CH14 z quiz PMI code of ethics and professional conduct Flashcards
You are the project manager of the JKN Project. The project customer has requested that you inflate your cost estimates by 25 percent. He reports that his management always reduces the cost of the estimates, so this is the only method to get the monies needed to complete the project. Which of the following is the best response to this situation?
A. Do as the customer asked to ensure that the project requirements can be met by adding the increase as a contingency reserve.
B. Do as the customer asked to ensure that the project requirements can be met by adding the increase across each task.
C. Do as the customer asked by creating an estimate for the customer’s management and another for the actual project implementation.
D. Complete an accurate estimate of the project. In addition, create a risk assessment on why the project budget would be inadequate.
D. It would be inappropriate to bloat the project costs by 25 percent. A risk assessment describing how the project may fail if the budget is not accurate is most appropriate. A, B, and C are all incorrect, since these choices are ethically wrong. The PMP® should always provide honest estimates of the project work.
You are the project manager of the JKN Project. The project customer has requested that you inflate your cost estimates by 25 percent. He reports that his management always reduces the cost of the estimates, so this is the only method to get the monies needed to complete the project. Which of the following is the best response to this situation?
A. Do as the customer asked to ensure that the project requirements can be met by adding the increase as a contingency reserve.
B. Do as the customer asked to ensure that the project requirements can be met by adding the increase across each task.
C. Do as the customer asked by creating an estimate for the customer’s management and another for the actual project implementation.
D. Complete an accurate estimate of the project. In addition, create a risk assessment on why the project budget would be inadequate.
You are the project manager for the BNH Project. This project takes place in a different country than where you are from. The project leader from this country presents a team of workers that are only from his family. What should you do?
A. Reject the team leader’s recommendations, and assemble your own project team.
B. Review the résumés and qualifications of the proposed project team before approving the team.
C. Determine if the country’s traditions include hiring from the immediate family before hiring from outside the family.
D. Replace the project leader with an impartial project leader.
C. You should first confirm what the local practices and customs call for in regard to hiring family members before others. A and D are incorrect, since they do not consider the qualifications of the project team leader and the project team. In addition, they do not take into account local customs. B is incorrect as well. Although it does ponder the qualifications of the project team, it does not consider the local customs.
You are the project manager for the BNH Project. This project takes place in a different country than where you are from. The project leader from this country presents a team of workers that are only from his family. What should you do?
A. Reject the team leader’s recommendations, and assemble your own project team.
B. Review the résumés and qualifications of the proposed project team before approving the team.
C. Determine if the country’s traditions include hiring from the immediate family before hiring from outside the family.
D. Replace the project leader with an impartial project leader.
You are about to begin negotiations on a new project that is to take place in another country. Which of the following should be your guide on what business practices are allowed and discouraged?
A. The project charter
B. The project plan
C. Company policies and procedures
D. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
C. The company policies and procedures should guide the project manager and the decision he makes in the foreign country. A and B are incorrect because these documents are essential, but usually do not reference allowed business practices. D is incorrect because while the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct does possess crucial information, the company’s policies and procedures are most specific to the project work and requirements.
You are about to begin negotiations on a new project that is to take place in another country. Which of the following should be your guide on what business practices are allowed and discouraged?
A. The project charter
B. The project plan
C. Company policies and procedures
D. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
One of your project team members reports that he sold pieces of equipment because he needed to pay for his daughter’s school tuition. He says that he has paid back the money by working overtime without reporting the hours worked so that his theft remains private. What should you do?
A. Fire the project team member.
B. Report the team member to his manager.
C. Suggest that the team member report his action to human resources.
D. Tell the team member you’re disappointed in what he did, and advise him not to do something like this again.
B. This situation calls for the project team member to be reported to his manager for disciplinary action. A is inappropriate because the project manager may not have the authority to fire the project team member. C is inappropriate because the project manager must take action to bring the situation to management’s attention. D is also inappropriate because no formal disciplinary actions are taken to address the problem.
One of your project team members reports that he sold pieces of equipment because he needed to pay for his daughter’s school tuition. He says that he has paid back the money by working overtime without reporting the hours worked so that his theft remains private. What should you do?
A. Fire the project team member.
B. Report the team member to his manager.
C. Suggest that the team member report his action to human resources.
D. Tell the team member you’re disappointed in what he did, and advise him not to do something like this again.
You are the project manager of the SUN Project. Your organization is a functional environment, and you do not get along well with the functional manager leading the project. You disagree with the manager on how the project should proceed, the timings of the activities, the suggested schedule, and the expected quality of the work. The manager has requested that you get to work on several of the activities on the critical path even though you and she have not solved the issues concerning the project. What should you do?
A. Go to senior management and voice your concerns.
B. Complete the activities as requested.
C. Ask to be taken off of the project.
D. Refuse to begin activities on the project until the issues are resolved.
B. The project manager must respect the delegation of the functional manager. A, C, and D are all inappropriate actions because they do not complete the assigned work the functional manager has delegated to the project manager.
You are the project manager of the SUN Project. Your organization is a functional environment, and you do not get along well with the functional manager leading the project. You disagree with the manager on how the project should proceed, the timings of the activities, the suggested schedule, and the expected quality of the work. The manager has requested that you get to work on several of the activities on the critical path even though you and she have not solved the issues concerning the project. What should you do?
A. Go to senior management and voice your concerns.
B. Complete the activities as requested.
C. Ask to be taken off of the project.
D. Refuse to begin activities on the project until the issues are resolved.
The PMI has contacted you regarding an ethics violation of a PMP® candidate. The question is in regard to a friend who said he worked as a project manager under your guidance. You know this is not true, but to save a friendship, you avoid talking with the PMI. This is a violation of what?
A. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to cooperate on ethics violations investigations
B. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to report accurate information
C. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to report any PMP® violations
D. The law concerning ethical practices
A. By avoiding the conversation with PMI in regard to your friend’s ethics violation, you are, yourself, violating the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to cooperate with the PMI. B, C, and D are incorrect answers because they do not fully answer the question.
The PMI has contacted you regarding an ethics violation of a PMP® candidate. The question is in regard to a friend who said he worked as a project manager under your guidance. You know this is not true, but to save a friendship, you avoid talking with the PMI. This is a violation of what?
A. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to cooperate on ethics violations investigations
B. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to report accurate information
C. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to report any PMP® violations
D. The law concerning ethical practices
You are the project manager for the Log Cabin Project. One of your vendors is completing a large portion of the project. You have heard a rumor that the vendor is losing many of its workers due to labor issues. In light of this information, what should you do?
A. Stop work with the vendor until the labor issues are resolved.
B. Communicate with the vendor in regard to the rumor.
C. Look to secure another vendor to replace the current one.
D. Negotiate with the labor union to secure the workers on your project.
B. The project manager should confront the problem by talking with the vendor about the rumor. A is incorrect and would delay the project and possibly cause future problems. C is incorrect and may violate the contract between the buyer and seller. D is also incorrect—the agreement is between the performing organization and the vendor, not the labor union.
You are the project manager for the Log Cabin Project. One of your vendors is completing a large portion of the project. You have heard a rumor that the vendor is losing many of its workers due to labor issues. In light of this information, what should you do?
A. Stop work with the vendor until the labor issues are resolved.
B. Communicate with the vendor in regard to the rumor.
C. Look to secure another vendor to replace the current one.
D. Negotiate with the labor union to secure the workers on your project.
You are the project manager for the PMH Project. Three vendors have submitted cost estimates for the project. One of the estimates is significantly higher than similar project work in the past. In this scenario, you should do what?
A. Ask the other vendors about the higher estimate from the third vendor.
B. Use the cost estimates from the historical information.
C. Take the high cost to the vendor to discuss the discrepancy before reviewing the issue with the other vendors.
D. Ask the vendor that supplied the high estimate for information on how the estimate was prepared.
D. Most likely, the vendor did not understand the project work to be procured, so the estimate is skewed. A clear statement of work is needed for the vendors to provide accurate estimates. A and C are inappropriate actions because they discuss another vendor’s estimate with the competing vendors. Choice B, historical information, isn’t a viable solution because costs may have changed since the historical information was created. In addition, there’s no evidence in the question that historical information even exists. This information should be kept confidential between the buyer and seller. In some government projects, the winning bid may be required to be announced.
You are the project manager for the PMH Project. Three vendors have submitted cost estimates for the project. One of the estimates is significantly higher than similar project work in the past. In this scenario, you should do what?
A. Ask the other vendors about the higher estimate from the third vendor.
B. Use the cost estimates from the historical information.
C. Take the high cost to the vendor to discuss the discrepancy before reviewing the issue with the other vendors.
D. Ask the vendor that supplied the high estimate for information on how the estimate was prepared.
You are the project manager of the LKH Project. This project must be completed within six months. The project is two months into the schedule and is starting to slip. As of now, the project is one week behind schedule. Based on your findings, you believe that you can make some corrective actions and recover the lost time over the next month to get the project back on schedule. Management, however, requires weekly status reports on cost and schedule. What should you do?
A. Report that the project is one week behind schedule, but will finish on schedule based on cited corrective actions.
B. Report that the project is on schedule and will finish on schedule.
C. Report that the project is off schedule by a few days, but will finish on schedule.
D. Report that the project is running late.
A. The project manager should report an honest assessment of the project, with actions on how he plans to correct the problem. B is incorrect because it does not provide an honest answer to management. C is also incorrect because it does not provide an honest answer to management. D is incorrect because it does not provide a solution to the problem.
You are the project manager of the LKH Project. This project must be completed within six months. The project is two months into the schedule and is starting to slip. As of now, the project is one week behind schedule. Based on your findings, you believe that you can make some corrective actions and recover the lost time over the next month to get the project back on schedule. Management, however, requires weekly status reports on cost and schedule. What should you do?
A. Report that the project is one week behind schedule, but will finish on schedule based on cited corrective actions.
B. Report that the project is on schedule and will finish on schedule.
C. Report that the project is off schedule by a few days, but will finish on schedule.
D. Report that the project is running late.
As a contracted project manager, you have been assigned a project with a budget of $1.5 million. The project is scheduled to last seven months, but your most recent earned value management (EVM) report shows that the project will finish ahead of schedule by nearly six weeks. If this happens, you will lose $175,000 in billable time. What should you do?
A. Bill for the entire $1.5 million, since this was the approved budget.
B. Bill for the $1.5 million by adding additional work at the end of the project.
C. Report to the customer the project status and completion date.
D. Report to the customer the project status and completion date, and ask if they’d like to add any additional features to account for the monies not spent.
C. An honest and accurate assessment of the project work is always required. A and B are incorrect because these actions do not reflect an honest assessment of the work. D is incorrect because it offers gold plating and recommends additional changes that were not part of the original project scope. In addition, because this is a contracted relationship, the additional work may not be covered within the original project contract and may result in legal issues.
As a contracted project manager, you have been assigned a project with a budget of $1.5 million. The project is scheduled to last seven months, but your most recent earned value management (EVM) report shows that the project will finish ahead of schedule by nearly six weeks. If this happens, you will lose $175,000 in billable time. What should you do?
A. Bill for the entire $1.5 million, since this was the approved budget.
B. Bill for the $1.5 million by adding additional work at the end of the project.
C. Report to the customer the project status and completion date.
D. Report to the customer the project status and completion date, and ask if they’d like to add any additional features to account for the monies not spent.
You are the project manager of the PMH Project. You have been contracted to design the placement of several pieces of manufacturing equipment. You have completed the project scope and are ready to pass the work over to the installer. The installer begins to schedule you to help with the installation of the manufacturing equipment. You should do what?
A. Help the installer place the equipment according to the design documents.
B. Help the installer place the equipment as the customer sees fit.
C. Refuse to help the installer, since the project scope has been completed.
D. Help the installer place the equipment, but insist that the quality control be governed by your design specifications.
C. When the project scope is completed, the contract is fulfilled and the project is done. Any new work items should not be sent through. In this instance, the contract change control system should be invoked, or a new contract should be created. A, B, and D are incorrect because these choices are outside of the scope and have not been covered in the contract.
You are the project manager of the PMH Project. You have been contracted to design the placement of several pieces of manufacturing equipment. You have completed the project scope and are ready to pass the work over to the installer. The installer begins to schedule you to help with the installation of the manufacturing equipment. You should do what?
A. Help the installer place the equipment according to the design documents.
B. Help the installer place the equipment as the customer sees fit.
C. Refuse to help the installer, since the project scope has been completed.
D. Help the installer place the equipment, but insist that the quality control be governed by your design specifications.
You are the project manager of the 12BA Project. You have completed the project according to the design documents and have met the project scope. The customer agrees that the design document requirements have been met; however, the customer is not pleased with the project deliverables and is demanding additional adjustments be made to complete the project. What is the best way to continue?
A. Complete the work as the customer has requested.
B. Complete the work at 1.5 times the billable rate.
C. Do nothing. The project scope is completed.
D. Do nothing. Management from the performing organization and the customer’s organization will need to determine why the project failed before adding work.
C. When the project scope has been completed, the project is completed. Any additional work, without a contract change or new contract, would be dishonest and would betray the customer or the project manager’s company. This is a good example of a question where none of the choices are good, but you must choose the best answer available. Of course, in a real project, you’d have many other choices and options to achieve customer satisfaction. A and B are both incorrect because additional work is not covered in the current contract. D is incorrect because the project did not fail—the deliverables met the requirements of the project scope and the design document.
You are the project manager of the 12BA Project. You have completed the project according to the design documents and have met the project scope. The customer agrees that the design document requirements have been met; however, the customer is not pleased with the project deliverables and is demanding additional adjustments be made to complete the project. What is the best way to continue?
A. Complete the work as the customer has requested.
B. Complete the work at 1.5 times the billable rate.
C. Do nothing. The project scope is completed.
D. Do nothing. Management from the performing organization and the customer’s organization will need to determine why the project failed before adding work.
You are the project manager of the AAA Project. Due to the nature of the project, much of the work will require overtime between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Many of the project team members, however, have requested vacation during that week. What is the best way to continue?
A. Refuse all vacation requests and require all team members to work.
B. Only allow vacation requests for those team members who are not needed during that week.
C. Divide tasks equally among the team members so each works the same amount of time.
D. Allow team members to volunteer for the overtime work.
D. This is the best choice for this scenario, because it allows the project team to be self-led and is sensitive to the needs of the project team. A, B, and C are all autocratic responses to the problem, and while the results may seem fair, D is the best choice.
You are the project manager of the AAA Project. Due to the nature of the project, much of the work will require overtime between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Many of the project team members, however, have requested vacation during that week. What is the best way to continue?
A. Refuse all vacation requests and require all team members to work.
B. Only allow vacation requests for those team members who are not needed during that week.
C. Divide tasks equally among the team members so each works the same amount of time.
D. Allow team members to volunteer for the overtime work.
You are a project manager for your organization. Your project is to install several devices for one of your company’s clients. The client has requested that you complete a few small tasks that are not in the project scope. To maintain the relationship with the client, you oblige her request and complete the work without informing your company. This is an example of what?
A. Effective expert judgment
B. Failure to satisfy the scope of professional services
C. Contract change control
D. Integrated change control
B. When the project manager completes activities outside of the contract and does not inform the performing organization, it is essentially the same as stealing. The PMP® must be held accountable for all the time invested in a project. A is incorrect because this is not expert judgment. C is incorrect because the contract has not been changed or attempted to be changed. D is also incorrect because the changes the project manager completed for the customer were not sent through any change control system. Instead, they were completed without documentation or reporting.
You are a project manager for your organization. Your project is to install several devices for one of your company’s clients. The client has requested that you complete a few small tasks that are not in the project scope. To maintain the relationship with the client, you oblige her request and complete the work without informing your company. This is an example of what?
A. Effective expert judgment
B. Failure to satisfy the scope of professional services
C. Contract change control
D. Integrated change control
You are completing a project for a customer in another country. One of the customs in this country is to honor the project manager of a successful project with a gift. Your company, however, does not allow project managers to accept gifts worth more than $50 from any entity. At the completion of the project, the customer presents you with a new car in a public ceremony. What should you do?
A. Accept the car, since it is a custom of the country. To refuse it would be an insult to your hosts.
B. Refuse to accept the car, since it would result in a conflict with your organization’s policy on gifts.
C. Accept the car and then return it, in private, to the customer.
D. Accept the car and then donate the car to a charity in the customer’s name.
B. This is the best answer. Although this solution may seem extreme, to accept the car in public would give the impression that the project manager has defied company policy. In addition, accepting the car would appear to be a conflict of interest for the project manager. A, C, and D are all incorrect. Accepting the car, even with the intention of returning it or donating it to charity, would conflict with the company’s policies regarding the acceptance of gifts.
You are completing a project for a customer in another country. One of the customs in this country is to honor the project manager of a successful project with a gift. Your company, however, does not allow project managers to accept gifts worth more than $50 from any entity. At the completion of the project, the customer presents you with a new car in a public ceremony. What should you do?
A. Accept the car, since it is a custom of the country. To refuse it would be an insult to your hosts.
B. Refuse to accept the car, since it would result in a conflict with your organization’s policy on gifts.
C. Accept the car and then return it, in private, to the customer.
D. Accept the car and then donate the car to a charity in the customer’s name.
