Chapter 06: Schedule Management

Question 1

Knowledge Area Overview

This knowledge area is utilized to find the answer to when the project and its activities within will be completed.

Answer 1

Schulede Management

Question 2

Processes Overview

This pocess determines the strategy and methodologies for how to create and manage the project’s schedule.

Answer 2

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

Question 3

Processes Overview

This process identifies which activities are required in order to complete the project work.

Answer 3

6.2: Define Activities

Question 4

Processes Overview

This process determines the relationships and dependencies between tasks.

Answer 4

6.3: Sequence Activities

Question 5

Processes Overview

This process determines who long it takes to complete each work activity.

Answer 5

6.4: Estimate Activity Durations

Question 6

Processes Overview

This process uses the duration estimates and activity information to create the project schedule.

Answer 6

6.5: Develop Schedule

Question 7

Processes Overview

This process monitors the project’s schedule performance and manages any potential changes to the schedule baseline.

Answer 7

6.6: Control Schedule

Question 8

The majority of the Schedule Management processes belong under the … process group, with the exception of the … process that is for monitoring/controlling.

Answer 8

planning
Control Schedule

Question 9

Agile/Adaptive Environments

For project following an agile approach, think “iterative scheduling with a backlog and following a cadence of repeated short cycles called … This approach is known as …

Answer 9

sprints
rolling wave planning

Hont: rolling wave planning is a form of progressive elaboration.

Question 10

Agile/Adaptive Environments

This agile scheduling technique “pulls” work from a backlog as resources free up and become available. This balances the demand against the team’s delivery throughput.

Hint: only do the work with the compatible resources that become available.

Answer 10

on-demand schedule

Doing the work on the spot as the resources become available. It does not rely on an already established schedule. Used to deliver the products in an incremental manner.

Question 11

Agile/Adaptive Environments

Agile projects use this voting technique for decision making, where the next steps of each sprint are communicated with closed (not in favor) and open fists (in favor)

Answer 11

fist of five

Question 12

Trends/Emerging Practices

Project schedules are incresingly accounting for … based on knowledge gained, increased understanding of the risks, and value-added activities (reducing time and cost).

Answer 12

providing some degree of flexibility for adjustments

Question 13

Trends/Emerging Practices

Schedules should be able to adapt to changing needs of a fast-paced project environment, especially those with a long-term scope. ** Adaptive schedule planning** defines a plan but acknowledges that priorities may change throughout the project. What are the two emerging methodologies seen in project management?

Answer 13

on-demand scheduling
iterative scheduling with a backlog

Question 14

Trends/Emerhing Practices

(iterative scheduling with backlog / on-demand scheduling) is common in operational environments and lean manufacturing. It is based on the theory of … and pull-based scheduling concepts.

Hint: common in Kanban systems; pulling from the backlog.

Answer 14

(iterative scheduling with backlog / on-demand scheduling) is common in operational environments and lean manufacturing. It is based on the theory of constraints and pull-based scheduling concepts.

Question 15

Trends/Emerging Practices

Schedules should be able to adapt to changing needs of a fast-paced project environment, especially those with a long-term scope. ** Adaptive schedule planning** defines a plan but acknowledges that priorities may change throughout the project. This emerging method does not reuly ona d eveloped schedule model, but rather pulls from backlog to have work done as the resources become available.

Answer 15

on-demand scheduling

Question 16

Agile/Adaptive Environment

When is the product backlog reprioritized in agile projects?

Answer 16

between sprints

Where the user stories (requirements) of the product backlog get reprioritized based on stakeholder input.

Question 17

This methodology is the basis of on-demand scheduling, which identifies and tackles the important limiting factor in succession, which provides systematic improvement until no longer the largest one, then rinse and repeat.

Answer 17

theory of constraints

Question 18

LIst the six (6) processes for Schedule Management.

Answer 18

6.1 - Plan Schedule Management (Planning)
6.2 - Define Activities (Planning)
6.3 - Sequence Activities (Planning)
6.4 - Estimate Durations (Planning)
6.5 - Develop Schedule (Planning)
6.6 - Control Schedule (Planning)

Question 19

Process Overview

This process creates the subsidiary component that defines how the schedule will be developed, managed, executed, and controlled.

Answer 19

6.1 - Plan Schedule Management

Question 20

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

You can use this key input to get information about the high-level summary milestones to help with Plan Schedule Management

Answer 20

project charter

Question 21

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

The project charter is useful for Plan Schedule Management because it gives you this highest-level information that is essential for the schedule.

Answer 21

high-level summary milestones

Question 22

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

What two key inputs (from the project management plan) are used for Plan Schedule Management

Hint: the first one helps you select from the trems introduced earlier in the chapter; the second one is obvious.

Answer 22

scope management plan
development approach

Hint: if predictive or agile (on-demand scheduling, rolling wave planning, iterative planning with backlog).

Question 23

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

What is the key and only output for Plan Schedule Management?

Answer 23

Schedule Management Plan

Question 24

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

Fill out the following components of the schedule management plan…

• methodology and tools to develop schedule …
• duration of these time-boxed periods (if agile)
• acceptable** … **ranges and the inclusion/exclusion of this buffer concept
• units of measurement for all/specific work and resources
• process for … during project execution
• control thresholds for … before implementing changes

Answer 24

• methodology and tools to develop schedule model
• duration of sprints/iterations
• acceptable accuracy ranges and the inclusion/exclusion of contingency reserves
• units of measurement for all/specific work and resources
• process for upating the schedule during project execution
• control thresholds for for the baselines before implementing changes

Question 25

6.1: Plan Schedule Management

The scheduling managmeent plan helps establish guidelines for which scheduling approach willbe used (… or …). If agile, this plan specifies the specifies the length of the … … .

It also includes the control … for when action needs to be taken if scheudle starts to slip or deviate from th eplan.

It also includes the crtiera for following … … … regarding scheduling, and the level of accuracy for determining … estimates.

Answer 25

The scheduling managmeent plan helps establish guidelines for which scheduling approach willbe used (adaptive or predictive). If agile, this plan specifies the specifies the length of the sprint iteration.

It also includes the control thresholds for when action needs to be taken if scheudle starts to slip or deviate from the plan.

It also includes the crtiera for following earned value management regarding scheduling, and the level of accuracy for determining activity duration estimates.

Question 26

Processes Overview

This process identifies and documents the specific actions that will be performed to produce the project deliverables and achieve the project objectives.

Answer 26

6.2: Define Activities

Question 27

6.2: Define Activities

For this process, this critical document that was created from Scope Management will be used to define the activities.

The next step of decomposition.

Answer 27

work breakdown structure (WBS)

Question 28

6.2: Define Activities

What two key outputs are needed to help Define Activities?

Hint: one is the next level of decomposition, and the other one is the obvious subsidiary project management plan.

Answer 28

scope baseline
schedule management plan

Question 29

6.2: Define Activities

This tool/technique for Define Activities breaks down the work packages from the WBS into the final activity list by implementing the 8/80 rule.

Answer 29

decomposition

Question 30

6.2: Define Activities

This method of planning/scheduling only plans the near-term activities in chunks.

Answer 30

rolling wave planning

Question 31

6.2: Define Activities

Along with the key out of the activity list for the Define Activities process, this second key output describes their characteristics. This third key output also defines the major landmarks of the schedule.

Answer 31

activity list
activity attributes
milestones