Module 12: Executing Projects

Question 1

Summary of executing processes

Answer 1

• Project integration management: Direct and manage project work.
• Project quality management: Perform quality assurance.
• Project human resource management: Acquire, develop, and manage project team.
• Project communication management: Manage communication.
• Project stakeholder management: Manage stakeholder engagement.
• Project procurement management: Conduct procurements.

Question 2

Direct-and-manage-project-work-process

Answer 2

PM ensures all relevant stakeholders are involved in completing the project.
- coordinate work activities.
- develop and use their soft skills (ability to deal with people).
Provide support to team members
- keep all project docs up to date
- use tools and techniques discussed at project planning phase.

Question 3

Outputs of Direct and Manage Project Work

Answer 3

One or more deliverables, work performance data, change request, nnd changes to the project plan

Question 4

Deliverable

Answer 4

one outpuf of project integration. Product or service project was intneded to create.

Question 5

Work performance data

Answer 5

Includes - technical performance measure, actual durations and costs, key performance indicators.
Collected while observing work, holding formal meetings, analyzing survey results (if any), using other methods to address work performance. Compiled in report that lists milestones and issues, comments, and other relevant info at end of each milestone. Sent to stakeholders dependent on stakeholder mgmt plan.

Question 6

Potential problems on a project

Answer 6

• Poorly defined estimates for cost or schedule; things coming up unexpectedly.
• Lack of management support for the project.
• Unmotivated or incompetent team.
• Unexpected staff turnover.
• Conflict among team members.
• Governmental changes imposed after project plan has been defined.
• Inexperienced project manager.

Question 7

Benchmarking

Answer 7

Compares one’s own processes or practices to those of exemplary organizations.

Question 8

Quality audit

Answer 8

Review quality management activities performed on the projects. “Lessons learned” tries to improve on processes identified. In-house or external auditors perform it.

Question 9

Cause-and-effect diagrams

Answer 9

Identify root cause of problems identified through quality audit.

Question 10

Kanban board

Answer 10

For agile projects. Help team visualize and improve their workflow. Shows tasks to do, tasks in progress, tasks complete.

Question 11

Manage project knowledge

Answer 11

managing new and old knowledge pertaining to project and contributing to organizational learning. Transfer knowledge from one project to the next.

Question 12

Explicit Knowledge

Answer 12

Easy to convey through words, numbers, images, etc. Ex: existing org. docs, metrics created to measure quality, and books. However, some explicit knowledge can be open to interpretation.

Question 13

Tacit Knowledge

Answer 13

Not easy to convey, its pretty subjective. Expresses emotion, feeling and beliefs. Its not easy to codify since it resides in the mind of the individual.

Question 14

Lessons learned register

Answer 14

Created to record and convey knowledge for future projects. Documents challenges, problems, realized risks, and successes. At the end discussed with team and archived.

Question 15

Project resource managment

Answer 15

Crucial to execution. Needs right staff at the right time to perform activiites.

Question 16

Resource calendars

Answer 16

Show which resources are needed when.
For non-HR it shows how they are used.

Question 17

Project resource management soft skills

Answer 17

Matching the right people for the right activities, managers need to handle staff in all settings.

Question 18

Motivation

Answer 18

Need to understand how people are motivated. PM familiar with the staff and their needs will find it easier.

Question 19

Intrinsic motivation

Answer 19

Inspires people to work on a job for the pleasure of getting the job done and done well.

Question 20

Extrinsic motivation

Answer 20

Requires a reward system or avoidance of a penalty. Ex: getting a raise.

Question 21

Resource loading

Answer 21

Once PM has hired the right people, they have to assign them to the project for the time that they are needed

Question 22

Resource histograms

Answer 22

show staff allocated at various stages or times during the project. Can show over allocation.

Question 23

Resource levelling

Answer 23

manage the project in terms of how the team members are allocated across the project timeline.
- can be delayed until resource is freed up.
- can change schedule by shifting tasks and working within slack allowances.

Question 24

Forming

Answer 24

The initial group gets together to start the project. Team members = best behaviour. Productivity = fairly low.

Question 25

Storming

Answer 25

Members jostle for position and leadership within the group. This stage = conflict usually arises. Productivity = improve in this stage.

Question 26

Norming

Answer 26

Team settles down and roles get determined. Collaboration replaces any struggles. Productivity = improved markedly from the storming stage. People begin to know what they need to do.

Question 27

Performing

Answer 27

The work is performed and productivity is at its highest.

Question 28

Adjourning

Answer 28

The team disbands and moves on to other projects.

Question 29

Tips to deal with team members

Answer 29

-Be patient and kind.
-Listen to what team members are telling you.
-Establish rules and procedures.
-Establish a code of conduct.
-Have regular meetings.
-Help people resolve problems.
-Acknowledge accomplishments.
-Plan social activities to bring people together to have fun.

Question 30

Formal communication

Answer 30

Done through reports and follow organizational hierarchy.

Question 31

Informal communication

Answer 31

Accomplished through face-to-face communication and is rarely written down.

Question 32

Team size

Answer 32

As team size increases so does the number. Better to have a bunch of smaller teams than a few larger teams.

Question 33

Project stakeholder management

Answer 33

Keep updated on progress
- Involve them in decision making.
- meet expectations and deliver product/service they are expecting.
- involvement = increase support and reduce potential resistance.

Question 34

Outputs of project stakdholder management

Answer 34

change requests and updates to the project mgmt plan and other documents.

Question 35

Issue log

Answer 35

Produced during execution used to track issues (problems or complications that need resolution). Conflict between people, items, or activities that need to be resolved before work can continue.

Question 36

Project procurement mgmt

Answer 36

During execution phase. Sellers are selected and agreements or contracts are awarded.

Question 37

Laissez-faire

Answer 37

Hands-off approach to management

Question 38

Transactional

Answer 38

Focuses on providing rewards as incentives to team members.

Question 39

Servant leader

Answer 39

This approach focuses on other people’s growth demonstrating service as a form of leadership.

Question 40

Transformational

Answer 40

these leaders empower others and guide changes through inspiration.

Question 41

Charismatic

Answer 41

These people inspire others based on their enthusiasm and confidence.

Question 42

Interactional

Answer 42

Combines transactional, transformational, and charismatic.

Question 43

Executing agile projects

Answer 43

Can use same as predictive approaches. Important aspect is that they are self directed. Scrum master = servant-leader approach.

Question 44

Competing conflict situations

Answer 44

Require assertive and uncooperative response.