Chapter 1-6 Project Management Exam Review

Political Frame

A frame that addresses organizational and personal politics

Structural Frame

A frame that deals with how the organization is structured (usually depicted in an organizational chart) and focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities to meet the goals and policies set by top management

need for commitment to information technology

A negative attitude toward IT can prevent the success of an IT project. Having a Chief Information Officer (CIO) at a high level in the organization helps IT projects. Assigning non-IT people to IT projects also encourage more commitment

IT governance

addresses the authority and control for key IT activities in organizations

Systems Management

addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system.

Management reviews

also called phase exits, phase gate reviews, or kill points, should occur after each phase to evaluate the project's progress, likely success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals

Systems Philosophy

an overall model for thinking about things as systems.

"Super tools"

Tools that have high use and high potential for improving project success. These super tools included software for task scheduling (such as project management software), scope statements, requirement analyses, and lessons-learned reports

Predictive Life Cycle Models

1. waterfall model 2. spiral model 3. incremental build model 4. prototyping model 5. rapid application development (RAD) model

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

Triple Constraint

Every project is constrained in different ways, often by its scope, time, and cost goals

What is the triple constraint? What other factors affect a project?

Every project is constrained in different ways, often by its scope, time, and cost goals which is the triple constraint. Other factors that affect a project is the knowledge, preparation, organization, leadership, teamwork, timeliness and the effective conclusion. Each and every factor is equally critical to each other and will determine the project success efficiently.

What helps projects succeed?

Executive sponsorship1 5 Emotional maturity 15 User involvement15 Optimization 15 Skilled resources 10 Agile processes7 Modest execution 6 Project management expertise 5 Clear business objectives 4

A project manager's primary role is to provide the funding for a project

False

Which organization provides certification as a Project Management Professional?

PMI

Which goal distinguishes project management and portfolio management?

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

Which characteristic highlights a difference between projects and operations?

Projects are temporary endeavors whereas an organization's operations are ongoing in nature.

Top management helps project managers by

Providing adequate resources • Approving unique project needs in a timely manner • Getting cooperation from other parts of the organization • Mentoring and coaching on leadership issues

need for organizational standards

Standards and guidelines help project managers be more effective

Systems Thinking

Systems thinking describes this holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization. To handle complex situations effectively, project managers need to take a holistic view of a project and understand how it relates to the larger organization

The Project Life Cycle

The series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

Project Management Software

There are hundreds of different products to assist in performing project management

A project's stakeholders include its customers, users, and suppliers.

True

importance of top management commitment

Without top management commitment, many projects will fail.

Organizational project management

a "framework in which portfolio, program, and project management are integrated with organizational enablers in order to achieve strategic objectives.

DevOps

a culture of collaboration between software development and operations teams to build, test, and release reliable software more quickly.

executive steering committee

a group of senior executives from various parts of the organization, can regularly review important corporate projects and issues

Systems Analysis

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

"What is the project's budget?" This is an example of a project's _____ constraint.Required to answer. Single line text.

cost

Knowledge area

describe the key competencies that project managers must develop

Systems Approach

describes a holistic and analytical approach to solving complex problems that includes using a systems philosophy, systems analysis, and systems management

a systems view of project management

even though projects are temporary and intended to provide a unique product or service, you cannot run projects in isolation

Human Resource Frame

focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of people. It recognizes that mismatches can occur between the needs of the organization and those of individuals and groups, and works to resolve any potential problems

Symbolic Frame

focuses on symbols and meanings. In this frame, the most important aspect of any event in an organization is not what actually happened, but what it means

Three basic organizational structures

functional, project, matrix

globalization

has created a world where everyone is connected and the "playing field" is level for many more participants

Waterfall model:

has well-defined, linear stages of systems development and support

A product life cycle

is a process used to define, create, and deliver products

The Project Management Institute (PMI)

is an international professional society for project managers founded in 1969. PMI has continued to attract and retain members, reporting more than 500,000 members worldwide by late 2017. There are communities of practices in many areas, like information systems, financial services, and health care

Project Management Office (PMO)

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

project portfolio management

is where organizations group and manage projects and programs as a portfolio of investments that contribute to the entire enterprise's success

Operations

is work done to sustain the business, It focuses on the ongoing production of goods and services. Projects are different from operations in that they end when their objectives have been reached or the project has been terminated.

focusing on stakeholder needs

project managers must take time to identify, understand, and manage relationships with all project stakeholders

program manager

provides leadership and direction for the project managers heading the projects within the program. Program managers are responsible for more than the delivery of project results; they are change agents responsible for the success of products and processes developed by those projects.

Spiral model:

shows that software is developed using an iterative or spiral approach rather than a linear approach

a Project Management Professional (PMP®)

someone who has documented sufficient project experience and education, agreed to follow the PMI code of professional conduct, and demonstrated knowledge of project management by passing a comprehensive examination

The Four Frames of Organizations

structural, human resources, political, symbolic

Prototyping model

used for developing prototypes to clarify user requirements

Rapid Application Development (RAD) model:

used to produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality

project sponsor

usually provides the direction and funding for the project

three key factors that are playing major roles in the growth of PMOs:

•The growing strategic value of the PMO •The increased role of the PMO in training •The ever-present challenge of resource management

There are several ways to define project success:

•The project met scope, time, and cost goals •The project satisfied the customer/sponsor •The results of the project met its main objective

Stakeholders include

•the project sponsor •banks and other financial institutions •the project manager •the project team •support staff •suppliers •opponents to the project

Project Attributes

A project •has a unique purpose •is temporary •drives change and enable value creation •is developed using progressive elaboration •requires resources, often from various areas •should have a primary customer or sponsor •The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project •involves uncertainty

what Is a project?

A project is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result."

What is a project, and what are its main attributes?

A project is a temporary endeavor that is undertaken to create a unique service, result, or product. To add to this, even though that it is temporary and unique other attributes that can be seen in the projects are developed using progressive elaboration, resources that are required from various sources, and it should have a primary customer, or sponsor and most importantly that involves uncertainty.

Which of the following questions reflects the strategic goals of project portfolio management?

Are we investing in the right areas?

A difference between operations and projects is that operations end when their objectives have been reached, whereas projects do not.

False

What is project management? Briefly provide examples of stakeholders, knowledge areas, tools and techniques, and project success factors

Project management is "the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements." Examples of stakeholders are the owners/equity holders, Employees of the company, Directors of the board, Suppliers, Creditors, Local/federal governments/agencies, Local community. Examples of knowledge areas can be seen in the 5 types of project management processes, initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing. The various knowledge areas covered are cost, time, scope, human resources/team management, quality, procurement, stakeholder management and risk management. The examples of the tools and techniques are like Gantt chart, PERT network diagram and work breakdown structure (WBS). They can be a critical path method, critical chain project management and lean project management. The examples of the project success factors is when it meets the desired scope of the project within the given time and cost with the customer satisfaction. Factors that lead to this is rigorous planning, open and regular communication with all stakeholders and proactive risk management.

project success

Project managers play an important role in making projects, and therefore organizations, successful. Project managers work with the project sponsors, the project team, and other stakeholders to meet project goals. They also work with sponsors to define success for particular projects. Good project managers do not assume that their definition of success is the same as the sponsors'. They take the time to understand their sponsors' expectations and then track project performance based on important success criteria.

What is the role of the project manager? What are suggested skills for all project managers and for IT project managers?

Project managers work with the project sponsors, team, and the other people involved to achieve project goals. An effective project manager is vital for the project's success. They must work closely with other stakeholders on the project and especially the sponsor and the project team. The suggested skills that all project and IT managers should know is planning, resourcing, cost & time estimating, risk analysis, leadership, strategic influencing, active sequencing, Act as strategic business partners, Encourages & recognizes contributions, Respects and motivates stakeholders, Fully vested in success, Stresses integrity and accountability, Works in the gray/able to deal with ambiguity, The Project Management Body of Knowledge, IT Knowledge, Knowledge of standards, and regulations, Project environment knowledge, General management knowledge and skill and most importantly Soft skills or human relations skills.

Stakeholders

are the people involved in or affected by project activities, and include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, customers, users, suppliers, and even opponents of the project. These stakeholders often have very different needs and expectations.

Project management tools and techniques

assist project managers and their teams in various aspects of project management

project context

has a critical impact on which product development life cycle will be most effective for a particular software development project

portfolio managers

help their organizations make wise investment decisions by helping to select and analyze projects from a strategic perspective. They may or may not have previous experience as project or program managers. It is most important that they have strong financial and analytical skills and understand how projects and programs can contribute to meeting strategic goals.

Politics

in organizations take the form of competition among groups or individuals for power, resources, and leadership

Organizations group projects

into portfolios to help them make better investment decisions, such as increasing, decreasing, discontinuing, or changing specific projects or programs based on their financial performance, risks, resource utilization, and similar factors that affect business value.

program

is "a group of related projects managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually"

Project management

is "the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements."

project life cycle

is a collection of project phases which define what work will be performed in each phase, what deliverables will be produced and when, who is involved in each phase, and how management will control and approve work produced in each phase

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

is a framework for describing the phases of developing information systems

champion

is a key advocate for a project.

Deliverables

is a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project

Organizational Culture

is a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization

megaproject

is a very large project that typically costs over US$1 billion, affects over one million people, and lasts several years.

Project management _____ describe the key competencies that project managers must develop.

knowledge areas

Ethics

loosely defined, is a set of principles that guide our decision making based on personal values of what is "right" and "wrong".

Project managers

must have knowledge and skills in all 10 knowledge areas •Scope •Schedule •Cost •Quality •resource •Communications •Risk •Procurement •Project integration management •Stakeholder

29%

of IT projects were successful in 2015

39%

of all agile projects were successful compared to 11% of waterfall projects

62%

of small projects were successful compared to 6% large, 9% medium, and 21% moderate

project managers

work with the project sponsors, team, and the other people involved to achieve project goals. An effective Project Manager is crucial to a project's success. Project managers must work closely with the other stakeholders on a project, especially the sponsor and project team. They are also more effective if they are familiar with the 10 project management knowledge areas and the various tools and techniques related to project management.

Systems development projects can follow

• Predictive life cycle • Iterative life cycle • Incremental life cycle • Adaptive life cycle • Hybrid life cycle

Senior management can encourage

• The use of standard forms and software for project management • The development and use of guidelines for writing project plans or providing status information • The creation of a project management office or center of excellence

The final phase of a project life cycle focuses on

• ensuring that project requirements were met • the sponsor approves completion of the project

internal project stakeholders

• project sponsor • project team • support staff • internal customers of the project • top management • other functional managers

In early phases of a project life cycle

• resource needs are usually lowest • the level of uncertainty (risk) is highest • project stakeholders have the greatest opportunity to influence the project

In middle phases of a project life cycle

• the certainty of completing a project improves • more resources are needed

external project stakeholders

• the project's customers • Competitors • suppliers • other external groups potentially involved in the project or affected by it, such as government officials or concerned citizens.

Research findings show that companies that excel in project delivery capability:

•Adequate funding •Staff expertise •Engagement from all stakeholders

Top three reasons why federal technology projects succeed

•Adequate funding •Staff expertise •Engagement from all stakeholders

Advantages of Using Formal Project Management:

•Better control of financial, physical, and human resources •Improved customer relations •Shorter development times •Lower costs and improved productivity •Higher quality and increased reliability •Higher profit margins •Better internal coordination •Positive impact on meeting strategic goals •Higher worker morale

goals of a PMO:

•Collect, organize, and integrate project data for the entire organization. •Ensure that the organization's approaches for project management include accepted and validated best practices. •Audit project documentation and offer feedback on project managers' approaches and compliance with standards. •Develop and maintain templates, tools, and standards for project documents and project methodologies to be used. •Develop or coordinate training in various project management topics. •Provide a formal career path for project managers. •Provide project management consulting services. •Provide a structure or department that project managers belong to while they are assigned to a project or are between projects.

PMBOK® Guide -Sixth Edition lists tools and techniques based on their purpose

•Data gathering •Data analysis •Data representation •Decision making •Communication •Interpersonal and team skills •Ungrouped

Understanding Project Constraints

•Every project is constrained in different ways, often by its scope, time, and cost goals (triple constraint) •Managing the triple constraint involves making trade-offs between scope, time, and cost goals for a project •Some people, in fact, refer to the quadruple constraint of project management, which includes quality •Good project management includes more than managing project constraints.

adapt leadership style to fix the given situation

•Laissez-faire• Transactional •Servant leader •Transformational •Charismatic •Interactional •Visionary •Coaching •Affiliative •Democratic •Pacesetting •Commanding

Three main categories of tools:

•Low-end tools: Handle single or smaller projects well, cost under $200 per user •Midrange tools: Handle multiple projects and users, cost $200-$1,000 per user, Microsoft Project is still the most popular •High-end tools: Also called enterprise project management software, often licensed on a per-user basis

Growing sector for IT professionals

•Many people and organizations today have a new or renewed interest in project management •Worldwide IT spending was $3.5 trillion in 2017, a 2.4 percent increase from 2016 spending •The Project Management Institute reported that the number of jobs reached almost 66 million in 2017. By 2027, employers will need 87.7 million individuals working in project management-oriented roles •In 2017, the average annual salary (without bonuses) for someone in the project management profession was $112,000 in the U.S. and $130,866 in Switzerland •The complexity and importance of IT projects, which involve using hardware, software, and networks to create a product, service, or result, have evolved dramatically. •Today's companies, governments, and nonprofit organizations are recognizing that to be successful, they need to use modern project management techniques, especially for IT projects.

popular time-management tools and techniques include

•Project charter, scope statement, and WBS (scope) •Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, critical chain scheduling (time) •Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)

suggested skills and traits for project managers

•The Project Management Body of Knowledge •IT knowledge •Knowledge of standards, and regulations •Project environment knowledge •General management knowledge and skills •Soft skills or human relations skills •Act as strategic business partner •Encourages & recognizes contributions •Respects and motivates stakeholders •Fully vested in success •Stresses integrity and accountability •Works in the gray/able to deal with ambiguity