Chapter 1 Introducing Project Management

Question 1

Applications areas

Answer 1

The areas of discipline that a project may centre upon. Consider technology, law, sales, marketing, and construction, among many others.

Question 2

Deliverable

Answer 2

A thing that a project creates; projects generally create many deliverables as part of the project work.

Question 3

Iron triangle

Answer 3

A term used to describe the three constrains of every project: time, cost, and scope. The sides of the Iron Triangle must be kept in balance or the quality of the project will suffer.

Question 4

Management by projects

Answer 4

An organization that uses projects to move the company forward is using the Management by Projects approach. These project-centric entities could manage any level of their work as a project.

Question 5

Operations

Answer 5

The ongoing work of the business. Operations are a generic way to describe the activities that support the core functions of a business entity.

Question 6

Programs

Answer 6

A collection of projects working in unison to realize benefits that could not be achieved by managing each project independently of one another.

Question 7

Progressive elaboration

Answer 7

The process of starting with a large idea and, through incremental analysis, actions, and planning, making the idea more and more specific. Progressive elaboration is the generally accepted planning process for project management, wherein the project management team starts with a broad scope and works towards a specific, detailed plan.

Question 8

Project

Answer 8

An undertaking outside of normal operations to create a unique product, service, condition, or result. Projects are temporary, while operations are ongoing.

Question 9

Project communications management

Answer 9

One of the nine project management knowledge areas; it is the planning and management of communication among project stakeholders. See chapter 10.

Question 10

Project cost management

Answer 10

One of the nine project management knowledge areas; it is the estimating, budgeting, and controlling of the project expenses. See chapter 7.

Question 11

Project human resource management

Answer 11

One of the nine pm knowledge areas; projects are completed by people, and the pm generally oversees the management of human resources on the project team.

Question 12

Project integration management

Answer 12

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; this knowledge area coordinates the activities and completeness of the other 8 knowledge areas. See chapter 4.

Question 13

Project management

Answer 13

The management of projects within an organization. It is the initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing of the temporary endeavour of the project.

Question 14

Project management office (PMO)

Answer 14

Organizes and manages control over all projects within an organization. A PMO also may be known as a program management office, project office, or simply the program office. Coordinates all aspects, methodology, and nomenclature for project processes, templates, software, and resource assignment.

Question 15

Project manager

Answer 15

The individual who manages the project’s activities for an organization.

Question 16

Project portfolio management

Answer 16

A management process to select the projects that should be invested in. Specially, it is the selection process based on the need, profitability, and affordability of the proposed projects.

Question 17

Project procurement management

Answer 17

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; this knowledge area oversees the purchasing and contract administration for a project. See chapter 12.

Question 18

Project quality management

Answer 18

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; this knowledge area defines quality assurance, quality control, and the quality policy for the project.

Question 19

Project risk management

Answer 19

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; defines the risk identification, analysis, responses, and control of risk events. See chapter 11.

Question 20

Project scope management

Answer 20

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; defines the project requirements, scope creation, and control.

Question 21

Project time management

Answer 21

One of the 9 pm knowledge areas; defines the approach to time estimating, scheduling and control of the project activities. See chapter 6.

Question 22

Subprojects

Answer 22

A sub project exists under a parent project, but follows its own schedule to completion. Sub projects may be outsourced, assigned to other project managers, or managed by the parent project manager but with a different project team.

Question 23

Triple constraints of project management

Answer 23

Describes the required balance of time, cost and scope for a project. The triple constrains of pm is also defined by the iron triangle of pm.

Question 24

Work breakdown structure

Answer 24

The visual decomposition of the project scope. It represents all of the deliverables the project promises to create.