Question 1

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram
-Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.If only six programmers are available to support this project,which of the following conclusions is valid?

Accepted Answer

In weeks five and six, the demand for programmers exceeds the number available, as the number of required programmers is above 6 in those weeks. This may make the current schedule infeasible if those weeks are critical to the project's success. The histogram shows that there is sufficient capacity in the first four weeks, but the demand for programmers is consistently higher than the available resources in the subsequent weeks. Option A is incorrect as we cannot conclude that the schedule is feasible based solely on a resource histogram. Option C is incorrect as it doesn't cover the entire project duration. Option D is incorrect as there are instances where the demand exceeds the capacity.

Question 2

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart
-Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1.What responsibility should the contract officer assume with respect to the statement of work?

Accepted Answer

The answer of  Figure 8-1 RACI Chart
-Consider the RACI...

Question 3

When estimating resource needs,project teams should consider all the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Scoring models are not typically used when estimating resource needs. Project teams should consider support needs such as information systems, the time required to communicate between activities, and specific knowledge or skills that are required when estimating resource needs.

Question 4

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram
-Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.How many programmers are required during the fifth week of this project?

Accepted Answer

According to the histogram, during the fifth week of the project, 7 programmers are required.

Question 5

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information
-Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the cost to complete this project in the normal time?

Accepted Answer

The total cost to complete the project in the normal time is the sum of the direct costs for all activities, which is $145 (20+45+10+20+50).

Question 6

Project managers must often face the challenge of compressing the project schedule.All of the following actions can be taken to reduce the duration of the critical path EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Using the float in critical path activities is not an action that directly reduces the duration of the critical path. Rather, it is a means to identify activities that have flexibility in their start and finish dates, and can be delayed without impacting the overall project duration. The other options (A, B, D) are all means of compressing the project schedule and reducing the duration of the critical path.

Question 7

Project managers often confront the challenge of reducing excessive time commitments and overloads among project resources.All of the following methods represent a potentially viable strategy to reduce work overloads EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Requiring all project resources to work overtime will not reduce work overloads but will instead exacerbate the problem. It is not a viable strategy for reducing excessive time commitments among project resources. The other options (B, C, and D) are all potentially viable strategies. Splitting an activity, reordering activities, and reassigning certain activities can help in reducing overloads and managing work effectively.

Question 8

The components (principles)of Critical Chain Project Management include which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Critical Chain Project Management emphasizes avoiding multi-tasking to improve focus and efficiency. It also suggests using buffers strategically, but not adding them to every activity.

Question 9

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart
-Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1 (RACI stands for Responsible,Approve,Consult,Inform).Who is responsible for development of the specification?

Accepted Answer

According to the RACI chart, the letter R (Responsible) is assigned to the Project Engineer for the development of the specification. Therefore, the best choice is B, the Project Engineer.

Question 10

A common tool project teams use is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM).Typically,this chart will depict:

Accepted Answer

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a chart that identifies the roles and responsibilities of team members for each task or activity in a project. It does not include dates or durations, nor does it depict organizational reporting structures.

Question 11

Crashing almost always accelerates the schedule while increasing project risk,whereas fast tracking almost always accelerates the schedule while increasing project cost.

Accepted Answer

Crashing accelerates the schedule typically by increasing project cost (e.g., by adding more resources), while fast tracking involves overlapping tasks that would normally be done in sequence, which increases project risk due to potential rework.

Question 12

Figure 8-2 Software Programmer Loading Chart
-Consider the software programmer loading chart presented in Figure 8-2.Which of the following statements most accurately describes the loading of the software programmer?

Accepted Answer

According to the chart, the programmer is scheduled to work on four different projects on Wednesday and five different projects on Thursday, indicating an overload on both days. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 13

Figure 8-2 Software Programmer Loading Chart
-Consider the software programmer loading chart presented in Figure 8-2.What percent of available time is the software programmer assigned to work activities on Thursday?

Accepted Answer

The answer of  Figure 8-2 Software Programmer Loading Chart
-Consider...

Question 14

The staffing management plan addresses all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

The staffing management plan addresses the identification, availability, and timing of internal and external human resources for the project, as well as how to build, develop, and release the project team. However, creating RACI charts, which define team members' roles and responsibilities, is not typically included in the staffing management plan. It is a separate tool used in project management.

Question 15

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information
-Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the normal (un-crashed)duration of this project?

Accepted Answer

The normal (un-crashed) duration of the project is the sum of the duration of all activities in the critical path. In this case, the critical path is A-B-C-F-G-H, which has a total duration of 9 days. Therefore, the normal duration of the project is 9 days.

As for the best choice(s) for crashing, it depends on the particular objectives and constraints of the project. Generally, the best choice(s) would involve identifying the critical path and crashing the activities on that path with the lowest cost per unit of time saved, until the desired project duration is achieved. In this case, we can calculate the cost per unit of time saved for each activity as follows:

Activity A: ($250 - $200) / 1 = $50
Activity B: ($400 - $250) / 2 = $75
Activity C: ($300 - $200) / 1 = $100
Activity D: ($150 - $100) / 2 = $25
Activity E: ($250 - $150) / 1 = $100
Activity F: ($600 - $400) / 2 = $100
Activity G: ($500 - $300) / 1 = $200
Activity H: ($350 - $250) / 1 = $100

Based on these calculations, the best choice(s) would be to crash activity A by one day (at a cost of $50), and activity D by two days (at a cost of $50). This would reduce the duration of the critical path to 6 days, and the total cost of crashing would be $100. Again, note that the best choice(s) may vary depending on the specific objectives and constraints of the project.

Question 16

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart
-Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1.Who is accountable for the data requirements?

Accepted Answer

According to the RACI chart, the project manager is accountable for the data requirements, as indicated by the letter "A" in the responsible column. None of the other roles listed (project engineer, contract officer, logistics manager) have accountability for this task.

Question 17

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information
-Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the incremental cost to achieve a one-day reduction in the duration of this project in the most cost efficient manner?

Accepted Answer

The incremental cost for a one-day reduction can be calculated by taking the difference of the total cost for crashing from 17 days to 16 days and the total cost for crashing from 16 days to 15 days, which is $35 ($235 - $200). This is the most cost efficient way to reduce the duration of the project by one day, as the cost increases significantly for further reductions in duration.

Question 18

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information
-Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.Which activity should you crash to reduce this project by one day with the least incremental cost?

Accepted Answer

Crashing Activity C for one day results in a cost increase of $3,000, while crashing the other activities only reduces the project duration by less than one day but involves a much higher cost per unit of time. Therefore, it is the least incremental cost to reduce the project by one day.

Question 19

Critical Chain method was developed to address several problems that are common in organizations that use traditional project scheduling.Which of the following describes a common problem addressed by the critical chain method?

Accepted Answer

The Critical Chain method addresses the issue of "Parkinson's Law," which suggests that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. This method aims to eliminate this problem by reducing estimates and using buffers strategically, encouraging team members to complete tasks more efficiently rather than using all the available time.

Question 20

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram
-Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.Which activity is an ideal candidate to delay in order to achieve a feasible schedule?

Accepted Answer

Activity C - Draft User Manual is an ideal candidate to delay because it is not on the critical path, meaning its delay will not directly impact the overall project timeline as much as delaying activities that are on the critical path.

Quiz 8: Resourcing Projects

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram -Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.If only six programmers are available to support this project,which of the following conclusions is valid?

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart -Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1.What responsibility should the contract officer assume with respect to the statement of work?

When estimating resource needs,project teams should consider all the following EXCEPT:

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram -Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.How many programmers are required during the fifth week of this project?

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information -Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the cost to complete this project in the normal time?

Project managers must often face the challenge of compressing the project schedule.All of the following actions can be taken to reduce the duration of the critical path EXCEPT:

Project managers often confront the challenge of reducing excessive time commitments and overloads among project resources.All of the following methods represent a potentially viable strategy to reduce work overloads EXCEPT:

The components (principles) of Critical Chain Project Management include which of the following?

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart -Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1 (RACI stands for Responsible,Approve,Consult,Inform) .Who is responsible for development of the specification?

A common tool project teams use is a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) .Typically,this chart will depict:

Crashing almost always accelerates the schedule while increasing project risk,whereas fast tracking almost always accelerates the schedule while increasing project cost.

Figure 8-2 Software Programmer Loading Chart -Consider the software programmer loading chart presented in Figure 8-2.Which of the following statements most accurately describes the loading of the software programmer?

Figure 8-2 Software Programmer Loading Chart -Consider the software programmer loading chart presented in Figure 8-2.What percent of available time is the software programmer assigned to work activities on Thursday?

The staffing management plan addresses all of the following except:

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information -Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the normal (un-crashed) duration of this project?

Figure 8-1 RACI Chart -Consider the RACI chart presented in Figure 8-1.Who is accountable for the data requirements?

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information -Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.What is the incremental cost to achieve a one-day reduction in the duration of this project in the most cost efficient manner?

Figure 8-4 Project Crashing Information -Consider the project crashing information presented in Figure 8-4.Which activity should you crash to reduce this project by one day with the least incremental cost?

Critical Chain method was developed to address several problems that are common in organizations that use traditional project scheduling.Which of the following describes a common problem addressed by the critical chain method?

Figure 8-3 Programmers Resource Histogram -Consider the programmers resource histogram presented in Figure 8-3.Which activity is an ideal candidate to delay in order to achieve a feasible schedule?