project management

Question 1

What are the 6 goals of project management?

Answer 1

1. To reach the end of the project
2. To reach the end on budget
3. To reach the end on time
4. To reach the end safely
5. To reach the end as error-free as possible
6. To reach the end meeting everyone’s expectations

Question 2

What are the 6 activities of project management?

Answer 2

1. Defining - scope of work/budget/schedule + objectives
2. Planning - how to perform the work on time/in $
3. Directing - the design team
4. Coordinating - efforts of interdisciplinary team
5. Monitoring - design team’s work and progress against schedule
6. Learning

Question 3

What are the 5 phases/stages of project management?

Answer 3

1. Start - project begins
2. Planning - how to perform work (iterative)
3. Design - work out overall design (iterative)
4. Production - preparation of CDs and other deliverables (linear)
5. Closeout - project work is completed

Question 4

What are the 4 primary ways in which design firms are organized?

Answer 4

• Sole proprietorship
• Design Studio - a few to 50 +/- employees
• Multiple Design Studio Organization - larger firms w/ studio team leader
• Matrix Organization - huge organizations; includes separate PMs (projects) and Discipline heads (work product/discipline)

Question 5

What are 3 necessary decision-making skills of PMs?

Answer 5

1. deduction - the inference that a conclusion necessarily follows from one or more general premises
2. induction - inference that a concl. can be drawn from 1+ specific observations/facts
3. abduction - creative educated guesswork based on avail. info + past experience

Question 6

What are the 6 objectives of the Project Work Plan?

Answer 6

1. Definition of project objectives
2. Identification of project team
3. Breakdown of project into task budgets
4. Development of project schedule
5. Establishment of project quality-control program
6. Identification of other project-specific procedures and/or standards

Question 7

WORK PLAN-project objectives

Answer 7

• General description of project, including unusual features
• Major project Objectives
• Major milestones (project phases)
• Project Construction Budget (if known)
• Deliverables by milestones/phases

Question 8

WORK PLAN-project team

Answer 8

• Project Organization chart
• List of key team members, names, affiliations (in house or consultants), phone #s, addresses
• roles and responsibilities of team members

Question 9

WORK PLAN - Project task-budget info

Answer 9

• List of project tasks and their budgets (expressed as $$ or hours)
• WBS task codes (time-card charge codes)
• ODC (other direct cost) budgets

Question 10

WORK PLAN - project schedule information

Answer 10

• project schedule

- project milestone information

Question 11

WORK PLAN- project quality control procedures

Answer 11

• Quality-control plan
• Identification of QC manager
• Quality-control procedures

Question 12

WORK PLAN- Miscellaneous Procedures

Answer 12

• Accounting/invoicing info
• Project safety procedures
• CADD and drafting standards and procedures, incl. identification of CADD manager
• Project filing procedures
• Telephone conversation and meeting minutes standards

Question 13

Work breakdown Structure (WBS)

Answer 13

Defines the hierarchy of project tasks, subtasks, and work packages
Breaks the project down into manageable pieces
highest level/broadest = first

Question 14

What are essential requirements of a task (as opposed to an assignment)?

Answer 14

1. An objective
2. A duration
3. A level of effort

Question 15

What must the PM ask to determine project objectives?

Answer 15

• What is to be done? (project to be designed + standards for drawing it)
• When is it to be done?
• Who is to do it? (project team organization chart)
• How much will it cost? (setting aside $$ for contingency, commonly 10%)

Question 16

When is a lump sum contract typically used?

Answer 16

When the design project is well-defined, with defined deliverables and phases

Question 17

When are time and materials contracts typically used?

Answer 17

When it is difficult or impossible to determine a scope of work in advance. They are more difficult to administer b/c they require detailed invoicing of labor hours and ODCs (other direct costs)

Question 18

What kind of profit do design contracts typically expect?

Answer 18

8-15% is a typical estimate/goal

Question 19

What are 3 Alternative Dispute Techniques?

Answer 19

1. Partnering - facilitator-led team building sessions that include the owner, contractor & design prof.
2. Mediation - voluntary method of dispute resolution; 3rd party mediator is agreed to by all parties who helps negotiate agreement; NOT binding
3. Arbitration - formal method (includes lawyers) of presenting case to a panel of one+ individuals who are empowered to render a binding decision

Question 20

Contingency

Answer 20

An amount of money (and/or time) added to an estimate to cover unknown conditions or risk factors

Question 21

What information is needed to give an informed cost estimate?

Answer 21

• intended use
• scope
• functional space program
• quality
• size
• geographic location
• site conditions
• construction bidding climate
• schedule

Question 22

Earned Value

Answer 22

The amount of the budget allotted to a particular task that has been accomplished x % complete

Question 23

What are the 3 main types of project schedule formats?

Answer 23

1. Milestone List schedule - chronological list with due dates for critical or contractually obligated milestones (tiny projects)
2. Bar/Gantt Chart Schedule (small-medium) - bar chart with time, common in construction industry
3. Critical Path Method (large/complex projects) - process flow diagram that identifies critical work items whose timely completion is necessary for the project to meet schedule deadlines

Question 24

architects supplemental instruction

Answer 24

used to correct errors or omissions in contract between owner and designer