Chapter 2

Question 1

All management levels have come to be involved with _ _ and strategic issues

Answer 1

strategic planning

Question 2

● PM Insights and expertise help develop realistic priority plans
● PM’s can develop a high-level organizational perspective for projects
● PM involvement helps networking and communication opportunities
● PM’s gain an inter-organizational perspective for projects

Answer 2

Advantages of PM involvement at the organizational level

Question 3

provides an organizational road map which suggests directions for sources and activities for the future

Answer 3

Strategic plan

Question 4

When it comes to strategic plans, organizations must analyze these questions very carefully:

Answer 4

1. Where are we now?
2. Where do we want to be?
3. How do we get there?

Question 5

Helps self-assessment and realization; provides the foundation for formulating a realistic plan for the future

Answer 5

Where are we now?

Question 6

Helps the organization see themselves in the next 5 or 10 years; provides criteria and guidelines to evaluate the extent to which accomplishments have been made

Answer 6

Where do we want to be?

Question 7

Helps set success measures and outlines criteria for monitoring progress

Answer 7

How do we get there?

Question 8

1. Looks into the future and maps directions

2. It is inclusive and broad, covering internal and external entities and resources

Answer 8

Two important characteristics of a strategic plan

Question 9

o A _ _ supports the organizational mission and is influenced by the organizational culture
o An effective _ _ is a critical success factor for the survival of the organization

Answer 9

strategic plan

strategic plan

Question 10

1. Creates uniformity across projects.
2. Reduces redundancy.
3. Helps prioritize projects.
4. Provides a long-term perspective to assess customer needs.
5. Provides criteria to measure project success.

Answer 10

An effective strategic plan influences PM in 5 ways

Question 11

Projects, in general, are _ and _ for the implementation of a strategic plan.

Answer 11

tools and mechanisms

Question 12

Describes the purpose for which the organization exists.

Expressed in broad terms.

Positions the organization relative to competition and within the industry.

Answer 12

What a Mission does

Question 13

_ and _ must be clearly defined, must be measurable, and must be doable

Answer 13

goals and objectives

Question 14

o Define what specifically needs to be done in order to accomplish the mission

o More specific and are more appropriate as measures of success

o The hierarchy of _ _ _ exist in order to define responsibilities of the management hierarchy more clearly

Answer 14

What goals and objectives do

Question 15

Operational strategies facilitate the _ of these goals and objectives

Answer 15

implementation

Question 16

designed to counteract the possibility that projects will be implemented in a disjointed fashion, disconnected from other on-going projects in a way that may not serve organizational goals and objectives

Answer 16

Planning approaches

Question 17

Considers the objectives of the projects and provides rough estimates of resources required to meet these needs

Normally produces a mission statement for the group, which reflects the mission of the organization

Answer 17

Long-term planning

Question 18

● Focuses on how the long-term plan can be put into effect

● Considers present requirements of the organization and the projects that need to be developed to meet those needs

● Information about each project will be spelt out in detail

● A planning document will be produced that shows the current situation along with an action plan for future development

Answer 18

Medium-term planning

Question 19

● Normally covers the next 12 months

● Concerns the schedule for change, assigning resources to effect the change, and putting into place project control measures to ensure effectiveness

● Details resources required for each project in terms of personnel, equipment, and budget

● Contains details of each stage in development life cycle

Answer 19

Short-term planning

Question 20

It is critical to obtain _ _ for projects at the time of proposal development and maintain that support throughout the project development cycle

Answer 20

management support

Question 21

the patterns of authority for key project activities in firms as well as in project management

Answer 21

Governance

Question 22

_ is a two-way process - The proactive _ approach helps prepare management for eventual requests for additional resources

Answer 22

Communication

Question 23

Changes occur in the work environment that may lead to changes in _ _ which may lead to changes in expectations

Answer 23

functional needs

Question 24

the difference between what the project outcomes is expected to be and what it actually

Answer 24

Expectation gap

Question 25

_ _ influences project selection priorities, funding arrangements, and eventually the outcome

Answer 25

Organizational politics

Question 26

Inadequate attention to _ _ is a primary reason for project failures
o Should be part of the of the strategic planning process, not merely an afterthought event

Answer 26

change management

Question 27

One approach to dealing with change is called _ _ _
o Understanding of the change process is gained by identifying the forces working for and against the change being successful

Answer 27

force field analysis

Question 28

The change can be ,quick and dramatic, or _, a gradual process

Answer 28

transformational

incremental

Question 29

1. Centralized
2. Bureaucratic
3. Individualistic
4. Organic

Answer 29

Charles Handy 4 organization types

Question 30

Many organizations have underwent total change though _ _ -

Answer 30

business process re-engineering

Question 31

Change is easier to implement in organizations where change is the norm

o In _ _, people accept change, embrace it, and regard it as a positive thing

Answer 31

organic organizations

Question 32

Top management must _ all other employees of the strategic plan in order for it to work

Answer 32

convince

Question 33

An important factor that facilitates this cooperation is a process that defines how a project is to be _ with organizational goals and objectives

Answer 33

aligned