12 | Executing the Project

Question 1

PMIS stands for?

Answer 1

Project Management Information System

Question 2

Project Management Information System (PMIS)?

Answer 2

Is an automated or manual system used by a project team to gather, analyze, communicate, and store project information. The PMIS collects information on the work that has and has not been accomplished in each work package and how that work result compares to the planned schedule, cost, quality, and scope. A PMIS can utilize sophisticated software tools, either those purchased off-the-shelf or custom built by an internal IT group, to manage some of its components.

Question 3

Common PMIS Problems?

Answer 3

1. Reacting to lagging indicators:
   PMIS reports show problems after-the-fact. Good project
   management requires proactive problem prevention.
2. Managing symptoms rather than problems:
   While the PMIS reports exceptions and overruns, it can’t explain the reason for the problem. It is important to focus on finding the cause and solving the problem, rather than making the exception or overrun go away.
3. Over-reliance on PMIS communication:
   Project managers need to communicate frequently with team members and other stakeholders. Sending PMIS reports is important, but it should not take the place of other types of communication.
4. Invalid data in the PMIS:
   PMIS reports can be wrong, making problems look either greater or smaller than they are. Some very real problems may not show up in the PMIS at all. The project manager must look beyond the PMIS to verify information about the problems, and then concentrate on getting the problems solved.
5. Too much information:
   Too much information is counterproductive, forcing people to cope by ignoring some of the messages. It is important to make sure that the right people get the information they need at the right time, but it is equally important not to swamp people with irrelevant or
   untimely information. Someone has to control the scope of the information in the PMIS, or it will overload the team and the project manager.

Question 4

Work Performance Information?

Answer 4

Consists of periodically collected information about project activities that are performed to accomplish the project work. This data will reside in your PMIS, if you have one.

Question 5

Work Authorization Systems?

Answer 5

Is a tool that is used to communicate official permission to begin work on an activity or work package. It is a function, or component, of the Project Management
Information System (PMIS). Its purpose is to ensure that work is done at the appropriate time, by the appropriate individual or group, within a specific time, and in the proper sequence. Work authorization systems include the necessary processes, documents, tracking systems, and approval levels required to provide work authorizations. Depending on the project, your work
authorization mechanism may be a simple email message or a formal, written notice to begin work.
Smaller projects may only require verbal authorization. The work authorization system is integrated with the communications plan.

Question 6

Quality Audit?

Answer 6

A quality audit is an independent evaluation, inspection, or review of a project’s quality assurance system to improve the quality performance of a project. The audits can take place at scheduled or random intervals. The auditor may be a trained individual from within the performing organization or a qualified representative of a third-party organization. During a quality audit, the quality
management plan is analyzed to make sure that it is still reflective of what has been learned in the project and to ensure that the operational definitions are still adequate and valid.

Question 7

What are the 5 quality audit topics?

Answer 7

1. Quality management policy
2. Collection and use of information
3. Analytical methods
4. Cost of Quality
5. Quality process design

Question 8

Quality management

policy may be evaluated to determine?

Answer 8

How well management uses quality data and how well others in the organization understand how the data is being used. The evaluation may include an analysis of management policies for collection, analysis, and use of data in decision-making or strategic planning.

Question 9

Collection and use of

information may be evaluated to determine?

Answer 9

How well the project team is collecting, distributing, and using quality data. Items for analysis in this category may
include consistency of data collection processes, speed of information distribution, and use of quality data in decision-making.

Question 10

Analytical methods may be evaluated to determine?

Answer 10

If the best analytical methods are being used consistently and how well their results are being used. Items for audit may include how analysis topics and analysis methods are selected, what technology is used, and how results are fed back to others in the process.

Question 11

Cost of quality may be evaluated to determine?

Answer 11

The most effective proportion between prevention, inspection, and costs of repair or rework.

Question 12

Quality process design may be evaluated to determine?

Answer 12

How process design, process analysis, and statistical process control should be used to establish and improve the capability of a process.

Question 13

Process Analysis?

Answer 13

Is the method that is used for identifying organizational and technical improvements to processes. Various techniques are used to conduct the analysis, including
flowcharting that shows the relationships between process steps and root cause analysis that helps determine the underlying causes and develop corrective actions. Examples of factors that can be examined when performing the analysis are the process capacity, capacity utilization, throughput rate, flow time, cycle time, process time, idle time, work in progress, set-up time, direct labor time, direct labor utilization, and quality.

Question 14

Process analysis involves?

Answer 14

• Collecting information about the existing process and documenting a process flow diagram.
• Determining the entry and exit criteria of each step in the process.
• Conducting process analysis interviews with the people to identify the limitations in the process.
• Conducting a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify the possible failures in the process.
• Assessing the identified limitations and quantifying their impact.
• Identifying appropriate operating decisions to improve the process.

Question 15

What are the 7 tools used to perform quality assurance?

Answer 15

1. Cause-and-effect diagram
2. Control chart
3. Flowchart
4. Histogram
5. Pareto
6. Run chart
7. Scatter chart

Question 16

Quality Assurance Tool | Cause-and-effect

diagram?

Answer 16

A diagram that illustrates how various factors may be associated with possible problems. Possible causes can be identified by asking “why” and “how” for each problem identified. Cause-and-effect diagrams are also known as Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams.

Question 17

Quality Assurance Tool | Control chart?

Answer 17

A graphical display of the results or status of a process over time and against established control limits. It helps track the behavior of processes over time and determine if the variances in the process are within acceptable limits.

Question 18

Quality Assurance Tool | Flowchart?

Answer 18

A process flow diagram that assists the project team’s effort to identify potential quality problems, their associated effects on overall project quality targets, improvement areas, and possible improvement measures.

Question 19

Quality Assurance Tool | Histogram?

Answer 19

A bar chart of variables. Each column symbolizes an element of a problem. The height of each column represents how frequently the element occurs. By using the shape and width of the distribution, causes of problems are identified.

Question 20

Quality Assurance Tool | Pareto?

Answer 20

A histogram that shows the causes of problems in the order of their severity.

Question 21

Quality Assurance Tool | Run chart?

Answer 21

A line graph showing plotted data points in chronological order. It could show trends in a process over time or improvements over time. Trend analysis uses run charts. Trend analysis is a tool you can use to communicate forecasting information based on the project’s current
performance. It is also used to monitor the project’s technical, cost, and schedule performance.

Question 22

Quality Assurance Tool | Scatter chart?

Answer 22

A diagram showing a relationship between two variables. The diagram plots dependent variables versus independent variables. The more closely the points form a diagonal line, the more closely they are related.

Question 23

What are the 7 techniques used to perform quality assurance?

Answer 23

1. Statistical sampling
2. Inspection
3. Approved change requests review
4. Cost-benefit analysis
5. Cost of Quality (COQ)
6. Benchmarking
7. Design of Experiments (DOE)

Question 24

Quality Insurance Techniques | Statistical sampling?

Answer 24

A sampling technique that is used to measure an entire population based on actual measurement of a representative sample of that population.

Question 25

Quality Insurance Techniques | Inspection?

Answer 25

An official examination of work results to verify that they meet requirements. The inspection may be conducted by an internal or external inspection team.

Question 26

Quality Insurance Techniques | Approved change

requests review?

Answer 26

Ensures that all change requests are reviewed and implemented as approved during the perform integrated change control process.

Question 27

Quality Insurance Techniques | Cost-benefit analysis?

Answer 27

Considers the tradeoffs and the benefit of meeting quality requirements of higher productivity and lower costs while increasing stakeholder satisfaction. The business case of each activity is used to compare the cost of each step with its expected benefits.

Question 28

Quality Insurance Techniques | Cost of Quality (COQ)?

Answer 28

Analyzing the costs incurred by preventing non-conformance to requirements, appraising for conformance to requirements, and failing to meet requirements (rework), internal or external.

Question 29

Quality Insurance Techniques | Benchmarking?

Answer 29

Compares the quality of your project’s processes and systems to those of other comparable groups, both internally and externally.

Question 30

Quality Insurance Techniques | Design of Experiments

(DOE)?

Answer 30

A statistical method of identifying the factors that may influence certain product or process variables. DOE determines the number and type of tests to be used and their influence on the cost of quality.

Question 31

What are the 6 Project manager roles?

Answer 31

1. Leader
2. Planner and controller
3. Communicator
4. Negotiator
5. Problem-solver
6. Organizational change agent

Question 32

PM Role | Leader?

Answer 32

The formal authority of project managers is established in the project charter, and the informal authority will be established by their ability to demonstrate leadership skills with the team. Project managers must provide clear direction for where the stakeholders need to go, and
credible strategies for how to get there. Project managers must serve as advocates for their project. It is their responsibility to inspire others, stakeholders and non-stakeholders about the project and enlist their
help and support.

Question 33

PM Role | Planner and controller?

Answer 33

Project managers must facilitate project planning and determine measurement criteria for evaluating the work accomplished. They must also establish systematic processes for measuring the work against the plan.

Question 34

PM Role | Communicator?

Answer 34

Project managers act as communication central on a project, interfacing with executives, functional managers, customers, vendors, project team members, and other interested parties outside of the project. Project managers must communicate clearly and appropriately to each level, to make sure that the right information is transmitted to the right person at the right time and executive support for the project is maintained.

Question 35

PM Role | Negotiator?

Answer 35

Project managers need to negotiate for resources—time, money, people, and equipment—in order to complete the project successfully. Depending on the organization, these negotiations may involve an element of “horse-trading” with functional managers. In addition, as the project evolves, project managers may need to negotiate changes in the scope, schedule, or budget with stakeholders. This may involve negotiating trade-offs among the previously established success criteria
established for the project.

Question 36

PM Role | Problem-solver?

Answer 36

Every project is unique, which means that every project has its own unique set of problems to overcome. Project managers must be able to face problems rather than deny them, determine the root causes of problems, and make decisions about the best method for dealing with
the problems.

Question 37

PM Role | Organizational change

agent?

Answer 37

Projects exist within organizations. Project managers need to know how to get things done in the organization, how to avoid political issues that may hamper the project’s progress, and how to influence the organization to bring about change. They also need to be willing to adapt
to project changes that may be imposed upon them by their organization.

Question 38

Political Capital?

Answer 38

Many employees possess a reserve of corporate goodwill that is based on their perceived political
position and power in the company. This perception, also known as political capital, can come from position, reputation, or both. Often, this goodwill can be used to achieve a desired end. When a project is threatened, many times the main factor influencing the positive or negative outcome for the project is the political clout of the project manager and the political clout of the
sponsor in the senior management realm. If the project manager cannot resolve serious problems, the project manager will need to ask the sponsor to intercede. However, these requests should be done sparingly because there is a limit to the amount of political capital that the sponsor will be willing to use for any given project.

Question 39

Acquisition?

Answer 39

Is an approach that is used to obtain resources for the
project when there isn’t enough staff within the project team or organization to complete the project. Interviewing and recruiting the potential team members and scheduling their availability is one of the core project management responsibilities that contributes to completing the project on time. Organizations hire external resources, if they do not have the required number of appropriate
skilled resources on staff.

Question 40

Project Staff Assignments?

Answer 40

Project staff assignments are the assignments of people who will work on the project, whether full time, part-time, or as needed. It usually involves a team directory, memos to or from team members, and project organization charts and schedules.

Question 41

Pre-Assignment?

Answer 41

Pre-assignment is the allocation of project team members to project activities, even before the project has officially kicked-off.

Question 42

Negotiation?

Answer 42

Negotiation is an approach used by individuals or organizations with mutual or opposite interests
to come together to reach a final agreement.

Question 43

Virtual Teams?

Answer 43

A virtual team is a team that is distributed across multiple locations. Some virtual teams have occasional physical meetings, while others may never meet face-to-face. Virtual team building is more difficult, for a number of reasons.

• Bonding and team identity can be hard to create when team members are geographically dispersed because finding ways to provide a sense of team spirit and cooperation may be difficult.
• Communication and information sharing need to rely on various forms of technology because teams cannot meet face-to-face. However, managing electronic collaboration so that everyone on the team can reliably transmit and access information from one another can be challenging.
• Because roles, reporting, and performance can be harder to track on a dispersed team, individual contributions may be overlooked.

Question 44

Interpersonal Skills?

Answer 44

Interpersonal skills are abilities that an individual should possess to work harmoniously and
efficiently with others.

Question 45

Some of the important interpersonal skills critical to effectively manage a project are?

Answer 45

• Leadership
• Team building
• Motivation
• Communication
• Influencing
• Decision making
• Political and cultural awareness
• Negotiation

Question 46

What are the 5 team development stages?

Answer 46

1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
5. Adjourning

Question 47

Forming?

Answer 47

Team members are wondering whether the decision to join the team was a wise one. They are making initial judgments about the skills and personal qualities of their teammates, as well as worrying about how they personally will be viewed by the rest of the team. During this stage, conversations tend to be polite and noncommittal because people hesitate to reveal too much about their personal views. In addition, team meetings tend to be confusing, because the team tries to figure out who is in charge.

Question 48

Storming?

Answer 48

Team members begin to assert themselves and control issues that emerge. Personality differences begin to arise. Conflicts result because team members differ in the way they want to do the project work or in the way they want to make decisions.

Question 49

Norming?

Answer 49

The team begins to work productively, without worrying about personal acceptance or control issues. There are still conflicts; however, they tend to be focused on process issues rather than personality differences. The team begins to operate on mutual dependence and trust.

Question 50

Performing?

Answer 50

The team is working at optimum productivity. It is collaborating easily, communicating freely, and solving its own conflict problems. Team members feel safe in reporting problems, trusting their fellow team members
to help them create the best solution for the team as a whole.

Question 51

Adjourning?

Answer 51

The team members complete their assigned work and shift to the next project or assigned task. This last stage is sometimes known as “mourning.”

Question 52

Barriers to Team Development?

Answer 52

The project manager should be aware of barriers that can impair team performance. Some of those barriers include:

• Ambiguous goals or roles.
• Conflicting roles.
• Poor communication.
• Environmental changes.
• Poor support from upper management.
• Conflicting personal and organizational agendas.

Question 53

Training?

Answer 53

Training is an activity in which team members acquire new or enhanced skills, knowledge, or attitude. Training may be provided to teams, small groups, or individuals and can cover management, technical, or administrative topics. It can range from a multi-day, formal workshop in a classroom to a five-minute, informal on-the-job training demonstration at the employee’s desk. It may be formulated to provide generic skills or customized to provide a specific skill set that is unique to the project. Training should be made available to team members as soon as the need becomes apparent.

Question 54

Team-Building Activities?

Answer 54

Team-building activities or team-building strategies are the specific functions or actions taken to influence diverse individuals from many functional areas, each with their own goals, needs, and perspectives, to work as a cohesive team for the good of the project. These activities help the team develop into a mature, productive team. Team-building activities can be formal or informal, brief or extended, and facilitated by the project manager or a group facilitator.

Question 55

Ground Rules?

Answer 55

Ground rules set clear expectations of the expected code of conduct from team members. This ensures an increase in the productivity and decreases misunderstandings. Ground rules include all actions that are considered acceptable and unacceptable to the project management context.

Question 56

Team Logistics?

Answer 56

Team logistics is the practice of providing materials and facilities needed by the team to accomplish their tasks. Logistics include:

• Materials needed for the project and project deliverables.
• Facilities for the team, including space, desks, phones, desktops, servers, software, and electrical power.
• Communication equipment for non-co-located team members.
• Software and hardware to create the testbed environment.
• Travel facilities, including transportation, lodging, and other arrangements

Question 57

Co-location?

Answer 57

Co-location refers to positioning most or all key team members in the same physical location to make communication easier and enhance team performance and team spirit. Although most commonly used on large projects, smaller project teams may also benefit from co-location. There are different degrees of co-location. In some projects, some of the team members may be co-located while others are not.

Question 58

Reward and Recognition Systems?

Answer 58

A reward and recognition system is a formal system used to reinforce performance or behavior. Reward and recognition systems are generally standardized throughout an organization and approved through corporate channels. The purpose is to motivate the team to perform well.

Question 59

Rewards?

Answer 59

Rewards are tangible, consumable items that are given to a person based on a specific outcome or an achievement. Rewards can also have a defined start and finish, or fixed time, and are usually expected when the specified goal is achieved or attained. For example, receiving a bonus
after a successful year is a reward.

Question 60

Recognition?

Answer 60

Recognition is a more personalized, intangible, and experiential event that focuses on behavior rather than outcome. Recognition is not restricted to a set time, is usually unexpected by the receiver, and is intended to increase an individual’s feeling of appreciation. For example, receiving public acknowledgement and appreciation for helping another department that was
short staffed is recognition.

Question 61

Conflict Management?

Answer 61

Conflict management is the application of one or more strategies for dealing with disagreements that may be detrimental to team performance. Effective conflict management can lead to improved understanding, performance, and productivity. Conversely, ineffective or nonexistent conflict management can lead to destructive behavior, animosity, poor performance, and reduced
productivity—all of which threaten successful completion of the project’s deliverables. There are certain conflict resolution methods, and the need to follow a particular method includes the intensity and importance of the conflict, the time given to resolve the conflict, the positions of the conflicting parties, and the motivation to resolve conflicts on a short- or long-term basis.

Question 62

What are the 6 conflict management approaches?

Answer 62

1. Confronting/problem solving
2. Compromising
3. Smoothing/accommodating
4. Forcing
5. Collaborating
6. Withdrawing/avoiding

Question 63

Conflict Approach | Confronting/problem solving?

Answer 63

Focuses on identifying the underlying problem and working out alternatives or solutions for it in a way that allows the involved parties to work through their disagreements.

Question 64

Conflict Approach | Compromising?

Answer 64

Involves working out a middle ground that satisfies all parties to some degree.

Question 65

Conflict Approach | Smoothing/accommodating?

Answer 65

Focuses on de-emphasizing the differences between points of view and focuses on commonalities

Question 66

Conflict Approach | Forcing?

Answer 66

Requires others to yield to the point of view of one side or

another. It may increase conflict and end in a win-lose situation.

Question 67

Conflict Approach | Collaborating?

Answer 67

Incorporates insights and viewpoints from different perspectives, which can lead to commitment between the conflicting parties.

Question 68

Conflict Approach | Withdrawing/avoiding?

Answer 68

Involves avoiding or retreating from the conflict or potential conflict and allowing the involved parties to work out the conflict on their own.

Question 69

Potential Political Barriers?

Answer 69

During the executing and controlling processes of a project, political barriers may surface that negatively affect the working relationship between the organization performing the work and the client or business organization. Some of those barriers include:

• The goals and objectives of each organization are different.
• No alignment exists between the different organizations.
• Scheduling issues exist as a result of vested interests.
• Issues exist regarding the resources required for the project.
• User management participation may not exist at the right levels.

A project manager needs to be aware of these barriers to prevent them from occurring or to be prepared to address them when they do occur.

Question 70

Performance Appraisals?

Answer 70

The need for formal or informal performance appraisals often relies on project length, project complexity, organizational policy, labor contract requirements, and amount and quality of communication. Evaluation can come from supervisors and people who interact with the team. You can use the performance appraisal to accomplish a number of tasks, including:

• Comparing performance to goals.
• Clarifying roles and responsibilities.
• Delivering positive as well as negative feedback.
• Discovering unknown or unresolved issues.
• Creating and monitoring individual training plans.
• Establishing future goals

Question 71

The Issue Log?

Answer 71

The issue log or issue register is a document that is used to list, track, and assign project items that need to be addressed by the project team. It can be used to track the project issue, each issue’s unique number, the issue status, and the individuals responsible for resolving certain issues by a specific date. The issue log is useful for regular follow-up with the project team and must be updated regularly. An issue log also serves as an important organizational process asset.

Question 72

Action Items?

Answer 72

An action item is any piece of work that needs to be performed by a resource. It is not important enough to be included in the issue log, and it does not qualify as an activity in the project schedule. Action items can result from meetings or they can be related to any project objective. The important thing to remember about action items is that they can happen throughout the project, and may or may not be formally documented.

Question 73

Information Distribution Tools?

Answer 73

Information distribution tools are distribution methods and presentation tools that are used to provide project information to stakeholders. The tools include:

• Email
• Hard-copy documents
• Presentations
• Video conferencing
• Meetings
• Phone calls

Question 74

Project Meetings?

Answer 74

Project meetings are meetings held among project stakeholders to discuss or convey project related information.

Question 75

Expectation-Gathering Techniques?

Answer 75

Expectation-gathering techniques help maintain and update the values and expectations of stakeholders. Stakeholder expectations are continuously gathered throughout the project. The progress of the project can be measured against the expectations and stakeholder satisfaction. Conflicts in stakeholder expectations must be resolved and brought to a consensus. Common
techniques to gather stakeholder expectations are brainstorming, interviews, and surveys. Expectation-gathering techniques provide the ability to:

• Compare the project’s benefits delivery against the estimated values and expectations.
• Analyze and make recommendations for change when value estimates and expectations are not met.
• Regularly update deliverables with changes, current information, and results.

Question 76

The Stakeholder Expectations Matrix?

Answer 76

A stakeholder expectations matrix is a document that contains the names of project stakeholders, their expectations from the project, and their influence on the project. This helps the project team understand the commitment levels needed to provide accurate attention on key milestones in the project. The stakeholder expectations matrix may be created through the stakeholder analysis process.

Question 77

Stakeholder Expectations Matrix Mapping?

Answer 77

Stakeholder expectations matrix mapping is the process of mapping goals and expectations of senior managers and sponsors within an organization. Goals and expectations are derived or identified by conducting interviews with key stakeholders along with the business case, project road map, sponsors, and contracts. The matrix is updated continuously with the goals and expectations of new
stakeholders as the project planning phase progresses.
The stakeholder expectations may change during the planning and executing stages of a project. Therefore, it is necessary that the matrix is updated regularly and reviewed by everyone related to the project.

Question 78

Expectations Mapping Objectives?

Answer 78

The main objectives of the expectations matrix mapping are:

• Cultivating an understanding of the stakeholder groups.
• Identifying and updating stakeholder values and expectations.
• Monitoring and controlling project progress against the expectations and assessing stakeholder satisfaction.
• Defining strategies for resolving conflicts among stakeholder expectations and obtaining consensus.
• Communicating how the project delivers the benefits with the estimated values and expectations.
• Identifying and recommending adjustments in the project if value estimates and expectations are not met.
• Updating deliverables with changes, current information, and results.

Question 79

Expectations Mapping Matrix Components?

Answer 79

1. Expectation:
   Describe the expectation that is to be met by the project.
2. Validation and sign-off:
   Validate and sign-off the criteria used to measure the progress when the activity is complete or when the expectation is met. This is usually conducted by the person who defined or provided the expectation.
3. Priority:
   Prioritize the level of importance and resources that are assigned to meet the expectation using an appropriate scale of measure.
4. Process to meet expectation:
   List the processes and methods used to meet the expectation.
5. Responsibility for process:
   List the names and roles of people who are responsible for ensuring that the processes and methods defined to meet expectations are being performed.
6. Measure of success:
   List the measurement criteria that are to be used for each expectation.
7. Goals:
   List the performance goals of each expectation.
8. Reporting progress:
   List the name and role of the person responsible for reporting the progress of meeting the expectation against the standard measures.
9. Schedule frequency:
   Determine the frequency of reporting and communicating progress against the measurement criteria.
10. Current rating:
    Capture and identify the current progress toward meeting the expectation.