ENGR 502 Final
The statement of work should contain: expected project outcomes. a brief and general description of the work to be performed. information on the key objectives for the project. All of these are elements of a statement of work.
All of these are elements of a statement of work.
Administrative conflict arises through management hierarchy, organizational structure, or company philosophy. True False
True
Which of the following is not a capital market stakeholder? Banks Shareholders Creditors Unions
Unions
The facet of partnership that describes the requirement that every worker be responsible for defining the project's vision and goals is called: exchange of purpose. a right to say no. joint accountability. absolute honesty.
exchange of purpose.
To protect his poultry from meteorites, the gentleman farmer made hard hats for each bird and installed a meteor detection system that opened umbrellas throughout the yard if a meteor were detected. The safety of his flock thus assured, the farmer was surprised when he read his latest issue of Risk Management Magazine and discovered that this event was: low in consequence and low in probability. high in consequence and high in probability. low in probability and high in consequence. high in probability and low in consequence.
low in probability and high in consequence.
Which of these indirect costs is typically classified as an overhead cost? shipping advertising sales commissions taxes
taxes
Project team motivation comes primarily from: the project manager. the project champion. within each team member. the project client's acceptance.
within each team member.
The behavioral view of conflict is that conflict has a negative effect on organizations. True False
False
The Scope Management chapter begins and ends with the quote, "It's a dream until you write it down. Then it's " " a documented dream." " a scope statement." " a goal." " etched in stone."
" a goal."
Workers paid $15.00 per hour with an overhead charge of 1.45 and a personal time allowance of 1.15, have what total direct labor cost for an 8-hour work day? $174.00 $236.80 $151.30 $200.10
$200.10
Three workers complete a full 8-hour day finishing concrete for a terrace. All three workers are paid $12 an hour and the job bills to the customer for $450. What are the total direct labor costs? $450 $288 $12 $96
$288
A systems analyst is paid at the rate of $50/hour and will be needed for 40 hours. Her employer uses an overhead multiplier of 60% and does not factor in personal time. Her total direct labor cost should be billed at: $3,200. $4,500. $2,000. $1,250.
$3,200.
Your firm has the opportunity to invest $75,000 in a new project opportunity but due to cash flow concerns, your boss wants to know when you can pay back the original investment. Using the discounted payback method, you determine that the project should generate inflows of $30,000, $30,000, $25,000, $20,000, and $20,000 respectively for an expected five years after completion of the project. Your firm's required rate of return is 10%. How long will it take to pay back the initial project investment? Total outflow= 75,000 Required rate of return = 10% Discount factor = 1(1+.10)t Year 0 Discount Factor = 1.0 Year 1 Discount Factor = .91 Year 2 Discount factor = .83 Year 3 Discount factor = .75 Year 4 Discount factor = .68 Year 5 Discount factor = .62 3.3 Years 6.2 years 5 years 4.1 years
3.3 Years
All five members of a project team add 20% to their individual serial activities as a safety margin and submit their time estimates to the project manager. The manager adds the activity length estimates together and adds 20% for his personal safety margin. Then, anticipating a cut by top management, he adds another 20% to his final project estimate. Much to his surprise, top management leaves his project alone. How much of a cushion is now built into the project? 60% 44% 73% 140%
73%
Which of the following statements about clients is best? A single presentation is best when dealing with all client groups in an organization so that everyone hears exactly the same message. Client groups tend to have similar agendas. Clients are concerned with receiving the project as quickly as they can possibly get it. Client refers to the entire customer organization.
Clients are concerned with receiving the project as quickly as they can possibly get it.
One of the most important contributions of a project manager is to continually remind the team what is most important. True False
True
Project managers are best able to promote a sense of enthusiasm within the project team when they create an environment that is challenging, supportive, and personally rewarding. True False
True
Quite often the marginal gains in employee productivity decrease dramatically with the increased use of overtime. True False
True
Resource loading charts are used to display the amount of resources required as a function of time on a graph. True False
True
Risks can be quantified by multiplying the likelihood a failure will occur by the severity of the failure. True False
True
Team building and conflict management skills are two of the most important people skills that project managers can cultivate. True False
True
Technical risk is the probability that the project will not perform to the required standards or produce substandard products or have excessive operating cost consumption. True False
True
The Central Limit Theorem states that if a number of probability distributions are summed, the variance of the sum equals the sum of the variances of individual distributions. True False
True
The best method for establishing the existence of resource conflicts across project activities uses resource-loading charts. True False
True
The least common type of lag relationship occurs when a successor's finish is dependent upon a predecessor's start. True False
True
The number one flaw that makes a project manager a poor leader is setting a bad example. True False
True
The project closeout step requires project managers to consider the types of records and reports they and their clients will require at the completion of a project. True False
True
The project implementation profile assesses the performance of the project team with respect to 10 critical success factors and can be used on an ongoing project. True False
True
The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups spend the majority of their time in stasis. True False
True
The reciprocal of the payback period is used to calculate the average rate of return for a project. True False
True
The risk is highest in the earliest phase of the project life cycle. True False
True
The root cause of overinflated time estimates is a lack of trust within the project organization. True False
True
The same project managed in the same fashion may succeed in one organization but fail in another. True False
True
The terms lump-sum contract and turnkey contract are interchangeable. True False
True
The two main challenges that virtual project teams face are building trust and establishing the best modes of communication. True False
True
Until a project has gone through work breakdown structure, it is impossible to determine the relationships among the constituent activities. True False
True
What is the first step of project team building ? You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you negotiate with top management. You always identify personnel before you talk to potential team members. You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you talk to potential team members. You always identify skills before you identify people.
You always identify skills before you identify people.
The cat-skinning project management team considers the many ways to accomplish their objective before settling on one technique as part of their: need statement step. information gathering step. project objectives step. alternative analysis step.
alternative analysis step.
The residents of Enumclaw, Washington, live in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier and its 26 glaciers. The Cascades form a ring of fire around the Pacific Northwest and erupt with surprising regularity, although Mount Rainier hasn't erupted on a major scale since about a thousand years ago. When it does erupt, the pyroclastic flow (a massive cloud of superheated ash and rock up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit that can travel at speeds up to 300 miles per hour) will make Enumclaw a less pleasant place to live. City leaders have completed the: analysis of probability and consequences phase of risk management. risk mitigation strategies phase of risk management. risk identification phase of risk management. control and documentation phase of risk management.
analysis of probability and consequences phase of risk management.
Earned value management is also known as: the program evaluation and review method (PERM). the golden triangle method (GTM). the achieved value method (AVM). earned value analysis (EVA).
earned value analysis (EVA).
Which of these tools allows a project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state? tracking Gantt chart S-curve milestone chart earned value management
earned value management
While thrilling, there is a chance that you would have an accident if you elected to drive on the Autobahn while blindfolded, an outcome that could be described as: low in probability and high in consequence. high in consequence and high in probability. low in consequence and low in probability. high in probability and low in consequence.
high in consequence and high in probability.
The project team's office needed a revolving door to facilitate the influx and outflow of personnel. Team members needed name tags to keep track of who was who and what their duties were. The project was jeopardized by: poor leadership. high turnover. lack of team motivation. poor communication among team members.
high turnover.
The first step in assembling a project team is to: talk to potential team members. negotiate with the functional supervisor. notify top management. identify the required skills.
identify the required skills.
The order of magnitude cost estimate is used when: information or time is scarce. ballpark estimates are not considered accurate enough. parametric estimation has already been performed. historical data are readily available.
information or time is scarce.
Cleland's project stakeholder management cycle: is used to identify only internal stakeholders. is a recurring cycle that allows new stakeholders to be considered at any time. requires all stakeholders to be identified and locked in as a first step. is used to identify only external stakeholders.
is a recurring cycle that allows new stakeholders to be considered at any time.
In a partnership, each member of the project team is responsible for the project's outcomes and the current situation, whether it is positive or shows evidence of project problems. The term that best describes this responsibility is: exchange of purpose. a right to say no. joint accountability. absolute honesty.
joint accountability.
Which of the following is a direct cost? health benefits labor rent depreciation on equipment
labor
The department chair had allotted plenty of time for all department (and project) members to prepare sections of their five-year program review. Administration demanded no less than 50 pages be devoted to a thorough and thoughtful review of activities and goals. What happened to the report was anybody's guess; no one had actually seen one or ever heard back from administration once they had submitted it. Most of the project team members thought the report was immediately sent to the steam tunnels running underneath the campus or perhaps it would sit collecting dust as part of a make-work program to justify an assistant VP's job. No wonder that team meetings were poorly attended and that all the sections of the report were filled with trite phrases and wide margins. This team suffers from: poorly defined team interdependencies. tenure. poorly developed goals. lack of motivation.
lack of motivation.
An activity has an optimistic time estimate of 15 days, a most likely estimate of 24 days, and a pessimistic estimate of 40 days. What is the expected duration of the activity? less than 26 days but greater than or equal to 25 days less than 25 days but greater than or equal to 24 days less than 24 days less than 27 days but greater than or equal to 26 days
less than 26 days but greater than or equal to 25 days
The departmental patriarch spent his last years at the university developing and promoting the Student Portfolio Project, that required all departmental faculty to create integrated course projects and maintain a database of their students' work. New graduates could refer their prospective employers to the Student Portfolio Project database to mine examples of their work. The patriarch retired, funding and effort dried up, and the project lingered in a few syllabi and on the department's web site for a year or two but now any mention of it elicits either puzzled looks or wry grins from the remaining faculty. The patriarch's Student Portfolio Project has officially been terminated by: starvation. addition. extinction. integration.
starvation.
XYZ project organization has one workstation that is capable of generating the drawings that their clients study before accepting XYZ's bid. XYZ is currently in the midst of three proposal projects and knows exactly when it will need to use the workstation. All other work to be done, both before and after the workstation is used, is scheduled such that it flows to the workstation and keeps it busy. Resources used after this step are less critical; so while the subsequent work and resources are important, they aren't viewed with the same reverence as the workstation. This is an example of: exploiting a constraint. subordinating a system. elevating a constraint. identifying a constraint.
subordinating a system.
Which of the following is NOT a project goal criteria? review and approval gates cost schedule team membership
team membership
The termination of the Hudson River Tunnel project is an example of: termination by integration. termination by starvation. termination by addition. termination by extinction.
termination by extinction
Which type of project termination can occur for a project that is successful and for a project that is unsuccessful? termination by starvation termination by extinction termination by integration termination by addition
termination by extinction
The amount a company has at stake in a project rises above the dollar value of opportunity in the: implementation phase. termination phase. development phase. concept phase.
termination phase.
Project risk is lowest during the: concept stage of the project life cycle. development stage of the project life cycle. termination stage of the project life cycle. implementation stage of the project life cycle.
termination stage of the project life cycle.
The period of highest risk impact for a project risk exists primarily in the: development stage of the project life cycle. termination stage of the project life cycle. implementation stage of the project life cycle. concept stage of the project life cycle.
termination stage of the project life cycle.
A resource loading chart displays: the amount of time needed as a function of money. the amount of resources needed as a function of money. the amount of time needed as a function of resource limits. the amount of resources required as a function of time.
the amount of resources required as a function of time.
Which of the following would NOT typically be displayed in a resource loading table? the expenses allocated to the activities the tasks the project team members have been assigned the time the activities are expected to take the project team members
the expenses allocated to the activities
If significant deviations from the project plan are detected, corrective action is taken and then: the project stakeholders are informed of the budget or time difficulties. project goals are adjusted to reflect current reality. the critical chain is reviewed for task dependency. the monitoring and control cycle begins anew.
the monitoring and control cycle begins anew.
According to CCPM: there are a number of ways that project members should add safety to estimated lengths of activities. using a point estimate for activity times is the best approach to project duration estimation. the primary causes of inaccurate duration estimation are behavioral in nature. there are a number of ways that project members should add buffer to the estimated length of activities.
the primary causes of inaccurate duration estimation are behavioral in nature.
The greatest project risk occurs when: the probability of the event is high and the consequences of the event are high. the probability of the event is low and the consequences of the event are high. the probability of the event is low and the consequences of the event are low. the probability of the event is high and the consequences of the event are low.
the probability of the event is high and the consequences of the event are high.
For the project manager, leadership is: the process by which she influences the project team. the process of assembling a group of individuals. the process of building skills among all team members. the process of maintaining control of the budget.
the process by which she influences the project team.
If an activity's cost is plotted against its duration on axes with zeros at the origin: the slope of the line is negative because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly. the slope of the line is positive because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly. the slope of the line is negative because a shorter activity costs less than a longer one. the slope of the line is positive because a longer activity costs more than a shorter one.
the slope of the line is negative because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly.
Risk cannot be transferred because ultimately your own project will suffer the consequences if the event occurs. True False
False
Scope management is the function controlling a project in terms of its goals and objectives during the execution phase. True False
False
Since a project may get ahead of or fall behind schedule, a calendar date cannot be a milestone. True False
False
Someone with a polychronic preference functions in two different temporal orientations, such as past and present. True False
False
Successful project management does not require that people understand how to report to multiple bosses. True False
False
Summarizing and consensus testing are two group maintenance behaviors that a project manager uses to show support for project team members. True False
False
The Analytical Hierarchy Process elegantly addresses scaling issues in criteria and negative utility in alternative scores. True False
False
The build, operate, transfer option for projects requires the project contractor to take initial ownership of the project in order to make sure it works, thus mitigating risk in the short run. True False
False
The scope baseline is a document that provides a summary description of each reporting relationship along with a schedule for meetings and reports. True False
False
There is a tendency for different departments or functions to compete for scarce resources in a zero-sum game when bottom-up budgeting is used to develop a project budget. True False
False
Your organization is in the midst of a project in uncharted waters; nothing you have attempted before comes close to many of the activities that are necessary to bring this project to completion. Your earned value management should probably be tracked closely with a percentage complete rule in increments of 5 to 10 percent. True False
False
Which of the following is not one of the PMBOK? Guide's five process groups? Execution Closure Feasibility studies Planning
Feasibility studies
A project manager can identify the skills needed for the project from the: stakeholder meeting. project budget. work breakdown structure. departmental personnel listings.
work breakdown structure.
All five members of a project team add 15% to their individual serial activities as a safety margin and submit their time estimates to the project manager. The manager adds the activity length estimates together and adds 10% for his personal safety margin. Then, anticipating a cut by top management, he adds another 10% to his final project estimate. Much to his surprise, top management cuts 30% off his time estimate. How much of a cushion is now built into the project? 13% 7% -3% 5%
-3%
Which statement regarding the duties of leaders and managers is best? Leaders embrace the status quo while managers support change. A manager's title is bestowed by the organization. Leaders aim for efficiency. Managers aim for effectiveness.
A manager's title is bestowed by the organization.
Which of the following is normally not one of the traditional components of the triple constraint? Within time Accepted by the customer Within performance (Scope, technology or quality) Within cost
Accepted by the customer
In today's market, which of the following industries appears to have a need for project management? All industries have a need for project management Construction Aerospace & defense Information systems
All industries have a need for project management
The project manager's role as an integrator of activities does not include integration of activities necessary to: Develop the plan Make changes to the plan Execute the plan All of above are PM roles
All of above are PM roles
The project manager's role as an integrator of activities does not include integration of activities necessary to: Make changes to the plan Execute the plan Develop the plan All of above are PM roles
All of above are PM roles
Which of the following is not a product/market stakeholder? Suppliers Customers Governments Creditors
Creditors
Which statement regarding project selection is best? Organizational reality can be perfectly captured by most decision-making models. Every decision model has both objective and subjective factors. Before selecting any project, the team should identify all the relevant issues that play a role in project selection. Decision models must contain either objective or subjective factors.
Every decision model has both objective and subjective factors.
A budget contingency of $1 million on a $10 million project means that the project will be planned for a cost of $10 million, but the project organization receives an extra $1 million to guard against unforeseen cost overruns. True False
False
A project organization does not have functional departments. True False
False
An order of magnitude estimate is usually more accurate than a ballpark estimate. True False
False
Leadership is an innate characteristic that some people have and some don't. True False
False
Once the organization elevates its constraint, its system has no constraint. True False
False
The critical chain is usually the same as the critical path. True False
False
The critical path may not contain a dummy activity. True False
False
The highest dollar value of reserves is typically task contingency. True False
False
The late start time should be calculated using a forward pass through the network. True False
False
The probability that the investments made to fund the front-end activities will be lost due to project abandonment is financing risk. True False
False
When negotiating, it is important to remember that for every position, there are usually several alternatives that can satisfy it. True False
False
The classic S-curve is a plot of cumulative cost versus elapsed time in weeks. True False
False (does not have to be in weeks)
Which of the following is a potential benefit of using project management? Maximization of continuous reporting Identification of time limits for scheduling No need for identification of functional responsibilities No need for a project management methodology
Identification of time limits for scheduling
In which life cycle phase do project sponsors become most actively involved in the project? Execution Closure Monitor and control Initiation
Initiation
Which of the following is directly controlled by the project manager? Manpower Money None of the above Information / technology
None of the above
Which of the following promises can project managers make to functional employees assigned to a project? Future work assignments Promotions None of the above Overtime
None of the above
Which statement about scope management is best? Scope management must take place during the conceptual development, full definition, execution, and termination phases. Scope management is accomplished in a single step by any one project team member. Project goals don't matter in scope management as long as the budget is not exceeded. Scope management can begin once a project hits operational level.
Scope management must take place during the conceptual development, full definition, execution, and termination phases.
Which of the following is normally not part of a team member's role? Sharing information with the sponsor Completing the work at the earliest possible time. Accepting responsibility for a deliverable Sharing information with the team
Sharing information with the sponsor
Which of the following three types of deliverables discussed in the book would be used to classify the final report that must be presented to the customer at the end of the project? Interim deliverables Software deliverables Hardware deliverables Validation deliverables
Software deliverables
Which statement about stakeholders is best? Stakeholders wield considerable power. Stakeholders can potentially impact project development. By definition, clients are not stakeholders, they are customers. Stakeholders are external to a company.
Stakeholders can potentially impact project development.
A baseline is the project's scope fixed at a specific point in time. True False
True
A project manager may also be the project champion. True False
True
A project manager must be able to shift temporal orientation from past, to present, to future. True False
True
A work package may consist of more than one milestone. True False
True
Activity float is the difference between the late finish and early finish for the activity in question. True False
True
An important step in stakeholder management is the assessment of your own capabilities. True False
True
Emotional intelligence is a more important measure of leadership effectiveness than technical skill, analytical ability, and intelligence. True False
True
Float is always measured in exactly the same way as slack. True False
True
Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals. True False
True
If preferred project team members are not available, the project manager should notify top management of the consequences. True False
True
Most activity estimations using PERT methods lead to overly optimistic activity duration estimates. True False
True
One approach to risk mitigation is simply to accept it. True False
True
Preceding activities are those that must occur before others can be done. True False
True
Scope reporting not only identifies the type of information that will be reported, but also to whom it will be reported and with what frequency. True False
True
Strategy, goals, and programs support the organizational mission. True False
True
Successful project management requires a good daily working relationship between project and line managers. True False
True
Suppliers and competitors are possible intervenor groups in a project. True False
True
The most important thing to remember when using project selection models is to be consistent and objective. True False
True
The new dean was completely uninterested in international programs, so he selected the least competent faculty to serve on the committee and took away their doughnut budget, effectively terminating the project by starvation. True False
True
The project control cycle is continuous. True False
True
There is, for almost all projects, usually a dominant constraint that serves as the final arbiter of project decisions. True False
True
Which of the following is the role of the PM rather than the role of the functional manager? Who will do it Where it will be done What work will be done How the work will be done
What work will be done
Which of the following most likely represents a project champion rather than a project manager? Willing to take risks Seeks perfection Prefers to work in groups Manages people
Willing to take risks
The study group that Philip had formed in his first MBA class had gotten him through his management science course; of that there could be no question. Now as he neared the end of his MBA he reflected on how team members had chosen courses together each semester, keeping the study group intact and keeping themselves one step ahead of their classmates. His MBA project team had: an overabundance of enthusiasm. a plethora of results orientation. trust coming out of their ears. cohesiveness in spades.
cohesiveness in spades.
Estimates based on the assumption that historical data can be used as a frame of reference for current estimates are: comparative estimates. feasibility estimates. ballpark estimates. definitive estimates.
comparative estimates.
Project risk is highest during the: implementation stage of the project life cycle. concept stage of the project life cycle. termination stage of the project life cycle. development stage of the project life cycle.
concept stage of the project life cycle.
Task-oriented leadership behavior is characterized by: showing trust in project team members. acting friendly and supportive towards project team members. contributing to the completion of project assignments. recognizing the accomplishments of team members.
contributing to the completion of project assignments.
One consequence of conceptual development that proceeds with a problem that is poorly understood is: problem restatement. task confusion. cost overruns. problem clarification.
cost overruns.
An MBA redesign committee plans to spend a decade traveling the world to benchmark graduate programs at other universities. Regardless of the screening model being used, it will suffer from poor performance in the area of: comparability. capability. flexibility. cost.
cost.
The process of accelerating a project is referred to as: rushing. streamlining. expediting. crashing.
crashing
Which of the following is an external stakeholder group? project team members accountants top management environmental groups
environmental groups
Cost estimates that are based as a guideline on real numbers, or figures derived after the completion of preliminary design work, are: definitive estimates. order of magnitude estimates. parametric estimates. feasibility estimates.
feasibility estimates.
The amount of time an activity may be delayed from its early start without delaying the finish of the project is the: float. delay. late finish. late start.
float.
Serial activities are those that: should be performed simultaneously. flow from one to the next in sequence. have sequential numbers. have the same numbers.
flow from one to the next in sequence.
Which of the following is an internal project stakeholder group? competitors functional managers suppliers clients
functional managers
A strategic element consisting of statements such as "a 5% increase in freshman to sophomore retention" and "a 10% increase in the six-year graduation rate" is best described as a: goal. mission. strategy. program.
goal
The first step in TOC methodology is to: elevate the constraint. identify the constraint. subordinate the system to the constraint. exploit the constraint.
identify the constraint.
External stakeholders that are external to a project but possess the power to effectively disrupt the project's development are: special-interest groups. stressor groups. environmental groups. intervenor groups.
intervenor groups.
Which of these duties is more reflective of a leader's tasks? efficiency of operations delegation and maintaining motivation and inspiration marshalling resources
motivation and inspiration
A wedding planner allows $10,000 for flowers and three weeks to receive all RSVPs back from the list of 700 guests. Both estimates are correct within a fraction of a percent. We could describe this factoid as: non-numeric and subjective. non-numeric and objective. numeric and objective. numeric and subjective.
numeric and subjective.
Which of these strategic elements exists at a higher level than the others? objectives strategies programs goals
objectives
A sequence of activities defined by the project network logic is a(n): node event route path
path
Mathematical programming is sometimes used to generate optimal solutions to resource constrained problems in a multi-project setting but suffers from: resource constraints. problem complexity. resource substitution. an inability to model project and activity due dates.
problem complexity.
Which of these lists of duties is more reflective of managerial tasks? creating vision and strategies problem solving long-term risk taking communication by word and deed
problem solving
A strategic element that contains formally titled initiatives such as the Customer Survey Project, the Small Business Alliance Project, and the Employee Relations Project is most likely a: strategy. goal. mission. program.
program.
The final items that are left to accomplish or correct at the end of a construction project are on the: punch list. check list . check sheet. errata sheet.
punch list.
The best method for establishing the existence of resource conflicts across project activities uses: network diagrams. Pareto diagrams. resource loading charts. Gantt charts.
resource loading charts.
The semester project was due at 8:00 a.m. the next day and as the sun rose swiftly in the east, the team of four graduating seniors held their collective breath. If their database project worked (and why wouldn't it, they had begun early yesterday afternoon) they would complete their quest and graduate in a week with their shiny diplomas in MIS. Their drive to finish the project with A quality work was clear testament to their: trust. results orientation. enthusiasm. cohesiveness.
results orientation.
The construction foreman posted a large sign requiring all work site visitors to don a hard hat and safety glasses. He also purchased copious quantities of both items and made them readily available at the entrance. The foreman is engaged in: risk identification. risk mitigation. analysis of probability and consequences. control and documentation.
risk mitigation.
Which of these indirect costs is typically classified as a selling or administrative cost? utilities insurance depreciation secretarial support
secretarial support
Which of these is typically a nonrecurring cost? labor material site study sales
site study
Splitting activities refers to: breaking each non-critical activity into two or more components and subdividing the resources they use by a similar divisor. assigning the work to two or more workers. starting an activity, interrupting it to use a resource elsewhere, and then returning to work on the activity. assigning the work to two or more days.
starting an activity, interrupting it to use a resource elsewhere, and then returning to work on the activity.
Project management people skills include: scheduling. budgeting. project evaluation. team building.
team building.
Termination by addition occurs when: a new project is added to the organization and it commands all of the resources for the original project. the project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized. new members join the project team once the project has begun and their skills are insufficient to successfully complete the project. scope creep adds too many activities to the project that prevent it from being completed on time or within budget.
the project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized.
Prior to creating a network, it is important to: understand the activity precedence. identify the party responsible for each activity. identify all loops through activities. calculate the float for each activity.
understand the activity precedence.
If a functional manager will not release the resources you need as project manager, your best course of action should include all of these except: try to negotiate for partial assistance. notify top management of the consequences. adjust project schedules and priorities accordingly. update your resume.
update your resume.
Measurement mechanisms should include a clear definition of: what to measure. the project baseline. trigger points. the reporting relationships among members of the project team.
what to measure.
The PMBoK definition stating, "a process that sets a project's scope by breaking down its overall mission into a cohesive set of synchronous, increasingly specific tasks," is for the: work breakdown structure. scope expansion. deliverable statement. project plan.
work breakdown structure.
The new Magic Pan coming soon to your area usually serves 20,000 customers in the first year of operation. Construction plans include site selection, foundation, framing, finishing, egg-laying, and chicken acquisition. The scope statement step that determines relationships among these steps, e.g. does the chicken acquisition come before the egg laying, etc., is the: work breakdown structure. management plan. scope baseline project goal criteria.
work breakdown structure.
Project sponsorship almost always resides at the executive levels True False
False
PRAM (project risk analysis and management) should be conducted as a "one-shot" activity during the project planning phase. True False
False
One way to distinguish the two roles is to realize that leaders aim for efficiency while managers aim for effectiveness. True False
False
Which of the following is not an organizational stakeholder? Unions Executive officers Customers Employees
Customers
A project that is terminated by extinction is not completed successfully. True False
False
A work package may be composed of one or more subdeliverables. True False
False
As risk decreases in the project life cycle, opportunity increases. True False
False
At a burst point in a backward pass, the largest succeeding late start becomes the late finish for that node. True False
False
Because resource management is typically a multivariate, combinatorial problem (i.e., one that is characterized by multiple solutions involving literally dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of activity variables) truly correct answers are not possible. True False
False
Closeout activities are typically among the highest priority activities in a project. True False
False
Developing vision and mission statements is an important tactical step in project management. True False
False
Finish to start lags are the same as additional activity slack. True False
False
High turnover among project team members is a key element of success since new team members will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the group. True False
False
If people believe that they built extra time into their initial estimates, they are usually more likely to begin project work right away. True False
False
In a resource constrained project, the work must be finished by a certain time, or date, as efficiently as possible. True False
False
In general, a superordinate goal is a replacement goal for the goals of all functional groups involved in the project. True False
False
Internal rate of return is preferable to net present value because IRR employs a weighted average cost of capital discount rate that reflects potential reinvestment. True False
False
One element of strategic management is cross-functional decision making. True False
True
A classic early warning sign of project failure is the realization that a product being developed was targeting a market that few new products and firms were entering. True False
True
A common reason for cost overruns in a project is a low initial estimate of project cost. True False
True
A comprehensive statement of work includes an estimate of time and costs, resource requirements, and the scope of the work to be performed. True False
True
A learning rate of 90% means that for every doubling of output, the time required by the activity falls by 10%. True False
True
Activity-based costing is based on the notion that projects consume activities and activities consume resources. True False
True
Comparative estimates are more accurate than definitive estimates when applied to the same project. True False
True
Contingency reserves require a construction company to hold back some funds in an account just in case something happens that increases the overall project cost. True False
True
Direct costs are those clearly assigned to the aspect of the project that generated the cost. True False
True
In a survey of thousands of managers within U.S. corporations, a significant majority felt that the most important characteristic of superior leaders is honesty. True False
True
In assigning a value for the most pessimistic (b) duration, the project manager should estimate the duration of the activity to have a 99% likelihood that it will take b or less amount of time. True False
True
In order to accelerate completion of a project, the manager must crash critical path activities. True False
True
A method for conducting risk factor identification that generates ideas but doesn't focus on decision making is: past history. the Delphi method. a brainstorming meeting. multiple assessments.
a brainstorming meeting.
Which of these is NOT a typical element of a statement of work? timeline and milestones introduction and background technical description of the project a list of activities needed to complete the project
a list of activities needed to complete the project
The idea that all members of a project team have the ability to offer a contrary position in order to achieve true partnership between the project manager and the team is called: exchange of purpose. a right to say no. joint accountability. absolute honesty.
a right to say no.
Scope management for a project begins with: a configuration statement. a work package. a statement of goals. an organization breakdown structure.
a statement of goals.
Which of the following problems affects the functional manager's ability to staff and support a project during execution? Predetermined deadlines all of the above Unscheduled changes to the project plan Limited availability of resources
all of the above
Concurrent activities are: activities that must be done one after the other. activities that use labor from the same group of workers. activities that use resources from the same resource pool. activities that can be performed at the same time.
activities that can be performed at the same time.
With a failure to secure personnel releases from functional managers, a project manager should: relinquish project leader status. abandon the project. proceed as originally planned. adjust schedules and scope documents.
adjust schedules and scope documents.
Which of these tasks is NOT presented as a responsibility of a project manager? to control the "soft" people issues. to manage the hard technical details. to holistically manage the entire project. to apply a laissez faire approach and let the work progress unimpeded.
to apply a laissez faire approach and let the work progress unimpeded.
Which of the following is NOT an element of organizational structure? systems designed to ensure effective communication formal reporting relationships well-articulated mission, vision, and value statements grouping together of individuals into departments
well-articulated mission, vision, and value statements