Exam questions

Question 1

Explain the difference between conformance and performance.

Answer 1

Conformance = meeting the objectives that were set (as planned, as budgeted, as specified)
Performance = maximizing the benefits to stakeholders (shortest possible, cheapest possible, highest level)

Question 2

How does Participative M&E differ from the conventional one?

Answer 2

• The ownership of the project is shared, rather then centered on the project manger
• Stakeholder are consulted and methodology is adapted to emergent needs, not just provided with info
• Success is measured to a wider range of relevant and qualitative indicators, not just efficiency
• Project environment is dynamic and adaptive, not predetermined

Question 3

What is the iron triangle and why would it be of interest for project managers to know about it?

Answer 3

Iron triangle: Quality, Cost, Performance
Because it will influence decisions in two occasions: during planning (to focus on what is important) and during execution (to know what can and cannot be moved if there is need)

Question 4

Describe the stage-gate system.

Answer 4

A project is divided into stages (phases), with each stage having determined nature and objectives. Gates are check-points where the process is reviewed. The criteria to pass to next stage has to be laid down in advance.

Question 5

What is the Zone of no-brain?

Answer 5

Middle of the triangle???

Question 6

What is a pilot study, and what is benchmarking, according to Maylor?

Answer 6

These are strategies for deal with quatification problem. Carry out a pilot study = determine on a small scale the costs and benefits of the
work being proposed before launching into a full-scale project
Benchmarking = analyze other organisations which have carried out similar projects and their costs incurred and benefits gained
Modelling = build a simulation of the proposed changes – use the data from these to provide evidence of costs and benefits

Question 7

A commonly used activity-on-node linkage is the finish-to-start linkage, but there are also three
others. Name and draw those three.

Answer 7

start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish

Question 8

Draw a simple example of a Gantt chart that includes at least one dependency. Gantt charts may also
be called… what?

Answer 8

linked-bar chart

dependency - arrows

Question 9

For each of (a) and (b), name the 4D phase that contains it: (a) improving project performance,
and (b) supply chain issues.

Answer 9

a) develop it

b) do it

Question 10

Describe the Student Syndrome.

Answer 10

Despite people are given extra time (slack) for an activity, the extra time is wasted at the front end and they often won’t start the activity until latest possible time

Question 11

Which are the necessary components in a business case?

Answer 11

Costs, benefits and risks.

Question 12

What What is cost-plus, also known as reimbursable pricing? When is it typically used?

Answer 12

System in which agreements state the profit that a company is allowed to make. The contract is on the basis of costs plus a percentage towards overheads and profit. If the costs over-ran they were still payed. In the defense industry.

Question 13

A chapter deals with PV, NPV, FV, IRR, DCF, and cash flow considerations. (No, you don’t have to
explain them each, but) explain why concepts like these have relevance to project management, and
when (according to the 4D model) they would be used.

Answer 13

They are relevant when discussing the financial appraisal withing a project proposal - potential rewards of carrying out a project against the predicted cost. They are ways to analyze payback. They would be used in the Design faze.

Question 14

How does one calculate net present value?

Answer 14

present value of benefits - present value of costs

Question 15

What is sensitivity analysis and when would one use it?

Answer 15

Sensitivity analysis is one of the quantitative risk approach. It gives the value of the main input +- n percent. It can be used when assessing costs where some costs are variable.

Question 16

3. An error does not cause ‘consumer terrorism’, Maylor wrote. What does and how can it be avoided?

Answer 16

The actions after the error was made. The error has to be recognizes and admitted. The customer then needs to be made aware that their needs were considered and actions were taken to rectify the situation.

Question 17

What is PERT? Show using an example how the expected time is calculated.

Answer 17

Programme evaluation and review technique is a quantitative risk approach. It deals with the likelihood that the single value given as the time needed to complete an action will have a degree of error. it gives optimistic, most probable and pessimistic time.

Question 18

Above right is Maylor’s figure of the ‘spectrum of (what) performance’ with some text cropped. What is
(what), and why is it of importance to project managers to recognize the two boundaries in the figure?

Answer 18

“team” performance. Because being in two boundaries of the figure means that the team is not longer working as a team, the have disintegrated (left) or that the have integrated and it lead to complete consensus and group-think and they are focused on the group process rather then the tasks (right)

Question 19

What is buffer penetration? Which method uses the monitoring of buffer penetration?

Answer 19

Control using critical chain. The method consists of diving the project buffer into 3 regions. An early finish gives days to the buffer and a late finish takes them away. A penetration would be that these is less days in the buffer than was planned. Depending on how many days the PM takes action.

Question 20

What is the Pareto principle and what is Pareto analysis?

Answer 20

Pareto principle is the principle that 20% of causes cause 80% of problems. The analysis is identifying which causes are the 20%.

Question 21

What is a decision tree? Give an example

Answer 21

A graphical method that shows the flow of decisions depending on the possibilities at each junction.