Project Management Test SG

How is Agile closing similar and different?

Not different from PMBOK® Guide - Focus is still on acceptance of deliverables and reflection - Similar to Lessons Learned • Different: - The retrospective is similar to a lessons-learned report, - but it focuses on a shorter period of time• A Sprint (to be specific) - It is intended to answer two fundamental questions: • What went well during the last sprint that we should continue doing? • What could we do differently to improve the product or process?

How is Agile planning similar and different?

Not different from PMBOK® Guide - Still create a scope statement and can use a Gantt chart for the entire project schedule; other planning similar (risk, etc.) • Different: - Descriptions of work are identified in the product and sprint backlogs - more detailed work documented in technical stories - estimate a velocity or capacity for each sprint -release roadmap often used for schedule

What is SCRUM? A. Scrum is a water-fall-based approach for developing innovative products or services B. Scrum is an agile approach for developing innovative products or services C. Scrum is a plan-based approach for developing innovative products or services D. Scrum is a component-based approach for developing innovative products or services

B Scrum is the leading agile development method for completing projects with a complex, innovative scope of work

Projects cannot run in isolation. They must operate in a ______

Broad organizational environment

In which of the following areas of management is payback analysis most likely to be used?

Cost Tools used in cost management include payback analysis, earned value management, project portfolio management, and cost estimates among others.

In what process is when the product is produced?

Executing process

True or False? Agile works for any type of project.

False

True or False? It is bad practice to lay the groundwork for a project before it officially starts.

False

True or False: Only finished projects can be closed out.

False, if projects are not completed, they should be closed out to learn from the past

True or False? You should not divide projects into several phases

False. You should.

What is the highest and lowest percentage of time that should be spent on a process group?

Highest: Executing Lowest: Initiating

What are the project management process groups?

Initiating processes Planning processes Executing processes Monitoring and Controlling processes Closing Processes They all have different levels of activity

What are the 10 knowledge areas of project management?

Integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management

What are the issues of globalization and suggestions?

Issues -Communications -Trust -Common work practices -Tools • Suggestions -Employ greater project discipline -Think global but act local -Keep project momentum going -Use newer tools and technology

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

Management reviews

What must project managers do?

Must take time to identify, understand, and manage relationships with all project stakeholders by using the four frames of organization.

What is the most difficult part of working/managing on projects?

Organization

The main purpose of ____ is to guide execution.

Project planning

__________ reports are important outputs of controlling

Status and progress The outputs: - performance reports, - requested changes, - updates to various plans

What are the different product life cycles?

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems • Systems development projects can follow: - Predictive life cycle: the scope of the project can be clearly articulated, and the schedule and cost can be predicted - Adaptive Software Development (ASD) life cycle: requirements cannot be clearly expressed, projects are mission driven and component based, using time-based cycles to meet target dates - Iterative life cycle: composed of several iterations, which repeat one or more of the phases before proceeding to the next one which should include user feedback - Incremental life cycle: the deliverable is produced through a series of iterations that successively add functionality within a predetermined time frame - Hybrid life cycle: one where the team takes a pragmatic approach to delivering the project, using the techniques that are best going to work for each phase

What is the main goal of project initiating?

To formally select and start off projects • Key outputs include: - Assigning the project manager - Identifying key stakeholders - Completing a business case - Completing a project charter and getting signatures on it

True or False: Important for project managers to develop a better understanding of people as well as organizations

True

True or False: Project teams should include members with diverse backgrounds.

True

True or False? Kanban can be used in conjunction with Scrum.

True

True or False? Project Executing requires the most time and resources while the planning phase is the second.

True

What should be included in a strategic plan?

Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives

What are the predictive SDLC Models?

Waterfall model: has well-defined, linear stages of systems development and support • Spiral model: shows that software is developed using an iterative or spiral approach rather than a linear approach • Incremental release model: provides for progressive development of operational software (Timebox) • RAD model: used to produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality • Prototyping model: used for developing prototypes to clarify user requirements

What is organizational culture?

a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization. It is influenced by people, process, structure.

Project procurement management mainly involves:

buying goods and services for a project from outside the performing organization. Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop. Project procurement management involves acquiring or procuring goods and services for a project from outside the performing organization.

Senior managers must make sure projects continue to support ______

current business needs

It is good practive to hold a _______ at the beginning of a project

kick-off meeting - First meeting of the project team - for stakeholders can meet each other - to review the goals of the project • establish common goals • establish the purpose of the project - to discuss project plans

A difference between strategic and tactical goals is that:

strategic goals are long-term in nature whereas tactical goals are short-term. Tactical goals are generally more specific and short-term than strategic goals, which emphasize long-term goals for an organization.

What are the three parts of the analytical approach to management and problem solving?

+Systems philosophy: View things as systems, interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose +Systems analysis: problem-solving approach +Systems management: Address business, technological, and organizational issues before making changes to system

Every knowledge area includes planning information - Key outputs include:

- A team contract - A project scope statement - A work breakdown structure (WBS) - A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all dependencies and resources entered - A list of prioritized risks • (part of a risk register)

What are some pre-initiation tasks that Senior managers often perform?

- Determine the scope, time, and cost constraints for the project - Identify the project sponsor - Select the project manager - Develop a business case for a project (see Table 3-2 for an example) - Meet with the project manager to review the process and expectations for managing the project - Determine if the project should be divided into two or more smaller projects

What is project context?

- Has a critical impact on which product development life cycle will be most effective for a particular software development project - Several issues unique to the IT industry have a critical impact on managing IT projects

How can top management help project managers?

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

The project closing process involves:

- gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance of the final product - bringing the project, or project phase, to an orderly end -Outputs include project archives and lessons learned, part of organizational process assets -Most projects also include a final report and presentation to the sponsor/senior management

What does the controlling process involve?

- measuring progress toward project objectives, - monitoring deviation from the plan, - taking corrective actions

What refers to a set of principles that guides decision making based on personal values of what is considered right and wrong?

-Ethics Ethics is a set of principles that guides decision making based on personal values of what is considered right and wrong. Making ethical decisions is an important part of project managers' personal and professional lives because it generates trust and respect with other people.

Joe is a project manager in an IT company and has over the years, gained substantial knowledge in his area of work. However, while managing his team, he often loses his temper. In addition, he fails to be an active listener when his team members approach him with work related challenges. In which of the following areas does Joe need to develop his skills in?

-Human relations skills Achieving high performance on projects requires soft skills, otherwise called human

What is true about project management?

-It does not guarantee successes for all projects. Despite its advantages, project management is a very broad, often complex discipline. What works for one project may not work for another. Thus it is essential for project managers to continue to develop their knowledge and skills in managing projects.

Which of the following provides certification as a Project Management Professional?

-PMI PMI or the Project Management Institute provides certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP). A Project Management Professional (PMP) is someone who has documented sufficient project experience and education, agreed to follow the PMI code of professional conduct, and demonstrated knowledge of project management by passing a comprehensive examination.

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

-Project Management Office In the 1990s, many companies began creating Project Management Offices to help them handle the increasing number and complexity of projects. A Project Management Office (PMO) is an organizational group responsible for coordinating the project management function throughout an organization.

The role of a _____ is to provide direction and funding for a project.

-Project Sponsor Most projects have many interested parties or stakeholders, but someone must take the primary role of sponsorship. The project sponsor usually provides the direction and funding for the project.

Which of the following project management knowledge areas primarily involve generating, collecting, disseminating, and storing project information?

-Project communications management Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop. Project communications management involves generating, collecting, disseminating, and storing project information.

What is a difference between projects and operations?

-Projects are temporary endeavors whereas an organization's operations are ongoing in nature. A project is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." Operations, on the other hand, is work done in organizations to sustain the business.

Galaxy, a construction company, buys a particular brand of tiles manufactured by Tiles and Floors, an eco-friendly tile manufacturing company. However, Tiles and Floors has declared bankruptcy and closed down. At present, Galaxy is facing a crisis because there are no other manufacturers in the market that supplies eco-friendly tiles. Which of the following constraints is Galaxy currently facing?

-Resources Every project is constrained in different ways. For some projects, resources are the main concern.

What are the different Scrum Ceremonies

-Sprint planning session: A meeting with the team to select a set of work from the product backlog to deliver during a sprint. • Daily Scrum: A short meeting for the development team to share progress and challenges and plan work for the day. • Sprint reviews: A meeting in which the team demonstrates to the product owner what it has completed during the sprint. • Sprint retrospectives: A meeting in which the team looks for ways to improve the product and the process based on a review of the actual performance of the development tea

What is true about projects?

-They have a unique purpose. One of the attributes of projects is that they has have a unique purpose. Every project should have a well-defined objective.

What best defines the role of leaders?

-They inspire people to reach goals. Generally, a leader focuses on long-term goals and big-picture objectives while inspiring people to reach those goals.

Which of the following is true of low-end tools of the project management software?

-They provide basic project management features. In a project management software, low-end tools provide basic project management features and are often recommended for small projects and single users.

An important tool for project scope management is _____.

-a work breakdown structure Scope management uses scope statements, work breakdown structures, statements of work, requirements analyses, scope management plans, scope verification techniques, and scope change controls.

A Gantt chart is a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a ____ format.

-calendar A Gantt chart was developed by Henry Gantt for scheduling work in factories. A Gantt chart is a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in calendar form.

A critical path:

-determines the earliest completion date of a project The critical path is the longest path through a network diagram that determines the earliest completion of a project. It shows which tasks affect the target completion date of a project, and it can change as work proceeds and more information becomes available.

What are some attributes of the final phase of a project?

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

Project _____ management ensures that the project will satisfy the stated or implied needs for which it was undertaken.

-quality Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop. Project quality management ensures that the project will satisfy the stated or implied needs for which it was undertaken.

What are some attributes of the early phase of a project?

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

Steve, an engineer in a construction company, is at present working on a home construction project. The home is being built for the Robinson family, the owners of the home. Steve is working with his project team and support staff to ensure the project is completed on time. In such a scenario, the project sponsor is _____.

-the Robinson family Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project activities, and include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, customers, among others. In a home construction project, the project sponsors would be the potential new homeowners.

What are some attributes of the middle phase of a project?

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

What are the three basic organization structures?

1. Functional: functional managers report to the CEO 2. Project: program managers report to the CEO 3. Matrix: middle ground between functional and project structures; personnel often report to two or more bosses; structure can be weak, balanced, or strong matrix.

Ten Characteristics of Organizational Culture

1. Member identity* 2. Group emphasis* 3. People focus 4. Unit integration* 5. Control 6. Risk tolerance* 7. Reward criteria* 8. Conflict tolerance* 9. Means-ends orientation 10. Open-systems focus*

What are the four frames of perspectives on organization?

1. Structural frame: Roles and responsibilities, coordination, and control. Organizational charts help describe this frame. 2. Human Resources frame: Providing harmony between needs of the organization and needs of people. 3. Political frame: Coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. Conflict and power are key issues. 4. Symbolic frame: Symbols and meanings related to events. Culture, language, traditions, and image are all part of this frame.

What are ways that helps projects succeed?

1. User involvement 2. Executive support 3. Clear business objectives 4. Emotional maturity 5. Optimizing scope 6. Agile process 7. Project management expertise 8. Skilled resources 9. Execution 10. Tools and infrastructure

What includes a series of actions(inputs) and directs to a particular result(outputs)?

A process

What is a "champion?

A senior manager who acts as a key proponent for a project

How is Agile executing similar and different?

Not different from PMBOK® Guide - Still produce products, lead people, etc. • Different Produce several releases of software • users of the new software might be confused by getting several iterations of the product instead of just one - Communications different because the project team meets every morning, physically or virtually

How is Agile monitoring and controlling similar and different?

Not different from PMBOK® Guide - Still check actual work vs. planned work • Different - Names of key reviews are the daily Scrum and the sprint review - A sprint board (Kanban) can be used instead of a tracking Gantt chart or other tools - Use a burndown chart vs. earned value chart

What are the Scrum Artifacts?

Product backlog: A list of features prioritized by business value Sprint backlog: The highest-priority items from the product backlog to be completed within a sprint Burndown chart: Shows the cumulative work remaining in a sprint on a day-by-day basis

The three Scum roles

Product owner: - The person responsible for the business value of the project and for deciding what work to do and in what order, as documented in the product backlog.• ScrumMaster -The person who ensures that the team is productive, facilitates the daily Scrum, enables close cooperation across all roles and functions, and removes barriers that prevent the team from being effective. Scrum team or development team: - A cross-functional team of five to nine people who organize themselves and the work to produce the desired results for each sprint, which normally lasts 2-4 weeks.

_____________ involves measuring progress toward project objectives, monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking correction actions

Project monitoring and controlling Affects all other process groups and occurs during all phases of the project life cycle • Outputs include performance reports, change requests, and updates to various plans

Initiating a project includes___

Recognizing and starting a new project or project phase - Recognizing and authorizing a Project Manager

What is the difference between methodology and standard?

• A methodology- describes how things should be done; • A standard- describes what should be done

What are project charters?

• Charters - are normally short but accurate - include key project information - has stakeholder signatures - gives authority to project m

What are the recent trends affecting IT project management?

• Globalization • Outsourcing: Outsourcing is when an organization acquires goods and/or sources from an outside source. - Offshoring is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country • Virtual teams: A virtual team is a group of individuals who work across time and space using communication technologies • Agile project management

What does the post-project follow-up consist?

• Review / Lessons Learned • Many organizations have realized that it's important to review the results of projects a year or so after they have been completed • Many projects project potential savings, so it's important to review the financial estimates and help learn from the past in preparing new estimates

What is the difference between Project and Product Life Cycles?

• The project life cycle applies to all projects, regardless of the products being produced • Product life cycle models vary considerably based on the nature of the product