System Analysis & Design: Project Management - CH 5: Project Scope Management -- QUIZ 6

A unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS.

True Feedback: A basic principle of creating a good WBS and its WBS dictionary is that a unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS.

Which is recommended for the creation of a good WBS?

A unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS. Feedback: Some basic principles apply to creating any good WBS and its WBS dictionary. Firstly, a unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS. The work content of a WBS item is the sum of the WBS items below it.

Mind mapping can be used for developing WBSs using which approach?

top-down or bottom-up approach Feedback: You could conduct mind mapping for an entire project by listing the project in the center of a diagram and adding branches or develop a mind-mapping diagram for each deliverable and merge them to create one large diagram for the entire project.

Which task is at the lowest level of the WBS?

work package Feedback: A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS.

What is the main technique used in creating a WBS, which involves subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces?

decomposition Feedback: The main tool or technique involved in creating a WBS is decomposition—that is, subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces.

Which action involves reviewing the project charter, requirements documents, and organizational process assets to create a scope statement, adding more information as requirements are developed and change requests are approved?

Defining scope Feedback: Defining scope involves reviewing the scope management plan, project charter, requirements documents, and organizational process assets to create a scope statement, adding more information as requirements are developed and change requests are approved.

Which statement best describes scope?

work involved in creating the products and the processes used to create them Feedback: Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them.

The tasks in a WBS must be developed as a sequential list of steps.

False Feedback: A concern when creating a WBS is how to organize it to provide the basis for the project schedule. You should focus on what work needs to be done and how it will be done, not when it will be done. In other words, the tasks do not have to be developed as a sequential list of steps.

A work package represents one component of the product that the project aims to deliver.

False Feedback: A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS. It represents the level of work that the project manager monitors and controls.

A work package must always represent less than 80 hours of work.

False Feedback: A work package represents the level of work that the project manager monitors and controls. If a project has a relatively short time frame and requires weekly progress reports, a work package might represent work completed in one week or less. If a project has a very long time frame and requires quarterly progress reports, a work package might represent work completed in one month or more.

The scope of a project is clear and specific from the start.

False Feedback: As time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific.

Deliverables are only product-related, such as a piece of hardware or software.

False Feedback: Deliverables can be product-related, such as a piece of hardware or software, or process-related, such as a planning document or meeting minutes.

Given the project management software that is available, it is relatively easy to create a good WBS.

False Feedback: It is very difficult to create a good WBS. In order to do so, you must understand the project and its scope and incorporate the needs and knowledge of the stakeholders.

Project scope statements must include the project boundaries, constraints, and assumptions.

False Feedback: Project scope statements should include at least a product scope description, product user acceptance criteria, and detailed information on all project deliverables. It is also helpful to document other scope-related information, such as the project boundaries, constraints, and assumptions.

The executing tasks of the WBS remain constant from project to project.

False Feedback: The executing tasks vary the most from project to project, but many of the tasks under the other project management process groups would be similar for all projects.

The project's size, complexity, importance, and other factors do not affect how much effort is spent on collecting requirements for scope planning.

False Feedback: The project's size, complexity, importance, and other factors affect how much effort is spent on collecting requirements.

The scope baseline in a WBS consists of the requirements documentation and enterprise environmental factors.

False Feedback: The scope baseline includes the approved project scope statement and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary.

The format of the WBS dictionary is essentially the same for all projects.

False Feedback: WBS dictionary is a document that provides detailed information about each WBS item. The format of the WBS dictionary can vary based on project needs.

Which process uses highly organized and intensive workshops to bring together project stakeholders—the sponsor, users, business analysts, programmers, and so on—to jointly define and design information systems?

JAD Feedback: Joint Application Design (JAD) uses highly organized and intensive workshops to bring together project stakeholders — the sponsor, users, business analysts, programmers, and so on —to jointly define and design information systems.

Which process involves developing a working replica of the system or some aspect of the system?

Prototyping Feedback: Prototyping involves developing a working replica of the system or some aspect of the system.

What process involves formal acceptance of the completed project scope by the stakeholders?

Scope validation Feedback: Scope validation involves formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables. This acceptance is often achieved by a customer inspection and then sign-off on key deliverables.

Scope creep if not managed well can lead to the failure of information technology projects.

True Feedback: Even when the project scope is fairly well defined, many IT projects suffer from scope creep—the tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger and bigger. Many IT projects fail due to scope creep.

Mind mapping allows people to write and even draw pictures of ideas in a nonlinear format.

True Feedback: Instead of writing down tasks in a list or immediately trying to create a structure for tasks, mind mapping allows people to write and even draw pictures of ideas in a nonlinear format. This more visual, less structured approach to defining and then grouping tasks can unlock creativity among individuals and increase participation and morale among teams.

Many information technology projects also require detailed functional and design specifications for developing software, which also should be referenced in the detailed scope statement.

True Feedback: Many IT projects require detailed functional and design specifications for developing software, which also should be referenced in the detailed scope statement.

Many organizations provide different guidelines and templates for developing WBSs.

True Feedback: Many organizations provide guidelines and templates for developing WBSs, as well as examples of WBSs from past projects. Microsoft Project 2016 comes with several templates, and more are available on Microsoft's Web site and other sites.

Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them.

True Feedback: One of the most important and most difficult aspects of project management is defining the scope of a project. Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them.

Which approach for constructing a WBS uses a similar project's WBS as a starting point?

analogy Feedback: A method for constructing a WBS is the analogy approach. In the analogy approach, you use a similar project's WBS as a starting point.

Which document should list and describe all of the deliverables required for the project?

scope statement Feedback: The scope statement should list and describe all of the deliverables required for the project. It is very important to ensure consistency between the project charter, scope statement, WBS, and Gantt chart to define the scope of the project accurately.

What is scope creep?

the tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger and bigger Feedback: Scope creep refers to the tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger and bigger.

Which approach for constructing a WBS starts with the largest items of the project and breaks them into subordinate items?

top-down Feedback: To use the top-down approach, start with the largest items of the project and break them into subordinate items. The top-down approach is best suited to project managers who have vast technical insight and a big-picture perspective.

Which approach for constructing a WBS involves refining the work into greater and greater levels of detail?

top-down Feedback: To use the top-down approach, start with the largest items of the project and break them into subordinate items. This process involves refining the work into greater and greater levels of detail.

Which document contains a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project?

work breakdown structure Feedback: After collecting requirements and defining scope, the next step in project scope management is to create a work breakdown structure. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a deliverable oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines its total scope.

Which action involves defining and documenting the features and functions of the products produced during the project as well as the processes used for creating them?

Collecting requirements Feedback: Collecting requirements involves defining and documenting the features and functions of the products for the project as well as the processes used for creating them. The project team creates requirements documentation and a requirements traceability matrix as outputs of the requirements collection process.

Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included in a project.

True Feedback: Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what work is or is not included in a project. It ensures that the project team and stakeholders have the same understanding of what products the project will produce and what processes the project team will use to produce them.

Information from the project charter provides a basis for further defining the project scope.

True Feedback: The charter describes the high-level scope, time, and cost goals for the project objectives and success criteria, a general approach to accomplishing the project's goals, and the main roles and responsibilities of important project stakeholders.

The main purpose of the WBS is to define all of the work required to complete a project.

True Feedback: The main purpose of the WBS is to define all of the work required to complete a project.

The project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets are the primary inputs for creating a WBS.

True Feedback: The project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets are the primary inputs for creating a WBS.

The project scope statement should reference supporting documents, such as product specifications that will affect what products are produced or purchased, or corporate policies, which might affect how products or services are produced.

True Feedback: The project scope statement should reference supporting documents, such as product specifications that will affect what products are created or purchased, or corporate policies, which might affect how products or services are produced.

The scope management plan can be informal and broad or formal and detailed, based on the needs of the project.

True Feedback: The scope management plan is a subsidiary part of the project management plan. It can be informal and broad or formal and detailed, based on the needs of the project.

Which process involves identifying and modeling business events, who initiated them, and how the system should respond to them?

Use case modeling Feedback: Use case modeling is a process for identifying and modeling business events, who initiated them, and how the system should respond to them. It is an effective tool for understanding requirements of information systems.

Which action involves normalizing acceptance of the project deliverables and during this phase the key project stakeholders, such as the customer and sponsor for the project, inspect and then formally accept the deliverables?

Validating scope Feedback: Validating scope involves formalizing acceptance of the project deliverables. Key project stakeholders, such as the customer and sponsor for the project, inspect and then formally accept the deliverables during this process.

Which term refers to the difference between planned and actual performance?

Variance Feedback: Variance is the difference between planned and actual performance.

Which process involves generating ideas by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products inside or outside the performing organization?

benchmarking Feedback: Benchmarking, or generating ideas by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products inside or outside the performing organization, can be used to collect requirements.

During which approach do team members first identify as many specific tasks related to the project as possible and then aggregate the specific tasks and organize them into summary activities, or higher levels in the WBS?

bottom-up Feedback: In the bottom-up approach, team members first identify as many specific tasks related to the project as possible. They then aggregate the specific tasks and organize them into summary activities, or higher levels in the WBS. Project managers often use the bottom-up approach for projects that represent entirely new systems or approaches to doing a job, or to help create buy-in and synergy with a project team.

Which term describes a product produced as part of a project?

deliverable Feedback: The term deliverable describes a product created as part of a project. Deliverables can be product related, such as a piece of hardware or software, or process-related, such as a planning document or meeting minutes.

Which technique is used for creating a WBS uses branches radiating from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas instead of writing down tasks in a list or immediately trying to create a structure for tasks?

mind mapping Feedback: Mind mapping is a technique that uses branches radiating from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas. Instead of writing down tasks in a list or immediately trying to create a structure for tasks, mind mapping allows people to write and even draw pictures of ideas in a nonlinear format.

Creating the WBS is a subprocess associated with which process in project scope management?

planning Feedback: Creating the WBS is a subprocess associated with the planning process of the project scope management.

Which output documents how project needs will be analyzed, documented, and managed?

requirements management plan Feedback: The requirements management plan documents how project requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed.

What is a table that lists requirements, their various attributes, and the status of the requirements to ensure that all are addressed referred to as?

requirements traceability matrix Feedback: A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is a table that lists requirements, their various attributes, and the status of the requirements to ensure that all are addressed.