Module 11 Terms

Question 1

Project Life Cycle Phases

Answer 1

Defining -

Planning -

Executing -

Closing -

Question 2

Project Scope

Answer 2

Goal and specification information is used to write the preliminary scope of the project. The project scope is a written statement summarizing the work that will be completed to provide a project outcome that will meet the customer or sponsor’s requirements. The preliminary scope will be further refined during the detailed planning phase, but a preliminary project scope statement is developed as an outcome of the defining phase, which will serve as a guide to the project team as they plan the project activities.

The customer or sponsor and the organization defining the project must agree on the project scope statement within the charter and stated deliverables before the project planning phase can begin. Once the initial project scope is agreed upon, the project team will use it to focus their planning efforts, so it needs to be comprehensive enough that the team understands the requirements and how they can be achieved. Only then can they do work breakdown and divide up the work and create a realistic budget and schedule.

Question 3

Project Justification

Answer 3

The project justification is a statement explaining the business need for the project. This is sometimes referred to as the business case. The project justification helps tie the project back to the strategic and operational goals of the company and its mission. If a company wants to increase its revenue by 15% next year, a project proposal may be justified by its potential contribution to that revenue goal.

Question 4

Project Sponsor

Answer 4

The person in the project organization who has authority to expend resources for projects will likely be the project sponsor. The project sponsor will sign the project charter, which summarizes all the key information about the project and authorizes the project manager to assemble the team and begin detailed planning

Question 5

Project Charter

Answer 5

If the project is selected for implementation, this information is written into a formal document called the project charter. The project charter defines and documents the project’s existence

The selection (or rejection) of the project and creation of the project charter mark the conclusion of the project defining phase.

A small project may not require a formal project charter, but the project will still need to be defined sufficiently to be moved forward.

Question 6

Iterative Processes

Answer 6

When large projects are broken down into smaller projects where they can be stopped at any phase if it is determined they are not valuable enough to be continued. This is a good approach for when a huge, time consuming project cannot be accurately evaluated for total cost or time up front.

Question 7

Monitoring & Controlling

Answer 7

During the monitoring process, if the project manager detects that the project is not being executed as planned, they may need to intercede in order to correct the situation. This process is called monitoring and controlling. It is central to the project manager’s role to know the status of the project work (monitor) and take action as needed to ensure the project plan is completed as planned (control). The project manager may discover that the project plan cannot be executed as originally developed and that portions need to be replanned. This is another iterative process in which execution, monitoring, and controlling occurs. Monitoring and controlling may require replanning and then returning to executing. In this iterative way, the plan acts as a foundation so smart decisions can be made about things rather than shooting from the hip.