9 - Processing Change Requests Flashcards
What does the Executing phase of a project involve?
Performing the work required to produce the deliverables and monitoring results to meet specifications.
What should be done if deviations from the project plan occur?
Corrective actions need to be taken to get the plan back on track.
List some common requests for changes during a project.
- Changes to deliverables or scope
- Changes to timelines
- Changes to budgets
- Changes in resource assignments
What is the purpose of a sound change control process?
To help deal with change requests effectively.
What are the key activities in the Executing phase?
- Execute tasks according to the project management plan
- Implement organizational change management
- Manage vendors
- Conduct project meetings and updates
- Report on and track project performance
- Update the project budget
- Update the project timeline
- Manage conflict
- Coordinate phase gate review meetings
What are the key components of the project management plan?
- Scope baseline
- Schedule baseline
- Communication plan
- Resource plan
- Procurement plan
- Budget baseline
- Quality plan
- Risk plan
True or False: The project management plan is a reflection of what has already occurred.
False
What is the role of managing vendors in a project?
Monitoring their performance and ensuring compliance with procurement agreements.
What should vendor performance reviews examine?
- Meeting scope requirements
- Meeting quality standards
- Staying within project budgets
- Meeting the project schedule
What is the difference between inspections and audits in vendor performance reviews?
Inspections involve physically examining the work, while audits review vendor activities for compliance with standards.
What is the purpose of a contract change control system?
To document how to submit changes, establish the approval process, and outline authorization levels for changes.
Fill in the blank: Change requests during a project may arise from _______.
[project sponsor, stakeholders, team members, vendors, and others]
What are some common causes of project changes?
- Timeline change
- Funding change
- Risk events
- Requirements change
- Quality change
- Resource change
- Scope change
What does claims administration involve?
Documenting, monitoring, and managing contested changes to the contract.
What is arbitration in the context of contract disputes?
A process involving a disinterested third party to help reach an agreement without going to court.
What should a change request include?
- Justification for the change
- Alternatives considered
- Impacts of the change
True or False: All change requests can be submitted verbally.
False
What is the importance of documenting lessons learned during vendor audits?
To improve procurement processes for current and future projects.
What is a mini-business case in the context of a change request?
A description of the justification, alternatives, and impacts of the change.
What happens if a vendor does not meet the terms of the contract?
You may need to terminate the contract.
What should be done whenever a change request is approved?
Update the project management plan.
What is the role of the change control board (CCB)?
To review and make decisions on change requests.
What is the purpose of a change request?
To describe the justification, alternatives, and impacts of a change.
Who typically presents the change request to the change control board?
The person requesting the change.
True or False: Only verbal change requests will be considered.
False.
What should be done once a change request is submitted?
Assign an identifying number and record it in the change request log.
What is a change request log?
A log that tracks change requests including ID, date, description, requestor, status, and disposition.
Fill in the blank: The change request log should be reviewed at _______ meetings.
project status
What is conducted after recording the change request in the log?
A preliminary review.
Who should review the change request during the preliminary review?
The project team, subject matter experts, and key stakeholders.
What are impact assessments?
Evaluations of how the change request will affect project constraints such as cost, time, scope, and quality.
What is a regression plan?
A plan that allows for reverting to a previous state if the change does not perform as expected.
What should be documented in the change control log after a change request is evaluated?
The final decision regarding the change request.
What is the role of the change control board (CCB)?
To review all change requests and approve, deny, or defer them.
Who might be included in a change control board?
Stakeholders, managers, subject matter experts, project team members.
What should be established for emergency changes?
Separate procedures that define emergency, authority level, and reporting process.
What is the significance of documenting approval status in the change control log?
To prevent misunderstandings about agreed-upon changes.
What should be communicated to stakeholders after a change request is approved?
The status of the change and related documentation.
What is essential to maintain after changes are made to the project?
An accurate record of project documents.
What should be done after implementing a change?
Validate that the change was made and check its quality.
Fill in the blank: Changes to the project will require updates to the affected project _______.
documents
What is the importance of version control when updating project documents?
To ensure that the latest document is being used and to avoid confusion.
What should be communicated to the project sponsor after a change is deployed?
The details of the change deployment.
What might happen if change requests are not properly documented?
It could lead to future project risks and misunderstandings.
What factors may influence the authority levels of decision-makers for change requests?
Cost, timeline, and resource assignments.
What is the purpose of validating a change after implementation?
To ensure the change met the requirements and was performed accurately and completely.
Who should be informed about change deployment?
Sponsor, stakeholders, and project team members.
What are the types of changes that can affect a project?
- Corrective actions
- Preventive actions
- Defect repairs
What is the difference between project change and product change?
Project change affects project scope, schedules, and budgets, while product change involves changes to the product itself.
What should a change request include?
Details about what part of the application or product should be changed and how.
What is scope creep?
Excessive changes to scope that can cause damage to the product and project.
What is the importance of managing scope creep?
It is essential for the project manager to monitor and control change requests.
What are some examples of organizational change?
- Business mergers/acquisitions
- Business demergers/splits
- Business process changes
- Internal reorganizations
- Relocation
- Outsourcing
What is a merger?
When two companies come together to operate as one organization.
What is an acquisition?
When one business takes over another and becomes the decision-maker.
What is the purpose of impact assessments in organizational change?
To analyze the impacts and responses related to the change.
What does the acronym SMART stand for in defining goals?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
What is a critical step in implementing organizational change?
Conducting training for employees impacted by the change.
How should communication occur during organizational change?
Through meetings, emails, and other appropriate channels.
What should be documented during the change process?
The change, its impacts, and how the organization responded.
What is operational change control?
A process to manage changes in IT environments such as infrastructure and software.
What is included in IT infrastructure control?
- Managing changes to servers
- Routers
- Firmware
- Software updates
What is the function of a change advisory board (CAB)?
To communicate upcoming changes and discuss their impacts on the business.
What should happen after a CAB meeting?
The minutes of the meeting should be published.
Fill in the blank: Corrective actions bring the work of the project into _______.
[alignment]
True or False: Preventive actions are implemented to increase the probability of a negative risk event.
False
What is an example of a business process change?
Automating a previously manual process.
What should be considered when scheduling changes in IT?
Changes should not interfere with other business priorities, such as important meetings.
What is the purpose of rollback plans?
Rollback plans allow restoration to the last known good state in case a change does not go as planned.
What are validation checks in the infrastructure change control process?
Validation checks ensure the change was implemented appropriately and has the intended effect.
What are the three environments involved in software development?
- Development
- Beta-staging
- Production
What is the first step in implementing software changes?
Write code changes in the development environment.
What is continuous integration in software development?
A methodology that improves code quality and delivery pace by regularly checking changes into a central repository.
What is the difference between cloud changes and on-premises change control?
Cloud changes are managed by the provider and typically follow a documented schedule with limited consumer input.
What is the purpose of Agile frameworks?
Agile frameworks consist of standardized processes that can be tailored to meet the team’s needs.
Name three Agile frameworks mentioned in the text.
- Scrum
- Kanban
- eXtreme Programming (XP)
What is the Scrum of Scrums framework?
An agile framework where multiple Scrum teams coordinate to work on the same project.
What does the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) involve?
Implementing agile practices at an organizational or enterprise level with shared backlogs and self-organizing teams.
What is the PRINCE2 methodology?
A project management methodology that divides projects into small, logically organized stages.
What are the seven guiding principles of PRINCE2?
- Continually justify the business need
- Learn from previous projects
- Define roles and responsibilities
- Manage work in stages
- Manage exceptions by the project board
- Focus on quality of deliverables
- Tailor processes to the project
What is the purpose of the Initiating phase in PRINCE2?
To define project goals and document the project plan.
Fill in the blank: The _______ phase in PRINCE2 involves reviewing and validating the quality of deliverables.
[Delivering]
What happens during the Closing phase of a PRINCE2 project?
All objectives are met, stakeholders are satisfied, and the project is turned over to the customer.
What change request was submitted by Jason in IT?
A request for $50,000 to configure additional storage space.
What is the role of the project board in PRINCE2?
To authorize the project, oversee work, and make decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
True or False: Agile practices work best with large teams.
False
What is the primary goal of using multiple Agile teams in a large project?
To work toward the overarching goal of completing the project.
What is a key benefit of daily standup meetings?
They help identify and resolve issues quickly, preventing potential delays.
What is the Executing phase of a project?
Performing the work required to produce deliverables and monitoring results to meet specifications
Deviations from the project plan may indicate required changes
What is the purpose of daily standups in a Scrum team?
Identify issues and discuss progress daily
Minor issues can be resolved immediately during standups to prevent potential delays
What does managing vendors involve?
Monitoring performance to ensure procurement agreement requirements are met
Includes measuring deliverables and verifying final approvals
What is the role of a contract change control system?
Process contract changes
Ensures that changes are documented and managed properly
What types of changes can occur in a project?
Corrective actions, preventive actions, and defect repairs
Changes can arise for various reasons during the project lifecycle
What does an integrated change control system do?
Manages change requests and updates all impacted portions of the project plan
Typically involves a change control board to review requests
What is the focus of scope change control?
Understanding the impact of a scope change and managing the approval process
Ensures that scope changes are properly evaluated and addressed
What is the difference between product change management and project change management?
Product change management involves changes to the product, while project change management involves changes to project processes
Each has its own focus and implications for project execution
What are some examples of organizational changes that can impact projects?
Internal reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing
These changes can affect project scope, resources, and timelines
What steps are involved in organizational change?
Define the change, communicate the change, analyze impacts, training, ensure adoption, document the change, create new knowledge bases, create new processes
A structured approach is crucial for successful organizational change
What is operational change control?
Managing the change process for IT projects and tasks
Involves hardware, software, and other IT-related changes
What environments are used in software development?
Development environment, beta-staging environment, production
Each environment serves a specific purpose in the software lifecycle
What are Agile frameworks?
Standardized processes for managing project work
Common frameworks include Scrum and Kanban
What is the purpose of Agile scaling frameworks?
To scale Agile approaches for large projects
Examples include Scrum of Scrums, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), and Disciplined Agile (DA)
What is PRINCE2?
A methodology consisting of seven guiding principles for managing projects
Includes its own set of processes for effective project management
