Deck 1: Modern Project Management

Question 1

Project management is important to understand when people are a part of a project team because they

A) Work with others to create a schedule and budget.
B) Need to understand project priorities so they can make independent decisions.
C) Need to be able to monitor and report project progress.
D) Need to understand the project charter or scope statement that defines the objectives and parameters of the project.
E) All of these are reasons it is important for project team members to understand project management.

Answer 1

E
Explanation: Project members are expected to use project management tools and concepts such as working as a team to create a budget or schedule and be able to monitor project progress.They also need to be able to understand project priorities and parameters.

Question 2

Which of the following activities is the best example of a project?

A) Processing insurance claims
B) Producing automobiles
C) Writing a policy manual
D) Monitoring product quality
E) Overseeing customer requests

Answer 2

C
Explanation: A project is not routine,repetitive work! Ordinary daily work typically requires doing the same or similar work over and over,while a project is done only once;a new product or service exists when the project is completed.

Question 3

Which of the following activities is NOT considered a project?

A) Developing a new software program
B) Designing a space station
C) Preparing the site for the Olympic Games
D) Production of automobile tires
E) Developing a new advertising program

Answer 3

D
Explanation: A project is not routine,repetitive work! Ordinary daily work typically requires doing the same or similar work over and over,while a project is done only once;a new product or service exists when the project is completed.

Question 4

In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle,project objectives are established,teams are formed,and major responsibilities are assigned.

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 5

Which dimension of project management centers on creating a temporary social system within a larger organizational environment that combines the talents of a divergent set of professionals working to complete the project?

A) Communication
B) Sociocultural
C) Social
D) Technical
E) Scheduling

Question 6

Two dimensions within the project management process are

A) Technical and sociocultural.
B) Cost and time.
C) Planned and unexpected.
D) Established and new.
E) Unique and reoccurring.

Question 7

In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle,a major portion of the physical project work performed.

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT one of the driving forces behind the increasing demand for project management?

A) Compression of the product life cycle
B) Knowledge explosion
C) Increasing need for multiproject management
D) Declining need for product customization
E) More sustainable business practices

Question 9

In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle you are more likely to find status reports,changes,and the creation of forecasts.

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 10

Which of these is NOT part of the "technical dimension" of project management?

A) WBS
B) Budgets
C) Problem solving
D) Schedules
E) Status reports

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a characteristic of a project?

A) An established objective
B) A clear beginning and end
C) Specific time,cost and performance requirements
D) For internal use only
E) Something never been done before

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT typical of a project manager?

A) Managing a temporary activity
B) Overseeing existing operations
C) Managing a nonrepetitive activity
D) Responsible for time,cost and performance trade-offs
E) Work with a group of outsiders,including vendors and suppliers

Question 13

Project management is ideally suited for a business environment requiring all of the following EXCEPT

A) Accountability.
B) Flexibility.
C) Innovation.
D) Speed.
E) Repeatability.

Question 14

In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle the project's schedule and budget will be determined.

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of a project life cycle?

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 16

Project governance does NOT include

A) Setting standards for project selection.
B) Overseeing project management activities.
C) Centralization of project processes and practices.
D) Options for continuous improvement.
E) Allowing project managers to plan the project the way they see fit.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Project management is far from a standard way of doing business
B) Project management is increasingly contributing to achieving organizational strategies
C) Project management is being used at a consistent percentage of a firm's efforts
D) Project management is a specialty that few organizations have access to
E) All of these statements are false

Question 18

A professional organization for project management specialists is the

A) PMI.
B) AMA.
C) MIS.
D) IPM.
E) PMBOK.

Question 19

In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle project the product is delivered to the customer and resources are reassigned.

A) Identifying
B) Defining
C) Planning
D) Executing
E) Closing

Question 20

Projects should align with the organization's overall strategy in order to

A) Complete the project safely.
B) Reduce waste of scarce resources.
C) Ensure customer satisfaction.
D) Secure funding.
E) None of these are reasons why projects should align with the organization's overall strategy.

Question 21

A series of coordinated,related,multiple projects that continue over an extended time period and are intended to achieve a goal is known as a

A) Strategy.
B) Program.
C) Campaign.
D) Crusade.
E) Venture.

Question 22

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product,service,or result is a(n)_________.

Question 23

Corporate downsizing has increased the trend toward

A) Reducing the number of projects a company initiates.
B) Outsourcing significant segments of project work.
C) Using dedicated project teams.
D) Shorter project lead times.
E) Longer project lead times.

Question 24

A major part of the project work,both physical and mental,takes place in the ___________ stage of the project life cycle.

Question 25

The project's schedule and budget will be determined in the ___________ stage of the project life cycle.

Question 26

Governance of all project management processes and procedures helps provide senior management with all of the following EXCEPT

A) A method to ensure projects that are important to senior management are being implemented
B) An assessment of the risk their portfolio of projects represents
C) An overview of all project management activities
D) A metric to measure the improvement of managing projects relative to others in the industry
E) A big picture of how organizational resources are being used

Question 27

In today's high-tech industries the product life cycle is averaging _________ to 3 years.

Question 28

The final stage in the project life cycle is the __________ stage.

Question 29

As the number of small projects increase within an organization's portfolio,what is a challenge an organization faces?

A) Sharing resources
B) Measuring efficiency
C) Managing risk
D) Prioritizing projects
E) All of these are challenges

Question 30

The initial stage in the project life cycle is the __________ stage.

Question 31

Which of the following is typically the responsibility of a project manager?

A) Meeting budget requirements
B) Meeting schedule requirements
C) Meeting performance specifications
D) Coordinating the actions of the team members
E) All of these are typical responsibilities

Question 32

Increased competition has placed a premium on customer satisfaction and the development of __________ products and services.

Question 33

Which of the following is a good example of a program?

A) Planting a garden
B) Developing a new residential area that includes six custom homes
C) Developing a new marketing plan
D) Taking notes each class meeting to prepare for the final
E) Planning a wedding

Question 34

The advent of many small projects has created the need for an organization that can support __________ management.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT true about project management?

A) It is not limited to the private sector
B) Many opportunities are available for individuals interested in this career path
C) It improves one's ability to plan,implement and manage activities to accomplish specific organizational objectives
D) It focuses primarily on technical processes
E) It is a set of tools

Question 36

Which of these is NOT part of the "sociocultural dimension" of project management?

A) Negotiation
B) Resource allocation
C) Managing customer expectations
D) Leadership
E) Dealing with politics

Question 37

Which of the following represents the correct order of stages within the project life cycle?

A) Planning,Defining,Executing,Closing
B) Closing,Planning,Defining,Executing
C) Defining,Planning,Executing,Closing
D) Executing,Defining,Planning,Closing
E) Planning,Defining,Closing,Executing

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a reason why project management has become a standard way of doing business?

A) Increased need for skilled management of stakeholders outside of organization
B) Projects need to be done faster
C) Organizations are doing more project work in-house instead of outsourcing
D) Organizations are executing more and more projects
E) Increased product complexity and innovation

Question 39

Project management is not limited to the __________ sector.

Question 40

A professional organization for project managers that has grown from 93,000 in 2002 to more than 520,000 currently is the ___________.

Question 41

The professional certification for project managers is a Project Management Professional (PMP).

Question 42

Applying a set of knowledge,skills,tools,and techniques to a collection of projects in order to move the organization toward its strategic goals is known as project ____________.

Question 43

The _____________ typically passes sequentially through four stages.

Question 44

Project managers are expected to ensure that appropriate trade-offs are made between the time,cost,and __________ requirements of the project.

Question 45

WBS,schedules,and budgets are examples of the _________ dimension of the project management process.

Question 46

Leadership,teamwork,and negotiation are examples of the _________ dimension of the project management process.

Question 47

Because of its flexibility,project management is equally useful in ongoing,routine work as well as unique,one-time projects.

Question 48

Training the customer,reassigning staff,and releasing resources occurs in the ________ stage of the project life cycle.

Question 49

One of the characteristics that separate project management from other endeavors of the organization is that there are specific time,cost,and performance requirements.

Question 50

The establishment of project goals,specifications,and responsibilities usually occurs in the ________ stage of the project life cycle.

Question 51

An increase in the complexity of projects,because projects typically include the latest advances,can be the result of a growth in new __________.

Question 52

A professional organization for project management specialists is the ___________.

Question 53

In some organizations,selection and management of projects often fail to support the overall _________ of the organization.

Question 54

Because of the profitability motive,project management is nearly always limited to the private sector.

Question 55

One of the defining characteristics of project management is that the projects are not confined to a single department but involve several departments and professionals.

Question 56

Not only is project management critical to many careers,the skill set is transferable across most businesses and professions.

Question 57

Most people who excel at managing projects never have the title of project manager.

Question 58

A(n)_________ is a series of coordinated,related multiple projects that continue over an extended time intended to achieve a goal.

Question 59

One of the defining characteristics of a project is that it has a singular purpose,i.e. ,an established ________.

Question 60

Because projects have a defined beginning and end,the ________ is frequently used to manage the transitions of a project from start to completion.

Question 61

Compare and contrast the Product Life Cycle and the Project Life Cycle.

Question 62

Strategic plans should be written by one group of managers,projects should be selected by another group,and projects should be implemented by another group.

Question 63

Because of the requirement for in-depth expertise,project management is generally restricted to specialists.

Question 64

Identify and briefly describe the four stages of the Project Life Cycle.

Question 65

Due to corporate downsizing,significant segments of project work have been outsourced to other organizations.

Question 66

A major portion of the project work,both physical and mental,takes place during the production stage of the project life cycle.

Question 67

At first glance,project managers perform the same functions as other managers.That is,they plan,schedule,motivate and control.

Question 68

Today,projects are the modus operandi or the method used for implementing organizational strategy.

Question 69

The sociocultural dimension of project management includes managing relationships,motivating team members and negotiating project terms.

Question 70

"Project managers perform the same functions as other managers." Agree or disagree,and support your decision.

Question 71

Successful project managers focus primarily on technical dimensions of project management,which include planning,scheduling,and controlling projects.

Question 72

Project management appears to be ideally suited for a business environment requiring accountability,flexibility,innovation and repeatability.

Question 73

Since a construction company builds many buildings,the buildings built after the first do not fit the definition of a project.

Question 74

Smaller projects in larger organizations tend not to need project management skills.

Question 75

The first stage in the project life cycle is the concept stage.

Question 76

One of the most significant driving forces behind the demand for project management is the ever increasing lengthening of the product life cycle.

Question 77

Project governance means applying a set of knowledge,skills,tools,and techniques to a collection of projects in order to move the organization toward its strategic goals.

Question 78

A program is a process designed to accomplish a common goal over time.

Question 79

Small business development is a major driver of project management.

Question 80

Identify the five major characteristics of a project.