Module 5

Question 1

Stakeholder Management Tools

Answer 1

• Comprehensive Risk Plan
• MEAL Plan
• Human Resource and Management Plan
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan

Question 2

The art of people management

Answer 2

includes motivating team members, communicating vision, empowering staff, recognizing achievements, listening, leading by example, resolving conflicts, and building trust. These are related to the leadership/interpersonal competency of the project manager.

Question 3

The science of people management

Answer 3

involves knowing which project management tools to use and when, identifying and managing variances, and developing comprehensive plans. These are all technical project management skills.

Question 4

If the project schedules are fixed and the project scope cannot be changed, what are your alternatives?

Answer 4

• Fast tracking

- Crashing

Question 5

Fast tracking

Answer 5

Fast tracking a project schedule involves taking activities that would normally be completed in sequence and instead completing them in parallel. To make the most of fast tracking, project teams should target the tasks on the critical path first, as the activities on the critical path provide the greatest potential to accelerate the overall project schedule.

Question 6

Crashing

Answer 6

adding additional resources to the critical path to accelerate progress. Note that this doesn’t necessarily result in getting the highest level of efficiency.

the lower productivity of marginal resources can result from a variety of reasons.

Question 7

six areas of coordination and collaboration in finance

Answer 7

Compiling project expenditure information

Gathering information about and understanding budget variances

Managing payments

Authorizing expenditures

Managing cash flow, spending, forecasting, and expenditures

Overseeing purchasing procedures.

Question 8

How can a PM answer the question, Is the project over or under budget?

Answer 8

compare the Cumulative Planned Costs to the Cumulative Actual Costs.

Question 9

Earned Value Analysis

Answer 9

a tool that compares the planned and actual cost for each task that has been performed. It also compares the rate of progress on each task to what was scheduled in the project plan. This means that in order to conduct an Earned Value Analysis, the project manager needs a more complete set of data that combines elements of both the project budget AND the project schedule in the implementation plan.

The Earned Value Analysis helps underscore that not all scenarios where the cumulative costs exceed the project budget are “bad.” Additionally, not all scenarios where a project’s cumulative costs are under budget are “good.”

Question 10

Issue Management

Answer 10

Issue management consists of having a process for identifying the unresolved decisions, situations, or problems that arise as issues, and then managing them until they are resolved. In some instances, the project manager and team may not have the authority needed to resolve an issue. Even if that issue needs to be escalated to the next level or delegated to another person to resolve, it still needs to be tracked by the project manager.

Question 11

What is an issue?

Answer 11

An issue is an unresolved decision, situation, or problem that will significantly impact the project and that the project team cannot immediately resolve.

Question 12

managing issues will require the team to…

Answer 12

• Identify project issues
• Contribute to the resolution of project issues
• Escalate important issues (that are above their tolerances) to the project manager as soon as possible.

Question 13

If issues are not resolved, the negative consequences can include the following…

Answer 13

• Inability to meet project timelines, cost, and schedule
• Poor or unacceptable project quality
• Poor reputation among communities, donors, and others
• Post implementation disputes

Question 14

The project manager needs to manage all issue management processes and can do this through the following…

Answer 14

Issue Identification and Tracking
Issue Analysis
Issue Communication
Issue Control

Question 15

Issue Identification and Tracking

Answer 15

Identifying outstanding questions, decisions, and other problems before they adversely affect the project. As such, the issue identification and tracking process is closely related to the topic of risk management and to the monitoring of the project.

Question 16

Issue Analysis

Answer 16

Understanding the issue sufficiently to consider future consequences of action plans designed to resolve it.

Question 17

Issue Communication

Answer 17

Communicating issues to the right level of the organization to get them resolved. Furthermore, it is important to communicate when and how issues are resolved.

Question 18

Issue Control

Answer 18

Establishing an environment where the project team and implementing partners can carry out actions to ensure issues are resolved in a timely and effective manner.

Question 19

Issue Log

Answer 19

summarizes the issues, describes their current status, and identifies who is responsible for addressing the issue. The issues log can take on a variety of technical forms, from paper printouts to a fully integrated database.

Question 20

The control process ensures that project changes are…

Answer 20

• Managed through a formal change management process
• Analyzed to ensure that implications of those changes are thoroughly thought through
• Documented to illustrate their complete impact on all the integrated elements of the project
• Communicated to key project stakeholders.

Question 21

Change Request Map

Answer 21

The project manager, team, and stakeholders can use it to ensure that changes are documented and their impact on the project is assessed. The change request map is part of the principle of adaptive project management.

Question 22

Monitoring

Answer 22

The project manager uses indicators from the logical frame to measure progress toward targets, ensuring that they are being achieved according to the plan. For this, the project manager and MEAL team may use an indicator performance tracking table (IPTT) that includes all the indicators of the project, the frequency with which they are measured, the targets to be achieved, as well as baseline and endline values.

Question 23

Accountability aims to commit to, respond to, and balance the needs of stakeholders in a project. It encompasses four primary components:

Answer 23

transparency, standardization, responsiveness, and participation

Question 24

Learning should be…

Answer 24

…participatory, documented, and shared with stakeholders. It is also important that the lessons learned get fed upwards to the program and portfolio levels.

Question 25

Procurement

Answer 25

Procurement includes the complete process of obtaining goods and services, from preparation and processing of a requisition through to receipt and approval of the invoice for payment.

Question 26

Logistics

Answer 26

…having the right thing, at the right place, at the right time. Logistics involves the transport of goods, but there is more to it than this. Logistics includes all the activities required to deliver items accurately, efficiently, and in a time-bound manner to the place and person it is meant to be sent.

Question 27

Asset Management

Answer 27

Project equipment and supplies are the property of the project. This often means that these assets are either returned after the closure of the project or allocated to another project for use. The project manager needs to make sure that there is an effective process for the management of assets during the Implementation phase so that these assets can be returned or re-allocated once the project has finished.

Question 28

Assets management should include each of the following:

Answer 28

• Recording assets
• Labeling assets
• Monitoring and Assets Records

Question 29

Some things to consider as you continue to justify the sustainability of the project:

Answer 29

• Is the plan for transitioning out of the project still valid and appropriate?
• If the project will be handed over, will support and capacity be provided to the entity that will take over?
• Has the context changed? Is the sustainability plan still viable?

Question 30

What part of issue management involves tolerance?

Answer 30

Part of issue management requires that tolerances are set for decision-making concerning those risks that become issues.

Question 31

Define change management

Answer 31

The actual process of change is not the only component of a well-governed project however. Communication of those changes is also very important, particularly since it is likely that the change will affect at least one aspect of the Triple Constraint Triangle.

Question 32

Adaptive management is key to…

Answer 32

…navigating changes, committing resources appropriately, and ensuring the right project is being done in the right way. Decision gates, issue logs, and information from MEAL all help to make adaptive management work during the implementation phase.

Question 33

The products or outputs of the Implementation phase are:

Answer 33

Issue Log
Monitoring Reports
Evaluation
Narrative and Financial Reports
Stage Plans
Updated Risk Plan

Question 34

Narrative reports

Answer 34

Narrative reports normally outline the progress that the project has made, describe any issues that have happened, and communicate progress against the targets. The donor may require additional components for narrative reporting, so it is always good to check donor and funder compliance.

Question 35

Financial reports

Answer 35

Financial reports provide information on the spend (burn) rate of the project, forecasts and projections, as well as any supporting documentation that will be required. Reporting should have been included as part of the project scope of work, and it should have been planned for in the Planning phase.

Question 36

Five Common Scenarios for Project Closure

Answer 36

• Closure
• Handover
• Extension
• Expansion
• Redesign

Question 37

What is the most practical way to ensure an effective project closure?

Answer 37

include a project closure plan in the project plan.

Question 38

To successfully close a project, you need to have the following inputs:

Answer 38

• Detailed Implementation Plan and Stage Plan
• MEAL Reports (including any lessons learned that have been documented during the project)
• Narrative and Financial Reports
• Issue Log
• Updated Risk Register

Question 39

Some stakeholders to consider involving during this phase may be:

Answer 39

• Project Team
• Operations/Support Teams (HR, Security, Supply Chain, and Finance)
• Project Governance
• Program Manager
• Suppliers, Vendors, and Contractors
• Program Team-INGO Partner
• Beneficiary Community
• Partners

Question 40

How is sustainability linked to project sustainability?

Answer 40

In many cases, sustainability is directly linked to handing the project over to a local partner once it has closed. The checklist linked here provides some guidance on the details required to finalize the sustainability plan.

Question 41

Contents of a final narrative report often include the following, but can have more or fewer requirements, depending on the organization or donor:

Answer 41

Project Summary
Project Results (Targets Achieved, Indicators, Outputs, and Outcomes)
Challenges and Issues
Lessons Learned
Assets and Inventory Summary/Return/Disposal

Question 42

Types of final reports

Answer 42

Final Financial Report

Endline Report

Question 43

Final Financial Report

Answer 43

In theory, all money has been received once the project is preparing to close. It is likely that financial reports have been provided throughout the project, with the final financial report summarizing the allocation of financial resources. The final report should include any and all supporting documents required.

Question 44

Endline Report

Answer 44

Often, the MEAL team will conduct a project endline report that is then matched against the baseline report to determine to what extent the targets and indicators were met. This report is frequently included in the final narrative report and provides valuable information for the final project evaluation.

Question 45

Three types of closure

Answer 45

Administrative Closure
Financial Closure
Contract Closure

Question 46

Administrative Closure

Answer 46

Administrative closure includes personnel, assets, and reporting compliance requirements.

Have project personnel been released or reassigned?
Have the project equipment, vehicles, offices been reallocated? Sold? Transferred?
Are project reports and closure documents complete? Are project archives and/or files up to date?

Question 47

Financial Closure

Answer 47

The finance department focal point should work closely with the project manager to make sure that all compliance and requirements have been closed in the project. This includes any supporting documentation as well as reports. Some things to consider include:

Has all permitted funding been received from the donor?
Have all receivables (project advances, travel advances, and advances to suppliers) been liquidated or transferred to another project number or accounting code?
Have all payables been paid?

Question 48

Contract Closure

Answer 48

The project manager should work with the project support teams (HR, Procurement, Finance) to see that all contracts are officially closed. This must happen before the project can close. The project manager must ask:

Are all contracts closed out?
Suppliers?
Subcontractors?
Donors?
Implementing organizations?
Others?
Has the donor reviewed and accepted project deliverables?

Question 49

Final Evaluation

Answer 49

A final evaluation should have been planned from the beginning of the project, with an outline of the purpose and desired key evaluation questions to be answered by the evaluation team or evaluator. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, a tentative timeline and budget should also have been allocated for this exercise, providing the evaluator and team with sufficient resources to be able to make a data-informed judgement on the value of the project.

The evaluator and team work closely with the MEAL and project teams to develop a methodology, work plan, and tools for the evaluation. Project documents and monitoring plans should be provided by the team, and the evaluator and team will likely need to coordinate through the MEAL and project teams to conduct data collection with stakeholders.

Question 50

lessons learned log

Answer 50

An organization’s lessons learned are the contents of that organization’s memory bank.

As the project enters the Closure phase, the project manager should ensure that the lessons learned related to the project are recorded in sufficient detail and filed. The files should be easily accessible to the organization and to program teams, which means that all files (both hard and digital copies) need to be properly organized and named.

Question 51

After Action Review

Answer 51

What did we set out to do?

What did we achieve?
Focus more on facts than opinions!

What went really well?
Again, look at the facts. Why did it go well? Compare the plan to reality.

What could have gone better?
Compare the plan to reality. What prevented us from doing more?

What can we learn from this?