Information Systems Project Mgmt - Chapter 10 Quiz

Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management Solution has a(n) _____ tool that provides a centralized and consolidated view of programs and projects.

portfolio management

The main goal of controlling communications is to ensure the optimal flow of information throughout the entire _____.

project life cycle

All meetings must have a(n) _____ and intended outcome.

purpose

Describe the concepts of informal methods for distributing information. How do they compare to formal methods for distributing information?

It is not enough for project team members to submit status reports to their project managers and other stakeholders and assume that everyone who needs to know that information will read the reports. Some technical professionals might assume that submitting the appropriate status reports is sufficient because they are introverts and prefer communicating that way. Occasionally, that approach might work, but many people prefer informal communications. 75 percent of the general population are extroverts, so they enjoy talking to other people. Often, many nontechnical professionals—from colleagues to managers—prefer to have a two-way conversation about project information, rather than reading detailed reports, e-mails, or Web pages to try to find pertinent information. Many colleagues and managers want to know the people working on their projects and develop a trusting relationship with them. They use informal discussions about the project to develop these relationships. Therefore, project managers must be good at nurturing relationships through good communication. Many experts believe that the difference between good project managers and excellent project managers is their ability to nurture relationships and use empathetic listening skills. Effective creation and distribution of information depends on project managers and project team members having good communication skills. Communicating includes many different dimensions such as writing, speaking, and listening, and project personnel need to use all of these dimensions in their daily routines. In addition, different people respond positively to different levels or types of communication. For example, a project sponsor may prefer to stay informed through informal discussions held once a week over coffee. The project manager needs to be aware of this preference and take advantage of it. The project sponsor will give better feedback about the project during these informal talks than through some other form of communication. Informal conversations allow the project sponsor to exercise a leadership role and provide insights and information that are critical to the success of the project and the organization as a whole. Short face-to-face meetings are often more effective than electronic communications, particularly for sensitive information.

What is performance reporting? What are some methods used for performance reporting?

Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives. It also motivates workers to have some progress to report. Progress reports can be considered as a super tool —a tool that is extensively used and has been found to improve project performance. Performance reports are normally provided as status reports or progress reports. Many people use the two terms interchangeably, but some people distinguish between them as follows: Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals. How much money has been spent to date? How long did it take to do certain tasks? Is work being accomplished as planned? Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs. Progress reports describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period. Many projects have each team member prepare a monthly or sometimes weekly progress report. Team leaders often create consolidated progress reports based on the information received from team members. Forecasts predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. How long will it take to finish the project based on how things are going? How much more money will be needed to complete the project? Project managers can also use earned value management to answer these questions by estimating the budget at completion and projected completion date based on how the project is progressing. Another important technique for performance reporting is the status review meeting. Status review meetings are a good way to highlight information provided in important project documents, empower people to be accountable for their work, and have face-to-face discussions about important project issues. Many program and project managers hold periodic status review meetings to exchange important project information and motivate people to make progress on their parts of the project. Likewise, many top managers hold monthly or quarterly status review meetings where program and project managers must report overall status information.

T/F: Adding more people to a project that is falling behind schedule often causes more setbacks because of the increased complexity of communications.

True Many top managers think they can just add more people to a project that is falling behind schedule. Unfortunately, this approach often causes more setbacks because of the increased complexity of communications.

_____ address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals. a. Technical reports b. Status reports c. Progress reports d. Lessons-learned

b. Status reports Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals.

Which of the following is true of a project communications plan? a. The communications plan within an organization does not vary from project to project. b. The communications plan should be part of the overall project management plan. c. The communications plan should never be part of the team contract, but should always be a separate document. d. The communications plan should include project forecasts and other technical information.

b. The communications plan should be part of the overall project management plan. Because communication is so important on projects, every project should include a communications management plan—a document that guides project communications. This plan should be part of the overall project management plan.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking. a. phone call b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

b. e-mail According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., an e-mail is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking.

As the number of people involved in a project _____, the complexity of communications _____. a. increases, decreases b. decreases, increases c. increases, stays constant d. increases, increases

d. increases, increases An important aspect of communications is the number of people involved in a project. As the number increases, the complexity of communication increases because there are more channels or pathways through which people can communicate.

T/F: Geographic location and cultural background have no impact on communications.

False Geographic location and cultural background affect the complexity of project communications. If project stakeholders are in different countries, it is often difficult or impossible to schedule times for two-way communication during normal working hours.

T/F: Improving an organization's ability to communication is an easy process.

False Improving an organization's ability to communicate requires a cultural change in an organization that takes a lot of time, hard work, and patience.

T/F: Minutes must be a comprehensive report of the meeting that was scheduled.

False Minutes should be short and focus on the crucial decisions and action items from the meeting.

T/F: The email is the most appropriate medium for all types of communications.

False The e-mail is not an appropriate medium for all types of communications. It not appropriate for assessing commitment, building consensus, mediating a conflict, resolving a misunderstanding, making an ironic statement, conveying a reference document, reinforcing one's authority, or maintaining confidentiality.

T/F: The project summary report is a summary of all the lessons-learned reports.

False The project manager and project team members should all prepare a lessons-learned report —a reflective statement that documents important information they have learned from working on the project. The project manager often combines information from all of the lessons-learned reports into a project summary report.

_____ communication happens when two or more people to exchange information via meetings, phone calls, or video conferencing.

Interactive

_____ can create communication problems; words may have different meanings in different languages.

Language barriers

A(n) _____ allows users to create custom Web sites to access documents and applications stored on shared devices.

SharePoint portal

T/F: Rarely does the receiver interpret a message exactly as the sender intended.

True The receiver of information rarely interprets it exactly as the sender intended. Therefore, it is important to provide several methods of communication, such as written words, visuals, videos, and meetings, and an environment that promotes open dialogue.

Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would two people require? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

a. 1 The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.

A team has 10 communication channels between its various members. Using the formula number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2, where n is the number of people in the team, the team has _____ members. a. 5 b. 3 c. 2 d. 10

a. 5 The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.

Research has indicated that in a face-to-face interaction, _____ percent of information is through body language. a. 58 b. 35 c. 7 d. 75

a. 58 Research has indicated that in a face-to-face interaction, 58 percent of communication is through body language, 35 percent is through how the words are said, and a mere 7 percent is through the actual spoken content.

As a manager, you want to praise a team member, Phil, for doing a good job on a particular project. However, you know that Phil tends to be an introvert. Which of the following communication methods would Phil be most comfortable with? a. Call Phil in for a private meeting to appreciate his work. b. Call a team meeting to praise Phil for his work on the project. c. Announce Phil's accomplishment on the company Web site. d. Have top management and the other teams in the company award Phil.

a. Call Phil in for a private meeting to appreciate his work. People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences. For example, if you want to praise a project team member for doing a good job, most introverts would be more comfortable receiving that praise in private, while most extroverts would like everyone to hear about their good work.

Which of the following questions is typically addressed by a project forecast? a. How much more money will be needed to complete the project? b. Does the quality of output match our goals? c. Are our clients satisfied with the speed and quality of work on this project? d. How comfortable are employees with the software and technology being used on the project?

a. How much more money will be needed to complete the project? Forecasts predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. How long will it take to finish the project based on how things are going? How much more money will be needed to complete the project?

____ describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period. a. Progress reports b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Lessons-learned reports

a. Progress reports Progress reports describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period.

Which of the following methods of communication is likely to be most effective for conveying sensitive or important information? a. Short face-to-face meetings b. E-mails c. Telephone conversations d. Reading reports from other team members

a. Short face-to-face meetings Short face-to-face meetings are often more effective than electronic communications, particularly for sensitive information.

The formula to determine the number of communication channels is _____, where n is the number of people involved. a. n (n-1)/2 b. n(n+1)/2 c. n (n+1)/n(n-1) d. n(n-1)/n(n+1)

a. n (n-1)/2 The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2.

A(n) _____ forces meeting organizers to plan the meeting and gives potential participants the chance to decide whether they need to attend.

agenda

Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would five people require? a. 9 b. 10 c. 11 d. 14

b. 10 The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.

Which of the following is a guideline that project managers should follow when communicating with their teams through e-mail? a. Always reply to all the people to whom the initial message was sent. b. If the entire message can fit in the subject line, put it there. c. Minimize the total number of e-mails by including as many subjects as possible in a single e-mail. d. Continue replying to e-mail messages without changing the

b. If the entire message can fit in the subject line, put it there. One guideline for e-mail communication is not to continue replying to e-mail messages without changing the subject line. The subject should always relate to the latest correspondence.

____ predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. a. Progress reports b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Project updates

c. Forecasts Forecasts predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. How long will it take to finish the project based on how things are going? How much more money will be needed to complete the project?

Which of the following is true of push communication? a. Information is sent only to recipients who request the information. b. This method ensures that the information is understood by recipients. c. Information is sent to recipients without their request. d. This method ensures that the information is received by the recipients.

c. Information is sent to recipients without their request. In push communication, information is sent or pushed to recipients without their request via reports, e-mails, faxes, voice mails, and other means. This method ensures that the information is distributed, but does not ensure that it was received or understood.

Many experts agree that the greatest threat to the success of any project, especially information technology projects, is a failure to _____.

communicate

A(n) _____ is a document that guides project communications.

communications management plan

A(n) _____ must include suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information.

communications management plan

Which of the following communication methods would be most appropriate for assessing the commitment of project stakeholders? a. Wikis b. E-mail c. Web sites d. Meetings

d. Meetings If you were trying to assess commitment of project stakeholders, a meeting would be the most appropriate medium to use. (A face-to-face meeting would be preferable, but a Web conference, in which participants could see and hear each other, would also qualify as a meeting.) A phone call would be adequate, but the other media would not be appropriate.

An example of pull communication is _____. a. meetings b. video conferencing c. voice mails d. blogs

d. blogs In pull communication, Information is sent to recipients at their request via Web sites, bulletin boards, e-learning, knowledge repositories like blogs, and other means.

While trying to assess commitment of project stakeholders, a(n) _____ meeting or a Web conference might be the most appropriate medium to use.

face-to-face

An important technique for _____ is the status review meeting.

performance reporting

The outputs of the _____ process are communications management plan and project documents updates.

planning communications management

The _____ analysis includes information such as the contact person for the information, when the information is due, and the preferred format for the information.

stakeholder communications

_____ are normally provided as status reports or progress reports.

Performance reports

_____ are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project. a. Project archives b. Forecasts c. Project plans d. Project notes

a. Project archives Project archives are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project. These archives can provide valuable information for future projects as well.

____ describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. a. Progress reports c. Forecasts b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Lessons-learned reports

b. Status reports Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals.

Managing communications is part of the _____ process of the project communication management. a. closing b. executing c. planning d. monitoring and controlling

b. executing Managing communications is part of the executing process of the project communication management.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions. a. phone call b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

c. meeting According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a meeting is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior. a. voice mail b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

c. meeting According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a meeting is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior.

The _____ line for any e-mail messages you write should clearly state the intention of the e-mail. a. to b. from c. subject d. cc

c. subject The subject line for any e-mail message you write should clearly state the intention of the e-mail.

An example of push communication is _____. a. meetings b. video conferencing c. voice mails d. blogs

c. voice mails In push communication, information is sent or pushed to recipients without their request via reports, e-mails, faxes, voice mails, and other means.

E-mail communication is most suited for: a. assessing commitment to a project. b. building consensus among disputing parties. c. mediating a conflict between multiple parties. d. communicating routine information.

d. communicating routine information. E-mail is not appropriate for assessing commitment, building consensus, mediating a conflict, resolving a misunderstanding, making an ironic statement, conveying a reference document, reinforcing one's authority, or maintaining confidentiality. The same is true for instant messaging and other electronic communication tools.

A(n) _____ is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content. a. intranet b. blog c. forum d. wiki

d. wiki A wiki is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content.

_____ monitoring and controlling project communications to ensure that stakeholder communication needs are met.

Controlling communications

T/F: Communication becomes simpler when you increase the number of team members.

False An important aspect of communications is the number of people involved in a project. As the number increases, the complexity of communication increases because there are more channels or pathways through which people can communicate. Communication becomes more complex as you increase team size.

T/F: Project members should either have strong technical skills or soft skills.

False For projects to succeed, every project team member needs both types of skills, and needs to develop them continuously through formal education and on-the-job training.

_____ often create consolidated progress reports based on the information received from team members.

Team leaders

T/F: The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project.

True Because communication is so important on projects, every project should include a communications management plan—a document that guides project communications. The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project.

T/F: In a project, communicating badly exponentially increases the possibility of making mistakes.

True Communicating badly exponentially increases the possibility of making fatal mistakes. A largescale project has a lot of moving parts, which makes it that much easier to break down. Communication is the oil that keeps everything working properly.

T/F: Most WBSs include a section for project communications to ensure that reporting key information is a project deliverable.

True Information about the content of essential project communications comes from the work breakdown structure (WBS). In fact, many WBSs include a section for project communications to ensure that reporting key information is a project deliverable.

T/F: People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences.

True It is important to understand individual and group preferences for communications. People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences.

T/F: A facilitator can help the team solve any communication problems.

True It is often beneficial to have a facilitator from outside the project team assess how well communications are working. A facilitator can also help the team solve any communication problems.

The output of the _____ process is a communications management plan. a. managing communications b. reporting performance c. controlling communications d. planning communications

d. planning communications Planning communications management involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. The outputs of this process include a communications management plan and project documents updates.

Project managers should try to _____ the size of teams or sub teams to avoid making communications too complex.

limit or decrease

Many information technology professionals work on _____ projects where they never meet their project sponsors, other team members, or other project stakeholders.

virtual

A(n) _____ can be a vehicle for fostering team building and reinforcing expectations, roles, relationships, and commitment to the project.

well-run meeting or meeting

T/F: Do not have a meeting if there is a better way of achieving the objective at hand.

True One of the guidelines for conducting meetings is to determine if a meeting can be avoided. Do not have a meeting if there is a better way of achieving the objective at hand.

T/F: It is extremely important to document any changes in technical specifications that might affect product performance.

True Project communication management involves the inclusion of detailed technical information that affects critical performance features of products or services developed in a project. It is even more important to document any changes in technical specifications that might affect product performance.

T/F: Project managers must assess the needs of the organization, the project, and individuals in determining which communication medium to use, and when.

True Project managers must assess the needs of the organization, the project, and individuals in determining which communication medium to use, and when.They must also be aware of new technologies that can enhance communications and collaboration.

T/F: Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs.

True Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs.

How do you determine the number of communications channels? How does the number of people involved in a project affect this value? How can project managers control this value?

An important aspect of information distribution is the number of people involved in a project. As the number of people involved increases, the complexity of communications increases because there are more communications channels or pathways through which people can communicate. There is a simple formula for determining the number of communications channels as the number of people involved in a project increases. You can calculate the number of communications channels as follows: number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2 where n is the number of people involved. For example, two people have one communications channel: (2(2-1))/2 = 1. Three people have three channels: (3(3-1))/2 = 3. Four people have six channels, five people have ten, and so on. As the number of people communicating increases above three, the number of communications channels increases rapidly. Project managers should try to limit the size of teams or sub teams to avoid making communications too complex.

T/F: Good information technology project managers must have strong technical and communication skills.

True Most IT professionals enter the field because of their technical skills. Most find, however, that communication skills are the key to advancing in their careers, especially if they want to become good project managers.

What are the three main processes in project communications management? Briefly describe each process.

Planning communications management involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. Who needs what information? When will they need it? How will the information be given to them? The outputs of this process include a communications management plan and project documents updates. Managing communications involves creating, distributing, storing, retrieving, and disposing of project communications based on the communications management plan. The main outputs of this process are project communications, project documents updates, project management plan updates, and organizational process assets updates. Organizational process assets include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, guidelines, information systems, financial systems, management systems, lessons learned, and historical information. These assets help people understand, follow, and improve business processes in an organization. Controlling communications involves monitoring and controlling project communications to ensure that stakeholder communication needs are met.

_____ involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. a. Strategic planning b. Systems management c. Identifying stakeholders d. Planning communications

d. Planning communications Planning communications management involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. Who needs what information? When will they need it? How will the information be given to them?

The items discussed in a(n) _____ include reflections on whether project goals were met, whether the project was successful or not, the causes of variances on the project, the reasoning behind corrective actions chosen, the use of different project management tools and techniques, and personal words of wisdom based on team members' experiences. a. final project report b. design document c. audit report d. lessons-learned report

d. lessons-learned report Some items discussed in lessons-learned reports include reflections on whether project goals were met, whether the project was successful or not, the causes of variances on the project, the reasoning behind corrective actions chosen, the use of different project management tools and techniques, and personal words of wisdom based on team members' experiences.

What are the guidelines for conducting effective meetings?

• Define the purpose and intended outcome of the meeting. Be specific about what should happen as a result of the meeting. Is the purpose to brainstorm ideas, provide status information, or solve a problem? Make the purpose of a meeting very clear to all meeting planners and participants. • Determine who should attend the meeting. Many meetings are most effective with the minimum number of participants possible, especially if decisions must be made. • Provide an agenda to participants before the meeting. Meetings are most effective when the participants come prepared. • Prepare handouts and visual aids, and make logistical arrangements ahead of time. By creating handouts and visual aids, you must organize thoughts and ideas. This usually helps the entire meeting run more effectively. • Run the meeting professionally. Introduce people, restate the purpose of the meeting, and state any ground rules that attendees should follow. • Set the ground rules for the meeting. State up front how the meeting will be run. • Build relationships. Depending on the culture of the organization and project, it may help to build relationships by making meetings fun experiences.