2. Organizational influences and project life cycle

Question 1

List the project management processes and knowledge areas!

Answer 1

Processes

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring & controlling
• Closing

Knowledge areas

• Integration
• Scope
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• HR
• Communications
• Risk
• Procurement
• Stakeholder

Question 2

How do organizational project management (OPM), portfolio (POM), program (PRG) and project (PRJ) management relate to each other?

Answer 2

1. OPM: Strategic framework
2. POM: Select programs and projects to achieve organizational goals
3. PRG: Set of related projects
4. PRJ: Specific management of a project

Question 3

Which 3 types of project management offices (PMO) exist and how do they differ with respect to control?

Answer 3

• Supportive: provides policies, methodologies, etc. and exercices low level of control
• Controlling: provides support and guidance and ensures compliance with organizational practices. Medium level of control
• Directive: Provides PMs for projects. High level of control over all projects

Question 4

List the hexagon constrains in project management!

Answer 4

• Time
• Cost
• Scope
• Quality
• Customer satisfaction
• Risk
• Ressources

Question 5

Name forms of organizational structure and the terms you should remmeber when you see them!

Answer 5

• See functional (accounting, marketing, IT), think “silo”. Work completed in addition to departmental work
• See projectized, think “no home”. Rember consultancy setups
• See matrix, think “two bosses”.
  
  • Weak/functional: Power with functional manager
  • Balanced: balanced ;-)
  • Strong: Power with PM
• There is now tight matrix, that is a term for co-location!

Question 6

Define enterprise environmental factors (EEF) and organizational process assets (OPAs)

Answer 6

EEF: company culture and existing systems

OPAs: processes, procedures and historical information

Question 7

What is the difference between work performance data, information and reports?

Answer 7

Data: Intial measurements

Information: Data that is analyzed during controlling in order to spot deviations from the plan

Reports: Information that is suitable to stakeholders. An output of monitor & control project work

Question 8

What is the difference between project life cycle and project management process? Which types of life cycles exist? What should be remembered for the exam? What sould be remembered for the exam?

Answer 8

Project life cycle: What you need to do TO DO the work.

Project management process: What you need to do TO MANAGE the work

Types of life cycles: plan driven vs. change driven (agile)

For the exam remember:

• There exists a project life cycle and a project mangement process
• Think in terms of a plan-driven life cycle

Question 9

What is the difference between a project expeditor and a project coordinator?

Answer 9

Expediter: Acts as a statt assisstent and can not make or enforce decisions!

Coordinator: Similar to expediter, but coordinator can make some decisions, has some authority and reports to a higher level manager!