Data Tools and Techniques

Question 1

Alternatives analysis

Answer 1

Alternatives analysis is a technique used to evaluate identified options in order to select which options or approaches to use to execute and perform the work of the project. An example would be evaluating the cost, schedule, resource, and quality impacts of buying versus making a deliverable.

Question 2

Cost-benefit analysis

Answer 2

Cost-benefit analysis helps to determine the best corrective action in terms of cost in case of project deviations.

Question 3

Earned value analysis

Answer 3

Earned value provides an integrated perspective on scope, schedule, and cost performance.

Question 4

Root cause analysis

Answer 4

Root cause analysis focuses on identifying the main reasons of a problem. It can be used to identify the reasons for a deviation and the areas the project manager should focus on in order to achieve the objectives of the project.

Question 5

Trend analysis

Answer 5

Trend analysis is used to forecast future performance based on past results. It looks ahead in the project for expected slippages and warns the project manager ahead of time that there may be problems later in the schedule if established trends persist.

Question 6

Variance analysis

Answer 6

Variance analysis reviews the differences (or variance) between planned and actual performance. This can include duration estimates, cost estimates, resources utilization, resources rates, technical performance, and other metrics.

Question 7

Document analysis

Answer 7

Assessing available documentation will allow identifying lessons learned and knowledge sharing for future projects and organizational assets improvement.

Question 8

Regression analysis

Answer 8

Regression analysis analyzes the interrelationships between different project variables that contributed to the project outcomes to improve performance on future projects.

Question 9

Reserve analysis

Answer 9

Reserve analysis is used to determine the amount of contingency and management reserve needed for the project. Cost estimates may include contingency reserves (sometimes called contingency allowances) to account for cost uncertainty.

Question 10

Multicriteria decision analysis tool

Answer 10

Using a multicriteria decision analysis tool, criteria are developed and used to rate or score potential resources (for example, choosing between internal and external team resources). The criteria are weighted according to their relative importance and values can be changed for different types of resources.

Question 11

Knowledge management

Answer 11

Knowledge management tools and techniques connect people so they can work together to create new knowledge, share tacit knowledge, and integrate the knowledge of diverse team members.

Question 12

Monte Carlo analysis

Answer 12

Monte Carlo analysis is in which risks and other sources of uncertainty are used to calculate possible schedule outcomes for the total project. Simulation involves calculating multiple work package durations with different sets of activity assumptions, constraints, risks, issues, or scenarios using probability distributions and other representations of uncertainty

Question 13

Iteration burndown chart

Answer 13

Iteration burndown chart. This chart tracks the work that remains to be completed in the iteration backlog. It is used to analyze the variance with respect to an ideal burndown based on the work committed from iteration planning. A forecast trend line can be used to predict the likely variance at iteration completion and take appropriate actions during the course of the iteration. A diagonal line representing the ideal burndown and daily actual remaining work is then plotted. A trend line is then calculated to forecast completion based on remaining work.

Question 14

Cost of quality

Answer 14

Cost of quality. Assumptions about costs of quality may be used to prepare the estimates. This includes evaluating the cost impact of additional investment in conformance versus the cost of nonconformance. It can also include looking at short-term cost reductions versus the implication of more frequent problems later on in the product life cycle.

Prevention costs. Costs related to the prevention of poor quality in the products, deliverables, or services of the specific project.

Appraisal costs. Costs related to evaluating, measuring, auditing, and testing the products, deliverables, or services of the specific project.

Failure costs (internal/external). Costs related to nonconformance of the products, deliverables, or services to the needs or expectations of the stakeholders.

Question 15

Root cause analysis

Answer 15

Root cause analysis (RCA). Root cause analysis is an analytical technique used to determine the basic underlying reason that causes a variance, defect, or risk. A root cause may underlie more than one variance, defect, or risk. It may also be used as a technique for identifying root causes of a problem and solving them.

Question 16

SWOT analysis

Answer 16

SWOT analysis. This technique examines the project from each of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) perspectives. For risk identification, it is used to increase the breadth of identified risks by including internally generated risks.

Question 17

Assumption and constraint analysis

Answer 17

Assumption and constraint analysis. Every project and its project management plan are conceived and developed based on a set of assumptions and within a series of constraints. These are often already incorporated in the scope baseline and project estimates.

Question 18

Risk probability and impact assessment

Answer 18

Risk probability assessment considers the likelihood that a specific risk will occur. Risk impact assessment considers the potential effect on one or more project objectives such as schedule, cost, quality, or performance.

Question 19

Risk data quality assessment

Answer 19

Risk data quality assessment evaluates the degree to which the data about individual project risks is accurate and reliable as a basis for qualitative risk analysis. The use of low-quality risk data may lead to a qualitative risk analysis that is of little use to the project. If data quality is unacceptable, it may be necessary to gather better data.

Question 20

Sensitivity analysis - Tornado diagram

Answer 20

Sensitivity analysis helps to determine which individual project risks or other sources of uncertainty have the most potential impact on project outcomes.

A tornado diagram is a special type of bar chart used in sensitivity analysis for comparing the relative importance of the variables.

The tornado diagram presents the calculated correlation coefficient for each element of the quantitative risk analysis model that can influence the project outcome. This can include individual project risks, project activities with high degrees of variability, or specific sources of ambiguity. Items are ordered by descending strength of correlation, giving the typical tornado appearance.

Question 21

Decision tree analysis

Answer 21

Decision trees are used to support selection of the best of several alternative courses of action. Alternative paths through the project are shown in the decision tree using branches representing different decisions or events, each of which can have associated costs and related individual project risks (including both threats and opportunities). The end-points of branches in the decision tree represent the outcome from following that particular path, which can be negative or positive.

Question 22

Influence diagrams

Answer 22

Influence diagrams are graphical aids to decision making under uncertainty. An influence diagram represents a project or situation within the project as a set of entities, outcomes, and influences, together with the relationships and effects between them.

Question 23

Technical performance analysis

Answer 23

Technical performance analysis. Technical performance analysis compares technical accomplishments during project execution to the schedule of technical achievement. It requires the definition of objective, quantifiable measures of technical performance, which can be used to compare actual results against targets. Such technical performance measures may include weight, transaction times, number of delivered defects, storage capacity, etc.

Question 24

Stakeholder analysis

Answer 24

Stakeholder analysis results in a list of stakeholders and relevant information such as their positions in the organization, roles on the project, “stakes,” expectations, attitudes (their levels of support for the project), and their interest in information about the project.

Question 25

Check sheets (DG)

Answer 25

Check sheets are also known as tally sheets and are used to organize facts in a manner that will facilitate the effective collection of useful data about a potential quality problem. They are especially useful for gathering attributes data while performing inspections to identify defects; for example, data about the frequencies or consequences of defects collected.

Question 26

Statistical sampling (DG)

Answer 26

Statistical sampling involves choosing part of a population of interest for inspection (for example, selecting 10 engineering drawings at random from a list of 75). The sample is taken to measure controls and verify quality. Sample frequency and sizes should be determined during the Plan Quality Management process.

Question 27

Benchmarking (DG)

Answer 27

Benchmarking involves comparing actual or planned project practices or the project’s quality standards to those of comparable projects to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance. Benchmarked projects may exist within the performing organization or outside of it, or can be within the same application area or other application area. Benchmarking allows for analogies from projects in a different application area or different industries to be made.

Question 28

Data gathering techniques

Answer 28

• Brainstorming
• Interview
• Focus groups
• Questionnaires and surveys
• Benchmarking
• Statistical sampling
• Check sheets
• Checklists

Question 29

Checklists

Answer 29

Many organizations have standardized checklists available based in their own experience or use checklists from the industry. A checklist may guide the project manager to develop the plan or may help to verify that all the required information is included in the project management plan.

Question 30

Affinity diagrams

Answer 30

Affinity diagrams allow large numbers of ideas to be classified into groups for review and analysis.

Question 31

Mind mapping

Answer 31

Mind mapping consolidates ideas created through individual brainstorming sessions into a single map to reflect commonality and differences in understanding and to generate new ideas.

Question 32

Flowcharts

Answer 32

Flowcharts are also referred to as process maps because they display the sequence of steps and the branching possibilities that exist for a process that transforms one or more inputs into one or more outputs. Flowcharts show the activities, decision points, branching loops, parallel paths, and the overall order of processing by mapping the operational details of procedures that exist within a horizontal value chain.

SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, and customers) model

Question 33

Matrix diagrams

Answer 33

Matrix diagrams help find the strength of relationships among different factors, causes, and objectives that exist between the rows and columns that form the matrix. Can show the relationship between four factors.

Question 34

Cause-and-effect diagrams - Fishbone diagrams - Why-why diagrams - Ishikawa diagrams

Answer 34

Cause-and-effect diagrams are also known as fishbone diagrams, why-why diagrams, or Ishikawa diagrams. This type of diagram breaks down the causes of the problem statement identified into discrete branches, helping to identify the main or root cause of the problem.

Question 35

Histograms - Pareto chart

Answer 35

Histograms show a graphical representation of numerical data. Histograms can show the number of defects per deliverable, a ranking of the cause of defects, the number of times each process is noncompliant, or other representations of project or product defects.

Question 36

Scatter diagrams

Answer 36

A scatter diagram is a graph that shows the relationship between two variables. Scatter diagrams can demonstrate a relationship between any element of a process, environment, or activity on one axis and a quality defect on the other axis.

Question 37

Control charts

Answer 37

Control charts are used to determine whether or not a process is stable or has predictable performance. Upper and lower specification limits are based on the requirements and reflect the maximum and minimum values allowed. Upper and lower control limits are different from specification limits. The control limits are determined using standard statistical calculations and principles to ultimately establish the natural capability for a stable process.

Question 38

Hierarchical charts

Answer 38

Hierarchical charts. The traditional organizational chart structure can be used to show positions and relationships in a graphical, top-down format.

Work breakdown structures (WBS). The WBS is designed to show how project deliverables are broken down into work packages and provide a way of showing high-level areas of responsibility.

Organizational breakdown structure (OBS). While the WBS shows a breakdown of project deliverables, an OBS is arranged according to an organization’s existing departments, units, or teams, with the project activities or work packages listed under each department.

Resource breakdown structure (RBS). The resource breakdown structure is a hierarchical list of team and physical resources related by category and resource type that is used for planning, managing and controlling project work.

Question 39

Probability and impact matrix

Answer 39

A probability and impact matrix is a grid for mapping the probability of each risk occurrence and its impact on project objectives if that risk occurs. This matrix specifies combinations of probability and impact that allow individual project risks to be divided into priority groups

Question 40

Power/interest grid, power/influence grid, or impact/influence grid

Answer 40

Power/interest grid, power/influence grid, or impact/influence grid. Each of these techniques supports a grouping of stakeholders according to their level of authority (power), level of concern about the project’s outcomes (interest), ability to influence the outcomes of the project (influence), or ability to cause changes to the project’s planning or execution.

Question 41

Stakeholder cube

Answer 41

This is a refinement of the grid models previously mentioned. This model combines the grid elements into a three dimensional model that can be useful to project managers and teams in identifying and engaging their stakeholder community.

Question 42

Salience model

Answer 42

Salience model. Describes classes of stakeholders based on assessments of their power (level of authority or ability to influence the outcomes of the project), urgency (need for immediate attention, either time-constrained or relating to the stakeholders’ high stake in the outcome), and legitimacy (their involvement is appropriate).

Question 43

Directions of influence

Answer 43

Directions of influence. Classifies stakeholders according to their influence on the work of the project or the project team itself. Stakeholders can be classified in the following ways:

Upward (senior management of the performing organization or customer organization, sponsor, and steering committee),

Downward (the team or specialists contributing knowledge or skills in a temporary capacity),

Outward (stakeholder groups and their representatives outside the project team, such as suppliers, government departments, the public, end-users, and regulators), or

Sideward (the peers of the project manager, such as other project managers or middle managers who are in competition for scarce project resources or who collaborate with the project manager in sharing resources or information).

Question 44

RACI (responsible, accountable, consult, and inform)

Answer 44

RACI (responsible, accountable, consult, and inform)

A RACI chart is a useful tool to use to ensure clear assignment of roles and responsibilities when the team consists of internal and external resources.

Question 45

Risk workshops - Meetings

Answer 45

Most risk workshops include some form of brainstorming but other risk identification techniques may be included depending on the level of the risk process defined in the risk management plan. Use of a skilled facilitator will increase the effectiveness of the meeting. It is also essential to ensure that the right people participate in the risk workshop.

Question 46

Product analysis

Answer 46

Product analysis can be used to define products and services. It includes asking questions about a product or service and forming answers to describe the use, characteristics, and other relevant aspects of what is going to be delivered.

Each application area has one or more generally accepted methods for translating high-level product or service descriptions into meaningful deliverables. Requirements are captured at a high level and decomposed to the level of detail needed to design the final product. Examples of product analysis techniques include but are not limited to:

• Product breakdown,
• Requirements analysis,
• Systems analysis,
• Systems engineering,
• Value analysis,
• Value engineering.