Chapters 1-2

Question 1

The PMI publication that defines widely accepted project management practices. The CAPM and the PMP exam are based on this book.

Answer 1

PMBOK guide

Question 2

The areas of expertise, industry, or function where a project is centered. Examples of application areas include architecture, IT, health care, and manufacturing.

Answer 2

Application areas

Question 3

A quantifiable return on investment. The return can be tangible, such as equipment, money, or market share. The return can also be intangible, such as brand recognition, trademarks, and reputation.

Answer 3

Business value

Question 4

A person who has slightly less project management experience than a PMP, but who has qualified for and then passed this examination.

Answer 4

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Question 5

Defines how a project affects people and how those people may affect the project. ____ include the economic, educational, ethical, religious, demographic, and ethnic composition of the people affected by the project.

Answer 5

Cultural and social environment

Question 6

A product, service, or result created by a project. Projects can have multiple.

Answer 6

Deliverable

Question 7

These include the application of accounting, procurement, sales and marketing, contracting, manufacturing, logistics, strategic planning, human resource management, standards and regulations, and information technology.

Answer 7

General management skills

Question 8

The consideration of the local and international laws, languages, communication challenges, time zone differences, and other non-collocated issues that affect a project’s ability to progress.

Answer 8

International and political environment

Question 9

The ability to interact, lead, motivate, and manage people.

Answer 9

Interpersonal skills

Question 10

A triangle with the characteristics of time, cost, and scope. Time, cost, and scope each constitute one side of the triangle; if any side of it is not in balance with the other sides, the project will suffer. The _____ of Project Management is also known as the Triple Constraints of Project Management, as all projects are constrained by time, cost, and scope.

Answer 10

Iron Triangle of Project Management

Question 11

The physical structure and surroundings that affect a project’s work.

Answer 11

Physical environment

Question 12

A collection of related processes in project management. There are five of these and 49 project management processes. The five are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.

Answer 12

Process groups

Question 13

A collection of related projects working in unison toward a common deliverable.

Answer 13

Program

Question 14

The process of gathering project details. This process uses deductive reasoning, logic, and a series of information-gathering techniques to identify details about a project, product, or solution.

Answer 14

Progressive elaboration

Question 15

A temporary endeavor to create a unique product, service, or result. The end result is also called a deliverable.

Answer 15

Project

Question 16

A document created and maintained by the project sponsor and the project manager. It defines what benefits the project will create, when the benefits will be realized, and how the benefits will be measured.

Answer 16

Project benefits management plan

Question 17

Created and maintained by the project sponsor and shows the financial validity of why a project is chartered and launched within the organization. Typically, this is created before the launch of the project and may be used as a go/no-go decision point.

Answer 17

Project business case

Question 18

The location and culture of the environment where the project work will reside. ____ includes the social, economic, and environmental variables the project must work with or around.

Answer 18

Project environment

Question 19

An organization of project management professionals from around the world, supporting and promoting the careers, values, and concerns of project managers.

Answer 19

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Question 20

The phases that make up the project. ____ are unique to the type of work being performed and are not universal to all projects.

Answer 20

Project life cycles

Question 21

A central office that oversees all projects within an organization or within a functional department. A ___ supports the project manager through software, training, templates, policies, communication, dispute resolution, and other services

Answer 21

Project management office (PMO)

Question 22

A person who has proven project management experience and has qualified for and then passed the ___ examination.

Answer 22

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Question 23

The management and selection of projects that support an organization’s vision and mission. It is the balance of project priority, risk, reward, and return on investment. This is a senior management process.

Answer 23

Project portfolio management

Question 24

A smaller project managed within a larger, parent project. These are often contracted work whose deliverable allows the larger project to progress.

Answer 24

Subprojects

Question 25

Also known as the Iron Triangle. This theory posits that time, cost, and scope are three constraints that every project has.

Answer 25

Triple Constraints of Project Management

Question 26

Raw data, observations, and measurements about project components. _____ is gathered and stored in the project management information system.

Answer 26

Work performance data

Question 27

It is the processed and analyzed data that will help the project manager make project decisions.

Answer 27

Work performance information

Question 28

It is the formatted communication of work performance information. It communicates what’s happening in the project through status reports, memos, dashboards, or other modalities.

Answer 28

Work performance reports

Question 29

An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers and the project managers share the project power.

Answer 29

Balanced matrix structure

Question 30

_______ describe the culture and the styles of an organization. _______, such as work ethics, hours, view of authority, and shared values, can affect how the project is managed.

Answer 30

Cultural norms

Question 31

Conditions that affect how the project manager may manage the project. They come from within the project, such as policy, or they be external to the organization, such as law or regulation.

Answer 31

Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF)

Question 32

An organization that is divided into functions, and each employee has one clear functional manager. Each department acts independently of the other departments. A project manager in this structure has little to no power and may be called a project coordinator.

Answer 32

Functional structure

Question 33

Describes the rules, policies, and procedures that people within an organization abide by. It addresses the organization, but also address portfolios, programs, and projects. Regarding portfolios, programs, and projects the _____ addresses alignment with organizational vision, risk management, performance factors, and communication.

Answer 33

Governance framework

Question 34

An organization that creates a blend of the functional, matrix, and project-oriented structures.

Answer 34

Hybrid structure

Question 35

Describe organizations that have duplication of efforts within the organization, but not within each department or division of the organization. Project manager has little authority in this structure and the functional manager controls the project budget.

Answer 35

Multidivisional structure

Question 36

Describes a loosely organized business or organization. There likely aren’t big formal departments and people work alongside one another regardless of roles and titles. The project manager likely has little control over the project resources and may not be called a project manager.

Answer 36

Organic or simple

Question 37

Organizational processes, policies, procedures, and items from a corporate knowledge base. They are grouped into two categories to consider: processes, policies and procedures, and organizational knowledge bases.

Answer 37

Organizational process assets

Question 38

Databases, files, and historical information that you can use to help better plan and manage your projects. This is an organizational process asset that is created internally to your organization through the ongoing work of operations and other projects.

Answer 38

Organizational Knowledge Repositories

Question 39

A system that can create things by working with multiple components that the individual components could not create if they worked alone. The structure of the organization and the governance framework creates constraints that affect how the project manager makes decisions within the project. It directly affects how the project manager utilizes their power, influence, leadership, and even political capital, to get things done in the environment.

Answer 39

Organizational System

Question 40

A business unit that centralizes the operations and procedures of all projects within the organization. It can be supportive, controlling, or directive.

Answer 40

Project management office (PMO)

Question 41

An organization that assigns a project team to one project for the duration of the project life cycle. The project manager has high-to-almost-complete project power.

Answer 41

Project-oriented structure

Question 42

An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have less project power than the project manager.

Answer 42

Strong matrix structure

Question 43

Uses a network structure to communicate and interact with other groups and departments. A point of contact exists for each department and these department point of contacts receive and send all messages for the department.

Answer 43

Virtual organization

Question 44

An organization where organizational resources are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have more project power than the project manager.

Answer 44

Weak matrix structure