General Revision Flashcards
Best to approach this after completing other revision. Questions largely relate to general or key points about APM Topics to see how much on a subject you are able to remember from a prompt.
TOPIC: Project Management
What are the key points on projects?
-Timebound and unique - Use project management techniques.
-Deliver outputs.
-Capital funded.
-Use a range of specialist skills.
-Risk aware - mitigate only high priority risk.
TOPIC: Project Management
What are the key points on Business as Usual?
-Repetitive operations - uses process management techniques.
-Uses outputs to deliver outcomes and benefits.
-Revenue funded.
-Uses (one or two) functional skills.
-Risk averse - tend to mitigate all risks.
TOPIC: Programme Management
What are the key points on programmes?
-A group of projects with related business benefits.
-Aligned to an overall strategy.
-Benefits integrated during the life of the programme.
-May be inter-project dependencies.
-Deliver outcomes.
TOPIC: Programme Management
What are the benefits of programme management?
-Focus on strategic objectives.
-Focus on transition management (making outputs into outcomes).
-Focus on benefits management.
-Manage inter project dependencies, focus resource where it is needed most.
-Risk and change handled at a more strategic level.
TOPIC: Programme Management
What are the Programme Manager responsibilities?
-Planning and controlling.
-Managing project interfaces.
-Defining governance.
-Managing the budget.
-Resource management.
-Managing communications, risks and issues.
TOPIC: Portfolio Management
What are the key points of Portfolio Management?
-Analysis of projects and programmes.
-Balance change initiatives with maintaining the BaU.
-Prioritisation and/or selection of projects and programmes.
-Continued monitoring of the portfolio.
-Adjustment of the portfolio with regards to current circumstances.
-Portfolios managed at different levels (Organisational or Functional level).
TOPIC: Project Lifecycle
What are the phases of the Linear Lifecycle?
-Concept.
-Definition.
-Deployment.
-Transition.
TOPIC: Project Lifecycle
What are the phases of the Iterative Lifecycle?
-Pre-Project.
-Feasibility & Foundations.
-Evolutionary Development.
-Deployment.
-Post-Project.
TOPIC: Project Lifecycle
What are the phases of the Hybrid Lifecycle?
It is a mix of the Linear and Iterative lifecycle, such as:
-Concept.
-Definition using iterative lifecycle.
-Deployment in tranches.
-Transition.
TOPIC: Project Lifecycle
What does the Extended Lifecycle include?
-Adoption.
-Benefits realisation.
Running in parallel with the first part of the Operations phase.
TOPIC: Project Lifecycle
What are the benefits of a Hybrid Lifecycle?
-Facilitates rolling wave planning.
-Ensures next phase of work is understood.
-Better estimating (shorter durations).
-Early identification of resource and improved resource utilisation.
-Limits risk as risks in the hsort term can be accurately identified.
-Funds allocated in ‘chunks’.
-Go/No Go decisions.
-Flexible to suit different industries/business sectors.
-Early phase success reinforces stakeholder commitment.
-Lessons learned can be applied to future phases.
TOPIC: Project Environment
What are the key points of the Project Environment?
-Refers to the environment within which a project is undertaken.
-Strategic goals.
-VUCA.
-PESTLE: Can identify stakeholders, risks, issues, constraints, assumptions, areas of scope, key dependencies.
-SWOT.
TOPIC: Project Management Plan
What are the key points of the PMP?
-What, Why, When, How, Where, Who, How much, What if, How good for a project.
-Written by a Project Team.
-Read by the stakeholders.
-Owned by the Project Manager.
-Approved by the Project Sponsor.
TOPIC: Business Case
What are the key points of the Business Case?
-Documents the justification.
-Costs vs. Benefits.
-Provides basis upon which ongoing viability can be judged.
-Produced at the end of Concept.
-Updated during Definition.
-Reviewed for validity throughout Deployment.
-Benefits reviewed during Transition Phase.
-Owned by Sponsor.
-Input.Information from PM, User, Suppliers, Financial experts.
-Investment Appraisal (NPV, IRR, Payback, DCF, WACC).
TOPIC: Business Case
What are the typical contents of the Business Case?
-Reason (The current situation).
-Business options reviewed and the chosen option.
-Benefits.
-Success criteria.
-Constraints.
-Dependencies.
-Major risks.
-Issues.
-Investment Appraisal.
-Cost Benefit analysis.
TOPIC: Project Management Office
What are the key points of the PMO?
Support function that can provide assistance managing:
-People.
-Performance.
-Systems.
-Processes.
Three types of PMO:
-Embedded.
-Centralised.
-Hub&Spoke.
TOPIC: Teamwork
What are the key points on Teamwork?
-Small group of people.
-Distinct Identity.
-Work together in a co-ordinated and mutually supportive way.
-Common purpose or goal.
-Team development (Tuckman).
-Team roles (Belbin).
TOPIC: Teamwork
What are Tuckman’s stages of Team Development?
-Forming.
-Storming.
-Norming.
-Performing.
-Adjourning.
(Reforming…. sometimes).
TOPIC: Teamwork
What are Belbin’s Team Roles?
-Plant.
-Resource Investigator.
-Chair.
-Shaper.
-Monitor Evaluator.
-Team Worker.
-Implementer.
-Completer.
-Finisher.
-Specialist.
TOPIC: Teamwork
What are Belbin’s general points?
-There is no ‘best’ team role.
-Everyone has a ‘preferred’ team role.
-Everyone has a ‘secondary’ team role they assume when the team requires them to.
-Everyone has a role (or roles) they should try to avoid.
TOPIC: Project Sponsorship
What does the Project Sponsor do?
-Business leader and decision maker.
-Primary risk taker.
-Project Champion.
-Maintains dialogue with PM.
-Addresses Stakeholder interests.
-Responsible for benefits identification and realisation.
-Owns the business case.
-Provides the funding.
-Reports to corporate management.
TOPIC: Project Sponsorship
What should the Project Sponsor be?
-Able to work across functional boundaries.
-Able to commit time.
-Have enough experience to understand whether project is managed efficiently.
TOPIC: Project Sponsorship
What are the key differences between Project Sponsor and Project Manager responsibilities?
Sponsor:
-Direction.
-Benefits.
-Effectiveness.
PM:
-Management.
-Delivery.
-Efficiency.
TOPIC: Organisation
What are the different types of Organisation?
-Functional.
-Matrix.
-Project.
