Communications

Question 1

You are managing a project to update the packaging and digital media for a popular snack food to promote a charity fundraiser. The project is well underway, and you are currently actively collecting and storing information about each deliverable team’s progress, creating forecasts for your sponsor, distributing work performance reports and planning presentations to key stakeholders, and verifying delivery. Which process are you performing?

Plan Communications Management
Monitor Communications
Manage Communications
Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Answer 1

To answer this question, first, determine under which knowledge area the described activities fall. With reference to sponsors and stakeholders, you may guess that it is Stakeholder Management. However, the activities of collection, creation, distribution, storage, and monitoring project information fall under Communications Management. Next, determine what process group is related to these activities. Is it Planning or Monitoring & Controlling? No, the task is not to develop the communication models in Planning, nor is the task to identify if the planned communications artifacts and activities have had the desired effect. Instead, the current activities are mostly collection, creation and distribution and delivery, which take place while executing the work of the project. An important clue is that you are distributing work performance reports, which is an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process in the Integration knowledge area, in the Executing process group. Therefore, the correct answer is that these activities fall under Manage Communications.

Question 2

A project manager analyzed the project’s communication requirements and decided that 10 out of the 30 stakeholders in the project would only need voicemail updates of certain information. This type of communication is:

Interactive communication
On-demand communication
Push communication
Pull communication

Answer 2

Use of voicemail is push communication. In this type of communication, information is distributed to specific recipients who need to know the information. However, this method does not certify that the information actually reached, or was received by, the intended audience.

Question 3

Sandra is managing a complex ERP design and implementation project. The project team has recently been hired. It is an enterprise-wide project affecting many stakeholders. It is very important for each team member to properly understand and follow the project communication requirements in order to keep the stakeholders engaged and informed. Which of the following tools and techniques can Sandra use to ensure that team members properly understand the project’s communications requirements?

Recognition and rewards
Training
Ground rules
Co-location

Answer 3

All of the choices look correct at the first glance. However, the question is specifically asking for a technique that will raise the awareness of the communication requirements. Training is the ideal tool for increasing the awareness of the team members.

Question 4

James is managing a shopping mall construction project. During the project execution, he learns the project communications management plan is not effective and requires a major update. Which of the following processes will issue a change request for the required update?

Manage Communications
Perform Integrated Change Control
Plan Communications Management
Monitor Communications

Answer 4

Monitor Communications

Change request is an output of the monitor communications process. The monitor communications process will produce the change request, the perform integrated change control process will get that approved, and then the plan communications management process will make the necessary updates.

Question 5

Lucy is managing a high-tech software development project. She has luckily acquired the organization’s best performing employees. However, the project team is not communicating effectively, causing delays. The project communications plan is in place, but it seems as if the employees are not following it. The communications plan lays out the communications requirements but does not explicitly assign responsibilities. What should Lucy do first? (Assume that all the following actions need to be taken at some stage.)

Set and manage expectations
Motivate the team to effectively communicate
Persuade the team to follow the plan
Resolve conflicts to prevent disruptive behavior

Answer 5

Set and manage expectations

Assuming that none of the given actions have been undertaken in the past, the first thing to do is to set expectations. Once the expectations are set, the behavior need to be managed. Persuasion, motivation and conflict resolution should follow this.

Question 6

Along with the project communications management plan, work performance reports are vital inputs to the Manage Communications process. Where do these work performance reports come from?

Organizational process assets
Project integration management process
All monitoring and controlling processes
Plan Communications Management processes

Answer 6

The monitor and control project work, a process form the project integration management knowledge area, produces work performance reports.

Question 7

A dashboard viewable by all project stakeholders displays various statuses using the industry standard of red, yellow, and green colors. Throughout project execution, to meet the needs of the project and some of the project stakeholders, the project manager has been adding more colors to reflect additional statuses. This situation has created confusion among some of the stakeholders over the status naming conventions and meanings. What should the project manager do?

Add a simpler status for the stakeholders who are confused
Explain the meaning of the new statuses to the stakeholders
Revert the status to an industry standard of red, yellow, green
Remove statuses from the dashboard to avoid confusion

Answer 7

The Monitor Communications process ensures the project communications are fulfilling the needs of the project and its stakeholders. In this scenario, the statuses on the project dashboard have evolved over the life of the project to meet the needs of the project. In the process, it has met the needs of some of the project stakeholders but has confused others. The project manager must close that misunderstanding gap so that the communications meet the needs of all project stakeholders. Educating the stakeholders on the purpose, naming, and use of the statuses is the best option from those presented in the question.

Question 8

This process ensures the project communications are fulfilling the needs of the project and its stakeholders.

Answer 8

Monitor Communications

Question 9

Julia is currently recruiting her project team. She has carried out various interviews and has shortlisted potential candidates. Now, according to the project communication management plan, she has to submit the shortlisted profiles to the project client (customer) for approval. Only then, can she formally hire the approved candidates for the project. The submission of the profiles to the client will go through which of the following processes?

Plan Resource Management
Manage Communications
Manage Stakeholder Engagement
Acquire Resources

Answer 9

Manage communications is the process of distributing project information in accordance to the communications management plan. The interviews and shortlisting was carried out during the acquire resources and so will be the hiring once the approvals come in. However, the profiles submission to the client will be done through the manage communications process.

Question 10

It is the process of distributing project information in accordance to the communications management plan

Answer 10

Manage communications

Question 11

Reporting performance about scope to stakeholders is a part of which knowledge area?

Project Scope Management
Project Quality Management
Project Communications Management
Project Integration Management

Answer 11

Project reporting is a tool and technique of the manage communications process.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT considered a method in the Manage Communications process?

Change control systems
Project reporting
Project Management Information System
Communication technology

Answer 12

Change control systems

The change control system is not a tool and technique of the manage communications process. The other choices are valid tools and techniques of this process.

Question 13

The details of the issue escalation process, including the names of the chain of command to refer issues to that cannot be resolved at a lower level can be found in which document?

Answer 13

The issue escalation process must be documented during the planning phase of a project. Issues that cannot be resolved at a lower level can be escalated up the chain of command within a stipulated time frame. This information is part of the communications management plan.

Question 14

Communication noise refers to influences on effective communication that influence the interpretation of conversations. Noise affects which components of communication?

Encoding and feedback
Encoding and decoding
Transmission and decoding
Decoding and feedback

Answer 14

Transmission and decoding

Noise is anything that compromises the original meaning of a message. It gets either introduced during the transmission itself or during decoding (when the receiver of the message doesn’t fully comprehend).

Question 15

You are working on a project with all the team members located in geographically different areas, and all communication is by email and chat. It is sometimes hard to infer the true meaning of these messages because you cannot see facial expressions or hear tones of voice. This is an example of:

Encoding
Noise
Medium
Decoding

Answer 15

Noise

Anything that interferes with the meaning of a message is considered noise.

Question 16

When one factor used to determine the effort required to produce a unit of work is increased while all other factors remain fixed, a point will eventually be reached at which additions of that one factor start to yield progressively decreased productivity. This is known as:

The theory of constraints
The law of diminishing returns
The Pareto Law
The 100 percent rule

Answer 16

When one factor used to determine the effort required to produce a unit of work is increased while all other factors remain fixed, a point will eventually be reached at which additions of that one factor start to yield progressively decreased productivity. This is commonly known as the law of diminishing returns.

Question 17

Which of the following tools and techniques are not applicable while communicating project information?

Communication methods
Information management systems
Communication technology
Communication requirements analysis

Answer 17

The question is asking for a tool and technique that is not part of the manage communications process. Communication requirements analysis is a tool and technique of the plan communications management process and not the manage communications process.

Question 18

You want to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders, specifically focusing on the type and the format of information that will be required to communicate with the stakeholders. What is your best course of action?

Answer 18

Conduct a communication requirements analysis

The question implies that you are performing the Plan Communications Management process with the development of the communications management plan. Communication requirements analysis is one of the tools and techniques that may be used in this process. Analysis of communication requirements determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. These requirements are defined by combining the type and format of information needed with an analysis of the value of that information. Therefore, of the available answer choices, conducting a communication requirements analysis is the best course of action in this scenario.

Question 19

Your project calls for communication with an extremely large audience. What communication method would be appropriate under such circumstances?

Interactive communication
Two-way communication
Verbal communication
Pull communication

Answer 19

The situation in the project would call for pull communication. This is suitable for a large audience, and it allows them to access information at their own discretion.

Question 20

Stakeholder notifications must be archived for future reference. Whenever the Manage Communications process produces a stakeholder notification, the notification must be:

Updated to the project management plan
Updated to the stakeholder register
Updated to the project communications management plan
Updated to the organizational process assets

Answer 20

Updated to the organizational process assets

Stakeholder notifications must be archived for future reference. Whenever the manage communications process produces a stakeholder notification, the notification must be updated to the organizational process assets.

Question 21

Shawn is in the execution phase of his project. He is getting unexpected requests from his stakeholders about the project’s progress. Shawn can use all the following to respond to their requests except:

Work performance reports
Communications management plan
Business case
Organizational process assets

Answer 21

Communications management plan

Since shawn is in the execution phase and stakeholders are requesting project information, he must respond through the manage communications process. The communications management plan, organizational process assets and work performance reports are inputs to this process. Shawn can use any of these documents to respond to their requests. The project’s business case is not of much help at this stage.

Question 22

No matter how good you are in communicating, information distribution to stakeholders as planned is a challenging task. Many tools and techniques are used during the Manage Communications process except:

Communication technologies
Work performance reports
Communication skills
Project reporting

Answer 22

Work performance reports

The work performance reports are inputs to the manage communications process. The other choices are the valid tools and techniques of the manage communications process.

Question 23

You are the Project Manager and are responsible for the development of a mall. As with any construction project, there will be multiple iterations of blueprints and engineering drawings. Therefore, you have decided to create an online database that can be used to query the documents by name, type, date, etc. This is an example of what type of communication tool?

Project Management Information System
Lessons Learned
Project Records
Configuration Management System

Answer 23

The online database is an example of a project management information system.

Question 24

Which of the following are the tools and techniques used in both the Plan Communications Management and Manage Communications processes?

Communication requirements analysis
Communication methods
Expert judgment
Project reporting

Answer 24

Communication methods are the common tools and techniques for plan communications management and manage communications processes.

Question 25

To ensure effective communications throughout a project lifecycle, a project manager should develop a communications plan early in the project. When developing a communications plan, a project manager must consider a number of factors. Which of the following is the least important consideration among the list while developing a communications plan? Which PMBOK processes are required on the project? What kind of communication is required? What time zones and language barriers are involved? Where should the information be stored?

Answer 25

The project manager must tailor the pmbok processes to meet the needs of the project. However, this is a consideration while developing the overall project management plan for the project. The rest of the choices are more of a concern during the plan communications management process.

Question 26

Robert is managing a construction project. The project's client is responsible for the design, while Robert’s organization is responsible for the construction. There has been a 45-day delay on a couple of major structure designs. This delay can only be recovered through crashing and will cost $2 million in addition to the approved budget. Robert prepares a detailed report and emails it to the client. In this scenario, Robert’s email to the client is an example of: Informal unofficial communication Informal official communication Formal unofficial communication Formal official communication

Answer 26

Informal official communication According to the pmbok guide, all email correspondence is informal. Although the communication was between two officials, it cannot be considered official unless the information is transmitted formally.

Question 27

Which of the following is the correct sequence of the PMBOK processes that collects work performance data, converts it to work performance information, formats it into work performance reports, and distributes these reports? Monitor Communications -> Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications -> Monitor Communications Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor Communications -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Monitor Communications -> Manage Communications

Answer 27

Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor Communications -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications The direct & manage project work process produces the work performance data. This work performance data is converted to work performance information by the monitor communications process. The monitor & control project work process uses this information and produces work performance reports which are then distributed to the stakeholders by the manage communications process.

Question 28

During the project's iterations, the daily standup meetings have been held at 9 AM every day. Three of the project team members have missed or been late to the last seven meetings because they are running tests in another building each of those days. These tests will most likely continue for the rest of the iteration. What is the project manager's best action? Select one Mark question Cancel the meetings Move the meeting to a set time later in the day Start the meeting once everyone is present Start the meeting at different times every day until a particular time gets full attendance

Answer 28

Meetings are a tool of the Monitor Communications process. As projects move through the iterations when managed in an agile manner, daily standup meetings are the cornerstone of good team communications. The structure of a standup meeting may vary greatly from one team or one project to the next. What is most important is that these meetings are held at the same time and place for a pre-determined cadence beneficial to the team. Whether every day or once a week or some other timing, the meeting is designed to include as many of the project team members to briefly meet, share updates, ask for assistance, and align efforts. If the timing of the meeting does not work for part of the team, the project manager should seek to accommodate the team by seeking more beneficial times. Canceling or continuously moving the meeting times does not help the team's communication in this scenario.

Question 29

Ben is the project manager for a mobile application development project. Due to a recent technological development, a significant change in the product design is required. This change would require a 25 percent increase in the project budget. Ben prepares a detailed report and emails it to the project sponsor, and the sponsor acknowledges the receipt of the report. What should Ben do next? Select one Mark question Update the project schedule Update the cost management plan Update the project budget Wait for the formal approval of the new budget

Answer 29

Acknowledgement of a message does not necessarily mean agreement with or comprehension of the message. Ben should wait for a formal approval of the budget before taking any action.

Question 30

``` James is managing a shopping mall construction project. During the project execution, he learns the project communications management plan is not effective and requires a major update. Which of the following processes will issue a change request for the required update? Select one Mark question Perform Integrated Change Control Manage Communications Plan Communications Management Monitor Communications ```

Answer 30

Change request is an output of the monitor communications process. The monitor communications process will produce the change request, the perform integrated change control process will get that approved, and then the plan communications management process will make the necessary updates.

Question 31

A project manager is considering various classification methods to share information among project stakeholders. Which of the following correctly classifies the different methods used? Select one Mark question Interactive communication—Meetings; Push communication— Newsletters; Pull communication—E-learning repository Interactive communication—Meetings; Push communication—E-learning repository; Pull communication—Newsletters Pull communication—Meetings; Push communication—Newsletters; Interactive communication—E-learning repository Push communication—Meetings; Pull communication—Newsletters; Interactive communication—E-learning repository

Answer 31

Examples of interactive communication are meetings, phone calls, and video conferences. Examples of push communication are newsletters, memos, emails, and faxes. Examples of pull communication are intranet sites, and e-learning and knowledge repositories.

Question 32

Along with the project communications management plan, work performance reports are vital inputs to the Manage Communications process. Where do these work performance reports come from? Select one Mark question Organizational process assets Plan Communications Management processes Project integration management process All monitoring and controlling processes

Answer 32

The monitor and control project work, a process form the project integration management knowledge area, produces work performance reports.

Question 33

``` Which of the following approaches deliberately spends less time trying to define and lock project scope early during the project and spends more time establishing the process for requirements gathering, scope definition and refinement? Select one Mark question Waterfall methods Predictive methods Kanban methods Agile methods ```

Answer 33

Agile methods deliberately spend less time trying to define and lock project scope early during the project and spend more time establishing the process for requirements gathering, scope definition and refinement.

Question 34

``` In projects with adaptive life cycles, the overall scope of the project will be decomposed into a set of requirements and work to be performed, sometime referred to as: Select one Mark question Product backlog Feature list Assumptions backlog Project attributes ```

Answer 34

In projects with adaptive life cycles, the overall scope of the project will be decomposed into a set of requirements and work to be performed, sometime referred to as a product backlog.

Question 35

``` Gene is the project manager of a large highway expansion project. He has a number of stakeholders with competing priorities and agendas, and he often has to resolve conflicts among stakeholders. Which knowledge area manages communications with the project stakeholders? Select one Mark question Project Communications Management Project Resource Management Project Stakeholder Management Project Quality Management ```

Answer 35

Manage communications is the process of producing and distributing project information to the project stakeholders. This process is a part of the project communications management knowledge area.

Question 36

``` The methods used to transfer information among project stakeholders may vary significantly. A project team may apply different techniques and communication technologies to ensure effective and efficient communications. Which of the following must not be a factor to consider while choosing a communication technology? Select one Mark question Availability of technology Urgency of the need for information Cheapest available technology Ease of use of technology ```

Answer 36

While cost is always a consideration for any project decision, merely considering the cheapest available technology can compromise the purpose of the project.

Question 37

``` Julia is currently recruiting her project team. She has carried out various interviews and has shortlisted potential candidates. Now, according to the project communication management plan, she has to submit the shortlisted profiles to the project client (customer) for approval. Only then, can she formally hire the approved candidates for the project. The submission of the profiles to the client will go through which of the following processes? Select one Mark question Manage Stakeholder Engagement Acquire Resources Plan Resource Management Manage Communications ```

Answer 37

Manage communications is the process of distributing project information in accordance to the communications management plan. The interviews and shortlisting was carried out during the acquire resources and so will be the hiring once the approvals come in. However, the profiles submission to the client will be done through the manage communications process.

Question 38

``` Dana works for a federal agency that manages mission critical projects. As a project manager, she is responsible for all communication needs in her data center project, which has started recently. This project involves many stakeholders, customers, external vendors, and team members. Since conflicts are inevitable in such a massive project, she has decided to provide her project team the details of the issue escalation process, including the names of the chain of command to refer issues to that cannot be resolved at a lower level. Where must Dana document the escalation process? Select one Mark question The issue log The project scope document The communications management plan The project charter ```

Answer 38

The issue escalation process must be documented during the planning phase of a project. Issues that cannot be resolved at a lower level can be escalated up the chain of command within a stipulated time frame. This information is part of the communications management plan.

Question 39

``` Your project calls for communication with an extremely large audience. What communication method would be appropriate under such circumstances? Select one Mark question Pull communication Verbal communication Two-way communication Interactive communication ```

Answer 39

The situation in the project would call for pull communication. This is suitable for a large audience, and it allows them to access information at their own discretion.

Question 40

You are developing the communications management plan for a construction project. You want to determine the information needs of the project stakeholders, specifically focusing on the type and the format of information that will be required to communicate with the stakeholders. What is your best course of action? Select one Mark question Conduct a communication requirements analysis Review the requirements documentation Develop the stakeholder register Consult the stakeholder engagement plan

Answer 40

The question implies that you are performing the Plan Communications Management process with the development of the communications management plan. Communication requirements analysis is one of the tools and techniques that may be used in this process. Analysis of communication requirements determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. These requirements are defined by combining the type and format of information needed with an analysis of the value of that information. Therefore, of the available answer choices, conducting a communication requirements analysis is the best course of action in this scenario.

Question 41

``` You work as an engineer for a large engineering firm. During this past week, you have corresponded with your department supervisor about the horizontal stabilizers required for the wings on a new aircraft you are designing. Which communication dimension does this represent? Select one Mark question Horizontal Formal External Upward ```

Answer 41

In this case, your communication is with your supervisor who has a different level of responsibility and authority. This is an example of an upward dimension of communications.

Question 42

``` When one factor used to determine the effort required to produce a unit of work is increased while all other factors remain fixed, a point will eventually be reached at which additions of that one factor start to yield progressively decreased productivity. This is known as: Select one Mark question The theory of constraints The Pareto Law The 100 percent rule The law of diminishing returns ```

Answer 42

When one factor used to determine the effort required to produce a unit of work is increased while all other factors remain fixed, a point will eventually be reached at which additions of that one factor start to yield progressively decreased productivity. This is commonly known as the law of diminishing returns.

Question 43

``` Sandra is managing a complex ERP design and implementation project. The project team has recently been hired. It is an enterprise-wide project affecting many stakeholders. It is very important for each team member to properly understand and follow the project communication requirements in order to keep the stakeholders engaged and informed. Which of the following tools and techniques can Sandra use to ensure that team members properly understand the project’s communications requirements? Select one Mark question Training Recognition and rewards Co-location Ground rules ```

Answer 43

All of the choices look correct at the first glance. However, the question is specifically asking for a technique that will raise the awareness of the communication requirements. Training is the ideal tool for increasing the awareness of the team members.

Question 44

``` If you are writing a proposal for additional funding, which communication style should you choose? Select one Mark question Informal and horizontal Formal and horizontal Formal and upward Informal and downward ```

Answer 44

Since this will be an official project document, it should be formal. Additionally, since you are requesting money from someone higher up in the organization, you are creating an upward communication.

Question 45

``` Communications management plans should include all of the following except: Select one Mark question Reasons for information distribution Escalation process Risk Register Stakeholder communication requirements ```

Answer 45

The risk register is part of risk management and is not included in the communications management plan.

Question 46

Each critical project communication requirement must be carefully analyzed. One good way is to use a communication model to design effective communications. What is the sequence of steps in a basic communication model? Select one Mark question Encode -> Transmit -> Decode -> Acknowledge -> Feedback Encode -> Transmit -> Decode -> Feedback -> Acknowledge Encode -> Decode -> Transmit -> Acknowledge -> Feedback Decode -> Encode -> Transmit -> Acknowledge -> Feedback

Answer 46

Encode -> Transmit -> Decode -> Acknowledge -> Feedback is the right sequence.

Question 47

``` No matter how good you are in communicating, information distribution to stakeholders as planned is a challenging task. Many tools and techniques are used during the Manage Communications process except: Select one Mark question Communication skills Communication technologies Work performance reports Project reporting ```

Answer 47

The work performance reports are inputs to the manage communications process. The other choices are the valid tools and techniques of the manage communications process.

Question 48

The updated version of the product is to be at the customer's location by the end of the week, but the team realizes they will be unable to complete the deliverable by then. The project manager and the team have looked for solutions to resolve this issue but there is nothing to avert missing the deadline. The deployment team who is supposed to install the product at the customer site is under a lot of stress to meet their deadline and are going to be furious that the update will not be there at the end of the week. What is the project manager's best action? Select one Mark question Send the status report to the customer Make the phone call to the customer to inform them of the delay Cancel the installation at the customer site Wait until the deadline hoping the team eventually makes it

Answer 48

Managing and monitoring the communications between project stakeholders - including the employees at the customer site - must benefit the project and its stakeholders. Withholding information that can be useful to stakeholders is a disservice. Project reporting is part of the tools and techniques of the Manage Communications process implied by the scenario. To communicate effectively, project managers have to employ their interpersonal and team skills which are also among the tools and techniques of this process. In the scenario described, the project team has determined that there are no viable solutions to avoid the missing deadline. This inevitable outcome must be communicated to the customer, even if the conversation is uncomfortable. No communication or late communication would cause more damage.

Question 49

``` Reporting performance about scope to stakeholders is a part of which knowledge area? Select one Mark question Project Quality Management Project Scope Management Project Integration Management Project Communications Management ```

Answer 49

Project reporting is a tool and technique of the manage communications process.

Question 50

``` In a sender-receiver model for communication, information is sent and received between two parties, defined as the sender and the receiver. In such a model, anything that interferes with the transmission and understanding of the message is called: Select one Mark question Medium Noise Constraint Decode ```

Answer 50

In a sender-receiver model, the key components include: encoding of thoughts or ideas, a message as the output of encoding, a medium to convey the message, and decoding of the message back into meaningful thoughts or ideas. Anything that interferes with the transmission and understanding of the message is termed noise (such as distance, for example).

Question 51

There are several communication methods used to share and distribute information to stakeholders, team members, and management. Which of the following communication methods is used when you notify the public about environmental effects from your project after implementation by posting reports on the project's website? Select one Mark question Interactive communication Informal communication Pull communication Push communication

Answer 51

Push communication is used to send information to specific recipients who need to know. Push communication is done using letters, faxes, memos, etc. Pull communication is used for large volumes of information. The methods for this type of communication include internet sites and blogs. Since you want to notify the general public about environmental effects by posting reports on the project's website, this is an example of pull communication methods.

Question 52

``` Nate is the project manager for a research and development project. According to the project communication management plan, Nate has to call in weekly project progress update meetings. The last few meetings were a disaster since more time was spent in arguments and less on decisions. Which of the following techniques does Nate need to quickly acquire? Select one Mark question Writing style Listening techniques Presentation techniques Meeting management techniques ```

Answer 52

Nate needs to acquire meeting management skills that includes preparing agenda, timekeeping, dealing with conflicts, and recording and distributing minutes etc.

Question 53

In complex and high value projects, which of the following activities will typically be performed by a business analyst prior to the project initiation? Select one Mark question Finalize the project scope statement and the WBS dictionary Establish the project’s scope baseline Define project scope and develop WBS Determine problems, identify business needs and viable solutions

Answer 53

Typical business analyst’s responsibilities would include determining problems, identifying business needs, and recommending viable solutions for meeting those needs.

Question 54

To ensure effective communications throughout a project lifecycle, a project manager should develop a communications plan early in the project. When developing a communications plan, a project manager must consider a number of factors. Which of the following is the least important consideration among the list while developing a communications plan? Select one Mark question What time zones and language barriers are involved? Where should the information be stored? What kind of communication is required? Which PMBOK processes are required on the project?

Answer 54

The project manager must tailor the pmbok processes to meet the needs of the project. However, this is a consideration while developing the overall project management plan for the project. The rest of the choices are more of a concern during the plan communications management process.

Question 55

Which of the following two project documents are sometimes perceived as containing a certain degree of redundancy? Select one Mark question Risk management plan and scope management plan Scope statement and quality management plan Project scope statement and scope management plan Project charter and project scope statement

Answer 55

The project charter and project scope statement are sometime perceived as containing a certain degree of redundancy, although they are different in the level of detail contained in each. The project charter contains high-level information, while the project scope statement contains a detailed description of the scope components.

Question 56

``` Which of the following processes goes beyond the distribution of relevant information and seeks to ensure that the information being communicated to project stakeholders is appropriately generated, as well as received and understood? Select one Mark question Monitor Communications Manage Communications Monitor Stakeholder Engagement Manage Stakeholder Engagement ```

Answer 56

The manage communications process goes beyond the distribution of relevant information and seeks to ensure that the information being communicated to project stakeholders has been appropriately generated, as well as received and understood.

Question 57

``` Robert is managing a construction project. The project's client is responsible for the design, while Robert’s organization is responsible for the construction. There has been a 45-day delay on a couple of major structure designs. This delay can only be recovered through crashing and will cost $2 million in addition to the approved budget. Robert prepares a detailed report and emails it to the client. In this scenario, Robert’s email to the client is an example of: Select one Mark question Informal official communication Formal official communication Formal unofficial communication Informal unofficial communication ```

Answer 57

According to the pmbok guide, all email correspondence is informal. Although the communication was between two officials, it cannot be considered official unless the information is transmitted formally.

Question 58

A new project is starting, and the team members come from all over the world. The project manager has concerns about communications. What should the project manager do first? Select one Mark question Nothing; the business world has been multicultural for so long that there should be no issues Enroll the project team members in cultural training to raise cultural awareness Implement an online tool to enable the team members to chat among themselves Funnel all communications through the project manager to avoid miscommunication

Answer 58

The fact that the project team comes from all around the world suggests that there will likely be cultural differences among the project team members and stakeholders. Thus, the project manager is wise to be concerned about how these cultural differences will impact communications. The project manager's best course of action, in this scenario, is to help the team develop their cultural awareness by enrolling everyone in cultural training. Cultural awareness is an understanding of the differences between individuals, groups, and organizations and adapting the communications in the context of these differences. This awareness and any consequent actions may help minimize misunderstandings and miscommunication that may result from cultural differences within the project team. Therefore, among the available choices, enrolling the project team members in cultural training to raise cultural awareness is what the project manager should do first.

Question 59

``` During a project status meeting, a project manager presented sensitive information related to the project. However, this information was not intended to be available to the audience. Which of the following processes was done incorrectly, resulting in the project manager communicating sensitive information to the wrong audience? Select one Mark question Monitor Communications Identify Stakeholders Manage Stakeholder Engagement Plan Communications Management ```

Answer 59

Deciding what information is relevant to an audience is an activity done in the plan communications management process. Improper communication planning will lead to problems such as delays in message delivery or communication of sensitive information to the wrong audience.

Question 60

``` There are numerous ways to share information among project stakeholders. Which of the following is the most efficient communication method? Select one Mark question Manual communication Pull communication Interactive communication Push communication ```

Answer 60

Interactive communication is the most efficient form of communication as it requires multidirectional exchange of information.

Question 61

``` Sheila is a project manager who manages a global project. She has stakeholders located in various parts of the globe. Due to the nature of the project, she also has large volumes of information she needs to share with the recipients. What type of communication method should she prefer for this purpose? Select one Mark question Pull communication Push communication Request-based communication Interactive communication ```

Answer 61

Pull communication is suited for this purpose. It is used for large volumes of information or for large audiences and requires the recipients to access communication content at their own discretion.

Question 62

``` A project manager analyzed the project’s communication requirements and decided that 10 out of the 30 stakeholders in the project would only need voicemail updates of certain information. This type of communication is: Select one Mark question Interactive communication Pull communication On-demand communication Push communication ```

Answer 62

Use of voicemail is push communication. In this type of communication, information is distributed to specific recipients who need to know the information. However, this method does not certify that the information actually reached, or was received by, the intended audience.

Question 63

``` As project manager, you find you are constantly dealing with conflict among your team members. Everyone argues over sharing available project resources, so you plan to use a conflict resolution method to alleviate the tension among team members. What conflict resolution method is not recognized by the Project Management Institute? Select one Mark question Forcing Withdrawal Smoothing Elaboration ```

Answer 63

Elaboration is not one of the five conflict-resolving methods that are recognized and endorsed by the project management institute (pmi). The five methods recognized and endorsed by pmi include forcing, smoothing, compromising, collaborating and withdrawing.

Question 64

``` Which of the following tools and techniques are not applicable while communicating project information? Select one Mark question Communication methods Communication requirements analysis Communication technology Information management systems ```

Answer 64

The question is asking for a tool and technique that is not part of the manage communications process. Communication requirements analysis is a tool and technique of the plan communications management process and not the manage communications process.

Question 65

Stakeholder notifications must be archived for future reference. Whenever the Manage Communications process produces a stakeholder notification, the notification must be: Select one Mark question Updated to the organizational process assets Updated to the project management plan Updated to the project communications management plan Updated to the stakeholder register

Answer 65

Stakeholder notifications must be archived for future reference. Whenever the manage communications process produces a stakeholder notification, the notification must be updated to the organizational process assets.

Question 66

``` You are working on a project with all the team members located in geographically different areas, and all communication is by email and chat. It is sometimes hard to infer the true meaning of these messages because you cannot see facial expressions or hear tones of voice. This is an example of: Select one Mark question Noise Medium Encoding Decoding ```

Answer 66

Anything that interferes with the meaning of a message is considered noise.

Question 67

Which of the following is the correct sequence of the PMBOK processes that collects work performance data, converts it to work performance information, formats it into work performance reports, and distributes these reports? Select one Mark question Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications -> Monitor Communications Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor Communications -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications Monitor Communications -> Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Manage Communications Direct & Manage Project Work -> Monitor & Control Project Work -> Monitor Communications -> Manage Communications

Answer 67

Direct & manage project work -> monitor communications -> monitor & control project work -> manage communications is the correct response. The direct & manage project work process produces the work performance data. This work performance data is converted to work performance information by the monitor communications process. The monitor & control project work process uses this information and produces work performance reports which are then distributed to the stakeholders by the manage communications process.

Question 68

``` Which of the following are the tools and techniques used in both the Plan Communications Management and Manage Communications processes? Select one Mark question Expert judgment Communication requirements analysis Project reporting Communication methods ```

Answer 68

Communication methods are the common tools and techniques for plan communications management and manage communications processes

Question 69

Tim is the project manager of a project that has a timeline of 18 months. Tim plans to send daily status reports to all stakeholders. After receiving two such reports, Sue, the project sponsor, informs Tim she would like to have reports every two weeks only. Tim did an analysis of communications requirements and considered various attributes for the communications management plan. What aspect has he missed, which resulted in a daily status report being sent instead of two-week status reports? Select one Mark question He has not considered the frequency of information distribution. He has not considered the project’s timeline. He has not considered the content of the information. He has not considered the purpose for distribution of information.

Answer 69

Tim has most likely not considered the frequency of distribution of the information. He should have analyzed the stakeholder requirements and planned for distribution of the status reports accordingly. It is unlikely that on an 18-month project, the project sponsor would want to receive daily status reports. (perhaps only near the end of the project, with just a few days or weeks to go, the project sponsor might request daily reports to monitor the project closely or to deal with certain issues.) hence, tim should have considered stakeholder requirements and planned the frequency of the status reports accordingly. The remaining choices are incorrect. The choice that tim has not considered the timeline of the project may be one of the factors that influence the frequency of information distribution, but is not a complete response by itself.

Question 70

``` Complex projects usually demand preparation and distribution of periodic project performance reports. The contents of performance reports are usually determined early and documented in the project communications management plan. Which of the following is least likely to be a section on a work performance report? Select one Mark question Reserve burn down charts Stakeholder engagement strategy Current status of risks and issues Analysis of project forecasts ```

Answer 70

Stakeholder engagement strategy is a component of the stakeholder engagement plan and is usually considered confidential. Due to this reason, this section is least likely to be included in a work performance report. Other choices are more likely to be components of a work performance report.

Question 71

You have just taken over a project to overhaul the company's telecommunications network. During your first week, you determine that the engineers spend at least 80% of their time responding to unexpected requests for information from different project stakeholders. Because of these interruptions, your engineers cannot focus on their assigned project activities, which is resulting in frequent network outages. What should you do first? Select one Mark question 1. Ask the engineers to forward all stakeholder inquiries to you so that they can focus on their originally planned tasks 2. Push the engineers to respond to all the requests faster so that they can perform their assigned project activities 3. Immediately tell the engineers to stop responding to unexpected requests since it is not their responsibility 4. Review the communications management plan to understand how stakeholder requests should be handled

Answer 71

Monitor Communications is the process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met. In this scenario, the stakeholders are reaching out directly to your project engineers, which is not the most effective use of their time. To determine why this is happening, you need to review the communications management plan to determine how stakeholder inquiries are to be managed. With this information, you can best judge whether the stakeholders are violating that agreement and proceed to make whatever changes are needed to shield the project engineers from the time-consuming requests for information and develop a better communications protocol for stakeholder information requests.

Question 72

``` You are managing a project to update the packaging and digital media for a popular snack food to promote a charity fundraiser. The project is well underway, and you are currently actively collecting and storing information about each deliverable team's progress, creating forecasts for your sponsor, distributing work performance reports and planning presentations to key stakeholders, and verifying delivery. Which process are you performing? Select one Mark question Plan Communications Management Manage Stakeholder Engagement Manage Communications Monitor Communications ```

Answer 72

To answer this question, first, determine under which knowledge area the described activities fall. With reference to sponsors and stakeholders, you may guess that it is Stakeholder Management. However, the activities of collection, creation, distribution, storage, and monitoring project information fall under Communications Management. Next, determine what process group is related to these activities. Is it Planning or Monitoring & Controlling? No, the task is not to develop the communication models in Planning, nor is the task to identify if the planned communications artifacts and activities have had the desired effect. Instead, the current activities are mostly collection, creation and distribution and delivery, which take place while executing the work of the project. An important clue is that you are distributing work performance reports, which is an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process in the Integration knowledge area, in the Executing process group. Therefore, the correct answer is that these activities fall under Manage Communications.

Question 73

In a steering committee meeting for a project to build a new state-of-the-art communications device, the committee chair reprimands the project manager for not using the company’s file sharing system as required by the organization. The project manager explains that the project team chose a newer tool for the project, as it was much better. What most likely caused this situation? Select one Mark question The project manager did not research the enterprise environmental factors The project manager did not review the organizational process assets The project team did not investigate communication tools The project manager did nothing wrong

Answer 73

Many companies have policies for the storage, retention, distribution, safeguarding, and access to company information, which includes project data. These standardized guidelines are considered organizational process assets (OPAs), which are defined as plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases that are specific to and used by the performing organization. OPAs are among the inputs to all processes of the Project Communications Management Knowledge Area. The question indicates that the project manager did not use the company’s file sharing system as required by the organization, which suggests that the project manager did not follow the organization’s policy on file sharing tools. Had a review of the OPAs been conducted, the project manager would have realized that the company's guidelines required the use of the company's file sharing system and, likely, would have rejected the project team's recommendation to use another tool. Therefore, of the choices provided, the most likely cause for the situation presented in the scenario was the project manager's failure to review the organizational process assets.

Question 74

``` Shawn is in the execution phase of his project. He is getting unexpected requests from his stakeholders about the project’s progress. Shawn can use all the following to respond to their requests except: Select one Mark question Business case Organizational process assets Communications management plan Work performance reports ```

Answer 74

Since shawn is in the execution phase and stakeholders are requesting project information, he must respond through the manage communications process. The communications management plan, organizational process assets and work performance reports are inputs to this process. Shawn can use any of these documents to respond to their requests. The project's business case is not of much help at this stage.

Question 75

A contractor is currently constructing a new building for your organization on a cost-plus-incentive contract. You just received the project status report from the contractor’s project manager. According to the report, the project’s CPI is 1.5. You are shocked because you believe the project costs are out of control. Upon investigation, you learn the $1 million advance payment (20 percent of the estimated project cost) given to the contractor at the start of the project was included in the project’s earned value. Further, the cost of the inventory at the project site was excluded from the total actual costs. According to the contract, your company reimburses only the costs for the completed deliverables and not for the supplies in the project’s inventory. In this scenario, the reported project’s CPI is incorrect because: Select one Mark question Both the earned value and the actual cost are overstated. Earned value is overstated. Actual cost is understated. Earned value is overstated, and actual cost is understated.

Answer 75

In this scenario the earned value has been overstated while the reported actual cost is ok. Earned value should be the sum of pvs of all completed activities. The initial 20% advance should not be part of this. Further, since the buyer is not liable for the inventory cost and only reimburses the costs associated with completed deliverables, the cost of the inventory does not become part of the actual cost until that inventory is consumed during the construction process. The inventory is an asset for the contactor until it is consumed on the project and at that time it becomes a cost for the project.

Question 76

Some project managers take communication lightly while managing a project. However, a good project manager must take communication very seriously and must be an effective and efficient communicator. Which of the following is not a fundamental attribute of effective communication? Select one Mark question Relying on verbal communications Monitoring communications Clarity on the purpose Understanding receiver's communications requirements

Answer 76

The fundamental attributes of effective communication include clarity on the purpose, understanding communication needs and requirements, and monitoring communications.

Question 77

A dashboard viewable by all project stakeholders displays various statuses using the industry standard of red, yellow, and green colors. Throughout project execution, to meet the needs of the project and some of the project stakeholders, the project manager has been adding more colors to reflect additional statuses. This situation has created confusion among some of the stakeholders over the status naming conventions and meanings. What should the project manager do? Select one Mark question Add a simpler status for the stakeholders who are confused Explain the meaning of the new statuses to the stakeholders Remove statuses from the dashboard to avoid confusion Revert the status to an industry standard of red, yellow, green

Answer 77

The Monitor Communications process ensures the project communications are fulfilling the needs of the project and its stakeholders. In this scenario, the statuses on the project dashboard have evolved over the life of the project to meet the needs of the project. In the process, it has met the needs of some of the project stakeholders but has confused others. The project manager must close that misunderstanding gap so that the communications meet the needs of all project stakeholders. Educating the stakeholders on the purpose, naming, and use of the statuses is the best option from those presented in the question.