3 - Creating the Project Charter Flashcards
What phase of the project management life cycle is the Initiating phase?
The second phase.
What is the purpose of developing a project charter?
To officially recognize that a project has begun.
What is a preliminary scope statement?
It defines the objectives of the project and explains the business reason the project is trying to solve.
Who are stakeholders?
Individuals or organizations with a vested interest in the project.
What is critical for the success of a project regarding stakeholders?
Gaining stakeholder buy-in.
What is one method to identify stakeholders?
Review past project artifacts.
What role does the customer play in a project?
The recipient of the product or service created by the project.
Who are end users?
People or organizations that will use the system being developed.
What is the role of the project sponsor?
To approve and sign the project charter and provide resources.
What is a project champion?
Typically the project sponsor who promotes the project and generates enthusiasm.
What does the project baseline include?
Approved schedule, cost, scope, and quality plans.
What is one responsibility of the project manager?
Managing the project team.
What does managing scope involve?
Capturing and documenting project goals, deliverables, and requirements.
What is the role of the business analyst?
Gathering and documenting requirements for the project.
Who are subject matter experts (SMEs)?
Project team members with specific knowledge and experience in their fields.
What function does a project management office (PMO) serve?
To provide guidance and maintain standards for project management.
What is the responsibility of a program manager?
Managing a grouping of related projects.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is responsible for designing technology solutions and services.
IT architect
What do developers/engineers do in a project?
Write programming code and develop applications.
What is the role of testers/quality assurance (QA) in a project?
To ensure that the program functions as designed.
True or False: A project sponsor is not involved in project decision-making.
False.
What is one responsibility of senior managers?
Prioritizing projects and authorizing spending.
What is the importance of documenting agreements with resource managers?
To prevent misunderstandings about resource availability.
What are project artifacts?
Documents, templates, agendas, diagrams, and other work products used in managing the project.
What are the main responsibilities of developers in IT?
Writing programming code, documenting code, developing applications, maintaining and modifying applications, understanding requirements and functionality, working with testing/QA team.
What is the purpose of Quality Assurance (QA) in IT?
To ensure the requirements for the system or application are met and function as designed.
Name at least three testing methodologies used in QA.
- Smoke testing
- Unit testing
- Integration testing
- End-to-end testing
- Regression testing
- User acceptance testing
What is a stakeholder register?
A tool to keep track of project stakeholders, including details like name, department, contact information, role, and level of influence.
Why is it important to identify stakeholders early in a project?
To understand their perspectives and concerns, set expectations, and address issues before they escalate.
What can cause resistance to a project from stakeholders?
Dislike for the requester, disagreement with project goals, major changes in business unit, or changes in operational procedures.
What are some key elements to include in a stakeholder register?
- Name
- Department
- Contact information
- Role on the project
- Needs, concerns, and interests
- Level of involvement
- Level of influence
- Notes for future interactions
What is stakeholder analysis?
Assessing which stakeholders’ interests should be considered throughout the project based on their influence and impact.
What is the purpose of interviewing stakeholders during stakeholder analysis?
To gather information about their interests, expectations, level of involvement, and potential impacts on the project.
True or False: Stakeholder identification and assessment should be a one-time process.
False
What does the Salience model categorize stakeholders based on?
- Power
- Urgency
- Legitimacy
What is the preliminary scope statement?
The first artifact created after the business case approval, describing project objectives, deliverables, resources, and preliminary risks.
Fill in the blank: The objectives in the preliminary scope statement should be ______.
[clear, measurable, and actionable]
What is the difference between a problem and a solution in project requests?
A problem identifies the need for the project, while a solution proposes a specific way to address that need.
What should the project manager ensure before defining deliverables and requirements?
That the problem or need generating the project request is clearly defined and understood.
What can be a common issue when customers propose project requests?
Customers may propose specific solutions instead of clearly defining the problem.
What problem can arise when project requests are proposed in the form of a solution?
Customers may not be asking for the right solution
This can lead to misalignment between the project goals and actual business needs.
What is the first step a project manager should take upon receiving a request for a new system?
Meet with the requestor to gather more information
Understanding the specific needs and problems behind the request is crucial.
What are some questions a project manager should ask to understand a project request?
- Why is a new system needed?
- What functionality is missing?
- What business need does it solve?
What is the purpose of documenting the preliminary scope definition?
To understand project objectives and document the reason for the project
This serves as the basis for the project charter.
What is the project charter?
A document that provides formal approval for the project to begin
It authorizes the project manager to apply resources.
Who publishes, signs, and approves the project charter?
The project sponsor
What are some key elements that should be included in the project charter?
- Purpose or justification
- Project objectives
- Project description
- Key deliverables
- High-level requirements
- High-level milestones
- Preapproved budget
- High-level assumptions
- High-level constraints
- Overall risks
- Project manager’s name and authority
- Project sponsor’s name
- Key stakeholders
- Project success criteria
What does the purpose or justification section of the project charter describe?
The benefit the organization hopes to receive from the project
This includes both tangible and intangible benefits.
What should project objectives in the charter include?
A clear statement of the end result and how success will be measured
Objectives should be quantifiable and measurable.
What is included in the project description section of the charter?
Key characteristics of the product, service, or result and its relationship to the business need
What are deliverables in the context of a project?
Measurable outcomes or results that must be produced for project completion
Deliverables must be tangible and easily measured.
What defines the high-level list of requirements in a project charter?
Characteristics of deliverables that must be met to satisfy project needs
What are milestones in project management?
Major events used to measure progress and mark completion of key deliverables
What is a preapproved budget in a project charter?
A high-level estimate of the project’s costs
This is prepared later in detail during the Planning processes.
What are high-level assumptions in project management?
Beliefs about events or conditions that are assumed to be true for project planning
These should be documented and validated.
What are high-level constraints in a project?
Factors that restrict or dictate the actions of the project team
Examples include hard due dates and budget limits.
What are overall risks in a project?
Potential future events that could impact the project positively or negatively
What should the project success criteria section outline?
Criteria for project approval and what indicates a successful project
This includes stakeholder satisfaction.
What is the significance of formal approval of the project charter?
It provides the project manager with authority to proceed and serves as official project start notification
What is a records management plan?
A plan that describes the policies and standards for the life cycle of data and records
What should a records management plan document?
- Definition of a record
- List of records liaisons
- Location of records
- Classification of records
- Retention schedule
- Disposition procedures
What is the importance of defining a record in an organization?
To ensure employees understand what constitutes a record and manage them properly
This prevents confusion and mismanagement of documents.
What are the three main components of records management?
Records classification, retention schedule, disposition procedures
These components are essential for effective records management within an organization.
Why is the classification of records important?
Different types of records have different retention schedules
Classification depends on the organization and type of business conducted.
What are two common types of records in most organizations?
- Human resource records
- Financial records
These records require specific management and classification.
What do retention schedules define?
How long a record should be kept
Laws and regulations may dictate retention periods.
How long should job applications and résumés be retained according to U.S. federal law?
One year after the hire date
This applies to all applicants.
What is the principle of least privilege?
Access should be based on the lowest level needed to perform a job
This principle helps protect organizations from cyberattacks.
What should be documented in a policy regarding access controls?
How access controls are determined
This includes who has access to systems and what functions they can perform.
What is the goal of the project kickoff meeting?
Ensure everyone understands the purpose and objectives of the project
It helps align the team and clarify roles.
What is the significance of the project charter and project scope statement during the kickoff meeting?
They are safety nets to prevent out-of-control requests
These documents help maintain project focus.
What should the kickoff meeting agenda include?
- Welcome
- Introductions
- Project Overview
- Stakeholder Expectations
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Question and Answer
These items help structure the meeting effectively.
What is a key deliverable for the Main Street Office Move project?
Communication to all employees regarding move instructions
This should occur in multiple forms at least five times before the move.
What is the total budget for the Main Street Office Move project?
$450,000
This budget must be adhered to for project success.
What is one high-level risk associated with the Main Street Office Move project?
Bad weather during the move week
This could impact the logistics of the move.
Who is the project manager for the Main Street Office Move?
You
The project manager is responsible for managing the budget and resources.
What is the expected completion date for the Main Street Office Move?
December 31
This is the deadline for relocating all offices.
What is the outcome for project approval?
All offices relocated by December 31, IaaS platform functions as designed, and within budget
These criteria determine the project’s success.
True or False: The project sponsor is responsible for signing the project charter.
True
The project sponsor has the authority to assign budget and resources.
What is the role of stakeholders in a project?
Anyone with a vested interest in the outcomes of the project
This includes project sponsors, team members, and end users.
Who are project stakeholders?
Anyone who has a vested interest in the outcomes of the project.
What is the role of a project sponsor?
An executive with authority to assign budget and resources, approve the project charter, and remove obstacles for the project team.
What does a business analyst do?
Gathers and documents requirements and assists in their implementation.
Who are end users?
People who will use the software or services produced by the project, may be internal or external to the organization.
What are the responsibilities of a project manager?
Coordinates and manages the project team, communications, scope, risk, budget, time, and quality assurance.
What is an SME?
Subject Matter Expert with specific knowledge and skills in their line of business.
What does a PMO provide?
Guidelines, templates, and processes for managing the project.
What is the purpose of identifying and analyzing stakeholders?
To avoid missing key stakeholders which could jeopardize the project.
What is the preliminary scope statement?
A document describing the project objectives and the business need for the project.
What key components should a project charter contain?
- Purpose/justification
- Project goals
- Project description
- High-level requirements
- High-level milestones
- High-level budget
- Assumptions
- Constraints
- High-level risks
- Name of the sponsor
- Name of the project manager
- Criteria for approval.
What is a records management system?
A system used to manage the life cycle of the organization’s records.
What principle do access controls follow?
The principle of least privilege.
What is the goal of a project kickoff meeting?
To ensure stakeholders understand the purpose and objectives of the project and their roles.
Fill in the blank: A stakeholder is anyone who has a vested interest in the project and has something to gain or lose from the project, including the _______.
sponsor, project manager, project team members, functional managers, customers.
True or False: The project manager has final decision-making authority for the project.
False.
What is the function of success criteria in a project?
To determine whether the deliverables and final outcomes of the project are acceptable to stakeholders.
What does the power/interest grid help with?
Categorizing stakeholders based on their power and interest.
What does the project baseline include?
- Approved project scope
- Approved project schedule
- Approved project quality plan.
What happens once the project charter is signed?
A project kickoff meeting should be held.
What is the purpose of the principle of least privilege?
To protect the organization from cyberattacks by restricting access.
Identify two items that should not be included in a project charter.
- High-level cost–benefit analysis
- Equipment and resources.
What is a milestone in project management?
Major events used to measure checkpoints throughout the project.
What does a project manager do with stakeholder information?
Records it in the stakeholder register.
What is a common tool for stakeholder analysis in small projects?
Stakeholder cube.
What is the goal of the preliminary scope statement?
To document the business problem the project is attempting to solve.
What is the role of IT team members in a project?
Help design and set up the environment to support IT projects.
What are key deliverables?
Tangible or intangible products produced as a result of the project.
What are the key components of a project?
Deliverables, Objectives, Milestones, Tasks
These components are essential for defining the scope and success of a project.
Identify two items that should not be included in a project charter.
Equipment and resources, High-level cost–benefit analysis
These items are typically detailed in other project documents.
What does the scenario of scheduling a meeting with Greg’s manager describe?
Assumption
This assumes Greg’s participation in the project based on past experiences.
Which of the following does not describe a constraint?
The project sponsor will remain the sponsor for the duration of the project.
Constraints typically involve limitations such as budget, deadlines, or reporting structures.
Fill in the blank: The budget for the project is _______.
$1.8 million
This budget is a critical constraint for project planning.
What is the deadline to complete the project?
June 27
The deadline is a significant project constraint that impacts scheduling.
What is a deliverable in project management?
A specific output or result that must be produced to complete a project
Deliverables can include reports, products, or other tangible outputs.
What is a milestone in project management?
A significant point or event in the project timeline
Milestones are used to measure progress and ensure the project is on track.
