OMGT 6333 Quizzes 7-9, 13, 14, 10, 12, 15

Iterations are short time frames (time boxes) that typically last from ___________.

1-4 weeks Iterations are short time frames (time boxes) that typically last from one to four weeks. The goal of each iteration is to develop a workable product that satisfies one or more desired product features to demonstrate to the customer and other key stakeholders.

You are in charge of the Aurora Project with total budget of $2,000,000. Given the following status information, AC = $1,400,000，EV = $1,330,000，calculate the EACf.

2,105,000

Sally receives the following information on her project: PV = 100, AC = 75, EV = 100. How well is the project doing in terms of budget?

25 under budget To find out how well this project is doing in terms of budget, the CV will need to be calculated by subtracting AC from EV. The result is a positive 25, which indicates that this project has spent $25 less than planned on actual work completed.

More and more companies are discarding the traditional superior-subordinate performance feedback process and replacing it with a multi-rater appraisal called _____.

360-degree feedback. More and more companies are discarding the traditional superior-subordinate performance feedback process and replacing it with 360-degree feedback systems. The 360-degree feedback approach gathers behavioral observations from many sources within the organization and includes employee self-assessment.

Resource leveling or smoothing can have all the following results on a project EXCEPT ______.

A longer project duration. Practitioners have attacked the utilization problem using resource leveling or smoothing techniques that balance or smooth demand for a resource. Basically, all leveling techniques delay noncritical activities by using positive slack to reduce peak demand and fill in the valleys for the resources. A consequence of resource smoothing is a more sensitive network resulting in the reduction of slack.

A key distinction between a risk response and a contingency plan is ___________.

A risk response is part of the actual implementation plan and action is taken before the risk can materialize, while a contingency plan goes into effect only after the risk has transpired. A key distinction between a risk response and a contingency plan is that a response is part of the actual implementation plan and action is taken before the risk can materialize, while a contingency plan is not part of the initial implementation plan and goes into effect only after the risk is recognized.

How can risks be categorized?

A. By looking for common causes B. By business area, such as external market risks, or shifts in business strategy C. By technical area D. All of above are correct (Answer) Each of these categories were discussed in the course. Numerous categories are possible, if they are meaningful to you, your team, and stakeholders, they are great for categorizing risk.

Which of the following groups should NOT be a part of the risk identification process?

A. Project team B. Customers C. Subcontractors and vendors D. All of these groups can be included in the risk identification process (Answer) The risk identification process should not be limited to just the core team. Input from customers, sponsors, subcontractors, vendors and other stakeholders should be solicited. Relevant stakeholders can be formally interviewed or included on the risk management team.

Designing options is all about_____.

A. identifying the costs and benefits of your requests and proposals. B. finding the raw material for writing your opening statement so you can frame your request as a benefit to your partner. C. identifying priorities -- must haves and like to haves. D. Correct! All of above are correct.

When deciding which staff to team-up to work on work packages, factors to consider are ___________.

A. work habits B. practical experience C. years of working in the company D. All of these choices are correct (Answer) There are many more that can be considered as you are looking to get the best synergy between the members of that work group.

A project monitoring system involves all of the following EXCEPT ______.

Adjusting the data. A project monitoring system involves determining what data to collect; how, when, and who will collect the data; analysis of the data; and reporting current progress.

Stakeholders such as human resources, information systems, purchasing agents, and maintenance are typically classified as _______.

Administrative support Administration support, such as human resources and information systems, provide valuable support services. At the same time they impose constraints and requirements on the project such as the documentation of expenditures and the timely and accurate delivery of information.

These are all guidelines a project manager should consider when assigning project work EXCEPT _____.

Always assign the best people to the most difficult tasks. There is a natural tendency to assign the best people the most difficult tasks. Project managers need to be careful not to overdo this. Over time these people may grow to resent the fact that they are always given the toughest assignments. At the same time, less experienced participants may resent the fact that they are never given the opportunity to expand their skill/knowledge base.

Which part of the final report examines in detail the underlying causes of problems, issues, and successes relative to the project and includes concise, factual review statements of the project?

Analysis Data are collected to record the project history, management performance, and lessons learned to improve future projects. Analysis examines in detail the underlying causes of problems, issues, and successes. The analysis section includes succinct, factual review statements of the project.

Specific features are created using Scrum methodology according to four distinct phases. Which of the following places these phases in the correct order?

Analysis, Design, Build, Test Specific features are created according to four distinct phases: analysis, design, build, and test. The first phase is analysis and review of functional requirements that will be needed to complete the feature. The second phase is the development of a design that meets the requirements of the feature. The third phase is to build the feature so that it is functional. Finally, the feature is tested and documented.

Adopting proven technology instead of experimental technology in order to eliminate technical failure would be an example of which risk response?

Avoiding Although it is impossible to eliminate all risk events, some specific risks may be avoided before you launch the project. Adopting proven technology instead of experimental technology in order to eliminate technical failure would be an example of avoiding risk.

One of the ways to allow others to build trust in you is to________.

Behave in a consistent manner Consistent behavior is a distinguishing trait of character

Managing a project and leading a project are two different things. Project leadership is about coping with ___________.

Change Project managers often have to deviate from what was planned and introduce significant changes in the project scope and schedule to respond to unforeseen threats or opportunities.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Which of the following is NOT a technique for accelerating project completion when resources are not constrained?

Compromise quality Reducing quality is always an option, but it is rarely acceptable or used, especially if resources are available to maintain quality.

The following are differences between the partnering approach and the traditional approach to managing contracted relationships EXCEPT _________.

Contracts establish long-term commitments in the partnering approach while single project contracting is normal in the traditional approach. Although the goal is long-term commitments that will provide the opportunity for continuous improvement, neither party is bound by a contract to ensure that this will happen.

The shortest possible time an activity can be completed realistically is called ________ time.

Crash The shortest possible time an activity can realistically be completed in is called its crash time.

Which group of stakeholders defines the scope of the project and ultimately determines whether or not the project is successful?

Customers Customers define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success rests in their satisfaction. Project managers need to be responsive to changing customer needs and the requirements to meeting their expectations.

All resource leveling techniques involve ______.

Delaying noncritical activities. All leveling techniques delay noncritical activities by using positive slack to reduce peak demand and fill in the valleys for the resources.

Obtaining __________ is a major and critical closure activity for the Project Manager.

Delivery acceptance Without final acceptance, there is not complete closure to the project. This final acceptance helps to close-out the project in a professional manner and allows it to be turned over to an operations team.

In a Project Cost-Duration Graph, total project costs are a sum of _______.

Direct and indirect costs Direct costs commonly represent labor, materials, equipment, and sometimes subcontractors. Indirect costs generally represent overhead costs such as supervision, administration, consultants, and interest. Total costs are a sum of direct and indirect costs.

The value that tells you the planned value of work that has actually been completed is the ________.

EV The value that tells you the planned value of work that has actually been completed is the earned value. It is the percent complete multiplied by the original budget.

Which of the following methods will measure the scheduling efficiency of the work accomplished to date?

EV/PV The SPI is the schedule performance index that measures scheduling efficiency. Scheduling performance index (SPI) = EV/PV.

Outsourced projects are susceptible to conflicts since people are unaccustomed to working together. Which of the following is a primary control mechanism for dealing with and resolving problems?

Escalation Escalation is the primary control mechanism for dealing with and resolving problems. The basic principle is that problems should be resolved at the lowest level within a set limit, or they are "escalated" to the next level of management.

The following are necessary when mapping dependencies or building a social network EXCEPT__________.

Focus on the relationships with project team members since they are doing the project work and you have most influence over them It is important to acknowledge that it is valuable to be aware of all stakeholders and how they impact your project. Once you start this analysis you can begin to appreciate what others value and what currencies you might have to offer as a basis on which to build a working relationship.

When having to have a difficult conversation with upper managers, you can increase success by ________.

Framing the issue in familiar language Being able to use familiar language (e.g., interests that the manager have) will increase the probability of your issue being better understood.

In organizations where projects are managed within a ____________, the team member's area manager, not the project manager, is responsible for assessing performance.

Functional organization In organizations where projects are managed within a functional organization, the team member's area manager, not the project manager, is responsible for assessing performance.

The initial step in the risk management process is to _______________.

Identify the risks The risk management process begins by trying to generate a list of all the possible risks that could affect the project.

As a project is crashed and project duration is reduced, direct costs typically _____.

Increase When project durations are imposed, direct costs may no longer represent low-cost methods. Costs for the imposed duration date will be higher than for a project duration developed from ideal normal times for activities.

Which of the following is true in regard to negotiation when managing projects?

It cannot be viewed as a contest. Project management is not a contest. Effective negotiating is critical to successful collaboration. All it takes is one key problem to explode to convert a sense of "we" into "us versus them."

All of the following are benefits of scheduling resources before project implementation EXCEPT _______.

It ensures low network sensitivity. Often after scheduling resources, if resource constraints exist, network sensitivity will increase. All resource leveling techniques delay noncritical activities which decrease slack levels within the project. This increases the number of critical and/or near critical activities.

In a resource-constrained project, the first priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the ____.

Least slack The first activity placed in the schedule would be the activity with the least slack (rule 1).

In selecting the best activity to crash you would first select the activity with the _____.

Least steep slope The less steep the cost slope of an activity, the less it costs to shorten one time period.

At what level of the Project Management Maturity Model does formal application of Project Management take place?

Level 2 At Level 2 the organization applies established project management procedures and techniques. This level is often marked by tension between project managers and line managers who need to redefine their roles.

Risks are evaluated in terms of ____________.

Likelihood and impact. Risk management team members assess the significance of each risk event in terms of the probability or likelihood that the risk will occur and the impact of the event.

To get the most out of your negotiation, what's the best way to frame your request?

Map your strengths, skills and value to the needs and goals of your negotiation partner.

Gene is trying to order the concrete needed to continue his project. However, the supplier will not be able to deliver it until next week. This is an example of what kind of resource constraint?

Materials Material availability and shortages have been blamed for the delay of many projects. When it is known that a lack of availability of materials is important and probable, materials should be included in the project network plan and schedule.

Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of _________.

Reciprocity Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of reciprocity. The basic principle is that "one good deed deserves another, and likewise, one bad deed deserves another."

Which Principle of Influence is demonstrated when someone returns a favor?

Reciprocity People are motivated to return a good deed with another good deed.

Which of the following is not a major activity associated with project closure?

Returning project players to an 'on the beach' status. Instead of returning project players to an 'on the beach' status, project team members are reassigned.

What early warning signs indicate that a project risk is about to become a reality?

Risk triggers

What effect does an agile environment have on risks?

Risks occur more rapidly As agile projects deliver function earlier, and in iterative steps, risks will change more rapidly than a traditional project because more change occurs during the lifecycle of the project.

Nancy tells her supervisor that as of right now, $1.05 worth of work has been accomplished for each $1 worth of scheduled work. Nancy got this information from viewing the ______.

SPI The SPI would tell Nancy that $1.05 worth of work has been accomplished for each $1 worth of scheduled work.

Which of the following is NOT a potential consequence of failing to identify limited resources before project implementation?

Scope creep The consequences of failing to schedule limited resources are costly activity and project delays that usually manifest themselves midway in the project when quick corrective action is difficult.

The first step in the project control process for measuring and evaluating project performance is to

Set a baseline plan. The project control steps for measuring and evaluating project performance are first to set a baseline plan, then to measure progress and performance, next to compare plan against actual and finally to take action.

The risk management tool that is divided into three color-coded zones representing major, moderate, and minor risks is the risk ___________.

Severity matrix The risk severity matrix provides a basis for prioritizing which risks to address. Red zone risks receive first priority followed by yellow zone risks. Green zone risks are typically considered inconsequential and ignored unless their status changes.

The cost impact of a risk event occurring as a project proceeds through its life cycle tends to ________.

Slowly rise. The cost impact of a risk increases over the life of the project. For example, the risk event of a design flaw occurring after a prototype has been made has a greater cost or time impact than if the flaw were discovered during the planning phase of the project.

A high-ranking manager who advocates the project and uses her or his influence to gain approval of the project is a project ________.

Sponsor Project sponsors champion the project. Their reputation is tied to the success of the project. They defend the project when it comes under attack and are a key project ally.

Which of the following summarizes project performance and provides useful information for continuous improvement?

The audit report The audit project report summarizes project performance and provides useful information for continuous improvement. Although the audit report will be customized to your project and organization, the content of the audit report typically includes the following topics: classification, analysis, recommendations, lessons learned, and appendix.

In a resource-constrained project, which of the following is most likely to be changed?

The completion date If resources are not adequate to meet peak demands and there is no access to further resources, activities might take longer than initially planned. Furthermore, activities that technically could be done at the same time will have to be done one after the other if the same resources are required for each. This will delay the completion date.

Which of the following is true about the project?

The forecast is that the project will be $105,000 over budget at completion

Jessica just received the following information on her project: PV = 200, EV = 300, AC = 250, BAC = 1500, EAC = 1208. In terms of cost at completion, __________.

The project will currently finish under budget. Since the estimated cost at completion is less than the budgeted cost at completion, at this time, the project is expected to finish under budget.

Regina's boss has told her that her project is very important. If the critical path is delayed, she will be given whatever she needs to get it back on schedule. Her project is classified as ________ constrained.

Time A time-constrained project is one that must be completed by an imposed date. If required, resources can be added to ensure the project is completed by a specific date. Although time is the critical factor, resource usage should be no more than is necessary and sufficient

Intense global competition and rapid technological advances create pressure to develop projects rapidly. This is an example of reducing project duration caused by ______.

Time to market Intense global competition and rapid technological advances have made speed a competitive advantage. To succeed, companies have to spot new opportunities, launch project teams, and bring new products or services to the marketplace in a flash.

Baseline project budgets are derived from _______.

Time-phasing the work packages. The earned value system starts with the time-phased costs that provide the project budget baseline, which is called the planned budgeted value of the work scheduled (PV). Given this time-phased baseline, comparisons are made with actual and planned schedule and costs using earned value. The earned value approach provides the missing links not found in conventional cost-budget systems.

The key to exercising influence is __________.

To build trust Trust is the "lubricant" that maintains smooth and efficient interactions. When you are trusted, people are more likely to take your actions and intentions at face value when circumstances are ambiguous.

A ___________ Gantt chart is a simple and effective way to depict progress on a project.

Tracking Gantt charts (bar charts) and control charts are the typical tools used for communicating project schedule status. The Gantt chart is the most favored, used and understandable. This kind of chart is commonly referred to as a tracking Gantt chart.

When managing stakeholders, a project manager should ________.

Understand how different stakeholders can affect the project and manage that dependency The sheer breadth and complexity of stakeholder relationships distinguish project managers from regular management. To be effective, a project manager must understand how stakeholders can affect the project and develop methods for managing the dependency.

Henry is working on a project, and he would like to use the Agile approach. As he builds his team, what should he consider?

Using a good representation of individual contributors to do the work Individual contributors should be well represented with the type of project Henry is conducting.

Using traditional approaches to project management, once the project scope has been firmly established, every detail of the project is defined through the ________.

WBS Once the project scope has been firmly established, every detail of the project is defined through the WBS.

A Risk Response Matrix contains all of the following EXCEPT ___________.

When the risk will occur

Interest-Based Negotiation is defined as ________________.

a conversation in which the goal is to find your way to a good agreement in which everyone's needs are met. Your starting goal and mindset is to know what you want, and to show up at the negotiation table with curiosity, discovery, and creativity so that "No" doesn't create stalemate, and even unlocks potential.

Key practices in the partnering approach to managing contracted relationships include ______.

access to each other's organizational resources Key practices in partnering relationships include mutual trust, shared goals, a joint project team, open communications, long-term commitment, objective critique, access to each other's organization resources, total company involvement, integration of administrative systems, and shared risk.

In order to hedge against unpredictability within a project, Agile Project Management uses ___________.

an adaptive and experimental approach Through discovery and failing quickly and often, workers within agile practices are able to solve problems more quickly.

Funds that are for identified risks that have a low probability of occurring and that decrease as the project progresses are called ______ reserves.

contingency Contingency reserves are set up to cover identified risks; these reserves are those allocated to specific segments or deliverables of the project.

When considering traditional versus agile project management, all of the following are part of the agile project management model EXCEPT _______________.

design up front Agile project management includes continuous design, a flexible scope, features instead of deliverables, the design is frozen as late as possible, high uncertainty, change is embraced, high customer interaction, and self-organized project teams.

One common mistake made early in the risk identification process is to __________.

focus on consequences and not on the events that could produce consequences One common mistake that is made early in the risk identification process is to focus on consequences and not on the events that could produce consequences.

Compressing activities on a project with a sensitive project network will _________.

increase risk of delaying the project and reduce scheduling flexibility There is a careful balance to be struck between squeezing every possible minute out of a schedule and leaving enough reserve to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

Disadvantages of outsourcing project work may likely include all of the following EXCEPT _________.

increased costs Cost reduction is an advantage when outsourcing. Companies can secure competitive prices for contracted services, especially if the work can be outsourced offshore. Furthermore, overhead costs are dramatically cut since the company no longer has to internally maintain the contracted services.

Nikko just started working on an Agile team. One of the team's first tasks is to review the Agile Manifesto. Which value would an Agile mindset favor over process and tools?

individuals and interactions An Agile mindset is focused on why we work the way we do, versus which tools and processes are used.

In a resource-constrained project, the first priority in assigning resources is usually given to activities with the _____________.

least slack The first activity placed in the schedule would be the activity with the least slack (rule 1).

Successful firms are very careful in selecting the work to be outsourced. If expectations and requirements are fuzzy or open to debate, working together can become very difficult. The following are ways to clarify requirements and procedures EXCEPT _________.

make sure communication is well structured and interactions are managed to avoid confusion. Structured communication and managed interactions are both functions of a traditional approach to project management and do not help clarify project requirements and procedures. Open communication avoids misdirection.

You work for a company that has a command and control culture. Which factor or constraint do you need to plan for when implementing an Agile framework?

management style This constraint requires leaders to let go, because Agile relies on collaboration.

In reality resource allocation generally occurs in a(n) ___________ environment where the demands of one project have to be reconciled with the needs of other projects.

multiproject In reality resource allocation generally occurs in a multiproject environment where the demands of one project have to be reconciled with the needs of other projects. Organizations must develop and manage systems for efficiently allocating and scheduling resources across several projects with different priorities, resource requirements, sets of activities, and risks.

A project that finishes within budget, on schedule and with full functionality goes through _____ closure, whereas a project whose technology did not work and got canceled goes through a _______ closure.

normal, failed project Projects that experience no 'problems' and finish on time go through normal closure. Projects whose technology did not work and got canceled goes through failed project closure. For a few projects, the project may be completed early with some parts of the project eliminated; this is called premature project closure.

The benefit of negotiating by video conference as opposed to the telephone is _____.

people will be able to see you and read your body language and react to visual cues almost as well as face to face conversations Yes, as long as you make sure you're positioned correctly in the frame and make sure you have good lighting and non-distracting background.

The earned value of a project is the ____________.

percent of the original budget that has been earned by actual work Earned value for a task is simply the percent complete multiplied by the original budget. Stated differently, EV is the percent of the original budget that has been earned by actual work completed.

Scrum relies on three key roles. A person who facilitates the Scrum process and resolves impediments at the team and organizational level is called a _________.

scrum master The Scrum master facilitates the scrum process and resolves impediments at the team and organizational level. The Scrum master is not the leader of the team but acts as a buffer between the team and outside interference. They have no formal authority. Instead, they are responsible for making sure that the Scrum process is adhered to.

Identify who would share the final outcome of the Sprint, and in which stage the person would share this information and the details of any unfinished stories.

scrum mater; review As part of the review, the scrum master presents Sprint metrics, the final outcome, and any stories that were not finished in the Sprint.

A project that has several near-critical or critical paths is said to be _________.

sensitive This sensitivity is due to the fact that a small change on one of these critical or near-critical paths can have many detrimental effects.

When considering principled negotiation, keeping focus on the issues even when people become upset, frustrated, and even angry is an example of ___________.

separating people from the problem When people become emotional, negotiators should keep a cool head and remember the old German proverb, "Let anger fly out the window." In other words, in the face of an emotional outburst, imagine opening a window and letting the heat of the anger out the window. Avoid taking things personally, and redirect personal attacks back to the question at hand. Don't react to the emotional outburst, but try to find the issues that triggered it.

Mathematically, customer satisfaction is a function of the extent to which perceived performance exceeds expectations. A customer satisfaction ratio of .95 indicates that a customer is _______.

slightly dissatisfied. A customer satisfaction ratio of 0.95 indicates that a customer is slightly dissatisfied. The way they perceived your performance didn't quite meet their expectations.

The chances of a risk event occurring as a project proceeds through its life cycle tend to ______.

slowly drop. The chances of a risk event occurring are greatest during the early stages of the project. This is when uncertainty is highest and many questions remain unanswered. As the project progresses toward completion, risk declines as the answers to critical issues are resolved.

Reducing project duration _____________.

tends to increase network sensitivity Compression of projects reduces scheduling flexibility and increases the risk of delaying the project.

You are leading an Agile project and preparing for the kickoff. Which segments of the agenda, at a minimum, will you have your sponsor cover?

the what, when, and why By covering these three areas, your sponsor not only answers these questions, but also visibly demonstrates executive support.

Traditional approaches to project management concentrate firmly on __________.

thorough planning up front Traditional approaches to project management concentrate firmly on thorough planning up front. The rationale is that if you plan, execute your plan, and take corrective action on deviations from plan, you have a high probability of success.

When reducing project duration, the duration for a project that is optimal is at the point where __________.

total project costs are the lowest The optimum cost-time point for a project is when the total project costs (direct costs + indirect costs) are the lowest.

When considering principled negotiation, both buyers and sellers relying on the blue book to establish price parameters of a used car would be an example of ___________.

using objective criteria. Whenever possible, you should insist on using external, objective criteria to settle disagreements. For example, both buyers and sellers relying on the blue book to establish price parameters of a used car.