CIS 464 Exam 1
What questions to ask on how to choose a Lifecycle Method?
o How much are requirements likely to change the during the project o How well do we know requirements at the beginning o How frequently do we need to deliver results
What does a "Structural Frame" mean in regard to organizational frames?
o How organization is structured (Organizational chart) o Focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities to meet goals o Very rational & focuses on coordination and control
What does "Planning" mean within Process Groups?
o Include devising and maintaining a workable scheme to ensure that the project address the organization's need o Includes several plans, such as scope management plan, schedule management, cost management, and procurement management
What is within the Agile Software Development Manifesto?
o Individuals and interactions over processes and tools o Customer collaboration over contract negotiation o Working software over comprehensive documentation o Responding to change over following a plan
What does "Forming" mean in Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
o Little agreement; unclear purpose o Guidance and direction
What is the "Agile" methodology?
o Method based on iterative and incremental development, in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration · Agile means being able to move quickly and easily
What do Virtual teams have to offer?
o More flexibility o Limited physical interaction o Dependent on internet connections to work o Greener o Safe from Covid
What must Project Managers be able to do?
o Must be able to say NO when difficult o Giving client all their wants could derail project
What are some Organizational Issues?
o Often most difficult part of working on and managing projects o Most projects fail because of organizational issues
What does "Systems Philosophy" mean in Systems Approach?
o Overall model for thinking about things as systems
What does "Systems Analysis" mean in Systems Approach?
o Problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of systems, dividing it into components o Identifying and evaluating problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs
What does the Product Life Cycle allow us to do?
o Process used to define, create, and deliver products o Early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest, and the level of uncertainty is the highest
What does "Adjourning" mean in Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
o Recognize successes at the end of project
What does "Monitoring & Controlling Processes" mean within Process Groups?
o Regularly measuring and monitoring progress to ensure that the project team meets the project objectives o Measure progress against the plans and take corrective action when necessary
What are attributes of a "Matrix/Hybrid" Organizational Structure
o Represents the middle ground between functional and project structures o Personnel report both to a functional manager and to one or more project managers o Project managers have staff from various functional areas working on their projects
What does a "Iterative Life Cycle" mean within SDLC
o Scope is determined early, but time and cost estimates are modified as the understanding of the product increases o Iterations used to develop the product through a series of repeated cycles
Who/What is a "Project Champion"?
o Someone who is very supportive of project o Social capital/ power within organization
What does a "Adaptive Life Cycle" mean within SDLC
o Stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start of an iteration, producing a useable product at the end of each iteration o PMI also refers to adaptive life cycle as agile or change-driven
What are some aspects within Systems Approach that make it up as a whole?
o Systems Philosophy o Systems Analysis o Systems Management
What does a "Predictive Life Cycle" mean within SDLC
o The scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed
What makes IT Projects Especially Difficult?
o Vast o Diverse o Complicated o Amorphous o Dynamic o Unknown o Multi-layered o Highly skilled o Learned as you go
What are Attributes of a Predictive Project Management Method?
o Waterfall method/ Spiral lifecycle o Assumes we know everything at the beginning of project o Significant planning before doing majority of the work o Highly structured o Can takes years
What's an example of "Predictive Life Cycle" methodologies?
o Waterfall, Spiral, Prototyping, RAD
What are some attributes of "Cost" regarding the triple constraint
o What should it cost to complete the project? o What is the project's budget? o How will costs be tracked o Who can authorize changes to the budget?
What are some attributes of "Scope" regarding the triple constraint
o What work will be done as part of the project? o What unique product, service, or result does the customer or sponsor expect from the project o How will the scope be verified
What is purpose of DevOps?
· Building software(projects) for rapid deployment in operations
What are some attributes of Operations
· Continuous and ongoing · Varies by time of year or industry · Day to day function to stay in business
What happens when you reach the end of a project?
· End when the object is reached, or project has been terminated
How do you motivate a project team?
· Expertise · Experience · Available · Willing
What does operations focus on rather than a project?
· Focuses on the ongoing production of goods and services
What is Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
· Forming · Storming · Norming · Performing · Adjourning
What is a Systems Approach?
· Holistic and analytical approach to solving complex problems
What are aspects of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory?
· Individual/ collective · Power Distance · Masculine/feminine · Uncertainty Avoidance · Long Term/ Short term orientation · Indulgence/restraint
What are Self-Determination Theories (Ryan & Deci)
· Intrinsic Motivation · Extrinsic Motivation
What are some attributes of Project Managers
· Most important traits: Flexibility & Adaptability · Every project is unique · Must be comfortable with ambiguity and increasingly, complexity
What are ways PM's can better "Team Development"
· Pay attention to team dynamics · Create set of rules at the outset · Test whether everyone understands what they mean -----Assign someone to keep the team accountable for the rules
What are steps within the "SCRUM Framework"?
· Product owner creates a prioritized wish list called a Product Backlog · During sprint planning, team pulls a small chunk from the top of wish list · Team has a certain amount of time, a sprint, to complete its work (Usually 2-4 weeks) · ScrumMaster keeps team focused on its goal · End of sprint, the work should be potentially shippable; Ready to hand customer some functioning software · Sprint ends with sprint review & retrospective
What are some Team Operating Principles?
· Reduce conflict by making expectations clear · Build ownership · Increase accountability and engagement
What are some common roles on a project?
· Stakeholder · Project Manager/ SCRUM master · Project Champion · Project Sponsor · Project Team · Customer/ Client/ Product owner · Steering committee · Project Management Office (PMO)
What are (4) Frames of Organizations?
· Structural Frame · Human Resources Frame · Political Frame · Symbolic Frame
What are some attributes of a Project?
· Temporary and unique · Stages or life cycles · Progressive elaboration · Make major changes or responds to external pressure
What are Human Resources?
- All Project Stakeholders: o Sponsors, customers, project team members, support staff, suppliers supporting project o Organizational chart, detailed information on roles and responsibilities, staffing management plan
What are some ways Organizations fail at projects?
- Don't account for ALL stakeholders and organizational culture - Don't get top management commitment or organizational commitment for IT or projects in general - Lack standards or guidelines and then don't learn from past mistakes
What does "politics" mean in the political frame?
- In organizations take form of competition among groups or individuals for power, resources, and leadership
What is the 4th hidden dimension in the triple constraint
- Quality ---- Can be very subjective to the eye of beholder
What are some trends affecting projects?
1. Diversity in projects, people, and technology 2. Globalization 3. Outsourcing 4. Virtual Teams
What are (4) Organizational Structures?
1. Functional 2. Project 3. Matrix/Hybrid 4. Anything in between
What are the (5) Process Groups? (IPEMCC)
1. Initiating 2. Planning 3. Executing 4. Monitoring & Controlling 5. Closing
What are 10 Characteristics of Organizational Culture? (Robbins & Judge)
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-end orientation 10. Open-system focus
What are Physical Resources?
Facilities, equipment, materials, and supplies
What is Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)?
Hierarchal structure that identifies the projects resources by category and type
What is Project Resource Management?
Includes the processes required to make the most effective use of the human and physical resources (Facilities, equipment, materials, etc.)
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Knowing and managing one's own emotions and understanding the emotions of others for improved performance
What is "Project Management Process Groups" ?
Progress of initiating activities, and closing activities
What is the project constraint known as the "triple constraint"?
Scope , Time , Cost
What does SDLC mean?
Systems Development Life Cycle
What is a Project?
Temporary endeavor undertake to create a unique product, service, or result
What/who is a Project Sponsor
Usually provides the direction and funding of the project o Client o Signing power, executives (VP and up)
What does a "Political Frame" mean in regard to organizational frames?
o Address organizational and personal politics o Emphasizes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups
What does "Systems Management" mean in Systems Approach?
o Addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues o Associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system
What does "Norming" mean in Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
o Agreement & consensus o Clear roles and responsibility o Facilitation
What are attributes of a "Project" Organizational Structure
o Also, hierarchical but instead of functional managers/VPs reporting to CEO; Program managers report to CEO o Staff have a variety of skills need to complete the projects within their program o Organizations that use this structure earns it revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract
Who is a "Stakeholder" in a project?
o Anyone who is affected by a project or thinks they are affected
When is the Iterative Life Cycle best used?
o Best if high degree of change and a low frequency of delivery
When is the Adaptive Life Cycle best used?
o Best when there is a high degree of change and a high frequency of delivery
When is the Incremental Life Cycle best used?
o Best when there is a low degree of change and a high frequency of delivery
Who/what is a "Steering Committee"
o Body within organization that has oversight of all projects in a particular area o Double check work; Meeting all goals; Not conflicting with other projects
What does a "Hybrid Life Cycle" mean within SDLC
o Combination of approaches used based on the nature of work o Might have a low degree of change and low frequency of delivery o Might have a high degree of change and high frequency of delivery
What does "Storming" mean in Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
o Conflict, Power struggles o Increased clarity and purpose
What does "Executing Process" mean within Process Groups?
o Coordinating people and other resources to carry out the various plans and create the products, services, or results of the project or phase o Directing and managing project work, managing project knowledge, acquiring resources, and conducting procurements
What does "Initiating" mean within Process Groups?
o Defining and authorizing a project or project phase o Initiating processes take place during each phase of a project
What does "Conflict Tolerance" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which employees are encouraged to air conflicts and criticisms openly o Important all project stakeholders have good communications o Best works in organization people feel comfortable discussing differences openly
What does "Risk Tolerance" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking o Projects often involve new technologies, ideas, and processes
What does "Member Identity" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than their type of job or profession
What does "People Focus" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which management decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization o Project managers need to balance the needs of individuals and the organization
What does "Reward Criteria" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which rewards, such as promotions and salary increases, are allocated according to employee performance rather than seniority
What does "Control" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior o Balance the degree of control to get good project results
What does "Open-System Focus" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment
What does "Unit Integration" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which units or departments within in an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other o Strive for strong unit integration to deliver a successful product, service, or result
What does "Group Emphasis" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Degree to which work activities are organized around groups or teams, rather than individuals o Organizational culture that emphasizes group work is best for managing projects
What does a "Incremental Life Cycle" mean within SDLC
o Deliverable are produced through a series of iterations that add functionality within a set time frame o Deliverable not complete until after final iteration
What are Attributes of a Adaptive/Agile Project Management Method?
o Focus on customer's needs or outcomes o Get a working product completed quickly, even without all the functionality o Relies on iterative, constructive feedback o Work must be divisible into separate parts o Shorter time frame o Don't need to know everything in the beginning
What does "Performing" mean in Tuckman's Model of Team Formation?
o Focus on goal achievement o Clear vision and purpose o Getting work done
What does "Means-End Orientation" mean within Organizational Culture?
o Focus on outcome rather than techniques and processes used to achieve results o What are we trying to accomplish
What does a "Human Resources Frame" mean in regard to organizational frames?
o Focuses on producing harmony between: Organization Needs vs People needs o Recognizes that mismatches can occur between the needs of the organization and those of individuals and groups
What does a "Symbolic Frame" mean in regard to organizational frames?
o Focuses on symbols and meanings o Culture
What does "Closing Process" mean within Process Groups?
o Formalizing acceptance of the project or project phase and ending it efficiently o Administrative activities are often involved in this process group, such as archiving project files, documenting lessons learned, etc.
What are attributes of a "Functional" Organizational Structure
o Hierarchy most people think of when picturing organizational chart o Functional Managers, or VPs in specialties such as engineering, manufacturing, IT, & HR ---- Staff has specialized skills in their respective disciplines
Who/what is a "Project Management Office"?
o House company approved templates for projects o Reach out to if new PM o All information regarding standards for projects o Constantly improving project management
What does "Culture" mean in the Symbolic frame?
o How do people dress? How many hours do people work? How do they run meetings? o Understanding those cultures is a crucial part of the symbolic frame
What are some attributes of "Time" regarding the triple constraint
o How long should it take to complete the project? o What is the project's schedule o How will the team track actual schedule performance o Who can approve changes to the schedule
What are the (6) Work Processes in Resource Management?
1. Planning Resource Management 2.Estimating Activity Resources 3. Acquiring Resources 4. Developing Project Team 5. Managing Project Team 6. Controlling Resources
What are the steps to the Product Life Cycle?
1. Starting the project 2. Organizing the project 3. Carrying out the work 4. Finishing the project
What is the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
A framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems
What is a Deliverable?
A product or service, such as technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project
What is a Process?
A series of actions directed toward a particular result
What is DevOps
Culture of collaboration between software development and operations teams to build, test, and release reliable software more quickly
What is Request for Proposal (RFP)?
Draft contract often provides the basis for defining and finalizing work requirements, which are then document in a final contract and technical baseline
What are operations?
Work done in the organization to sustain the business
What/Who is a Project Manager
Work with project sponsors, team, and the other people involved to achieve project goals
