Project Management Chapter 2
phase exit
A management review that should occur after each project phase to determine if projects should be continued, redirected, or terminated; also called a kill point
kill point
A management review that should occur after each project phase to determine if projects should be continued, redirected, or terminated; also called a phase exit
agile software development
A method for software development that uses new approaches, focusing on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts
systems analysis
A problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system to be studied, and then dividing it into component parts for identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs
Which of the following best describes outsourcing?
An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source
outsourcing
An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source
matrix organizational structure
An organizational structure in which employees are assigned both to functional and project managers
functional organizational structure
An organizational structure that groups people by functional areas such as IT, manufacturing, engineering, and human resources
project organizational structure
An organizational structure that groups people by major projects
systems philosophy
An overall model for thinking about things as systems
politics
Competition between groups or individuals for power and leadership
The symbolic perspective of an organization:
Focuses on the meanings of the culture, language, traditions, and image of the organization
Which of the following is true of the project life cycle?
In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest
_____ refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment.
Open-systems focus
offshoring
Outsourcing from another country
agile
Quick and coordinated in movement; a methodology based on iterative and incremental development, in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration
Which of the following is a disadvantage of virtual teams as compared to traditional teams?
Reduced opportunities for informal transfer of information
systems
Sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose
IT governance
The authority and control for key IT activities in organizations, including IT infrastructure, IT use, and project management
project feasibility
The first two phases in a project (concept and development) that focus on planning
project acquisition
The last two phases in a project (implementation and close-out) that focus on delivering the actual work
Scrum
The leading agile development methodology for completing projects with a complex, innovative scope of work
In organizational culture, control refers to _____.
the degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior
Prototyping model
used for developing prototypes to clarify user requirements
Rapid Application Development (RAD) model
used to produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality
project life cycle
A collection of project phases, such as concept, development, implementation, and close-out
political frame
A frame that addresses organizational and personal politics
structural frame
A frame that deals with how the organization is structured (usually depicted in an organizational chart) and focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities to meet the goals and policies set by top management
human resources frame
A frame that focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of people
symbolic frame
A frame that focuses on the symbols, meanings, and culture of an organization
systems development life cycle (SDLC)
A framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems
virtual team
A group of people who work together despite time and space boundaries using communication technologies
executive steering committee
A group of senior executives from various parts of the organization who regularly review important corporate projects and issues
systems approach
A holistic and analytical approach to solving complex problems that includes using a systems philosophy, systems analysis, and systems management
systems thinking
A holistic view of an organization to effectively handle complex situations
deliverable
A product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project
champion
A senior manager who acts as a key proponent for a project
organizational culture
A set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization
adaptive software development (ASD)
A software development approach used when requirements cannot be clearly expressed early in the life cycle
predictive life cycle
A software development approach used when the scope of the project can be articulated clearly and the schedule and cost can be predicted accurately
systems management
Addressing the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system
A(n) _____ refers to a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project.
deliverable
The final phase of a project life cycle focuses on
ensuring that project requirements were met the sponsor approves completion of the project
Waterfall model
has well-defined, linear stages of systems development and support
The first two traditional project phases (concept and development) focus on planning, and are often referred to as _____.
project feasibility
Incremental build model
provides for progressive development of operational software
In early phases of a project life cycle
resource needs are usually lowest the level of uncertainty (risk) is highest project stakeholders have the greatest opportunity to influence the project
Spiral model
shows that software is developed using an iterative or spiral approach rather than a linear approach
In middle phases of a project life cycle
the certainty of completing a project improves more resources are needed