Phases & Process Steps

Question 1

Four Phase Process

Question 2

Thirteen Step Process

Answer 2

1. Project Initiation
2. Identify Activities, Responsibility & Duration
3. Sequence Activities
4. Assign Resources
5. Assign Costs
6. Calculate Schedule
7. Verify Critical Path(s)
8. Conduct Risk Management
9. Communicate Plan
10. Obtain Project Status
11. Analyze Project
12. Adjust Resources
13. Close-out Project

Question 3

The Project Charter

Answer 3

“A document issued by the project initiator or
sponsor that formally authorizes the existence
of a project, and provides the project manager
with the authority to apply organizational
resources to project activities.”

Question 4

Project Contract (Scope) Definition

Answer 4

A project management communication tool:

• Establishes consensus among the project core team members on the project’s definition
• Establishes a documented agreement between the project team and the project owner(s)
• Establishes a scope baseline to control ‘scope creep’
• Provides a foundation for the work breakdown structure
• Ensures the project’s objectives are directly linked to the project’s mission
• Length 1 to 3 pages

Question 5

Project Stakeholders

Answer 5

“Persons and organizations such as customers,
sponsors, performing organization and the
public, that are actively involved in the project,
or whose interests may be positively or
negatively affected by execution or completion
of the project. They may also exert influence
over the project and its deliverables.”
Source: PMI – PMBOK

Question 6

Identify Stakeholders

Answer 6

 Customer
 Owner
 Client
 User
 Sponsor (financial person)
 Project team
– Project manager / leader
– Core team members
– Other team members
 Other major stakeholders

Question 7

Mission (Project Scope Statement)

Answer 7

 A few concise statements that clearly defines
the purpose of the project
 Do not include the project’s completion date
or budgeted cost in the mission!
 What are we trying to do?

Question 8

In-Scope & Out-of-Scope

Answer 8

 Clearly defines the deliverables that will and will not be produced by the project
 More detailed than the mission statement
 Establishes the length and breadth of the project
 Sometimes stating what is not within the scope of the project is very important

Question 9

Objectives

Answer 9

 Defines the success criteria of the project
 All objectives relate directly to the completion
of the project’s mission
 If completion of all the objectives then the
project should be complete
 Defines how to complete the mission

Question 10

Objectives

Answer 10

• Objectives should be SMART:

– Specific

– Measurable in quantifiable terms

– Agreed upon by all team members

– Relevant to the mission

– Time framed

• Objectives should start with the word ‘To’ and then end with an action verb

Question 11

Assumptions

Answer 11

 Clarifies any uncertainties in the scope
 Provides the foundation of how the project is going to be performed

Question 12

Constraints

Answer 12

 Any limits that are placed on the project or project team
 Constraints usually relate to either:

– Time
– Cost
– Performance

 They may originate from the project environment, owner requirements or company policies

Question 13

Major Risks

Answer 13

 High level risks are risks that may cause project failure
 Risks usually affects the time, cost or performance of the project
 Assumptions produce risk

Question 14

Project Core Team

Answer 14

 Identify the members of the core team

– Name
– Title/position
– Department
– Phone numbers
– Email address
– Initials

Question 15

Project Core Team

Answer 15

• This section is for the sign-off of this agreement between the project team and the project owners, sponsors, and other stakeholders
• Cannot be approved until all planning has been completed

Question 16

Deliverable

Answer 16

“Any unique and verifiable product, result, or
capability to perform a service that must be
produced to complete a process, phase, or
project.”

Question 17

Work Package

Answer 17

“A deliverable or project work component at
the lowest level of each branch of the work
breakdown structure.”

Question 18

Decomposition

Answer 18

“A planning technique that subdivides the
project scope and project deliverables into
smaller, more manageable components until
the project work associated with
accomplishing the project scope and
providing the deliverables is defined in
sufficient detail to support executing,
monitoring, and controlling the work.”

Question 19

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Answer 19

• “A deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and created the required
  deliverables. ” * “It organizes and defines the total scope of the
  project. ” * “Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work.”
• “The WBS is decomposed into work
  packages. ”

Source: PMI - PMBOK

Question 20

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Answer 20

 WBS can be sub-divided by:

– Phases
– Organizations
– Components
– Objectives

 WBS is developed from the top down with emphasis on the reporting of cost data

 WBS can be displayed in a graphical form or as an outline form

Question 21

Activities vs. Tasks

Answer 21

Activity – “A specific task or set of tasks that
are required by the project, use up resources,
and takes time to complete.”
Source: Meredith & Mantel

Activity - “Effort that occurs over a time period
and generally consumes resources,
sometimes also called a ‘task’.”
Source: Fleming & Hoppelman

Question 22

Identify Work Breakdown Structure

Answer 22

Use objectives to decompose project
elements into components that can be
managed in the project plan. This will be the
basis of the WBS.