Session 2 gdas pmp study group presentation

GDAS PM Professions:
PMP Study Group
Session #2: Project Framework & PM Processes

Monique Howard
August 21, 2008

© 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice

Agenda
• Summary of Focus
− Project Management Framework
− Project Management Processes
• Open Forum: Participant Questions
• Study Group Questions
• Wrap Up

Project Management Framework
• Key concepts to understand:
− Project vs. Operational Work
− Triple Constraint
• Scope, Time and Cost
• Quality, Risk and Customer Satisfaction (Extended)
− PM Areas of Expertise
• PM Body of Knowledge
• Application Area Knowledge, Standards and Regulations
• Understanding the Project Environment
• General Management knowledge and skills
• Interpersonal skills
− PMO: Project Management Office
− Difference between project and program

Project Management Framework
− Stakeholder Management
• stakeholder – anyone whose interests may be positively or
negatively impacted by the project (customer, project team,
sponsor, PMO, etc.)
• Identify all of them and determine all their requirements,
determine their expectations, communicate and manage them.
− Project Life Cycle common characteristics:
• At the beginning risk is high, impact is low, stakeholder
influence is high, cost and staffing levels are low.
− Organizational Structures:
• Functional, Matrix and Projectized
• Differences, Advantages/disadvantages
− PM Authority
• Formal/Legitimate, Reward, Penalty/Coercive, Referent,
Expert/Technical, Charismatic.

Project Management Processes
− Five PM Processes and PDCA
• Initiating = Start the Cycle
− Defines and authorizes the project or a project phase
− Project Charter and Preliminary Project Scope statement are the major outputs of this
process
• Planning = Plan
− Define and refines objectives, and plans the course of action required to attain the
objectives and scope that the project was undertaken to address
− A Project Management Plan is the result of this process
• Executing = Do
− Integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for
the project
• Monitoring & Controlling: Check and Act
− Regularly measures and monitors progress to identify variances from the project
management plan so that corrective action can be taken when necessary to meet
project objectives
− One of the worst scoring knowledge areas
• Closing = End the Cycle
− Formalizes acceptance of the product, service or result and brings the project or a
project phase to an orderly end.

− PMBOK
• ITTO Matrix, Page Number: 70

Open Forum: Participant Questions

If you have a question, raise your hand

Study Group Questions
Delivery Format:

•Each Question will be displayed and read
•Survey Box will be used to solicit answer
•Based on responses, we will discuss options
•Answer will be revealed

1. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a project?

A. Constrained by limited resources
B. Planned, executed and controlled
C. Creates a unique product or service
D. Can be ongoing and repetitive

Answer: D
Justification: A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to
create a unique product, service or result ... Temporary means
that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 5

2. In a kick-off meeting for your project, you provided information to your
team members about the different process groups which will be
followed during project implementation. According to PMI, what are the
project management process groups?

A. Conceptualizing, Initiating, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
B. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
C. Initiating, Verifying, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
D. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, Administrative Closure

Answer: B
Justification: The five process groups are:
Initiating Process Group
Planning Process Group
Executing Process Group
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
Closing Process Group


3. You are managing the release of a new drug in the market. Your role is
that of a:

A. Functional Manager, because you have good functional knowledge of the
pharmaceutical industry
B. Project Manager, because you are creating a unique product within
specific time schedules
C. Operations Manager, because you have to do several repetitive tasks
D. Program Manager, because you have to manage several sub-projects to
effectively do your job

Answer: B
Justification: A project creates unique deliverables, which are
products, services or results. Projects can create:... A capability to
perform a service, such as business functions supporting
production or distribution


4. During a team meeting, a team member asks about the measurements
that will be used on the project to judge performance. The team member
feels that some of the measures related to activities assigned him are
not valid measurements. The project is BEST considered in what part of
the project management process?

A. Closing
B. Monitoring and Controlling
C. Executing
D. Initiating

Answer: C
Justification: This situation does not describe an actual measurement (a
monitoring and controlling activity) but rather a meeting occurring during
project executing talking about control issues

Reference: Rita Mulcahy, Page Number: 84

5. As a project manager in the automobile industry, you have to be aware
of government regulations about the width of vehicles, type of fuel to
be used, safety requirements etc. You should also have knowledge of
the guidelines, best practices and standards which are used in the
industry.

In this context, which statement related to Standards and Regulations
is not correct?
A. A Standard is a document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body
B. Regulations are mandatory but Standards are not mandatory
C. Standards after widespread adoption may become de facto regulations
D. The influence of standards and regulations on a project is always known

Answer: D
Justification: The project manager should try to find out the
different standards and regulations which may impact the project.
However, the influence of standards and regulations on a project
is not always known.

Reference: pmstudy notes as mentioned above.

Also, please refer to PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 13

6. Your IT Company is responsible for making software virus programs.
You are responsible for managing both the individual product releases
and the co-ordination of multiple releases over time. Your role is that of
a:
A. Program Manager
B. Project Manager
C. Functional Manager
D. Operations Manager

Answer: A
Justification: A program is a group of related projects managed
in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available
from managing them individually. Programs may include elements
of related work outside the scope of discrete projects in the
program.


7. You have reached the end of the design phase of your project. You decide to call a
"phase end review" for obtaining authorization to close the design phase and
initiate the next phase (i.e. execution phase) of your project.

Your manager disagrees with your suggestion. He wants a "kill point" to formally
end the design phase of the project. In this context, you should:

A. Disagree with your manager because you know that phase end reviews should be
used at the end of each phase of the project
B. Agree with your manager
C. Escalate this issue to the project sponsor
D. Take advice from a senior project manager about what should actually be done at the
end of each phase of the project

Answer: B
Justification: A phase end review can be held with the explicit goals of obtaining
authorization to close the current phase and to initiate the subsequent one... Phase end
reviews are also called phase exits, phase gates, or kill points.


pmstudy notes: Essentially both you and your manager are talking about the same thing
(i.e. "phase end reviews" are also referred to as "kill points")

8. A project manager has very little project experience, but he has been
assigned as the project manager of a new project. Because he will be
working in a matrix organization to complete his project, he can
expect communications to be:

A. Simple
B. Open and accurate
C. Complex
D. Hard to automate

Answer: C
Justification: Because a project done in a matrix organization
involves people from across the organization, communications
are more complex

Reference: Rita Mulcahy, Pages, 27 – 30, 35

9. You are working in the Project Office of your organization. What is
your job responsibility?

A. Managing the operational activities in the company.
B. Managing Human resource and Risk Management issues for projects
C. Providing support functions to Project Managers in the form of training,
software, standardized policies etc.
D. Providing Subject Matter Expertise in the Functional areas of the project

Answer: C
Justification: A Project Management Office (PMO) is an organizational unit to
centralize and coordinate the management of projects under its domain. A
PMO can also be referred to as ... "project office." PMOs can operate in a
continuum from providing project management support functions in the form of
training, software, standardized policies and procedures, to actual direct
management and responsibility for achieving the project objectives.


10. In which organizational structure does a project manager have
maximum influence?

A. Functional Organization
B. Weak Matrix
C. Strong Matrix
D. Projectized Organization

Answer: D
Justification: Figure 2-6 (Organizational Structure Influences on
Projects). It shows that project managers have maximum
influence in a projectized organization.


11. Which of the following is the most resistant to change?

A. Business Requirements
B. Technology
C. People
D. Environment

Answer: C
Justification: People exhibit a greater resistance to change than
to other factors

Reference: Project Management - A Systems Approach to
Planning, Scheduling and Controlling ; pmstudy.com notes as
mentioned above

12. Matrix organizations exhibit features of both projectized and functional
organizations. In a weak matrix organization, the role of a project
manager is that of a:

A. coordinator and expediter
B. manager with considerable authority
C. support person
D. functional manager

Answer: A
Justification: Weak matrix organizations maintain many of the
features of a functional organization and the project manager role
is more that of a coordinator or expediter than that of a manager.


13. Your manager has decided that all orders will be treated as “projects” and that
project managers will be used to update orders daily, resolving issues and
ensuring that the customer formally accepts the product within 30 days of
completion. Revenue from the individual orders can vary from U.S. $100 to U.S.
$150,000. The project manager will not be required to perform planning or provide
documentation other than daily status. How would you define this situation?

A. Because each individual order is a ‘temporary endeavor,’ each order is a project.
B. This is program management since there are multiple projects involved.
C. This is a recurring process.
D. Orders incurring revenue over $100,000 would be considered projects and would
involve project management.

Answer: C
Justification: Because orders are numerous and short duration, this
situation is a process, not a project

Reference: Rita Mulcahy, Pages: 21 – 22; 36

14. You have recently joined as a project manager in a company where
they follow a projectized organizational structure. All your team
members work in the same office, where you have a lot of
independence and authority. All the following are advantages of a
projectized organizational structure EXCEPT:

A. Loyalty of the project team to the project
B. Home for the team-members after the project is completed
C. More effective communication among the team members
D. Efficient project organization

Answer: B
Justification: In a projectized organization, most of the
organizational resources are involved in the project work. One big
problem is that the project team members do not belong to a
specific functional group and hence do not have any "home" once
the project is over.

Reference: pmstudy.com notes

15. Your project stakeholder has asked you to create a financial plan
for your project. Preparing a financial plan will require:

A. Program management skills
B. Industry specific skills
C. Financial subject matter expertise
D. Both project management and industry specific skills

Answer: D
Justification: Preparing a financial plan requires both project
management and Industry specific skills.

Reference: pmstudy.com notes as mentioned above

16. Collectively, project phases are also referred to as "Project Life
Cycle". All the following statements about a project life cycle are
correct EXCEPT:

A. All project life cycles are usually identical
B. The level of risk is highest at the start of the project, and decreases as the
project progresses.
C. The ability of the stakeholders to influence the final characteristics is highest at
the start, and gets progressively lower as the project continues.
D. Cost and staffing requirements usually peak during the intermediate phases

Answer: A
Justification: Although many project life cycles have similar
phase names with similar deliverables, few project life cycles are
identical. Some can have four or five phases, but others may
have nine or more.


17. In your organization, all big technical projects follow six life-cycles
( i.e. Initiate, Analyze, Design, Implement, Test and Closeout). In this
context, a project life cycle

A. defines the product life cycle.
B. defines the project phases.
C. consists of several product life cycles.
D. has deliverables that must be completed before work starts on the next phase.

Answer: B
Justification: Project managers or the organization can divide
projects into phases to provide better management control with
appropriate links to the ongoing operations of the performing
organization. Collectively, these phases are known as the
project life cycle. Many organizations identify a specific set of life
cycles for use on all of their projects


18. A project manager has to manage different stakeholder expectations.
Project sponsor and customer are two very important stakeholders in
any project. In this context, which statement is incorrect?

A. Along with the customer, the sponsor threshold for risks should be taken into
account.
B. Along with the customer, the sponsor may provide key events, milestones, and
deliverable due dates.
C. Along with the customer, the sponsor formally accepts the product of the project.
D. Along with the customer, the sponsor provides financial resources for the project.

Answer: D
Justification: All the statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct


Statement 4 is incorrect - the sponsor provides the financial
resources (in cash or kind) for the project. The customer on the
other hand uses the project`s product and does not provide
financial resources for the project.


19. As a project manager for a construction company, you are
responsible for Scope Definition, Activity Definition, Schedule
Development and Cost Budgeting. These responsibilities are
performed as a part of :

A. Closing
B. Concept
C. Planning
D. Controlling

Answer: C
Justification: Table 3-45


20. Almost all projects are planned and implemented in a social, economic or
environmental context, and have intended and unintended positive or negative
impacts. In this context, the project team should do all of the following EXCEPT:

A. Understand how the project affects people and people affect the project. This may
require understanding the economic, demographic and educational characteristics
of people whom the project affects or who may have interests in the project.
B. Understand the political climate that could affect the project.
C. Always be aware of the physical geography and local ecology where the project is
being executed.
D. If you have an international team, consider factors like time-zone differences,
national and regional holidays etc.

Answer: C
Justification: If the project will affect the physical surroundings, some team members
should be knowledgeable about the local ecology and physical geography that could affect the
project or be affected by the project.


pmstudy notes: Look out for words like "Always", "All the time", "Never" etc. which suggest
that there cannot be any exceptions - try to find out whether exceptions are applicable to the
particular situation. In this context, please note that several projects do not impact physical
surroundings (e.g. several IT projects may not have any impact on physical surroundings)

21. As a project manager, you realize that handling Project Stakeholder expectations
is an important priority. Which statement regarding project stakeholders is not
correct?

A. Negative stakeholders must be ignored if the project has to be brought to a successful
completion.
B. Stakeholders have varying levels of responsibility and authority when participating on
a project and these can change over the project`s life cycle.
C. Some key stakeholders include project manager, performing organization, project
team members, customer and sponsor.
D. Stakeholder expectations may be difficult to manage because stakeholders often have
conflicting objectives.

Answer: A
Justification: Positive stakeholders are those who would normally benefit from a successful
outcome from the project, while negative stakeholders are those who see negative outcomes
from the project`s success... Negative stakeholders are often overlooked by the project team
at the risk of failing to bring the projects to a successful end.


pmstudy.com comments: Negative stakeholders and their impact on the project should
always be taken into consideration.

22. In your company, project managers share responsibility with the
functional manager for assigning priorities and for directing the work of
persons assigned to the project. Which of the following is not the
responsibility of project managers in your company?

A. Performing resource planning
B. Managing cost and budget
C. Carrying out performance appraisal of project team
D. Completing task definitions

Answer: C
Justification: Matrix Organization: Any organizational structure in which the project
manager shares responsibility with the functional managers for assigning priorities and
for directing the work of persons assigned to the project.
Reference: PMBOK 3rd Edition Page Number 364

So, effectively, your company follows a matrix organizational structure.

In a matrix organization, Personnel Performance Management is not the responsibility
of the project manager; this task is done by the Functional Managers.
Reference: Project Management - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and
Controlling

Wrap Up
Conference Number: 547-941-6414 or 866-547-8978
Passcode: Leader – 844306338, Participant – 370670831

3 Professional Responsibility & September 2:00pm Presenter: https://
Integration Management 11 EST
(PMBOK Chapters 4 & PMI
www.rooms.hp.com/attend/default.aspx?key
Code of Conduct) =EHMRS664ZY
Participant: https://
www.rooms.hp.com/attend/default.aspx?key
=EPS9H9CYRR

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