Deck 14: Project Closeout and Termination

Question 1

The trailer had been reinforced,re-decked and had a fresh coat of paint.It was fully complete and finally ready for a run to Kansas City to pick up a rebounding son.This project has achieved natural termination.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Termination by addition occurs when:

A)Scope creep adds too many activities to the project that prevent it from being completed on time or within budget.
B)The project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized.
C)A new project is added to the organization and it commands all of the resources for the original project.
D)New members join the project team once the project has begun and their skills are insufficient to successfully complete the project.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which type of project termination can occur for a project that is successful and for a project that is unsuccessful?

A)Termination by addition
B)Termination by integration
C)Termination by extinction
D)Termination by starvation

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the difference between natural termination and unnatural termination of a project? Provide an example of each.

Question 5

Once the project was successfully concluded,the team members returned to their roles in the organization,occasionally congregating at the water cooler to relive their halcyon days of yore.No one could argue that their project was:

A)Terminated by extinction.
B)Terminated by addition.
C)Terminated by integration.
D)Terminated by starvation.

Question 6

Which of these project closeout management steps requires objectivity,internal consistency,fairness,and replicability?

A)Disband the team
B)Finish the work
C)Gain acceptance for the product
D)Review how it all went

Question 7

Of the project closeout management steps listed,the last is to:

A)Hand over the project.
B)Finish the work.
C)Gain acceptance for the product.
D)Review how it all went.

Question 8

The final items that are left to accomplish or correct at the end of a construction project are on the:

A)Punch list.
B)Check list.
C)Check sheet.
D)Errata sheet.

Question 9

A project that is terminated by extinction must have been completed successfully.

Question 10

Termination by addition and termination by integration both represent successful project completion.

Question 11

A successful project that also creates a need for a change to organizational structure is probably terminated by:

A)Extinction.
B)Integration.
C)Starvation.
D)Addition.

Question 12

How do the four types of project termination differ?

Question 13

The emeritus physics professor taught at the university for forty years and had built quite a following in the community and an enviable LinkedIn network of alumni donors.The university was loath to ask him to retire,so they set up a lab where he could pursue his two passions,a perpetual motion machine and cold fusion,either of which would solve the world's energy problems.As the years passed,the budget was held constant and suffered due to the rise in prices for perpetual motion machine parts.Cold fusion material certainly wasn't getting any cheaper either,and it was evident to all the other physicists that the project was subjected to termination by:

A)Extinction.
B)Integration.
C)Starvation.
D)Addition.

Question 14

The departmental patriarch spent his last years at the university developing and promoting a Student Portfolio Project that required all departmental faculty to create integrated course projects and maintain a database of their students' work.New graduates could refer their prospective employers to the Student Portfolio Project database to mine examples of their work.The patriarch retired,funding and effort dried up,and the project lingered in a few syllabi and on the department's web site for a year or two but now any mention of it elicits either puzzled looks or wry grins from the remaining faculty.The patriarch's Student Portfolio Project has officially been terminated by:

A)Extinction.
B)Addition.
C)Integration.
D)Starvation.

Question 15

In August 2012,after twenty years in development,the combination heart monitor-ashtray for hospital intensive care patients was finally terminated,a victim of the change in the social acceptability of smoking in general and in particular,smoking by hospital patients.This is an example of natural termination.

Question 16

Which two types of project termination are reserved for successful projects?

A)Addition and integration
B)Integration and starvation
C)Starvation and extinction
D)Extinction and addition

Question 17

The new dean was completely uninterested in international programs,so he selected the least competent faculty to serve on the committee and took away their doughnut budget,effectively terminating the project by starvation.

Question 18

The project was over,so each worker went back to her usual assignment,taking with them the notebook they were issued when the project began.They never were sure whether the project had been successful or unsuccessful,but they could be positive that the project was terminated by:

A)Extinction.
B)Addition.
C)Integration.
D)Starvation.

Question 19

Which two types of project termination can occur for unsuccessful projects?

A)Integration and starvation
B)Starvation and extinction
C)Extinction and addition
D)Addition and integration

Question 20

Of the project closeout management steps listed,the first is to:

A)Hand over the project.
B)Finish the work.
C)Gain acceptance for the product.
D)Review how it all went.

Question 21

The disadvantage of a BOOT contract to the project organization is that they must take on:

A)Higher safety risks.
B)Higher failure risks.
C)Higher financial risks.
D)Higher competitive risks.

Question 22

Research clearly indicates that when team members have experienced positive psychosocial outcomes from a project:

A)They are actually less likely to work collaboratively in the future.
B)They tend to fear future projects because they feel the law of averages will catch up with them.
C)Their enthusiasm level wanes due to mental and physical exhaustion.
D)They are more likely to work collaboratively in the future.

Question 23

Which statement about project closeout activities is BEST?

A)Closeout activities are usually given a high priority.
B)Getting the project signed off encourages other closeout activities.
C)Because all projects are unique,the actual carryover from project to project is minimal.
D)Closeout activities are impossible to ignore.

Question 24

A significant challenge during the finishing the work element of project closeout management is to:

A)Demonstrate viability of the project.
B)Gain customer acceptance of the product.
C)Maintain focus on the current project.
D)Capitalize on new opportunities that arise from this project.

Question 25

The closeout step that requires all contractual documents be recorded and archived is:

A)Putting it all to bed.
B)Finishing the work.
C)Reviewing how it all went.
D)Harvesting the benefits.

Question 26

Lessons-learned analysis is BEST described as:

A)A bookkeeping process.
B)A personnel reassignment process.
C)A pressure relief process.
D)An organizational learning process.

Question 27

The goal of a lessons-learned meeting is to recapitulate the series of events:

A)As subjectively as possible.
B)From the project manager's viewpoint.
C)As intuitively as possible.
D)From all possible viewpoints.

Question 28

All projects are unique:

A)Therefore all project management circumstances are equally unique.
B)So knowledge cannot be transferred.
C)But they may have several common points.
D)So knowledge should not be transferred to avoid bias in future projects.

Question 29

The PFI arrangement in the United Kingdom for projects is an acronym for:

A)Project Failure Insurance.
B)Profiterole Filling Inclusion.
C)Private Finance Initiative.
D)Primary Figure Investment.

Question 30

The key to begin harvesting the benefits of a project is to first develop an effective:

A)Client relationship with the project team.
B)Measurement system for project use and value assessment.
C)BOOT agreement that clearly stipulates when transfer of title occurs.
D)Enterprise resource planning package to manage human,financial,and material resources.

Question 31

The difference between a BOT contract and a BOOT contract is that under the BOOT contract:

A)The customer must observe all phases of the project process before the product is handed over.
B)The project organization is obligated to complete the project on time.
C)The project organization must take initial ownership of the product.
D)The customer must organize the project's resources for the project organization.

Question 32

A research study on the critical success factors for projects found that an important determination of whether the project is successful is the element of:

A)Putting it all to bed.
B)Reviewing how it all went.
C)Disbanding the team.
D)Gaining acceptance for the product.

Question 33

Under the BOT option for a project:

A)The project organization must operate the work product of the project for a while.
B)The customer organization must accept the work product of the project at the scheduled delivery date.
C)The project organization may build the work product to their own specifications instead of the customer's.
D)The customer organization transfers employees to the project organization for the duration of the project.

Question 34

The project review session was one epiphany after another for the project organization.A number of systematic errors were properly identified and the root causes of a number of problems were identified.Sadly,the review session was not leveraged to its fullest extent thanks to:

A)The disbanding of the project team.
B)Failure to enforce the archiving of this knowledge.
C)A restrictive BOOT contract.
D)A liberal BOT contract.

Question 35

The BOT option for large projects is designed to:

A)Automate the payment process.
B)Automate the closeout process.
C)Keep the door open for new projects between the customer and project organization.
D)Limit risk for the customer in the short run.

Question 36

A lessons-learned analysis falls under the project closeout management element of:

A)Reviewing how it all went.
B)handing over the product.
C)Finishing the work.
D)Putting it all to bed.

Question 37

In order to facilitate acceptance for the project,the project team should start planning for the project's transfer and use during:

A)The project development phase.
B)The project termination phase.
C)The project close-out phase.
D)The project work phase.

Question 38

It is a systematic error to attribute failures or mistakes to:

A)one-time occurrences.
B)external causes.
C)freak accidents.
D)internal causes.

Question 39

Disbanding the project team should be:

A)Celebrated so there is motivation for future projects.
B)Done in a highly structured manner.
C)Done in a highly informal manner.
D)Handled in an off-hand manner.

Question 40

An important guideline to follow in a lessons-learned meeting is to:

A)Make sure to properly assign blame for all that went wrong.
B)Make sure that events receive necessary spin.
C)Fix the problems.
D)Describe occurrences as subjectively as possible.

Question 41

What are any four items that prevent effective project closeouts and how can each be avoided?

Question 42

What three guidelines are offered to derive maximum benefit from a lessons-learned meeting? Provide counter examples for each one of these behaviors.

Question 43

Which of these factors weighs heavily in the decision to terminate a project?

A)Inability to protect results
B)Increased market receptiveness
C)Meeting project cost milestones
D)Low probability of return on investment

Question 44

A static factor that may lead to early termination for a project is:

A)Less capital availability.
B)High sunk costs.
C)Better alternatives available
D)Loss of the project champion.

Question 45

A behavioral issue that is crucial to maintaining the ongoing viability of a project is:

A)Worker commitment.
B)Increasing importance to the firm.
C)Financial impact to the company.
D)Relatively minor technical problems.

Question 46

Systematic errors are not one-time incidents,but instead represent built-in components of the project management process.

Question 47

Getting the project signed off may discourage other closeout activities.

Question 48

What is a lessons-learned meeting with regards to project management? Describe the benefits and behaviors of such a meeting.

Question 49

Review the project sign-off documents contained in Appendix 14.1.How can these forms be improved?

Question 50

What can a project organization do to increase the likelihood of acceptance for the final product of the project?

Question 51

What are the major types of paperwork that must be closed out at the end of a project? What are some elements of each type?

Question 52

The build,operate,transfer option for projects requires the project contractor to take initial ownership of the project in order to make sure it works,thus mitigating risk in the short run.

Question 53

What are three different ways that a project can be handed over from the project organization to the client? Describe their differences.

Question 54

Closeout activities are typically among the highest priority activities in a project.

Question 55

What are any two common mistakes in a post-project lessons-learned meeting?

Question 56

In the United States,a Private Finance Initiative is used to protect the excessive financial exposure of a contracting agency to a project being developed.

Question 57

What are the keys to begin harvesting the benefits of a project? What are the major components of a meaningful project assessment system and how does an assessment system help the project organization?

Question 58

The actual carryover from one project to another is minimal because projects are unique,one-time events.

Question 59

Research indicates that the number one reason for terminating research and development projects is:

A)That the project is found to be inconsistent with organizational goals.
B)The project costs more to complete than originally planned.
C)The low probability of achieving technical or commercial success.
D)Increased government restrictions.

Question 60

Sketch the Seven Elements of Project Closeout Management model and discuss what takes place at each step.

Question 61

When contractual claims are defaulted due to the failure of a project to be completed and delivered:

A)The client firm should file an ex-gratia claim.
B)The client firm may have some legal claim to punitive damages.
C)The project firm should file an ex-gratia claim.
D)The project firm may have some legal claim to recovery.

Question 62

Binding arbitration:

A)Requires that a terminated project be completed before damages are awarded.
B)Requires empanelment of equal numbers from both the client and project organizations to reach a verdict.
C)Should be used to settle disputes only if the principle of caveat emptor does not apply.
D)Can settle outstanding claims or disputes provided that all parties agree to its use.

Question 63

Loss of team identity is:

A)An emotional staff issue.
B)An emotional client issue.
C)An intellectual internal issue.
D)An intellectual external issue.

Question 64

Which of these statements about early termination decisions is BEST?

A)The decision to pull the plug is usually clear-cut.
B)A project's viability is usually a purely internal issue.
C)Projects that can fulfill a useful purpose in the marketplace are not killed.
D)External reasons,such as a change in the organization's environment,are often the reasons for project termination.

Question 65

Static factors that may play a role in the decision to terminate a project early include company image and the presence of high sunk costs.

Question 66

Researchers have determined that one significant early warning sign of project failure is:

A)The time to complete the project lengthens.
B)The rewards were available on an intermittent basis.
C)The new product being developed was targeting a market that few new products and firms were entering or exiting.
D)The organization spends too much time utilizing lessons learned.

Question 67

The work breakdown for project termination issues can be broadly categorized into:

A)Emotional and devotional issues.
B)Visceral and discrete issues.
C)Intellectual and intersectional issues.
D)Intellectual and emotional issues.

Question 68

The formalized system of dealing with grievances and administering corrective justice to parties in a bargaining position is:

A)Collective bargaining.
B)Distributive justice.
C)Arbitration.
D)Compensation.

Question 69

A mainframe computer company decided to enter the personal computer market with its Floridian Project,but subsequently decided to leave the market to focus on the mainframe business.The decision rule that they probably applied was to get out:

A)When the project no longer meets strategic fit criteria.
B)When deadlines continue to be missed.
C)When project personnel turn over too rapidly.
D)When technology evolves beyond the project's scope.

Question 70

Many times,clients will shift new people into the project who have no experience with it as they move their key people to new challenges.This issue is:

A)An emotional one for the project team.
B)An emotional one for the clients.
C)One that is internal and intellectual.
D)One that is external and intellectual.

Question 71

Surveys on the early warning signs of project failure indicate that a red flag for failure is:

A)The time to complete the project lengthens.
B)The low probability of achieving commercial objectives.
C)The political forces have turned against the project.
D)The benefits of the project won't be realized until the end.

Question 72

The rapid evolution of technology and the need to freeze a project's scope can combine to render a project:

A)Too costly to complete.
B)Obsolete before it can be finished.
C)A poor fit with current company strategy.
D)So complex that it will take too long to complete.

Question 73

Construction of the largest egg in the world seemed like a good idea when the Pixley city council awarded Halliburton the construction contract,but as the weeks turned into months the idea had lost much of its charm.What emotional issues might the project team be facing?

A)Availability of key personnel
B)Loss of project-derived motivation
C)Disposal of unused material
D)Communicating closure

Question 74

Projects accumulate quantities of unused supplies and materials.It is imperative that an organization have a method for disposing of these materials when a project is terminated.This issue is:

A)Intellectual and internal.
B)Intellectual and external.
C)Emotional and of the project team.
D)Emotional and of the client.

Question 75

The Microserf was in a blind panic;now that the latest version of the Bob operating system was ready for sale,he would have to latch onto a new project team or face life on the mean streets of Redmond.This is indubitably an:

A)Emotional issue for the clients.
B)Internal,intellectual issue.
C)Emotional issue for the staff.
D)External,intellectual issue.

Question 76

When a project is shut down,the project team must ensure that all relevant stakeholders are clearly aware of the project shut down,including the date by which all activities will cease.This is an:

A)Intellectual and internal issue.
B)Emotional issue of the project team.
C)Emotional issue of the clients.
D)Intellectual and external issue.

Question 77

An ex-gratia claim made when a project is closed down is made when:

A)There is no contractual basis for a claim.
B)The project company fails to perform to the terms of the contract.
C)The client company fails to perform to the terms of the contract.
D)A third party causes either the client or project company to fail to perform to the terms of the contract.

Question 78

An example of an external intellectual issue is:

A)The control of charges to the project.
B)The screening of partially completed tasks.
C)The identification of outstanding commitments.
D)The determinants of requirements for audit trail data.

Question 79

In non-binding arbitration:

A)The judge can offer suggestions for dispute resolution but cannot enforce these opinions.
B)The two parties agree to open up,or unbind,their books for inspection by the other party.
C)The client and project organizations both agree to perform exactly what the judge decrees.
D)The client and project organizations are not bound by the rules of law.

Question 80

An internal intellectual issue that arises when a project is terminated is:

A)Agreement with suppliers on outstanding commitments.
B)Closing down facilities.
C)Identification of remaining deliverables.
D)Determinants of requirements for audit trail data.