PMP Questions 1 Flashcards
A project is…
something temporary in nature that delivers a product service or result.
Has start and finish,
Creates something new or improves on what exists.
Predictive Projects
Deliverable at the end with the goal of controlling the scope, costs, and schedule. Little change or change adverse. (Waterfall, traditional)
Adaptive Projects
Incremental, Iterative, and Agile
Incremental projects deliver…
products or value in “batches” or increments with the goal of speed.
Iterative projects embrace…
change by getting customer feedback to make changes over time.
Agile projects are…
iterative and incremental with the desire to get customer feedback and generate value as early as possible while providing continuous improvement.
What comprises the scope baseline?
Scope Statement, WBS, WBS Dictionary
What is needed before you can determine a schedule, budget, or resources?
The scope baseline
The Scope Management Planning creates…
the Scope Management Plan and the Requirements Management Plan.
The Scope Management Plan explains…
how you will develop, maintain and control the Scope Statement and WBS.
Collecting the requirements involves…
creating the Requirements Traceability Matrix and Requirements Documentation.
Defining the scope means…
creating the Scope Statement.
The Scope Statement is…
what the Product and Project will be
what the Product & Project won’t be
What variations, tolerances, thresholds, and alternatives there are
The Acceptance criteria of the project
Create a WBS…
Highest Level = Planning Package (where the PM manages the project from) = Control Accounts
Lowest Level = Work Package
Work packages get decomposed when…
defining activities (Schedule Management)
Predictive Estimating tool: Analogous (Top-Down) =
Using past experience or lessons learned to form your estimates.
Predictive Estimating Tool: Parametric =
Using a historical and multiplying it by the amount of times you have to repeat it.
Predictive Estimating Tool: Bottom-Up =
Most accurate, but most timely
A way to determine how to get back on track
Sequencing activities and estimating activity duration happen…
at the same time and end up on the Network Diagram
Schedule Management/Network Diagramming: Forward Pass
Largest number wins
Schedule Management/Network Diagramming: Backwards Pass
Critical Path Wins
In Project Network Diagramming, Slack, Float, and Total Float…
are all the same thing - the amount of time an activity can be delayed.
What is free float?
The amount of time that an activity can use without affecting the successor.
What are schedule compression options?
Crashing: Adds resources to an activity to get it done faster. Only crash the critical path.
Fast-Tracking: increased risk (never add risk without approval)
Early Start ….
Late Start ….
Early Finish
Late Finish
Cost Baseline
Time phased spending of money
Budget at Completion
Aggregated costs + contingency reserve
The contingency reserve is for…
things in the risk register (you knew, you planned, and you thought it might happen)
Management reserve is for…
things I did not plan for. Must ask senior management for the money.
(You didn’t know, you couldn’t have planned for, you are surprised, or was unexpected)
SV +$
Ahead of Schedule
SV -$
Behind Schedule
CV +$
Under Budget
CV -$
Over Budget
CPI > 1
Under Budget
CPI <1
Over Budget
TCPI =
(BAC-EV)
_________
(BAC-AC)
or
EAC-AC
Earned Value (EV)
How much has been completed to this point?
Actual Costs (AC)
How much have you spent so far?
Estimate at Completion (EAC)
How much you will spend by the end?
Estimate to Complete (ETC)
How much do you have left to spend?
Variance at Completion (VAC)
What is the difference in saving or losses from your original budget?
TCPI
<1 = Good
>1 = Bad
Measure of Efficiency for the remainder of the project
Resource Management Plan
How to manage people, equipment, materials, and supplies.
Creates Team Charter
Estimate Activity Resources requires
Activity list
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
RACI
Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed
RASI
Responsible Accountable, Supported, Informed
Communication Channels equation
(N(N-1))/2
What are the two required parts of communication security?
- List of people who have access
- Specified Technology to use
What is the communication Model?
Sender “Encodes”
Receiver “Decodes”
Only the intended receiver can decode a message
Osmotic Communication
Communication in the background that is picked up by the team due to environmental/working conditions (co-location)
High bandwidth communication
Face to Face comms
Most preferred.
Hierarchical Communication Dimension is…
Upward, Downward, and horizontal.
Risk management plan risk definitions should…
have clear definitions to ensure everyone knows what high, medium, and low is.
What should be taken and documented in the Risk Management plan to ensure we can meet expectations.
An evaluation of Stakeholder’s risk tolerance
A Risk is…
something positive or negative that may impact your project and has a risk response planned (annotated on the risk register).
An Issue is…
something that may impact your project, is ALWAYS negative. (annotated and tracked on the issue log).
Before creating a workaround…
check the risk register to see if a risk response was already planned.
If an issue is not on the risk register (did not plan for it)…
the create a workaround for the issue.
Management reserve is used for…
unanticipated issues (issues not on the risk register).
Contingency reserve is used for…
anticipated risks (on the risk register).
Burn down chart
Used to measure the remaining tasks and can forecast estimated time for completion
Burn up chart
Used to measure work completed and can forecast estimated time for completion
Kanban Board
Information Radiator that shows the work in progress and uses a Pull method. Aids in identifying bottlenecks and delays.
Information Radiators
Visual tools used to display the status or information of the project.
Agile Artifacts that project the status of the project so it is visible and transparent.
Kanban boards
Backlogs
Burnup/Burn-down charts
Flowcharts
Roadmaps
Vision Statements
Quality Reports
Used to determine if desired quality is being achieved
Work performance data
the raw observations of the project work
Work Performance Information
The analysis of the observations made compared to the plan
Work Performance Report
Reports providing context on the current status of the project for stakeholders
Stakeholder analysis
To identify stakeholders. Categorized stakeholders into groups, identify expectations, and requirements of each stakeholder or group of stakeholders
Ways to assess stakeholders
Power/Interest Grid
Power/Influence Grid
Salience Model
Stakeholder Register
List of all stakeholders with expectations, requirements, importance, influence, and support.
Updated throughout project.
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Ensures a plan of action for dealing with stakeholders based on expectations of the project and established requirements. Includes SEAM
Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix (SEAM)
shows current state vs desired state for each stakeholder or group
Kaizen
change is good
Cost of conformance
Prevention costs vs appraisal cost
cost of non-conformance
internal vs external failure
What is needed for quality to take place?
the organization needs to have a shared culture of quality
Why should you conduct audits?
to ensure your processes work and your people are following the process
Inspect deliverables to ensure…
they meet requirements specifications.
Look for opportunities to…
improve, become more efficient, save costs, and shorten the time it takes to reach the customer’s hands.
Deliverables workflow…
Collect Requirements
Create Scope Baseline
Do the Work
Internal Inspection - Quality Control
Verified deliverables to customer for inspection - Validate Scope
Accepted Deliverables -> Close out project/phase
Admin/Legal/Financial
Project Baseline Performance Tracking
Baselines, Work performance ->
Control Scope/Schedule/Costs ->
Current State & Forecasts
What kind of activity is ‘Identifying Stakeholders’?
Continuous Activity
Organizational Structures
Functional
Matrix
Projectized
Organizational Structure - Functional
PM Authority - little to none
Resource availability - little to none
Who Manages? Functional Manager
PM role? Part time
PM Admin Staff? Part time
Organizational Structure - Matrix
Weak - Balanced - Strong
PM Authority: Low, Mod, High
Resources: Low, Mod, High
Manager?: Funct. Mng, Mixed, PM
PM Role: Part time, full, full
PM Admin Staff: part, part, full
Organizational Structure - Projectized
PM Authority: High, almost total
Resources?: High to almost total
Manager?: PM
PM Role?: Full-time
PM Admin Staff?: Full-time
Predictive Project Artifacts
Business Documents: Business Case, Business Needs Document, Benefit Management Plan
Project Charter: Names the Project Manager, and provides authority. Signed by the sponsor.
McGregor’s Theory X
Lack Integrity
Avoid Responsibility
Work as little as possible
Prefer direction
McGregor’s Theory Y
Have Integrity
Work towards objectives
Wants to achieve
Will make decisions
McClelland’s Achievement Theory
Achievement
Power, Emotional Needs, Affiliation
Frederick Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory - Job Dissatisfaction
Hygiene Factors
Working Conditions
Coworker relations
Policies and rules
Supervisor quality
Base wage and salary
Status
Frederick Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory - Job Satisfaction
Motivation Factors
Achievement
Recognition
Responsibility
Work Itself
Advancement
Personal Growth
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self-Actualization - desire to become the most one can be
Esteem - respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom
Love and belonging - friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection
Safety needs - personal security, employment, resources, health, property
Physiological needs - air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
Tuckman’s Ladder Model of Team Development
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Forming - Team Leader Role
Outlines mission; Looks for agreement on team roles, rules, and guidelines for decision making
Storming - Team Leader Role
Team deals with confusion and conflict over goals, decision-making, roles and control
TL Facilitates discussion; ensures common understanding of agreements
Norming
Team accepts goals, roles, rules, works positively
TL - Encourages norming process; supports and coaches, celebrates success
Performing
Team focuses on achieving goals; personal growth for team members; conflict handled positively
TL - Encourages high performance; facilitates communication; celebrates success
What is the worst conflict management approach?
Withdraw/Avoid
What is the best conflict management approach?
Collaborate/Problem Solve (takes time)
Conflict Management Approaches
Withdraw/Avoid (Worst)
Smooth/Accommodate (giving in rather than addressing issue)
Compromise/Reconcile (Both sides lose something)
Force/Direct (When resolution needs to be immediate)
Collaborate/Problem Solve (Best but takes time)
Active Listening - Reflecting
- Repeat the gist of the message
- Verify your understanding of the message
Active Listening - Attending
- Lean slightly toward the speaker
- Stay at eye-level
- Maintain eye contact without staring
Active Listening - Following
- Respond with non-verbal gesture or verbal response
- Ask questions
- Allow speaker moment to collect their thoughts
Servant Leadership Duties
- Shield the team from interruptions
- Remove impediments to progress
- Communication (and re-communicate) the project vision
Carry food and water (have essential resources to nourish the team)
Leadership Tasks
- Practice Transparency through visualization
- Create a safe environment for experimentation
- Experiment with New Techniques and processes
- Share Knowledge through collaboration
- encourage emergent leadership via a safe environment
