Project Management Chapter 4 SB & Quiz

Identify the primary advantage of using a stakeholder communication plan?

It increases a project manager's autonomy.

Which of the following aspects of a work package are used by a work breakdown structure to facilitate planning, scheduling, and budgetary control?

Time estimates Resource requirements Technical performance requirements

Why are work package durations generally limited to the length of the progress reporting period?

To make sure progress reporting doesn't stretch out too far To allow for project planning changes if required

The project charter is issued by ___ management and provides the project manager with written authority to use organizational resources for project activities.

Upper

If the project is small, the entire project team may be involved in developing the ___

WBS

In a project scope checklist, the technical requirements will ___.

clarify the deliverables. state the performance requirements of a deliverable.

If the project is small, the entire project team may be involved in developing the

wbs

The lowest level of the WBS is called a ___ ___.

work package

___ ___ are short-duration tasks that have a definite start and stop point, consume resources, and represent cost.

work packages

Codes are used in a WBS to define ____.

levels and elements.

The WBS has five levels with level level five having two sub-levels. Please these in the correct sequence from level one down.

1. Project 2. Deliverables 3. Sub Deliverables 4. Lowest sub deliverable 5. Cost Account 6. Work package

To ensure that scope definition is complete you typically use a checklist that has sequence of activities check off. Place the following activities in the correct sequence.

1. Project Objective 2. Product Scope Description 3. Justification 4. Deliverables 5. Milestones 6. Technical Requirements 7. Limits and Exclusions 8. Acceptance Criteria

___ criteria are a set of conditions that must be met before the deliverables are accepted.

Acceptance

The ___ ___ ___ serves as a framework for tracking cost and work performance.

Blank 1: work Blank 2: breakdown Blank 3: structure

How can a project manager best do his or her job of managing trade-offs among time, cost, and performance?

By understanding the project's priorities

What is the first and most important step for a successful project execution?

Clearly defining the project objective

Competing priorities require trade-offs in project management. Given a project in which time to market is the key factor, match each approach with how it affects a project criterion. Instructions

Constrain -> No deviation from the criterion of time is allowed. Enhance -> Improvements to the scope should be made where possible. Accept -> Increases to cost are tolerated, if it means achieving other criteria.

Which of the following represent trade off considerations for a project manager in times of conflict?

Cost. Time. Scope (performance.)

Identify which of the following is true about limits and exclusions in a project scope statement.

Exclusion defines the boundary of the project by stating what is not included. The limits of the scope should be well-defined.

___ define the boundary of the project by stating what is not included. For example, data will be collected by the client, not the contractor. (Enter only one word per blank.)

Exclusions

An integrated information system should be developed before the work breakdown structure is outlined.

False, this is after the WBS

Five of the most common causes of scope creep are listed below. Match each with its description.

Poor requirement analysis -> Customers often don't really know what they want. Not involving users early enough -> Too often project teams think they know up front what the end user needs, only to find out later they were mistaken. Underestimating project complexity -> Complexity and associated uncertainty naturally lead to changes in scope, since there are so many unknowns yet to be discovered. Lack of change control -> A robust change control process is needed to ensure that only appropriate changes occur in the scope of the project. Gold Plating -> This refers to adding extra value to the project that is beyond the scope of the project.

Which statement regarding project priorities and the project priority matrix is true?

Priorities may change over the project life cycle.

Who is responsible to finalize and obtain agreement with the customer for content found within a project scope?

Project Manager

Who is responsible for developing a project communication plan?

Project Manager.

Which of the following is true of a project charter and project scope statement?

Project charters may include a scope summary.

What are the most likely negative outcomes of scope creep?

Project delays Added costs

Which type of projects are best suited for a process breakdown structure rather than a work breakdown structure?

Projects without clearly defined outcomes.

What is the primary benefit of creating a communication plan?

Regular planned reporting prevents confusion and interruptions.

The product ___ ___ answers the question "What end result is wanted?" For example, if the product is a cell phone, its product scope will be its screen size, battery, processor, camera type, memory, and so on.

Scope Decription

What key attributes are required to properly define a deliverable found within a project scope statement?

Specific. Tangible. Measurable.

Match the basic steps in developing a communication plan with the key activity in that step

Stakeholder analysis -> Identify the target groups who need to know about the project. Determine information needs -> Define the specifics to provide to each organizational level. Determine information source --> Identify how and from where information should be gathered. Define Dissemination Method. --> Establish how to best communicate to various stakeholders. Define responsibility and timing --> Determine who will communicate with stakeholders, and how often.

What will a well defined project scope provide?

The project goal(s) in specific, tangible, and measurable terms. A stronger chance of project success.

Which statement regarding project planning is correct?

The size and complexity of the project will influence the plan structure.

Which statement is correct regarding the five steps to create a work breakdown structure (WBS) outlined by the chapter?

The steps can overlap and be repeatedly reviewed/changed during development.

Which of the following are examples of acceptance criteria?

Third-party certification is required All tasks and milestones are complete Customer on-site inspection is required

The project objective of a scope statement must answer which of the following questions?

When does the project need to be completed? What is the budget for the project? What needs to be accomplished/delivered?

Once the scope and deliverables have been identified, the work of the project can be successively subdivided into smaller and smaller work elements. The outcome of this hierarchical process is called what?

Work breakdown structure

The suggested method for planning projects is a selective outline of the project called what?

Work breakdown structure

What method will allow for detailed cost account reporting on a project team's efforts?

Work breakdown structure coding.

Why is the hierarchical process of managing work called the work breakdown structure (WBS)?

Work is successively broken down into smaller and more manageable chunks.

A deliverable in a process breakdown structure (PBS) is defined as:

an output of some activity allowing the start of a new project phase.

It is important that project team members and stakeholders know why management ___ the project.

authorized, or approved, or sanctioned, or permitted

The problem or opportunity the project is addressing? This is sometimes referred to as the ___ ___ for the project.

business case

If the project scope needs to change, it is critical to have a sound ___ control process in place that records the change and keeps a log of all project changes.

change

Many of the problems that plague a project can be traced back to insufficient time devoted to establishing a well-grounded internal ___ plan.

communication

A project priority matrix is used to visually identify which criterion is ___.

constrained, enhanced, or accepted.

A key benefit of using a work breakdown structure (WBS) along with an organizational breakdown structure (OBS) is:

creating a project control point.

WBSs are products of ___ efforts.

group

The WBS defines all the elements of the project in a ___ framework and establishes their relationships to the project end item(s).

hierarchical

The project ___ is responsible for seeing that there is agreement with the owner on project objectives, deliverables at each stage of the project, technical requirements, and so forth.

manager

A ___ is a significant event in a project that occurs at a point in time.

milestone

The first step of project scope definition is to define the overall ___ to meet your customer's need(s).

objective

The product scope description is a detailed description of the characteristics of the product, service, or ___ of the project.

outcome

Deliverables are the expected, measurable ___ over the life of the project.

outputs

During the course of a project, ___ may change.

priorities

One tool that is widely used by project managers and task force leaders of small projects is the ___ ___.

responsibility matrix

Project ___ is a definition of the end result or mission of your project.

scope

The term ___ describes what you expect to deliver to your customer when the project is complete.

scope

The tendency for a project scope to unofficially expand during project execution, and possibly change the requirements, specifications, and/or timing of a project is referred to as ___.

scope creep.

Research clearly shows that a poorly defined ___ is the most frequently mentioned barrier to project success.

scope or mission

Milestones in a project:

should be natural, important control points. are a rough-cut project schedule.

A responsibility matrix (RM) is best suited for small projects due to its ___.

simple organization and communication format.

The purpose of an organization breakdown structure (OBS) is to ___.

summarize organizational unit work performance. tie organizational units to cost control accounts. identify organizational units responsible for work packages.

More frequently than not, a product or service will have ___ ___ to ensure proper performance.

technical requirements

In the project scope checklist, the first step is to set ___.

the overall project objective.