is ___.

the Robinson family

Which objective is true of projects?

they have a unique purpose

Which of the following is true of program managers?

they provide leadership and direction for project managers heading the projects within a program

list and describe the five process management groups.

The five process management groups consist of initiation, planning, executing, monitor and control, and closing. Initiation is when you define a project and identify a company's need. Planning is determining the scope and creating a plan that fits the company's needs. Executing is using given resources to fulfill the project up until it is finished. Monitor and control is managing the project to ensure it is following predetermined guidelines and is ontrack to completion. Closing is ensuring it meets the company's needs, if other iterations need to be made, etcetera.

an important tool for project scope management is ___.

a work breakdown structure

Which process involves generating ideas by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products inside or outside the performing organization?

benchmarking

in which of the following areas of management is payback analysis most likely to be used?

cost

Which planning process is within the Project Scope Management knowledge area?

creation of a WBS

which is true about the agile method?

it uses several iterations or deliveries of software instead of waiting until the end of the project to provide a product

Which approach for constructing a WBS uses a similar project's WBS as a starting point?

analogy

During which approach do team members first identify as many specific tasks related to the project as possible and then aggregate the specific tasks and organize them into summary activities, or higher levels in the WBS?

bottom-up

What important Scrum artifact is used to graphically display progress on each sprint during the monitoring and controlling process?

burndown chart

Which of the following refers to a set of principles that guides decision making based on personal values of what is considered right and wrong?

ethics

it is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during the earlier phases.

false

it is necessary that IT project managers have prior technical experience in creating and managing IT products

false

project integration management must occur just within the context of a particular project

false

the tasks in a WBS must be developed as a sequential list of steps.

false

Grey's Infotech sells customized hardware and software solutions for businesses. The salespeople for Grey's have a strict dress code when meeting clients. They are required to wear dark business suits, in order to convey the company's dedication to quality. The meaning conveyed to the clients' through the salespeople's clothing is part of the ___ frame of the organization.

symbolic

Which problem-solving approach requires defining the scope of a system, dividing it into its components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs?

systems analysis

a ___ is usually not necessary to the Scrum method, because Scrum implies that team members work as a self-directed group.

team charter

the level of activity and length of each process group varies for every project.

true

In what type of organizational structure do project managers have the least amount of authority?

functional

in Rizzati Corp, vice presidents in departments such as engineering, manufacturing, IT, and human resources report directly to the chief executive officer and undertake their tasks independently of each other. The staff of these departments have specialized skills in their respective disciplines. Which type of organizational structure does Rizatti Corp have?

functional

Which term is used for a formal, documented process that describes when and how official project documents may be modified, the people authorized to make modifications, and the paperwork required for these changes?

change control system

Which action involves defining and documenting the features and functions of the products produced during the project as well as the processes used for creating them?

collecting requirements

which is an example of a pre-initiation task?

developing a business case for a project

Joe is a project manager in an IT company and has over the years, gained substantial knowledge in his area of work. However, while managing his team, he often loses his temper. In addition, he fails to be an active listener when his team members approach him with work related challenges. In which of the following areas does Joe need to develop his skills in?

human relations skills

Which observation is true of the agile approach to software development?

in the agile method, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration

which of the following is true of the project life cycle?

in the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest

describe the triple constraint. What are the three components and how these components are managed?

managing the triple constraint involves making trade-offs between scope, time, and cost goals for a project. Project managers must decide which aspect of the triple constraint is most important. If time is most important, one must change the initial scope and/or cost goals to meet the schedule. If scope goals are most important, one may need to adjust time and/or cost goals.

in a ___ organizational structure, personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers.

matrix

the project cost management knowledge area maps to which process group through the activities of estimating costs and budget determination?

planning

When does payback occur?

when the net cumulative benefits equal the net cumulative costs