Knowledge Area Test: Project Management Framework Flashcards
- You are helping an organization uplift its project management practices. You have recommended developing a business case for each of the organizational projects followed by development of a project benefits management plan. Who would you recommend to be the owner of the business case?
Project sponsor
Explanation:
The project sponsor is generally accountable for the development and maintenance of the project business case document. The project manager is responsible for providing recommendations and oversight to keep the project business case, project management plan, project charter, and project benefits management plan success measures in alignment with one another and with the goals and objectives of the organization. [PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Page 29]
- You have recently helped an organization define its future state operating model. This will be a significant shift from the current state and will involve significant change. Which of the following would be your recommendation to the management?
Create a transition state between the current and the future state.
Explanation: You have correctly identified a risk and now have to provide a risk management strategy. When there is a wide gap between the current and future states, creating a transition state is recommended. A transition state will involve multiple steps that are made along a continuum to achieve the future state. None of the other choices mange this risk. [PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Page 6]
- The newly appointed CEO of your firm has initiated a quality management system development project. The CEO has championed a similar project in his last organization that was a big success. A quick feasibility was carried out and the results were positive. As a result, a business case was developed to deploy the product and the project has now been initiated. What did the guys miss here?
The business case failed to consider alternative approaches
Explanation: According to the scenario, the feasibility of only one product was analyzed and business case developed. Clearly the business missed analyzing other available options. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, page 31]
- The organization’s strategy provides a strategic direction and performance parameters for identifying, selecting, and delivering the right mix of projects. If it is determined that some of the CEO’s favorite projects do not fully align with the business objective, the PMO manager must:
Recommend a realignment of the project objectives
Explanation: Honoring the CEO’s desires and executing the project is against the PMI’s Code of Ethics since the project manager knows that some of the projects are not fully aligned with the strategy. Terminating the project is an extreme and should not be the first consideration. The project manager must make a recommendation to realign the project objectives with the organizational strategy since value to the business can only be delivered when projects remain aligned with the strategic direction of the organization. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 14]
- You have been hired by a new startup to develop its process architecture and define its operating model. The operating model will be used by the business to manage and run its day-to-day business. Your engagement with this organization is an example of:
Project
Explanation: This is an example of a project. You have a starting point and an end point (defined and agreed operating model). The later use of the operating model will be the business’ operations but your current engagement is a project as this is a temporary endeavor. [PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Page 4]
- Your organization has recently been awarded a project to construct a series of bridges across a freeway connecting two major cities in the country. The project scope is well-defined and included as a part of the contract. This will be a “construct only” fixed price contract and the transportation authority will be supplying all the design documents. Although the project looks relatively straight forward in comparison to some recently completed projects for the same authority, there are a number of constraints on the project. Which of the following is NOT a project competing constraint on this project?
Procurement
Explanation:
Six competing project constraints are scope, quality, schedule, cost, resources and risk. Procurement is not a project competing constraint. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 28]
- You and your project team are inspired to deliver a project in an Agile setting. Although the concept of a self-organizing team sounds appealing, not clearly defining the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities might introduce significant risk to the project. What should you do?
Use a hybrid model
Explanation:
The scenario makes it clear that you cannot accept the risk. Since you need to try Agile approaches while retaining some of the predictive methods, it is recommended that you and the team sit together and agree on a hybrid model for this project. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, page 19]
- During the detailed system requirements elicitation, you have identified that some of the requirements, although aligned with the project scope, conflict with the firm’s strategic objectives. When you escalated this to the project sponsor, she told you to proceed with the project anyway. What should you do?
Move ahead with the project.
Explanation:
The project sponsor is ultimately responsible for aligning the project goals to the organizational goals. If the sponsor has given you a go ahead, you need to proceed with the project. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, page 29]
- Nancy is engaged in the construction of three office buildings. Although the construction sites are in various places, she has managed each team efficiently to complete the work on time and within budget. Which of the following statements describes the effort Nancy is doing?
Construction of each building is a project because each building is separate in nature.
Explanation: Projects are temporary and unique, whereas operational work is repetitive. Since Nancy is working to construct three unique buildings, and each has a definite beginning and a definite end, each effort is considered as a project. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 4]
- You are managing a complex software development project for an external customer. You are using the waterfall approach to manage the project in line with the contractual requirements. However, you are not comfortable with this approach. You believe that customers don’t really know what they want upfront; rather, what they want emerges out of repeated two-way interactions over the course of the project. In your current situation, the waterfall approach has its emphasis on upfront requirements capture and design, followed by product development and finally the system testing. The customer will only be involved during the requirements gathering and system testing stages and will be completely out of touch during the development activities. Which of the following can help you mitigate the risk created by the waterfall approach:
Divide the project into multiple phases and organize phase gates.
Explanation: In a predictive life cycle, the project planning is completed in the early phases of the project. Although the use of the waterfall life cycle is mandated by the client, the project manager can still customize the approach to obtain benefits offered by the adaptive approaches. In this case, dividing the project into multiple phases and organizing phase gates with the customer can help achieve this. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Pages 19, 21]
- You have recently taken over a project that is about to enter the execution stage. In order to get your head around the project, you started reviewing the project communications that happened prior to the project initiation and the project’s business case. You are not happy with the way the business case was put together because it doesn’t contain:
Identification of alternatives
Explanation:
The business case for any project includes the analysis of the situation, recommended solutions and Identification of alternative solutions. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 31]
- You are setting up a PMO in an organization that has historically delivered projects as “business as usual” activities. The success rate of these projects has been low due to the absence of a standardized project management methodology. You are now helping the organization understand what projects are and how they are different than “business as usual” activities. For example, which of the following is least likely to be a project and rather a “business as usual” activity?
Regular updates of the company website
Explanation:
Regular updates of the company website constitute an operational activity and are clearly not a project. Responding to a contract solicitation and running a campaign are clearly projects. The endeavor lasting for ten years cannot be ruled out as a project just because of its duration. Projects can last from a few weeks to many years. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 4]
- You are the project manager for Commodities, Inc. You are involved in a new project to create an internal website for the employees that will allow them to view events within the company. All of the following options listed are project constraints except:
The navigation menu for the website must be on the top of the page.
Explanation: Constraints limit the project team’s options. Predefined budgets, limits on the number of resources available, and imposed dates are project constraints. Positioning of the menu for the website is one of the requirements for the project, and so this is not considered a constraint. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Page 28]
- You are currently initiating a hydro-power plant capacity upgrade project with a goal to increase the output by fifty percent. Prior to commencing project planning, you want to ensure that you have considered and documented all applicable enterprise environmental factors for this project. Which of the following is an enterprise environmental factor for your project?
Commercial databases
Explanation: Commercial databases are considered enterprise environmental factors. The other choices are organizational process assets. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, Pages 39-41]
- Financial forecasts in the business case were of a higher order of magnitude based on the preliminary information available at that time. During the project planning it has now become clear that a number of other enabling activities need to be completed in order to deliver the project. This would mean at least a fifty percent increase in the project budget than what was stated in the business case. What should you do next?
Perform a cost/benefit analysis for the project.
If a 50% cost increase is expected, you need to re-evaluate the project’s feasibility and reconfirm the validity of the business case, even if the project is in the planning stage. [PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, page 30]
