S7 (C): Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling - 16%
The 3rd step in change management, ________________ is when sufficient information is gathered and stakeholders decide if the proposed change will be implemented.
Decision making
True or False During the actual project activity, it is not important to monitor the project costs, but focus most on the project schedule to make sure the project will finish on schedule.
False
True or False If a project is terminated earlier than planned at phase-gate review, a lessons learned analysis is not required.
False
True or False Quality monitoring and corrective actions are necessary to insure the project is successful. The four categories of change are: scope change,contingencies, improvement plans, and internal events.
False
True or False The After Action Review helps the Project Manager determine whether the quality of deliverables meet expectations.
False
True or False The baseline budget is adjusted every time a scope change is approved.
False
True or False The issue of time zones is a minor detail for those virtual team meetings.
False
True or False Three essential drivers of team success is cohesiveness, trust, and evaluation.
False - cohesiveness, trust, motivation
True or False Virtual teams are typically easier to manage due to everything taking place online.
False - colocated is easier
What is the responsibility of the team leader in a virtual team regarding team member relationships?
Find methods to foster good working relationships among all team members.
True or False Newsletters, blogs, or online record-keeping all help virtual teams and projects move forward with a strong orginztional method and keep the communication integrated regardless of team member location.
True
True or False Scope changes most often occur because you gain more knowledge as you begin to execute the project.
True
True or False Scope creep is an activity that all teams must watch for and be prepared to deal with when working on projects to insure necessary changes have been evaluated and approved for modification of the baseline scope.
True
True or False The baseline scope will remain in effect until the project is completed or only changed once a change management request is approved to modify the baseline as necessary.
True
True or False The change management system is in place to formally identify, evaluate, decide, and communicate project changes.
True
True or False The principle differentiation between a matrix structure and either a functional or a projectized structure is that a matrix has less clearly defined lines of reporting.
True
True or False The third step in effective team development model developed by Dr. Bruce Tuckman is norming.
True
True or False Two common situations that can result in a baseline scope change include expansion of the scope to add a new functionality to the project or a reduction in the project scope due to financing changes or requirements (time or scope specifics).
True
True or False When developing effective project teams, all members are workign together to reach a mutually agreed-upon goal or objective.
True
What is the final step after a decision has been made on a proposed change in a project?
Updating project plans (WBS, budgets, and schedules) to include the change
True or False Lessons Learned can help when planning all three of the triple constraints on future projects.
True
The ___________ is a ratio of the value of the work completed so far and the money spent to complete that work.
Cost Performance Index
____________________ documents the difference between the value of work completed and the cost of that work.
Cost variance
____________________ are previously developed responses to events that may occur during the execution of the project. Because you identified this as a risk, you should have a contingency plan for dealing with the issue.
Contingency plans
The ___________ is a shortcut used to calculate how much work has been completed so far while minimizing distrations due to reporting requirements.
50/50 Rule
What is a Checklist?
A tool used to ensure all necessary tasks are completed.
What is corrective action?
Actions taken to fix deviations from the project plan.
The ___________________ is a report of the total expenditures to date on a project.
Actual cost
What is Actual Cost?
Actual expenses incurred for completing the work.
What are contingency plans?
Alternative plans to address potential risks or issues.
What is the 50/50 Rule?
Assessing 50% of a project's value at the start and 50% when it's complete
The ________________________ is the total baseline budget approved for the completed project. BAC is one of the factors used in determining how efficiently the team must work for the rest of the project.
Budget at Completion (BAC)
As a project manager, what must you do in order to make a team work effectively together?
Build common ground.
How can a proposed change impact a project?
By impactin the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), budgets, and schedules
What is the most complex and costly system for virtual team communication?
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems
During the 4th step in change management, ____________, the plans need to be revised to incorporate the change. Resources must be committed to complete the change and mitigate impacts to the WBC, schedule, and budget.
Communicate change
What is Cost Variance?
Difference between earned value and actual cost.
What is Schedule Variance?
Difference between earned value and planned value.
When does quality control primarily take place in a project?
During project execution
When is quality management primarily emphasized in a project?
During project planning
The formulas that show us how far off from our baseline schedule and budget start with __________, which is an indicator of what the work we have completed so far is worth.
Earned value
What is Cost Performance Index?
Efficiency of cost utilization on the project.
What is Schedule Performance Index?
Efficiency of schedule utilization on the project.
What is To Complete Performance Index?
Efficiency required to complete the remaining work.
If a manager asks how much money the project team is likely to spend to complete the project, the project manager would report the ________________.
Estimate at Completion
What is Estimate to Complete?
Estimated cost required to complete the project.
What is Estimate at Completion?
Estimated total cost of the project upon completion.
The 2nd step in change management, _________ change means ensuring that the appropriate stakeholders provide input to identify the costs and benefits of the change.
Evaluation
What is After Action Review?
Evaluation of project performance and lessons learned.
What can be a drawback of frequent interaction among colocated team members?
Exacerbation of team member conflicts.
True or False A company that does not have a PMO will not benefit from analyzing and recording lessons learned at the close of a project.
False
Using either a top-down or bottom-up approach, a team comes together to address a problem and propose solutions. Each member of the team orients themselves to the project task. They begin to establish relationships within the group. It's typically a time of great positivity.
Forming
What is a potential advantage of colocated teams compared to virtual teams?
Frequent face-to-face interaction.
What does evaluating change involve in the project change management process?
Gathering input on the costs and benefits of the change
What is the first step in handling project changes?
Identifying change
What is work performance data?
Information about the project's progress and performance.
In a virtual team, why is open communication both horizontally and vertically important?
It helps prevent "us versus them" attitudes.
What is Vendor Closing Checklist?
List of tasks to complete when closing a vendor contract.
True or False Monitoring is a critical part of the PM process. It is a necessity since no plans and execution steps are flawless and need no modification.
True
What is Earned Value?
Measure of work completed compared to planned value.
What is the primary goal of quality management in a project?
Meeting customer requirements
What is the main purpose of quality control in project management?
Monitoring and ensuring activities are executed as planned
Team members buy into the process and begin to work together effectively. They develop trust with each other. The team achieves better cohesion as people find ways to work together, despite their differences.
Norming
What is Percent Complete Index?
Percentage of work completed compared to planned.
In the __________ stage, team members are fully comfortable working together, and trust has been developed. Work is being conducted and project progress is occurring.
Performing
The team begins to excel. Having put the needs of the group ahead of personal needs, the team begins to focus on a shared goal and find ways to solve any problems that come up. Typically, this means that the structure of the team is fixed, but the roles of each member are flexible.
Performing
What is Planned Value?
Planned cost of work scheduled to be completed.
The _______________ for any given date of a project can be calculated before the project even begins.
Planned value
What is the 0/100 Rule?
Prevents the estimation of the percentage of completion from making too positive a statement about the progress of the project. As long as a process is not successfully completed, the progress is evaluated with 0.
What are project controls?
Processes to monitor and control project activities.
Which phase of the project life cycle involves reviewing and validating project requirements?
Project planning
In order to compare the amount of work left for the team to complete to the amount of money left in the budget, the _________ calculation is used.
To Complete Performance Index
Which process involves reviewing and validating that the customer's requirements and measurements are appropriate for the project?
Quality assurance
__________________________ is emphasized during the planning phase of the project to ensure that the project team understands the customer's requirements and how the project outcomes will be assessed upon delivery.
Quality management
What is Lessons Learned?
Reflection on project outcomes and key takeaways.
____________ is a key nonverbal communications methodology used to inform and to document project information.
Reporting
The ___________________________ provides the standard by which the quality of project deliverables is measured.
Requirements traceability matrix
During the Performing stage, how do team members typically handle their roles and structure?
Roles are fixed, and the structure is flexible.
The formula _______________ allows us to compare how well various teams are sticking to the established project timeline, even if those teams are different sizes or happen at different times in the project.
Schedule Performance Index
The __________________________ creates a measure of time efficiency but does not consider the budget.
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
The _________ represents the dollar value of the difference between the work that is completed already and the work that the schedule shows should be completed at a given point in time.
Schedule variance
This is the most dangerous phase in terms of team success. Team leaders establish roles for each team member. This often brings out many negative aspects of group behavior. For example, it can lead to interpersonal conflict and "turf wars." It can lead to members of the team not appreciating the perspective of others. Some people may even resist joining the team at all. This is a point where the team is most likely to fall apart.
Storming
What stage of development does this describe? Team members are beginning to know about each other, but they do not yet understand how to work together. Members may "jockey for position" within the team. The dynamics of working together beyond any written statement of "roles and responsibilities" are being established.
Storming
During the Forming stage of team development, what typically happens?
Team members establish roles and responsibilities.
What is the primary outcome of the Norming stage in team development?
The team achieves better cohesion and trust.
A project manager has learned that a project is currently running over budget. The project manager can determine how efficiently the project team must work for the remainder of the project in order to finish on budget by calculating __________.
To Complete Performance Index (TCPI)
The ________________________________ allows the project manager and key stakeholders to determine if it is feasible for the team to improve their cost efficiency on the remaining work.
To Complete Performance Index (TCPI)
What is the purpose of open vertical communication in a virtual team?
To facilitate the exchange of information and feedback between team members at different levels.
What is the primary purpose of quality assurance in project management?
To validate and ensure the feasibility of project requirements
What is Budget at Completion?
Total budgeted cost for the project.
True or False A Vendor Closing Checklist helps ensure all requirements laid out in a contract have been met before paying the bills.
True
True or False A conference call is one of the simplest and least expensive ways for virtual teams to meet.
True
True or False If teams are co-located, they usually move through the 5 team-building stages more quickly due to the increased member interaction.
True
True or False In the projectized organization, subject matter experts (SMEs) from different functional areas are assigned to directly report to the project manager (PM) for a specific project.
True
True or False It is important to determine possible causes of scope creep as part of lessons learned.
True
True or False Iterative terminology refers to the process of planning/executing/monitoring & controlling that is followed in the monitoring the project progress.
True
