Chapter 9 - The concept of project management

Question 1

What is a project?

Answer 1

A project is a unique undertaking to achieve a specific objective
A project has a defined beginning and end.
A project has resources, like staff and funding allocated specifically for the length of the project
The project will also have stakeholders
A project will inevitably have some degree of uncertainty as the uniqueness of it will lead to some degree of risk in the deliverables and the activities to achieve the deliverables

Question 2

What are constraints?

Answer 2

Constraints are anything which restricts, limits, prevents or regulates activities being carried out

Question 3

What are the primary constraints when running a project (project triangle)?

Answer 3

Time
Cost
Quality

Question 4

What are some other constraints when running a project excluding the project triangle?

Answer 4

Legal
Technological
Political
Environmental
Ethical

Question 5

What is the project lifecycle according to Gido and Clements?

Answer 5

Need > Solution > Implementation > Completion

Question 6

What is PMI’s 5 project management process (IPECC)?

Answer 6

Initiating > Planning > Executing > Controlling > Closing

Question 7

Why would a project be intiated?

Answer 7

To help meet the company’s long term goals and objectives.
Process/service enhancement
Solve problems identified internally or externally.
To take advantage of new opportunities.
Statutory/legal requirement.

Question 8

What types of feasibility would be considered when looking at potential strategies and the aim of the study?

Answer 8

Technical feasibility - can it be done?
Social (operational) feasibility - does it fit with current operations?
Ecological (environmental) feasibility - how does it affect the environment?
Economic (financial) feasibility - is it worth it?

Question 9

What is a PID?

Answer 9

Project Initiation Document, reference document produced at the outset of a project – at the end of the initiation stage

Question 10

What is the primary reasons for having a Project Initiation Document (PID)?

Answer 10

For authorisation by the project steering committee or project board
To act as a base document against which progress and changes can be assessed

Question 11

What sections should a Project Initiation Document (PID) contain?

Answer 11

Purpose statement - explain why project is being undertaken
Scope statement - puts boundaries to the project by outlining the major activities
Deliverables
Cost and time estimates
Objectives
Stakeholders
Chain of command - a statement (and diagram) of the project organisation structure.

Question 12

Why is the planning stage of a project essential?

Answer 12

communicate what has to be done, when and by whom
encourage forward thinking
provide the measures of success for the project
make clear the commitment of time, resources (people and equipment), and money required for the project
determine if targets are achievable
identify the activities the resources need to undertake.

Question 13

What detailed plans are required for a project?

Answer 13

Time
Cost
Quality
Resources
Contingency
Communication
Deliverables

Question 14

What must we have in place so everyone knows how change is managed?

Answer 14

An agreed change management process

Question 15

What is a change control process?

Answer 15

not to stop change happening, but to ensure that the changes, which will inevitably be required during the project, are agreed and communicated to all parties before they are implemented

Question 16

What problems arise if change is not managed?

Answer 16

Team members may be working to the old plans which do not incorporate the changes.
The project is unlikely to deliver the set objectives
End users will be unhappy at the final product
The project may end up costing more
It can cause confusion and conflict for the project stakeholders

Question 17

What is the change process?

Answer 17

Method for prioritising changes requested
Authorisation for changes
Agreement of a change budget
Recording of changes
Communication of changes

Question 18

What is configuration management?

Answer 18

important element within projects. It involves tracking and controlling all aspects of the projects and all documentation and deliverables from the project
The change control process will be part of the configuration management system

Question 19

What does configuration management include?

Answer 19

version control for documentation
ownership and responsibility for documentation
authorisation and tracking procedures for any changes required to documentation
monitoring and control procedure to ensure only authorised documents and records are held
access control over project records.

Question 20

What are the main purposes of a control system?

Answer 20

Prevention of deviations
Correction of deviations
Prevention of any future deviations, by revising plans, target, measures etc
Implementation of recommendations from monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the project

Question 21

What is the most important aspect of project control?

Answer 21

ensuring that monitoring progress is carried out on a regular basis

Question 22

Why is performance management required throughout the project?

Answer 22

assess the progress of each aspect of the project

Question 23

What can performance measurement include?

Answer 23

Scope performance measures
Functional quality
Technical quality performance
Client satisfaction measures

Question 24

What should conformance measurement focus on?

Answer 24

Inspection
Quality control
Quality assurance

Question 25

What does conformance quality depend on?

Answer 25

compliance with technical specifications

Question 26

What does conformance quality relate to?

Answer 26

The use of superior operations management to reduce waste and costs, and increase uniformity

Question 27

What are the two main reports produced in the control of projects?

Answer 27

Exception reports
Progress reports

Question 28

What is a exception reports for control of projects?

Answer 28

This is when everything is in accordance with the plan. Only exceptions are reported.

Question 29

What is a progress reports for control of projects?

Answer 29

Both formal and regular, these note what has happened in the report period and the project status to date.

Question 30

What are the four main types of meetings that are an essential part of control within a project?

Answer 30

Team meetings
Project progress review meetings
Project problem solving meetings
meetings with external parties

Question 31

What activities must be undertaken as the end of a project?

Answer 31

Project is delivered to users
End of project meeting
Formal sign off of project
Project review meetings
Final report issued
Project team disbanded

Question 32

What is the purpose of the end of the project?

Answer 32

To ensure that the project is finally completed and conforms to the latest definition of what was to be achieved and formally agreeing with the customer that all agreed deliverables have been provided successfully.
Formal comparison between PID and project outcomes.
To assess the effectiveness of the project management process, consider any significant problems encountered and to learn from the experience.
To organising and file all project documentation
To ensure all final payments to suppliers of resources have been made
To formally disband the project team
To provide continuous improvement and feedback – any improvement, even a small one, is important.

Question 33

What is a Post Completion Audit (PCA) and when is it carried out?

Answer 33

Carried out a few months after the project has been completed.
Designed to review the success of the project as a whole as well as to receive the user’s feedback on it.

Question 34

What might a Post Completion Audit highlight and organise?

Answer 34

highlight specific issues with the project and the review meeting may organise a set of actions to deal with these issues

Question 35

What should the Post Completion Audit establish?

Answer 35

Whether the project has helped the business to deliver the benefits defined in the original business case.

Question 36

What are the benefits of a Post Completion Audit?

Answer 36

Primary benefit derived from the post-completion audit is to augment the organisations experience and knowledge.
Other benefits of PCAs include more realistic forecasting of a project’s costs and revenues, enhanced understanding of project failures, and improved future decision making and project management performance.