CHAPTER 1, 2, 4, 5 - QUIZ
A project leader is forecasting how much money his department needs to support a new project. He estimates that two people and $25,000 in expenses will cover his needs. Because management typically insists on reducing forecasts by 20 percent, he increases his estimates to allow for that reduction. Which of the following factors is illustrated in this situation?
Padding estimates
Which of the following would be the best method for projects where the final product is not known and the uncertainty is very large?
Phase estimating
A project manager is looking over the actual results of projects and comparing them to what was estimated. She notices that the projects that took six months or longer to complete were noticeably more off the estimates. Which of the following factors is she recognizing?
Planning horizon
The WBS is best suited for design and construction projects that have tangible outcomes. When the final outcome of the project is less tangible or it is the result of a series of steps or phases, some project managers choose to utilize a(n) ___________.
Process Breakdown Structure (PBS)
Which of the choices listed below is NOT considered a project?
Production of automobile tires
Like many other professions such as accounting, marketing and finance, there is a professional organization for project managers. One professional organization for project managers has grown from 93,000 in 2002 to more than 565,000 currently and is the ___________.
Project Management Institute (PMI)
In some cases, organizations will use a(n) __________ to solicit ideas for projects when the knowledge requirements for the project are not available in the organization.
RFP (Request for Proposal)
Which of these is NOT part of the "sociocultural dimension" of project management?
Resource allocation
If a project is small and does not require an elaborate system to assign tasks, which of the following is a good choice?
Responsibility matrix
Which of the following would be classified as an organizational external threat?
Slowing of the economy
Which dimension of project management centers on creating a temporary social system within a larger organizational environment that combines the talents of a divergent set of professionals working to complete the project?
Sociocultural
In classifying the kinds of projects an organization has in its portfolio, projects that directly support the organization's long-term mission are ________ projects.
Strategic
A communication plan should include limits on who has access to certain kinds of information.
TRUE
A written mission statement provides focus for decision making when shared by organizational managers and employees.
TRUE
Agile PM is incremental, iterative development and delivery whereas traditional PM does not deliver nor elicit feedback from the customer until the project is nearly complete.
TRUE
Contrary to on-going duties and responsibilities of customary jobs, projects have a defined endpoint.
TRUE
Cost, time, and budget estimates are the lifeline for control; they serve as the standard for comparison of the actual and the planned throughout the life of the project.
TRUE
During the course of a project, it is possible that the project priorities may change.
TRUE
If a proposed project does not meet one of the designated "must" objectives it should be immediately removed from consideration.
TRUE
One benefit of project portfolio management is that it can justify killing a project that doesn't support organization strategy.
TRUE
One of the items included on a project scope statement or checklist is the acceptance criteria.
TRUE
One way to offset the influence of politics on project management within an organization is to have a well-defined project selection model.
TRUE
Responsibility Matrices are useful for assigning and organizing responsibilities.
TRUE
The Project Management Institute has a certification for project managers known as Project Management Professional (PMP).
TRUE
The fact that projects are not confined to a single department but may involve several departments and professionals is a defining characteristic of projects.
TRUE
The intersection of work packages and the organizational unit creates a project control point called a cost account.
TRUE
The sociocultural dimension of project management includes managing relationships, motivating team members and negotiating project terms.
TRUE
In practice, estimating processes are frequently classified as
Top down/ bottom up
What questions does a project objective answer?
WHAT? HOW MUCH? WHEN? WHY?
Which of the following questions does the organization's mission statement answer?
What do we want to become?
The lowest element in the hierarchical breakdown of the WBS is
a work package
You have just been given a project that has a specific completion date. After a discussion with top management you find that while the date is important the cost is more important and a slip in delivery would be acceptable if required to meet the cost targets. The completion date is best classified as
accepted
A key aspect to communication plans are that they allow the project manager and the project team to
actively control the flow of information.
An operational project is one that
can improve organizational performance
If the project scope needs to change, it is critical to have a sound _______ in place that records the change.
change control process
A project screening matrix typically contains all of the following EXCEPT
costs to complete each project.
While it may be true that Mega Projects are by nature extremely difficult to estimate, another factor identified in the consistent pattern of estimating difficulties is:
deception.
The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables is called
estimating.
The lack of understanding and consensus of organization strategy among top and middle-level managers is known as the __________.
implementation gap
Learning curves are more likely to be applied in situations where most of the costs are
labor
Project Priority Systems can resolve
lack of consensus and understanding among top and middle managers. internal political issues. over-sharing of resources. what to do next.
The pattern of improvement identified from a worker having performed a task multiple times is known as a
learning curve.
What the organization wants to become and the scope of the firm in terms of its product or service would be identified in the organization's ____________.
mission statement
Estimates should be made based on ___________ conditions, efficient methods, and a normal level of resources.
normal
The integration of the lowest level of the WBS with the organizational units responsible for performing the work is known as
organization breakdown structure.
A Process Breakdown Structure can provide a reasonable alternative to a Work Breakdown structure for an extensive development project if
phase exit criteria are firmly established.
Traditional project management focuses on thorough planning up front. Such planning requires ____.
predictability
Three possible outcomes emanate from each gate. They are ____.
proceed, cancel, or revise and submit
A document that is issued by upper management and provides the project manager with written authority to use organizational resources for project activities is called a(n) __________.
project charter
The assessment of the external and internal environments is called _______ analysis.
swot
In a SWOT analysis, strong competition, reduced product demand, and a maturing product life cycle are examples of external __________.
threats
A Responsibility Matrix will clarify
who supports and who is responsible
Work packages include which of the following types of information?
- Resources needed to complete the work package - Single person responsible for accomplishment of the work package
Typical kinds of costs found in a project include all of the following EXCEPT
- direct costs. - project overhead costs. - general and administrative overhead costs. - labor.
Having a strong communication plan can go a long way toward mitigating project problems. A communication plan should address all of the following EXCEPT
- when the information will be communicated. - how information should be communicated and to whom. - which methods will be used to gather and store information. - what information needs to be collected and are there limits as to who has access to it.
Which of the following is typically the responsibility of a project manager?
All of these are typical responsibilities
In which stage of the project life cycle is the product of the project delivered to the customer and resources are released from the project?
Closing
Training the customer, releasing staff and resources occurs in the ________ stage of project life cycle.
Closing
Which of the following is NOT one of the driving forces behind the increasing demand for project management?
Declining need for product customization
Which of the following represents the correct order of stages within the project life cycle?
Defining, Planning, Executing, Closing
Which of the following is NOT true in regard to the level of detail estimates should contain?
Detailed estimates are crucial to project success; therefore, an effort should be made to make estimates as detailed as possible for all projects.
Which of the following is a good example of a program?
Developing a new residential area that includes six custom homes
Project costs such as labor and materials are typically classified as ___________ costs.
Direct
There are 5 steps involved when defining a project; which of the following is the second?
Establish project priorities
In which stage of the project life cycle are you more likely to find status reports, changes, and the creation of forecasts?
Executing
In which stage of the project life cycle is a major portion of the actual project work performed?
Executing
As specified in a project life cycle, the first stage in the life cycle of a project is the concept stage.
FALSE
Estimating the total cost of a house by multiplying the total square feet by cost per square foot is an example of the apportion method of estimating costs.
FALSE
For construction companies that build many buildings, all buildings built after the first do not fit the definition of a project.
FALSE
Mission statements typically change frequently, responding to changes in the external environment.
FALSE
The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables is called planning.
FALSE
The salary of the project manager and her administrative assistant are classified as direct labor costs.
FALSE
Estimating the total cost of a project by multiplying each major function by a complexity factor is an example of the apportion method of estimating costs.
FASLE
The top-down method for estimating project time and cost that uses weighted variables based on major parameters and is frequently used in the development of software is known as the ____________ method.
Function point
Accounting would be an example of which of the following costs typically found in a project?
General and administrative overhead
When a prioritization team is balancing projects, they consider all factors except for
Leadership style.
Which of the following is NOT one of the bottom-up approaches to estimating project time and cost?
Learning curve
__________ the portfolio system involves monitoring and adjusting selection criteria to reflect the strategic focus of the organization
Managing
In classifying the kinds of projects an organization has in its portfolio, projects that are typically needed to support current operations are _________ projects.
Operational
Which of the following is least likely to be included in a work package?
Overhead expenses
