2. What is project management? (objective #1, p. 4)
Project management is the art and science of using knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques efficiently and effectively to meet stakeholder needs and expectations. This includes work processes that initiate, plan, execute, control, and close work.
Project management includes both administrative tasks for planning, documenting, and controlling work and leadership tasks for visioning, motivating, and promoting work associates.
3. How are projects different than ongoing operations? (objective #1, pp. 6-7)
Projects are temporary while operations are ongoing.
4. What types of constraints are common to most projects? (Objective #1, pp. 14-15)
Project performance, comprised of scope (size), quality (acceptability of the results) is constrained by cost, and schedule.
What are the three components of the Talent Triangle? (pp. 11-14)
. Technical areas, leadership, and strategic business management.
6. At what stage of a project life cycle are the majority of the “hands-on” tasks completed? (Objective #2, p. 8)
Executing.
7. During which stage of the project life cycle are loose ends tied up? (Objective #2, p. 8)
Closing.
8. What are the five process groups of project management? (Objective #3, p. 10)
Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing
9. Which process group defines a new project or phase by obtaining authorization? (Objective #3, p. 10)
Initiating
10. What are the ten project management knowledge areas? (Objective #3, p. 11)
The ten knowledge areas as paraphrased from the PMBOK® Guide, pages 9 and 10 are: integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholders.
11. What two project dimensions are components of project performance? (Objective #4, p. 14)
Scope and quality.
12. How do you define project success? (objective #4, pp. 15-16)
Project success is creating deliverables that include all of the agreed upon features (meet scope goals). The outputs should satisfy all specifications and please the project’s customers. The customers need to use the outputs effectively as they do their work (meet quality goals). The project should be completed on schedule and on budget (meet time and cost constraints).
Project success also includes other considerations. A successful project is one that is completed without heroics – that is, people should not burn themselves out to complete the project. Those people who work on the project should either learn new skills and/or refine existing skills. Organizational learning should take place and be captured for future projects. Finally, the parent organization should reap business level benefits such as development of new products, increased market share, increased profitability, decreased cost, etc.
Project success as summarized in Exhibit 1.4 include the following: ESS
• Meeting Agreements
– Cost, schedule, and specifications met
• Customer’ Success
– Needs met, deliverables used, customer satisfied
• Performing Organization’s Success
– Market share, new products, new technology
• Project Team’s Success
– Loyalty, development, satisfaction
13. How do you define project failure? (objective #4, p. 16)
Project failure is not meeting all of the success criteria listed above. Serious project failure is when some of the success criteria are missed by a large amount and/or when several of the success criteria are missed by even a small margin.
14. List four common causes of project failure. (objective #4, p. 16)
Not enough resources are available for project completion,
Not enough time has been given to the project,
Project expectations are unclear,
Changes in the scope are not understood or agreed upon by all parties involved,
Stakeholders disagree regarding expectations for the project, and
Adequate project planning is not done.
15. What are three common ways of classifying projects? (objective #5, pp. 16-17)
Projects can be classified by industry, size, when scope can be determined with confidence, and type such as organizational change, quality and productivity improvement, R&D, information systems (IS), and construction.
16. What is predictive or plan-driven planning and when should it be used? (Objective #5, p. 8)