Test 3 (Book 2)
List at least three features of a project (what makes a project a project)
1) A project is a goal-oriented, producing a unique deliverable or set of deliverables 2) A project consists of connected, related activities 3) A project has limited duration, which means projects are typified by a predefined schedule and usually tied to a specific end date 4) A project has elements of uniqueness 5) Projects are defined by three constraints which must be managed: time, cost, and scope (work content) of the project
Which of the preceding paths are on the critical path?
1-2-5-7-10 12 days
Which view lists task and the resources assigned to each one?
1. The two most useful assignment views are the Task Usage view (which lists tasks and the resources assigned to each one) 2. The reverse; the Resource Usage view (which lists resources and their assigned tasks)
What are the three resource types?
1. Work Resources 2. Cost Resources 3. Material Resources
What are two ways to change the default setting for scheduling new tasks?
1. to change the default manual setting for scheduling of new tasks, at the bottom left of you screen, click New Tasks and select Auto Scheduled-Task dates are calculated by Microsoft Project. 2. From Task: Tasks, use the Mode dropdown to select Auto Schedule
Up to how many separate rates can each resource have?
5
Which section of the project definition document can you tell when each major phase is done?
Completion Criteria / Clearly Articulated Exit
What are at least four (4) advantages of using project management software tools?
Computers make your project plan easy to update Quality of the output is high (which can save you time) Computers are excellent for handling the extensive calculations required to keep a plan up to date May be mandatory when project or resource scheduling information needs to be shared across the enterprise
What are the common characteristics that most project lifecycle descriptions share?
Costa and staffing levels are low at the start, higher toward the end, and drop rapidly as the project draws to a conclusion. The probability of successful completing the project is lowest, and hence risk and uncertainty are highest, at the start of the project. The probability of successful completion generally increases as the project continues The ability of stakeholders to influence the final characteristics of the project product and the final cost of the project is highest at the start and gets progressively lower as the project continues. A major contributor to this phenomenon is that the cost of change and error correction generally increase as the project continues
What is crashing? Why is it generally a secondary option to fast tracking?
Crashing requires applying additional resources to critical path tasks to shorten individual tasks Fast tracking is the most common method used for shortening a project because it appears to be less expensive than the only alternative: crashing
Where can you go customize the ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar?
Customize the Ribbon: Click file tab; select options; Project Options dialog box appear. Customize Ribbon; Add/Remove button. Quick Access Toolbar: File: Options, Project Options; Quick Access toolbar; add/remove button; Command Link the selected tasks has been selected for addition to the quick access toolbar
What are the properties of an effective methodology?
Defines repeatable processes Instills quality into service-based processes Removes creativity from processes that should not be creative Provides a floor-not a ceiling Organizes the project tasks for the work plan Forms the foundation for continuous improvement
To start activity definition, the project manager should consider what four major themes?
Definition Document Historical Information Constraints HIgh-Level Work Breakdown Structure
Fill in the blank: A solid completion statement will tie the________ and their ________ together in a logical way
Deliverables; Acceptance
What are some of the ways that task dependencies can be changed (list at least two different ways)?
Dependencies can also be changed in the Task Details form (in the split window) by clicking in the Type column for a dependency. They can also be changed in the TASK information dialog box, be sure to work with the successor task, since only the predecessor tasks are shown in this dialog box. Double-check the successor task name to open the Task Inforamtion dialog box easily
Fill in the blank: The entire project plan and schedule revolves around the estimated ______ for each task
Effort
Fill in the blank: The most important application of CPM is to realize a late task on the critical path will cause the project ____ _____ to change
End Date
Status Reporting and Management Review
Ensures that all relevant project stakeholders are kept apprised of all key project information
Fill in the blank: In order to set the project working time and non-working time, you use _____ _______ _______ feature
Enterprise Base Calendar
Fill in the blank: The summary of the project work plan is the_______
Estimated Schedule
What sections does a project definition document usually contain?
Executive: A brief summary of the entire document Objective: Clear, measurable statements defining the purpose of the project Assumptions: Documented answers to open key unknowns Approach: A plan of action for building te deliverables Deliverables Guidelines: Outlined of the project deliverables list Business Investment: Estimated project cost Estimated Schedule: Summary of the project work plan Completion Criteria: How you'll know when each major phase and the overall project are done.
What are the three different task types as defined by Microsoft Project 2019?
Fixed Units Fixed Work Fixed Duration
What is the recommended task type if your resource demand and project budget are based on labor estimates?
Fixed Work
How can you get outline numbers to appear in your project plan attached to the task names? How can you get them to appear not attached to the task names?
From Format: Show/hide, select the outline number checkbox. Outline numbers will appear in your project plan. Right click task name and select insert column from the menu that appears, then select WBS as the title of your column. Finally, from Format: show/hide, uncheck the outline number checkbox
One of your resources has just informed you he/she will be on vacation a week when you have him/her scheduled to work on a task. How would you update his/her calendar to reflect the fact that he/she will not be available?
From Task: Schedule, click the split task icon. Position your mouse over Gantt bar for task Create project plan (ID4), until the start date on the screen tip reads "5/25" (the date you want the split to begin) and release your mouse button to initiate the task split function
How can you see the total resource costs for a project?
From View: Data, click the Tables icon, and from the dropdown list, select Cost Table, Move the divider bar between the table and the calendar bar chart to the right until you see the total cost column headings
How do you view assignment information sorted by resource, rather than by task?
From View: Resource views, select Resource Usage. You can also access the resource usage view via the Task and Resource tabs.
How can you display the slit Gantt Chart view?
From task: Properties, select Details to see the split Gantt Chart view
Fill in the blank: The default _______________ view includes a calendar bar chart on the right side if the screen and a table of data on the left side
Gantt Chart
What can you do if you are not seeing the information you want on the left side of the divider of the Gantt Chart view?
Apply a table that contains the columns (or fields) you wish to view Add columns to the existing table Add columns to the existing table and then apply the table Create a new table that contains the columns (or fields) you wish to view
Fill in the blank: Microsoft Project calculates basic cost calculations at the __________ level
Assignment
What formula does Microsoft Projects follow to calculate assignment cost?
Assignment Work x Resource Cost Rate = Assignment Cost
What is an assignment?
A connection between a resource and a task. Each time a resource is scheduled to work on a task, a new resource assignment is created in your project
What is a deliverables?
A deliverable is a product, such as a feasibility study, a design, or a prototype Deliverables are part of a logical, usually chronological, approach designed to ensure proper completion to the project's desired product.
Before you begin adding tasks and resources to your project, it is important to make sure the project base calendar included what inforamtion?
Before you begin adding tasks and resources to your project, it is important to make sure the project base calendar includes information such as COMPANY HOLIDAYS AND NON-WORKING TIMES
Explain an alternative to deadline dates that provides more dramatic alers.
A little red diamond warning is received but easily overlooked. You will also receive a planning Wizard alert message not only tells you that something is happening, it tells you specifically where to look
Is it possible for a resource to have differnet cost depending on the roles and/or tasks they are performing in Microsoft Project? If so, how?
A resource may have different costs depending on the roles and tasks they are performing. Microsoft Project provides the capability to use different resources rates for different roles and assignments
You are renting a piece of equipment for a few days, and therefore the resources using that equipment must complete the work during that time. What task type would be the best one to use in this scenario?
A task type of fixed duration would fit the expected behavior of the schedule
What is resource leveling?
A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource limitation with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply
Provide an example to show when it is appropriate or cost-effective to use a project management tool vs another example to show when it is not cost-effective to use; Describe why you gave those examples
A two-month project with 2 or 3 people assigned will not require the same rigor as a two-year project with 25 people assigned who are geographically dispersed. The investment required to use a tool should only be made for larger projects with higher budgets The benefits should outweigh the cost Sound judgement is required to decide how deep to go with using a tool
What's an example of a case when it is reasonable to assign a generic resource at more than 100%?
Generic resources are almost always replaced with named resources as the project progresses. It is reasonable to assign a generic resource at more than 100% if you expect to be assigning multiple named resources to that task later
How can you display a high-level outline of your plan?
Choose select all above the ID column and left of the Task Name header. All tasks should become highlighted. From View: Data, click Outline, and from the dropdown list, select Level 1
Define the term "Project Objectives"
Clear, measurable statements defining the purpose of the project
How can you insert a new data field to a view?
Click Add New Column heading (the last column) and selecting a field from the list. A column may also be inserted by navigating to Format: Columns and clicking Insert Column per the following figure
How do you open the Project Options dialog box?
Click file: Option to open the project options dialog box
Tracking
Collects information from the term to assist the project manager in assessing actual progress
Analysis
Highlights any deviations from the original plan against current progress
What are some of the different ways to estimating work (List at least three)?
Historical Participative Intuitive Unknow
What is the duration if a resource is assigned 40 hours of work at 100% units? What happens to the duration if the resource is working only 50% of their time on this task?
If a resource is assigned 40 hours of work at 100% units, the duration of the task will be 40 hours or 5 days If the resource is working only 50% of their time on this task, then the duration is 80 hours, or 10 days
Task Usage View
If the inforamtion is task-based, with resource assignments spread over time
Resource Usage
If the information you require is resource-based, with task assignment spread over time
Resource Sheet + details in lower pane (split window)
If the information you require is resource-based, with task assignments not spread over time
Resource Sheet
If the information you require is resource-based, without task assignment
Gantt Chart + Details in the lower pane (split window)
If the information you require is task-based, with resource assignments not spread over time
Gantt Chart
If the information you require is task-based, without resource assignments.
Why is it important to catch problems early?
If you catch problems early, they are easier to solve Proactively look for trouble, with an eye toward managing problems, rather than being victimized by them
Why does the duration appear as "1 day?" by default when you start entering tasks in your project plan?
If you enter a task without a specific duration and your project is set to Auto Schedule new tasks, Microsoft Project 2019 assigns an estimated one-day duration to each task. The question mark, which remains in the duration field until you adjust these values, indicates that the value is not a careful estimate and has a great of uncertainty.
What are the (5) five project management process groups?
Initiating Processes Planning Processes Executing Processes Controlling Processes Closing Processes
Scope Verification
Input: Work Results; Production Documentation Tools and Techniques: Inspection Outputs: Formal Acceptance
Scope Planning
Inputs: Product Description; Project Charter; Constraints; Assumptions Tools and Techniques: Product Analysis; Benefit/costs analysis; Alternatives Identification; Expert Judgement Outputs: Scope Statement (Project Justification; Project Product; Project Deliverables; Project Objectives); Supporting details; Scope Management Plan
Initiation
Inputs: Product description; Strategic Plan, Project Selection; Historical Information Tools and Techniques: Project selection methods ( Decision modes: Benefit Measurement Methods; Constrained Optimization Methods) Expert Judgement Outputs; Project Charter; Identification of project manager; Constraints; Assumptions
Scope Definition
Inputs: Scope statement: (Constraints-when a project is done under contract, the constraint defined by contractual provisions are often important considerations during scope definition); Assumptions:(other planning outputs-The outputs of the processes in other knowledge areas should be reviewed for possible impact on project scope definition (should be considered during scope definition. Information about errors and omissions on previous projects should be especially useful. Tools and Techniques work breakdown structure templates; Decomposition (Identify the major elements of the project; Decide if adequate cost and duration estimates can be developed at this level of detail for each element; identify constituent elements of the deliverable; Verify the correctness of the decomposition) Outputs: Work breakdown structure (Code of accounts)
Providing Feedback/Continuous Improvement
Instills quality in the process of project management
What is resource planning?
Involves determining what resources (i.e., people, equipment, and materials) should be used to perform project activities and what amount each resource is required by each activity
A project charter says, "The goal of this project is to network all facilities in Delaware." What is a potential issue with the charter, and how can it be improved?
It will leave the project manager vulnerable to the dreaded, "While you're at it, why don't you include the facilities in Delaware?"; On the other hand, a project charter that says "The goal of the project is to network all facilities in Delaware". Facilities in Delaware will be networked in a separate project during the fiscal year" provides some defense when people ask for out-of-scope modifications
Press Alt + End
Jump to the end of the projects Gantt bars
Press Ctrl + End
Jump to the last column in the task list
Fill in the blank: Where there's a delay between dependent tasks, they have _______ time
Lag
Fill in the blank: When tasks overlap, they are said to have _______ time.
Lead
What is leveling by resources? What problem can it present?
Leveling by Resource means that after you create resources assignments, you look at each resource and all the tasks assigned to each resource to see if tasks need to be rescheduled to provide for a realistic workload for each resource. Problem that can present is as you reschedule tasks to more realistically allocate one resource, you may over-allocate another
What is resource leveling by task?
Leveling by task is what you do when you assign resources to a task and then make sure the resources are available to work on the task.
What kind of dependency is the default when linking task in Microsoft Project 2019?
Microsoft Project 2019's default when linking task is to create a finish-to-start task dependency since it is the most common type of task dependency.
With which constraint type can tasks not finish any earlier or later than the indicated date? Is this Flexible or Inflesxible?
Must Finish On (MFO) Inflexible
Fill in the blank: _____ and ____ are the biggest variables in every project. Remember to make time to focus attention on ____ issues, both internal to the team and external
People, Politics, People
Fill in the blank: Project management consists of an organized set of _______, ______, and _______ working together
People, Processes, Procedures
What are some of the items the project manager and project team should consider in developing task estimates (list at least 3)
Resource Availability Resource Capabilities Historical Information Analogue Estimating Simulation
What are some of the items the project manager and the project team should consider in the schedule development process (List at least three)?
Resource Requirements: -Resource Pool Description, -Calendars, -Constraints, -Leads and Lags
Fill in the blank: To view resource-based information without assignment details, go to: Task: View and select the ___________
Resource Sheet View
Press Ctrl + Home
Return to the first row and column of the task list
What can you do if you are not seeing the fields you want on the lower pane?
Right click in the lower pane and select Schedule, work cost, notes and/or Objects, as appropriate From View: (Task or Resource) Views use the Other Views dropdown list to select More views and then choose the appropriate "from" view From View: Split View, use the details dropdown list to select appropriate view
How can you apply the Cost Table to a view?
Right click the right side of the vertical view divider From the dropdown list, select Cost and deselect Work to view cost details on this side of the view
Fill in the blank: The _______ field indicates the scheduling method that Microsoft Project 2019 will apply to your project plan
Schedule Form
Press Alt + Home
Shift to the start of the project's Gantt bars
What are some advantages of the timeline view?
Showing a concise overview of the entire project. you can add tasks to the timeline and even print if for a clear summary report of the entire project. You can also easily paste the timeline into an e-mail or other documents for an instant report
What three things do the project manager and project team have to consider in order to make sure that the available resources will meet project requirements?
Staffing Management Plan Staffing Pool Description Recruitment Practices
What are the three predefined calendars available in Microsoft Project 2019 when using the computer profile?
Standard 24-Hour Night-Shift
Which constraint types starts on day one of the project if there are no predecessors? Is this Flexible or Inflexible
Start No Later Than (SNLT) Inflexible
Fill in the blank: You can create new project based on exisiting Excel ____________ lists
Task
Fill in the blank: A project consists of activities that have a distinct beginning and end (known as ________) and the people, equipment, and supplies used to complete those activities (Known as __________)
Task Resources
What formula does Microsoft Project follow to calculate task cost?
Task Cost = Assignment Cost (summary of all assignments) + Fixed Cost
If you had selected Review proposal (Task ID 7) first in a project plan and dragged its link line to Write proposal (Task ID 2), which task would be shown as the predecessor?
Task dependencies rely on the order you selected. For example, if you had selected Review proposal (Task ID 7) first in the previous exercise and dragged its link line to Write proposal (Task ID 2), Review proposal would be shown as the predecessor of Write proposal
Describe the "8-80 rule"?
Task should not be less than 8 hours of effort nor more than 80 hours
What are some ways to foster team development?
Team Building Activities Reward and Recognition Systems Collocation Training
What is the Exception tab used for in the Change Working Time dialog box?
The Exception tab is used to create the name of day being added to the calendar
What four things does the Project Charter Include
The Project Objective(s) Major Constraints The expected timescale The name of the person responsible for achieving each of the project's goals
How can you view resource-based information with resources assignments summarized over the project lifetime?
The Resource Sheet (with window split) is the most effective view. To get to this view form the Resource Sheet view, from the view tab, select Details in the Split View group
What is the "Rule of 80"?
The Rule of 80 is one way to test whether the WBS contains enough detail. ("The 80-HR rule stipulates that you break a project into task of 80 hrs or less, each of which must result in a tangible product or deliverables")
Fill in the blank: ____________________ is a process in which a probable outcome is evaluated based on a best-case, expected case, and worst-case scenario
Program Evaluation and Review Techniquem(PERT)
Fill in the blank: The ________ dialog box is where Microsoft Project 2019 allows you to set the scheduling and calendar methods to be used on your project
Project Information
What are the four processes involved in the overall project definition as identified by the PMBOK Guide?
Project Initiation Scope Planning Scope Definition Scope Verification
Fill in the blank: __________ are individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be affected as a result of project execution or successful project completion
Project Stakeholders
Scope Management
Provides an orderly means of modifying the original project definition
Plan and Organization
Provides the detailed roadmap that will be used to guide the project team when constructing the final deliverables
Fill in the blank: If one of the three values is fixed and you change a second value, the third value will be ________ ___ _______ by Microsoft Project.
Recalculated and Changed
Which of the following is not an option in the Schedule form field a. Project Start Date b. Project Finish Date c. Current Date d. None of the above
c. Current Date
The default task types selected by Microsoft is a. Fixed Work b. Fixed Duration c. Fixed Units d. None of the above
c. Fixed Units
Which of the following are examples of WBS that contain the appropriate level of detail? a. A plan with three phases that contain 1000 hours each b. A plan that contains 3000 tasks, each documenting one hour of effect c. None of the above d. Both A and B
c. None of the above
Which of the following constraints are inflexible? a. As Late as Possible b. Finish No Earlier Than c. Start No Later Than d. Start No Earlier Than
c. Start No Later Than
Microsoft Project determines the start and finish dates for each task in the plan based on which of the following? a. Project Start Date b. Task Durations c. Task Dependencies d. All of the above
d. All of the above
How many base calendars can the Project Server administrator define? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. As many as needed for enterprise projects
d. As many as needed for enterprise projects
The slack for Tasks 1,2,5,7,and 10 is a. 1 day each b. 2 days each c. 3 days each d. None of the above
d. None of the above
What are some of the questions that you should consider before beginning a detailed discussion of developing a project planning summary?
What is the primary goal? What is the main product or outcome of this project? What are the sub-goals? What are the intermediate steps and deliverables needed to achieve the primary goal? How are we going to organize the project? Do we expect that there will be multiple remote teams with distinct deliverables that will be handed off between teams? or Will there be close knit groups collaborating on a sequence of joint deliverables? What are the detailed activities? What more detailed tasks are needed to achieve the sub-goals? In what order do the detailed activities have to be done? What is the necessary sequence of the tasks? What kind of tasks are they? What determines how much time or effort they take? What skills are needed to do the tasks? What attributes do the resources need to have? Who are our the named resources who actually will perform the work? How big are the tasks? What are out estimates of how much time or effort each one takes? When will the work be done? What does the schedule look like? Who will actually do the work, and when?
What two things do project lifecycles generally define?
What technical work should be done in each phase (e.g., is the work of the architecture part of the definition phase or part the execution phase) Who should be involved in each phase (e.g., concurrent engineering requires that the implementers be involved with requirements and design)
When working in split Gantt Chart view, what do you have to do in order to ensue that the changes made in the Task Details Form are implemented?
When working in this split view, changes made in the Task Details Form (lower pane) are not implemented until you click OK or hit Enter twice in succession (with no changes between hits)
What are some of the best practices to use when determining the level of detail required for each task in your project?
When writing the task name for detailed tasks, always include a verb and an object (ex: "Develop Phase 1 draft report" of " Approves budget for design work.
What is a WBS?
Work Breakdown Structure
What type of resources is not consumed by the project?
Work Resources
What can you do if you are not seeing the columns you want in the left side of the divider on the (Task or Resource) Usage view?
You can do one or more of the following: Apply a table that contains the columns (or fields) you wish to view Add columns to the exisiting table Add columns to the exisiting table and then apply the table Create a new table that contains the columns (or fields) you wish to view.
Describe what is meant by the art and science of project managment?
The artistic and scientific aspects of managment which project managers have to bring to the table. => Art: Team management, reward/punishment, and management style. => Science: Scope, Risk, Quality, Cost, and time managment systems =>Both: Communication, resource, integration, and contract management
What is the critical path?
The critical path is the longest path through the network, based on task duration, which dictates the shortest amount of time the project can be completed
If you assign two resources to an effort-driven task, what happens to the duration? What if it is not an effort-driven task?
The duration of the task will decrease by half since two people doing 20 hours work at the same time and can finish the task in half the time. If the people involved have different skill sets, the work is more likely to double than to be split between them
Statement of Work (SOW)
The formal attachment of appendix to the standard terms and conditions of a contract that describes the detailed approach for performing the project
What does checking the Budget checkbox from the Resource Inforamtion dialog box (General tab) allow you to do?
The general tab also contains a Budget checkbox to allow you to flag a resource for high-level budgeting purposes
What is the benefit of using the inactive tasks feature?
The inactive tasks functionality allows you to remove tasks from your project while maintaining a record of the tasks you've removed. Inactivating tasks help you to manage scope.
What's the danger of adding a name directly to the Resource Name field in the Gantt Chart Entry Table or in the Assign Resources dialog box?
The method of adding resource is dangerous as you could spell a name incorrectly and end up with two or more of the same resources on your project. It is a good practice to choose from resources
What is the difference between the outline number and the WBS code?
The outline number format is comparable to a WBS code, but outline numbers are created automatically by Microsoft Project, while the WBS code can be customized by the user
What is activity sequencing?
The process of establishing dependencies is called activity sequencing. The process of identifying and documenting dependencies between activities to be able to develop a realistic and achievable schedule
What is fast tracking?
The process of shortening a project by doing tasks at the same time (in parallel)
Describe what is meant by "backing into the schedule."
The purpose of forcing a project plant to fit into a predetermined project scope, schedule, and set of resources
What does the Status Data field enable?
The status data field enables you to specify the date that Microsoft Project 2019 should use to perform earned value calculations, identify the complete-through data in the Update Project dialog box, and place progress lines on the Gantt Chart
What is Task Inspector?
The task inspector is a good way to see the factors affecting a task's scheduling, as well as recommendations if there are conflicts with the task
What does the Team Player view allow you to see and how does it work?
The team player view allows you to easily see what tasks are assigned to resource; a simple dragging motion also allows you to change existing assignments to over-allocate resourced or assign currently unassigned tasks to available resources
What are the three constraints of a project that must be managed?
Time, Cost,Scope
How do you inactivate tasks?
To inactivate a task or group tasks: Select Review project edits ( Task ID 6) go to Task: Schedule and click the Inactivate icon.
What are the two approached commonly used for cost estimating?
Top-Down Estimating Bottom-Up Estimating
True or False: A hard constraint will override a task dependency
True
True or False: All fixed work task behave as effort-driven tasks
True
True or False: Critical Path is an estimate because its analysis requires several assumptions
True
True or False: In Microsoft Project 2019, you can access help without connecting to Project Server
True
True or False: Some types of projects are initiated informally, and limited amount of work may be done to get the approvals needed for formal initiation.
True
True or False: When you are working in an enterprise environment using Microsoft Project Professional, changes made to tables and views will apply to the modified project only
True
True or False: You can place a manually scheduled task anywhere in your schedule, and Microsoft Project won't move it.
True
True or False: you can import information from Microsoft Excel into any defined Microsoft Project field.
True
What is the slack for Tasks 3,4, and 6?
Up to 3 days late without changing the critical path
How can you change the default location where files are saved?
Use Browse button by the default file location field and select where you would like the project files to be stored by default
You accidently delete a task that was not supposed to be deleted. What can you do?
Use the UNDO button to restore the original task name
Proposal
Used between two separate firms, such as a manufacturer and a consulting company, to sell a project to a company
In which of the following units will Microsoft Project 2019 not accept duration estimates? a. Minutes (m) b. Days (d) c. Weeks (w) d. Months (mo) e. None of the above (IT WILL ACCEPT ALL OF THESE)
e. None of the above (IT WILL ACCEPT ALL OF THESE)
Which of the following are clear, measurable statements defining the purpose of the project?
Objectives
Business Plan
Often used to gain support and approval for internal company projects
Project Charter
Often used to gain support and approval for internal company projects
What is the next step after the overall structure of the project is determined?
Once the overall structure of the project is determined, the next step is to perform progressive elaboration of the WBS
When could organizing the WBS to major sections for each phase of the project with the phases appearing sequentially be valuable?
One common approach to the organizing the WBS is to have a major section for each phase of the project, with the phases appearing sequentially. This is particularly valuable when there is a stage gate approval process or a portfolio management strategy with a metric for the number of projects in different phases
Scope of Work
Another term used for a statement of work
Explain the difference between effort and duration
Duration is the amount of time estimated to complete the estimated effort Effort for a task may be estimated at 40 hours, but its duration is uncertain until you have more information
True or False: If you look only at the list of deliverables to build the WBS, there are some task you may miss.
False---You should refer to the list of deliverables to be certain that tasks exist to build each of the deliverables. This is a good preliminary test of completeness, but it is still possible to overlook some important activities
True or False: You can validate work plan templates by seeing that it has lots of details
False: It is important that you have validate these work plan templates even though it is tempting to think that a plan with that much detail already loaded must be right
True or False: A single approach to project managment could fit all industries and organizations.
False: No single approach could possibly fit all industries and organizations
True or False: When work is fixed, Microsoft Project won't change the work estimate, and you cannot modify the specific work value for a task.
False: When work is fixed, Microsoft Project won't change the work estimate, but you can modify the specific work value for a task
What are the four basic types of task dependencies?
Finish-to-Start Dependencies (FS) Start-to-Start Dependencies (SS) Finish=to-Finish Dependencies (FS) Start-to-Finish (SF)
What organization most commonly use fixed work as the default task type and why?
Organizations that focus on forecasting the work to be done usually use fixed work as the default task type. Because using statements of work to define charges for that work
What are the deliverables guidelines
Ouline of the project deliverables list
Fill in the blank in the following table (using the critical path diagram on pg 146)
PATH Length 1-3-4-6-10 9 days 1-2-5-7-10 12 days 1-8-9-10 11 days
Definition
Documents the overall project, objectives, scope, approach schedule, budget, resources, deliverables, and completion criteria
How do you change a resource to generic from the resource sheet?
Double click a blank row in the Resource Sheet View. The Resource Information dialog box appears, showing the General Tab by default
How do you set the constraint type and date of task?
Double click the task; Click Advanced Tab; Pick an option from Constraint type list; add a date to the constraint date box
Task A has to start 3 days after Task B starts. How can you make this happen?
Double-click the link line between Negotiate new lease and finalize drawings, then in the Task Dependency dialog box, enter "3d" in the Lag field
What are external dependencies? Provide an example to make your point.
External dependencies is a relationship between project activities and non-project activities. For example: An activity in a project may depend on delivery of hardware from an external source, or environmental hearings may be required before site preparation on a construction project.
True or False: A connection between a resource and a task is known as a dependency
False ( a connections between a resource and a task is known as an assignment)
Revision
Makes any necessary plan modifications to steer the project back on course
Fill in the blank: When mapping fields, each type of data imported will require a separate __________ _________ to define where each Excel field should correspond to which Microsoft Project field.
Mapping Screening
How can you display the project summary task?
Navigate to Format: Show/Hide and ensure the Project Summary Task is selected
Fill in the blank: Lead time is expressed as a ________ number in the lag field
Negative
What are the three major process areas in which projects occur?
Portfolio Management Project Management Project Lifecycle Management
What are the four (4) principles of effective project managers?
Principle 1: If you don't know where you're going, you probably won't get there Principle 2: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail Principle 3: If you catch problems early, they are easier to solve Principle 4: People and politics are the biggest variables in every project.
Fill in the blank: The _____ field indicates the order in which tasks will be delayed when you level the resources across multiple projects.
Priority
To achieve a successful project, project management must follow a _____, be supported by a _____, and have ____ to continue improving.
Process, Methodology, Quality Assurance
When is procurement required?
Procurement is required when the organization lacks the in-house staff needed to complete the project
Fill in the blank: The first challenge in resourcing a project is to decide what _________ will be needed to complete it.
Skills
What do Smart Tags do?
Smart Tags alert you to possible options when you make changes in a file
Fill in the blank: A project is deemed successful when the objectives of the _____________ are met.
Sponsor
What are the three major stages in the project management process?
a. Definition b. Control c. Conclusion
Which of the following is not a type of scaffolding task category? a. Deliverables b. Support c. Project Management d. Administrative
a. Deliverables
What are at least (4) four characteristics of a successful project?
a. On Time b. On Budget c. High Quality d. Fulfilled Objectives e. Satisfied Customers f. Achieved Outcomes
