CIS 517 WEEK 1
Q1 All of the following statements are true except for which one?
Portfolios are collections of interdependent projects or programs.
A project may or may not be part of a program.
Project life cycles are collections of sequential and occasionally overlapping project phases.
Programs are groups of related projects.
Q2: Which of the following describes the Executing process group?
Project plans are put into action.
Project plans are published.
Project plans are developed.
Project performance measurements are taken and analyzed.
Q3: You are managing a project to install a new postage software system that will automatically print labels and administer postage for certified mailings, overnight packages, and other special mailing needs. You've attempted to gain the cooperation of the business analyst working on this project, and you need some answers. She is elusive and tells you that this project is not her top priority. What should you do to avoid situations like this in the future?
Negotiate with the business analyst's functional manager during the planning process to establish expectations, and inform the functional manager of the requirements of the project. Agreement from the functional manager will assure the cooperation of the business analyst.
Negotiate with the business analyst's functional manager during the planning process to establish expectations and request to participate in the business analyst's annual performance review.
Establish the business analyst's duties well ahead of due dates, and tell her you are expecting her to meet these expectations because the customer is counting on the project meeting due dates to save significant costs on their annual mailings.
Establish the business analyst's duties well ahead of due dates, and tell her you'll be reporting on her performance to her functional manager.
Explanation: Answer option B is correct.
The best answer to this question according to the PMBOK® Guide is to negotiate with the functional manager to participate in the business analyst's annual performance review. A is an appropriate response but doesn't include the direction that the project manager should participate in the performance review.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: You've decided to try your hand at project management in the entertainment industry. You're working on a movie production and the phases are performed sequentially. The team has just completed the storyboard phase of the project. Which of the following is true?
The division of phases and determining which processes to use in each phase is called tailoring.
The storyboard is a deliverable that marks the end of the phase.
The storyboard phase marks the end of the Initiating process group, and the next phase of the project should begin.
The writing phase can begin once the majority of the storyboard phase is complete.
Q: What is one of the advantages of a functional organization?
Teams are co-located.
All employees report to one manager and have a clear chain of command.
All employees report to two or more managers, but project team members show loyalty to functional managers.
The organization is focused on projects and project work.
Explanation: Answer option B is correct.
Advantages for employees in a functional organization are that they have only one supervisor and a clear chain of command exists.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: Which organization has set the de facto standards for project management techniques?
PMO
PMI®
PBO
PMBOK®
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: Your company manufactures small kitchen appliances. It is introducing a new product line of appliances in designer colors with distinctive features for kitchens in small spaces. These new products will be offered indefinitely starting with the spring catalog release. Which of the following is true?
This is not a project or an ongoing operation. This is a new product introduction not affecting ongoing operations.
This is an ongoing operation because the new product line will be sold indefinitely. It's not temporary.
This is an ongoing operation because the company is in the business of manufacturing kitchen appliances. Introducing designer colors and features is simply a new twist on an existing process.
This is a project because this new product line has never been manufactured and sold by this company before.
Q: Who is responsible for applying skills, knowledge, and project management tools and techniques to project activities to successfully complete project objectives?
Project sponsor
Program manager
Project manager
Project stakeholder
Q: Which of the following applies a set of tools and techniques used to describe, organize, and monitor the work of project activities to meet the project requirements?
The PMBOK® Guide
Project management
Stakeholders
Project managers
Q: Project managers have the highest level of authority and the most power in which type of organizational structure?
Strong matrix
Functional
Balanced matrix
Projectized
Q: The project sponsor has approached you with a dilemma. At the annual stockholders meeting, the CEO announced that the project you're managing will be completed by the end of this year. The problem is that this is six months prior to the scheduled completion date. It's too late to go back and correct her mistake, and now stockholders expect implementation by the announced date. You must speed up the delivery date of this project. Your primary constraint before this occurred was the budget. Choose the best action from the options listed to speed up the project.
Examine the project management plan to see whether there are any phases that can be fast-tracked, and then revise the project management plan to reflect the compression of the schedule.
Utilize negotiation and influencing skills to convince the project sponsor to speak with the CEO and make a correction to her announcement.
Ask for more money so that you can contract out one of the phases you had planned to do with in-house resources.
Hire more resources to get the work completed faster.
Q: You have been assigned to a project in which the objectives are to expand three miles of the north-to-south highway through your city by two lanes in each direction. You are interested in implementing a new project process called Design-Build in order to speed up the project schedule. The idea is that the construction team will work on the first mile of the highway reconstruction at the same time the design team is coming up with plans for the third mile of the reconstruction rather than completing all design before any construction begins. This is an example of which of the following?
An overlapping phase-to-phase relationship
Progressive elaboration
Handoffs
Managing the projects as a program
Explanation: Answer option A is correct.
An overlapping phase-to-phase relationship allows you to begin the next phase before the phase you're working on is completed.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: Which of the following process groups contains the most processes?
Monitoring and controlling
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Q: Which of the following process groups contains the lowest number of processes?
Initiating and closing
Executing and planning
Executing and closing
Initiating and planning
Q: What are the five project management process groups, in order?
Initiating, Monitoring and Controlling, Planning, Executing, and Closing
Initiating, Executing, Planning, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing
Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing
Initiating, Planning, Monitoring and Controlling, Executing, and Closing
Q: You are the project manager for a large construction project. The project objective is to construct a set of outbuildings to house the Olympic support team that will be arriving in your city 18 months from the project start date. Resources are not readily available because they are currently assigned to other projects. Jack, an expert crane operator, is needed for this project two months from today. Which of the following skills will you use to get Jack assigned to your project?
Communication skills
Problem-solving skills
Negotiation and influencing skills
Communication and organizational skills
Q: The VP of customer service has expressed concern over a project in which you're involved. His specific concern is that if the project is implemented as planned, he'll have to purchase additional equipment to staff his customer service center. The cost was not taken into consideration in the project budget. The project sponsor insists that the project must go forward as originally planned or the customer will suffer. Which of the following is true?
The conflict should be resolved in favor of the project sponsor.
The conflict should be resolved in favor of the VP of customer service.
The VP of customer service is correct. Since the cost was not taken into account at the beginning of the project, the project should not go forward as planned. Project initiation should be revisited to examine the project plan and determine how changes can be made to accommodate customer service.
The conflict should be resolved in favor of the customer.
Explanation: Answer option D is correct.
Conflicts between stakeholders should always be resolved in favor of the customer. This question emphasizes the importance of identifying your stakeholders and their needs as early as possible in the project.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: The VP of marketing approaches you and requests that you change the visitor logon screen on the company's website to include a username with at least six characters. This is considered which of the following?
Project execution
A project
Ongoing operations
Project initiation
Q: You are refining the product description for your company's new line of ski boots. Which of the following statements is true?
You are in the Initiating processes of your project and know that the product description will contain more detail in this stage and that a decreasing amount of detail will be added to it as the project progresses.
You are in the Planning processes of your project and know that the product description will contain less detail in this stage and greater detail as the project progresses.
You are in the Planning processes of your project and know that the product description should contain the most detail possible at this stage because this is critical information for the Planning process.
You are in the Initiating processes of your project and know that the product description will contain less detail in this stage and greater detail as the project progresses.
Q: You are a project manager working on gathering requirements and establishing estimates for the project. Which process group are you in?
Planning
Monitoring and Controlling
Initiating
Executing
Q: During which project management process group are risk and stakeholder's ability to influence project outcomes the highest?
Monitoring and Controlling
Planning
Executing
Initiating
The Initiating process group is where stakeholders have the greatest ability to influence outcomes of the project. Risk is highest during this stage because of the high degree of unknown factors.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: You have been assigned to a project that will allow job seekers to fill out applications and submit them via the company website. You report to the VP of human resources. You are also responsible for screening applications for the information technology division and setting up interviews. The project coordinator has asked for the latest version of your changes to the online application page for his review. Which organizational structure do you work in?
Balanced matrix organization
Functional organization
Weak matrix organization
Projectized organization
Q: Your company manufactures small kitchen appliances. It is introducing a new product line of appliances in designer colors with distinctive features for kitchens in small spaces. These new products will be offered indefinitely starting with the spring catalog release. To determine the characteristics and features of the new product line, you will have to perform which of the following?
Consulting with the stakeholders
Planning the project life cycle
Progressive elaboration
Fast tracking
Q: You have been assigned to a project in which the objectives are to direct customer calls to an interactive voice response system before being connected to a live agent. You are in charge of the media communications for this project. You report to the project manager in charge of this project and the VP of marketing, who share responsibility for this project. Which organizational structure do you work in?
Projectized organization
Balanced matrix organization
Functional organization
Weak matrix organization
Objective: Review Questions
Q: The amount of authority a project manager possesses can be related to all of following except which one?
The project management maturity level of the organization
The interaction with various levels of management
The key stakeholder's influence on the project
The organizational structure
Q: What is one of the most important skills a project manager can have?
Negotiation skills
Influencing skills
Communication skills
Problem-solving skills
Objective: Skills Every Good Project Manager Needs
Q: All of the following are true regarding phase-to-phase relationships except for which one?
Planning for an iterative phase begins when the work of the previous phase is progressing.
Handoffs occur after a phase-end review in an overlapping phased project.
During sequentially phased projects, the previous phase must finish before the next phase can begin.
Fast tracking is a compression technique that can be applied as a phase-to-phase relationship.
_________________ .
The product of the project has been manufactured.
The project sponsor announces the completion of the project.
The product of the project is turned over to the operations area to handle the ongoing aspects of the project.
The project meets the expectations of the stakeholders.
Explanation: Answer option D is correct.
A project is considered successful when stakeholder needs and expectations are met.
Lesson: What Is a Project?
Objective: Review Questions
Q: You have been assigned to a project in which the objectives are to expand three miles of the north-to-south highway through your city by two lanes in each direction. You are in charge of the demolition phase of this project, and you report to the project manager in charge of this project. You have been hired on contract and will be released at the completion of the demolition phase. What type of organizational structure does this represent?
Projectized organization
Balanced matrix organization
Functional organization
Weak matrix organization
USA 
India